“NO!” the boy exclaimed as a wave of emotion tore through him. He was appalled at being spoken down to—and manhandled by!—the help. Elijah ripped his arm from the footman’s hands and fell backwards over the back of the couch, knocking the wind from him as he landed with a loud thud upon the wooden floorboards. For a long moment, the only sound the boy could hear was a loud ringing in his ears.