Atticus remains still and stone-faced just long enough to give Benedict time to consider, reconsider, and then regret those words. He drops his eyes to the chain connecting one shackled wrist to the other, examining it thoughtfully. Then he carefully gathers it up into one hand so that it won't swing freely and do unnecessary damage to his charge's face.

That's about all the warning Benedict gets before Atticus backhands him across the face with enough force to send him sprawling, and possibly to draw blood.