Price nodded. “Even at the school’s beginning, not many were leaving here and giving their lives over to orphans. ‘To serve man and to glorify God.’ The beds are a lot softer when you drill oil.”

Ben thought about when he would see Markson again, undertaking the rewrite of “Decision-Making.” Above all else, a St. James education teaches a boy to look out for himself. Markson would say there was more humanity to it than that.

“What keeps you here?” Ben asked.

Price didn’t respond for a long time. “It’s a time of no escape. That’s what I like. Seeing what happens when you’re trapped with your experience.”

Ben looked up into the safe sky.

“So play Gray, Ben. I can’t make you, and I know I can’t really even move you in that direction. But don’t miss the chance to find out what’s on your inside. And you can give that to him, too. You can let Gray find out what’s on his inside.”

Ben laughed. He looked in Price’s eyes.

“Make him bleed for it. Let yourself bleed.”

*  *  *

An hour later, after telling Rory to set up the match for that night, Ben dialed the calling card number from memory and held the receiver to his ear with his eyes closed. He imagined her wiping wet hands on the towel hung over the bar of the oven door as she moved for the phone.

She answered with the same voice as always, but her breath had a ragged edge. They asked each other if they were okay, and Ben told her about the DC and Ahmed’s decision. He told her he was fine.

“What’s happening there?” he asked.

Now the raggedness gave way to a short sob.

“I don’t even know why I’m upset!” she said with a laugh through her crying throat. “It’s good, not having to keep waiting. So. Dad’s property deal—the local board—they voted to keep the land zoned as is.”

“So they can’t turn it into retail.”

“Right.”

“Did he not plan for that?”

“He says his partners told him it was a fait accompli.”

“I mean…did someone take advantage of him? Did they sell it to him knowing it wouldn’t be changed over?”

She didn’t answer right away. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Harry was out in the trees splitting wood. He lifted the maul and let it fall through each standing piece. Inside the house Helen was telling Ben, and he needed to go inside and take responsibility, to look in her face again.