He kneels beside me, the way I’ve seen him kneel when he’s meditating. I fumble for words—pick them up, look at them, lay them down again.

“You’ve been fighting,” Docker says. No expression in his voice. I nod. “Who with?”

“Floyd.”

“Ah.”

“I won. I guess.”

“You don’t look too happy.”

I pick at the seam of my sweatpants. “Will I grow up like Floyd? He took up boxing, used it against me. Is that what I’ll do with karate? If I ever have a kid.”

“You planning to hang in with karate?”

“I liked hitting him! The look on his face when I kicked him ... playing with him as he got more and more tired.”

“So after he fell down—I assume that’s what happened— what did you do? Stand over him and gloat? Rub his nose in it?”

“I threw up.”

“You’ll be okay, Brick. After all, I’ve got three or four more years to drill those five principles into you.”

“I don’t think he’ll quit. Even though I’ve threatened to set the cops on him.”

“I think I’ll pay a visit to your father,” Docker says. “Make it clear to him I know what’s going on, and that the whole world will know if he ever touches you again.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Brick, our aim is to stop your father beating you, without involving police, social workers, and foster homes. So he needs to know the problem’s gone beyond the four walls of his house.”

Docker hasn’t raised his voice and his expression is, as usual, impassive. He’s ten times the man Floyd will ever be, and he’s on

my side. I let this sink in.

Someday I’ll ask him what happened to his wife and daughter.

“If you ever need it, the key to my back door is under the rock by the garage,” he says. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to tell Rolf and Marigold about Floyd ... that way, you and Cassie have another place to go.”

“I’m scared Rolf would go straight to the cops.”

“You tell him to talk to me first.”

Now that would be worth seeing—a standoff between Rolf and Docker. “He’s gonna teach me stuff about woodworking.”

“Talk to him. He’d understand.”

“The karate you taught me ...” My voice trails off. I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. How can I explain it’s gone way beyond blocks and kicks?

“It’ll be easier next time to hold Floyd off.” Docker’s eyes bore into mine. “And you know what I said. First time I hear of you using karate to start a fight or bully someone, you’re out.”

The lightbulb clicks on. “You knew all along that I bully kids.”