“Think you’re better than the rest of us, don’t you, Stricklend? Well, guess what? You’re not, see? Nothing special about you. No reason to give yourself airs. No title. No family to speak of. Precious little money. You come from nothing, and you’ll go right back there when you leave this place, so you can just stop looking down that hoity-toity nose of yours at the rest of us. Hear me?”

Stricklend fought to open his eyes properly, but blood was congealing on the lids. He felt a loose tooth beneath his tongue. Tasted blood in his mouth. Felt pain in his stomach. From somewhere dark and distant he retrieved his voice.

“Hilton,” he said, “do you know how incredibly ugly you are?”

The older boy scowled. He hesitated for only a moment before drawing back his fist and bringing it forward with angry force into Stricklend’s face. Into the still of the night came the unmistakable sound of bone splintering. One of the more delicate boys vomited copiously onto his own feet.

“Not so pretty yourself, now, are you?” Hilton hissed into his ear before whistling at his troops and leading them off at a run.

Once alone, a curious peace descended upon Stricklend. He felt himself starting to drift, floating downward, ever downward. The sound of approaching footsteps halted his descent. Through one half-opened eye he saw what appeared to be a giant crow looming over him, its wings by its sides, its bright eyes peering at him in the moonlight. The crow shook its head and then untied the rope that held him to the tree. He fell forward and was caught not by some freakishly large feathered being, but by the strong arms of the junior Latin master, Mr. Reginald Ellis. Stricklend felt himself lifted and held tight, the master’s gown wrapped about him. He was aware he was being carried into the school, but not, as he had expected, toward the dormitory, or to Matron’s room to have his wounds tended. Instead Mr. Ellis took him up the narrow, winding stairs that led to his own quarters. Even in his confused condition Stricklend knew this was strange. Masters were forbidden to take pupils to their rooms. Lurid tales of teachers leaving under clouds of suspicion were well known in every school. Was that to be his fate now? he wondered. Was he to be taken advantage of? Defiled? After all that he had already endured?