“I don’t think anyone enjoys it. I don’t mind it, I guess.”

“I do not like it at all.”

Ben laughed. “No?”

“No. Mr. Twombley keeps telling me I am getting closer, but I do not really know what I am trying to get closer to.” Ahmed stopped and was quiet for several seconds.

Ben started, “Do you—” and then thought about whether this would make him an employee, but Ahmed’s face brightened to a near-satire of someone seizing on new hope. Ben began again. “Would you ever want me to…look at something sometime?”

“That would be very good. I would like that.”

“All right. When’s your next paper due?”

“Two weeks.”

“What’s it about?”

*  *  *

Leon knocked on Ben’s door and said he had a call down in the basement.

Ben heard Teddy’s voice and had so expected his mother’s voice that it was as though he were actually hearing her voice when his brother said, “You’re quitting squash?”

“Yeah, I quit before Christmas.”

“That’s what Mom said.”

“Yeah.”

“Is Price pissed?”

“I think so, but they got this new player, this English kid who’s amazing, so I don’t think he really cares.”

“Oh,” Teddy said, and stayed quiet. Ben wondered if that was it and he had already ended the call.

“Do you miss SJS?” Ben asked.

“Miss it?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s SJS?”

Ben laughed. “Shut up.”

“I got to go,” Teddy said, and hung up.

*  *  *

Two days later, Ben skipped wrestling and walked to the courts; the squash team had an away match. For forty minutes he lost himself in the ease of his body.

But when he turned to leave the courts, Price was there, smiling. He looked as stiff and upright as a wooden stepladder folded together.

“See?” Price said. “It’s not up to you.”

“Aren’t you at Brooks today?”

“You even know the schedule.”

Ben didn’t say anything for a while, staying very still. Finally he said, “You said you don’t want me on the team if I don’t want to be there.”

“But you do. Look at you.”

“You’ve got the Brit now.”

“Gray can take care of himself.”

Ben felt like anything he could say would make him more vulnerable, so he stayed quiet and went to slip his racquet into his bag.

“The Dragon doesn’t matter. Vandalizing the Dragon can’t pry you away from this.” Price laughed. “The Dragon has nothing to do with squash. Even you and me, this building, none of it has anything to do, really, with squash. So you got a little rebellion out of your system. Now your tuition stuff is settled, so we’re back at the beginning. We can start again.”

“Why do you want me to do this? Why do you care?”