Ben, even when he was teaching Josh to box, had never told Josh to punch him in the face.

“It’s okay, Josh,” Sarah said. “She does this to every new student.”

“I’m not going to punch her,” Josh said. “Sorry, Mrs. Tanaka.”

“Sensei. Okay, try to choke me, then,” she said.

“I really—”

“In this room, I am your sensei!” she barked. “You obey without question! Do it!”

Jesus. Josh frowned, then put out his hands to the air around her soft neck, not actually touching her.

“Is that the best you can do, pussy?” she asked.

“Wow. Yes. I’m not going to choke you, Mrs.—uh, Sensei.”

“Okay. Sorry, Joshua. I warned you.”

“Actually, you didn’t—”

And then he was lying on the floor, facedown, one arm twisted behind his back, smelling the mat, the sound of his body smacking the mat still ringing in the air.

What just happened?

Sensei Jane clapped her hands. “Get up! Now that you see I’m not a helpless little old lady, let’s try again. Punch me in the face.”

Josh got back up, assumed fighting stance again and hesitated.

“Do it,” she said.

“This is not what I had in—”

She kicked his leg out from under him, and he was sprawled on his back, Sensei standing over him, fist drawn. “Kee-ai!” she yelled, and punched. Josh flinched, but her little knobby fist stopped so close to his Adam’s apple that he could feel the heat of her hand. “A punch to the throat immobilizes the enemy and can even kill. Up you go, sweetheart. Ready to punch me in the face?”

He climbed to his feet. “I was hoping this would be more—”

She spun, one leg flying up, her foot hitting him squarely in the chest. He landed on his ass. Looked at her. Narrowed his eyes. “I’m ready to punch you now,” he said.

“Great! Give it your best shot!”

Josh stood up again and put his fists up.

“Hit me as hard as you can,” Jane said. “Right in the face. Aim for my nose.”

“Are you going to hurt me?” he asked. “More than you have already, that is?”

She laughed merrily. “Only a little.”

Okay, then. He pulled his fist back and let it fly, fully expecting her to dodge or block or something, but her eyes darted to the left, and at the last second, and in slow motion, and also at the speed of light, his fist hit her squarely in the face. He felt a hideous crunch, and Sensei Jane’s head jerked back.

“Josh! Jesus! What did you do?” Sarah yelled, and suddenly, there were all these little kids dressed in white, and they were swarming him, and kicking him, and there was a lot of yelling of “Ha! Ha!” and their little fists were sharp, even if they couldn’t reach past his waist.