Part 5 (1/2)

Don smiled. ”I knew a guy once that lost a book. They took it pretty hard. Got real rough about it.”

Bordelle shrugged. ”Yeah. But maybe Al Wells might not be so rough about it this time, huh? He might just sort of forget it, if you told him you just sort of ... well, maybe you were checking the incinerator on your way to the office, and the book slipped out of your pocket--you know?”

”You think it could happen that way?”

”It could--easy.”

Don stood up.

”Tell you,” he said, ”I might lose a book some day. But they don't come big enough to make me throw one away.” He picked up his books and put them under his arm.

”I'm going to turn those slips in tonight. Maybe you'd better turn in the one you wrote up, too. Then n.o.body'll get burned for losing a book.”

”I always thought you were a pretty sensible guy, Michaels.” Bordelle shook his head. ”After all, you stopped that beef. n.o.body got hurt, and you've got nothing to prove about yourself. Know what I mean? So why the big, high nose all at once?”

A bell clanged and the crash and roar of students das.h.i.+ng about echoed through the halls. Don shrugged carelessly.

”Oh, I don't know. Can't even explain it to myself. Maybe I just don't like people pus.h.i.+ng other people around. Maybe I don't like to be threatened. Maybe I've even got bit by some of those principles Masterson's always talking about. I don't know.” He turned away.

”Well, this is the end of my school day. See you.”

Bordelle looked after him.

”Yeah,” he said softly. ”It's the end of your day all right. Better look out it doesn't turn out to be the end of all your days.”

Don glanced down at his textbook, then looked out the window. A blanket of dark clouds obscured the sky. Light rain filtered coldly down, to diffuse the greenery of the school grounds, turning the scene outside into a textured pattern of greens, dotted here and there with a reddish blur. To the west, the mist completely hid the distant mountains.

It would be cold outside--probably down around sixteen degrees or so.

It had dropped to fifteen this morning, and unless the weather cleared up, there'd be no point in going up to the hills this weekend. The Korental and his clan would be huddled in their huts, waiting for warmer weather. A wild Ghar hunt would be the last thing they'd be interested in. Besides, the Gharu would be----

He jerked his attention back to the cla.s.sroom. A student was reciting.

”... And ... uh, that way, everything was all mixed up with the taxes and the government couldn't get enough money. So King Weronar knew he'd have to get someone to help un ... straighten the taxes out, so he ...

uh, well, Daniel Stern had been in the country for a couple of years, and he had ... well, sort of advised. So the king----”

Don looked out the window again.

With this weather, the ranch would be quiet. Hands would be all in the bunkhouses, crowding around the stoves. Oh, well, he and Dad could fool around down in the range. Since Mom had---- He jerked his head around to face the instructor.

Mr. Barnes was looking at him.

”Um-m-m, yes. That's good, Mara,” he said. ”Michaels, suppose you go on from there.”

Don glanced across at the student who had just finished her recitation, but she merely gave him a blankly unfriendly stare. He looked back at the instructor.

”I lost the last few sentences,” he admitted. ”Sorry.”