Charles's mind went blank; it was as if a plug had been pulled and he drained away with the bathwater. Wedged under Jenks's arm, smelling the stale liquor and dirt on him as he found the flight of stairs, going down to the basement. Jenks knew where they were going, even in the dark, and he didn't care when one or the other of the boys collided with stored furniture as he took them deeper and deeper into the house. The sound of James crying filled Charles's brain, as if occupying where Charles himself had once been.