Forty-Sixth Session

Richard presented a very different picture. He was lively, but over-excited, and his eyes were very bright. He talked constantly and incoherently, putting many questions without waiting for an answer, was restless, continuously, in a persecuted way, watching passers-by, and apparently quite incapable of listening to any interpretation. When Mrs K. interpreted there was no response. He was clearly in a state of strong manic excitement and much more openly aggressive, even directly towards Mrs K., than he had been for a long time. He said at once that he had brought the fleet and was planning a big battle. The Japanese, the Germans, and the Italians were all going to fight the British (he suddenly looked worried). He asked Mrs K. what she thought about the war situation, but went on talking without waiting for an answer. He said he felt very well indeed, there was nothing more the matter with him. He had been writing to his friend Jimmy, who was the second most important person in his gang—Richard being the most important—about plans for a battle against Oliver. Then he put out the fleet. The British were stronger than all the others together and were stationed behind rocks, represented by Mrs K.'s bag and clock. Suddenly the Italians appeared, but soon turned tail. Other enemies started to fight, but one hostile destroyer after another was blown up. Richard said, while putting them aside, ‘They are dead.’ A small British destroyer fired at a German battleship and was at first supposed to have sunk her; then Richard decided that she had surrendered and the destroyer brought her back. In between he repeatedly jumped up, looked out of the window, and watched children. He knocked on the window to attract their attention, made faces at them, but quickly withdrew behind the curtain; he behaved similarly towards a dog; he said of a young girl that she looked silly. He was particularly