Allen-Jones gave me a look that was both knowing and world-weary.

“That Assembly was all about me,” he said. “All that stuff about lack of faith and antisocial behavior. He’s making this all about me, sir. He said I was going through a rebellious phase. He said I needed to show tolerance to the beliefs of others.”

I gave an inward sigh. “All right. Let me deal with this,” I said.

I could see the boy was upset, but on the other hand, Allen-Jones has always had a tendency to overdramatize. I went to see the Headmaster as soon as my timetable allowed; I found him in his office, with Dr. Blakely and the Chaplain.

“Ah, Roy. Just the man,” he said. “We were discussing policy.”

“I’m sorry to intrude,” I said. “But could I have a quick word?”

Harrington beamed. “Of course,” he said. “In fact, I’m very glad you’re here. This concerns you, after all. Please, take a seat.”

I remained standing. The Chaplain gave me a suspicious look. Dr. Blakely gave the kind of smile a doctor gives a patient just before announcing that he has only months to live.

“I didn’t come for a meeting,” I said. “I’d like a word with you alone.”

Harrington smiled. “Of course you do. But let’s just put that on hold for a while. I’ve been talking to Marcus here”—at this, Dr. Blakely gave a canine nod—“about our Bullying Policy. We think it’s important for boys and staff to be aware of bullying. In fact, we’ve drawn up a document outlining the School’s aims.”

How typical of him, I thought, to assume we needed a document. In the old days, common sense was all a Master needed—that, and the guts to tackle the boys directly, in the classroom, and not from behind a document drawn up in an office.

“The thing is, Roy,” went on the Head, “bullying can take many forms. Many bullies are not even aware that their behavior is affecting others. It isn’t always physical. It can be psychological, which in many ways is even more damaging. We feel that anything that makes a boy feel uncomfortable—be it hitting, name-calling, or just imposing one’s beliefs on others—counts as a form of bullying, and we need to combat this at all levels, including members of staff.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” I said.

Harrington gave his PR smile. “What I mean, Roy, is that if we want to eliminate bullying among the boys, we have to examine our own methods. To be shouted at and humiliated—in public or in private—can be a traumatic experience for a young adolescent. These methods may have been valid—once. But things have moved on. Our customers expect us to be sensitive to all needs.”

Damn the man, I thought. Was he accusing me, now?