"But Kevin's handicapped."

"He's still a name," Wymack said.

Neil's head was spinning as he tried to sort it all out. "He wants Kevin to transfer back?"

"If he wanted Kevin to transfer, he'd just say so," Wymack said.

"Kevin wouldn't really go back," Neil said, disbelieving. "Not after what Riko did."

Wymack gave him a pitying look. "Tetsuji never formally adopted Kevin. Do you know why? Moriyamas don't believe in outsiders or equals. Tetsuji took Kevin in and took over his training, but he also gave Kevin to Riko—literally. Kevin isn't human to them. He's a project. He's a pet, and it's Riko's name on his leash. The fact he ran away is a miracle. If Tetsuji called tomorrow and told him to come home, Kevin would. He knows what Tetsuji would do to him if he refused. He'd be too afraid to say no."

Neil thought he'd be sick. He didn't want to hear anymore of this; he'd already heard too much. He wanted to run until it all started making sense in his head, or at least until the ice left his veins. "Then why go through all the trouble of changing districts?"

"The Moriyamas are ready to cash in on their investment," Wymack said. "No one honestly expects Kevin to make a comeback, but he signed with us to play. His arrogance is inspiring, and this year he's still a star. If he can't keep up and perform, the fans and critics will move on and forget about him. Tetsuji thinks he'll burn out, so he has to seize the moment now.

"Our teams are going to make a fortune this season. People are going to be hounding us every step of the way and gambling on our games. There'll be TV spots and merchandise and all kinds of publicity stunts. Tetsuji is pitting Riko and Kevin against each other knowing how it'll end. He'll put it all on the table and let his Ravens destroy us on the court. Rake in the winnings, establish Riko as the superior player forever, and relegate Kevin to the has-beens."

Neil swallowed hard. "What if Coach Moriyama told him to stop playing?"

Wymack was quiet for an endless minute, then said, "Kevin only had the strength to leave because Riko destroyed his hand. That was finally one injustice too many. Because of that I'd like to think Kevin would defy Tetsuji, but it's just as likely we'd never see him with a racquet again. But the day Kevin stops playing forever is the day he dies. He has nothing else. He wasn't raised to have anything else. Do you understand? We cannot lose to the Ravens this year. Kevin won't survive it."

"We can't win against them," Neil said. "We're the worst team in the nation."

"Then it's time to stop being the worst," Wymack said. "It's time to fly."

"You don't really think we can," Neil said.

"If you didn't think you could, what are you doing here? You wouldn't have signed the contract if you'd already given up on yourself." Wymack half-turned away. "I need to make sure Kevin's not cutting his wrists open in there. It's probably best if he doesn't see you right now. I can call Abby to come get you if you want to hang out with the others, but I need you to keep this a secret from your teammates until June. I need time to figure out how we're going to handle this season."