The boy arrived at the sixth form common room just before the end of prep, as requested. Carmody and the other sixth formers were having a meeting. He wondered when he would be getting into trouble, when a teacher would come. The punishment would start with the cane across his backside. Who the teacher was would decide how many ‘cuts’ he would get. He’d listened ardently to the stories from those who’d had the ‘cuts’. Don’t put your hands or arms back, if the cane touches bare skin it will open it up like a bursting pomegranate, keep your arms forward, don’t tighten your bum, stay as relaxed as you can, a tight bum is more painful, don’t make any sounds unless it’s Mills. Mills is the weakest, he doesn’t hit hard and he makes so much noise grunting you’d think he was the one being hit. If you have to fight, fight when Mills is on duty after school, the other teachers know Mills is weak and will step in and belt you if it’s near the change of their shift. The worst is Abbott, he deals it out like it’s the hand of God, he thinks it’s good for you so he really puts his heart into it. You can’t make any noise for him, if you don’t make noise he says ‘good boy’ while he belts you and goes easier. If you make a noise he thinks you’re complaining and belts you harder. Abbott would have belted Darnley. The boy wanted to be belted by Abbott, and he wouldn’t make a noise, not because Abbott might go easy, but because Darnley wouldn’t have made a noise.

The bell for prep sounded and the sixth formers left their common room. Carmody and Mohr stopped in front of him.

‘Harper, have you got it?’ Carmody asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Good boy,’ Carmody looked relieved.

‘Did Binder hit you?’ Mohr asked.

‘Not tonight.’

‘Before?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

The boy shook his head. Carmody smiled and shared a knowing look with Mohr.

‘You’re going to go out of bounds, Harper, does that worry you?’ Carmody asked.

‘What about the cuts?’

Both boys laughed. ‘You want to get the cuts?’ Carmody asked.

‘For fighting.’

‘Maybe later.’

‘Show us what you have,’ Mohr said.

The boy put his hand in his pocket and closed his hand on sharpness. He pulled his fingers out and opened his palm.

‘Shit,’ Mohr said. The two older boys stood staring at what was in the boy’s hand.

‘How did you find it?’ Carmody asked.

‘I trod on it.’

‘Are you glad Captain Edmund’s gone?’ Mohr asked.

‘Yes. He wasn’t a good teacher,’ the boy said.

Mohr laughed at that.

‘Will you promise us you’ll never try to hurt yourself because Edmund hurt you?’ Carmody asked.

The boy tried to understand what Carmody meant.

‘You heard about Masters?’ Mohr asked.