'Come in.'

The door opened and a bald head showed up.

'Come on in, Peter. Sit.'

The boy entered. He was moving like a wild animal in an unknown territory. It took Mr Bine exactly three seconds to feel the change. Peter had confident air and his eyes were moving around, spotting every detail. His face was good enough for a game of poker but it was definitely not the same still, apathetic image from before.

'How are you feeling?'

'Never better.'

The principal settled in his chair and fixated his eyes on the orphan. The right edge of his mouth lifted and formed a half-smile.

'You've got nerve, kid, I grant you that.'

'Kids in my place need nerve; …tons of it.'

For a moment Bine felt again like he was talking to an adult. His expression stiffened.

'Now that you are better, perhaps we can discuss the events from earlier today?'

'Look, principal, I'm sorry…'

'Do you realize what you could have done?'

'I do. I lost control.'

'The doctor said that had it not been for his size and body mass, Max would have been in intensive care now!'

'I'm really sorry, OK? … And anyway, he was asking for it.' The last part Peter uttered with unconcealed passion.

'Was he? Because he was teasing Kyle? And the supervisors, they were asking for it, too?' The principal wanted to check just how deep he could poke before the tiger leaves its den. And again he found himself totally unprepared for Peter's reaction.

The boy hit his fist on the side of the chair and spoke with loud, firm voice.

'Injustice has to be punished!' There was a certain glow in the orphan's eyes. 'It was not fair! Max is much bigger and stronger than the other kids. He crossed the line and he got what he deserved!'

Bine passed hand bellow his chin.

'Those who do wrong have to be punished...' Peter looked down as he said that. The conversation stopped being about Max few seconds ago.

'Tell me about your home, Peter.'

The question came right from the left field for the teenager.

'H-home? I don't have a home.'

'All right, tell me about the place that you used to call home.'

Peter shrugged. 'It was… a temple. Noting special.' Peter frowned and looked outside.

The principal did not expect to hear the boy's life story but he definitely did not want him to wrap himself in that impassable wall again. He hoped the kid would open up and learn to speak of his pain freely.

'What did you do there?'

At that moment Peter's instincts were highly alert. He was still looking down to his hands and as he moved his head back up, he noticed: the papers in front of the principal, the hand writing on them, the open pen next to the papers, the phone lying at a comfortable distance to the right of him, outside a small phone-shaped ring of dust. The whole thing took just a moment.

'Why do you ask me if you've already checked me up?'

Bine moved unnerved. He was aware of the treacherous signs lying around but he certainly did not expect that a twelve-year old would spot them, too.

'Because I want to hear it from you,.. Sherlock.'

Peter sighed. The faster he answered the sooner it would be over.

'We studied, and trained, and taught…'

'What did you train?'

'Kung-fu', snapped the boy. The tone of his voice suggested that he had no intention of explaining what that was.

'I see', smiled Bine. 'How long have you been training… kung-fu?'

Peter shrugged again. 'Since… since I can remember…'

'It showed.' The boy did not expect such an answer. 'That window behind you?.. I saw everything. The little brat was asking for it. And you looked like a little Bruce Lee over there…'

Peter grunted. 'Bruce Lee is an amateur.'

'Hey, you know better. But look, son,…'

'DO NOT CALL ME THAT!' Peter rose abruptly as he shouted with a hoarse voice, and looked at Bine threatening, nearly wild again. The principal had been walking on thin ice and it just got a crack.

'Please, forgive me!' The man spoke in a low tone and very gently. 'I am sorry, Peter! Please, sit, and again, accept my apology!'

Peter relaxed and went back to his seat. Bine took a deep breath before he continued.

'What I was trying to say was that you obviously have some really special skills in store, kid, but they can be quite devastating.'

'I know. I lost it. I'm sorry. And about Kirk & Spock, I didn't mean…'

'Kirk & Spock?.. Ah, you mean Albert and Harry, the supervisors.'

'Whatever.'

'Tell me, the monks in your temple… what did they use those fighting skills for?'

'To help.'

'Help who?'

'Those who need to be helped; the week, the vulnerable…'

'Like Kyle…'

'Yeah.'

'That's a good cause, especially if it makes the guilty get what they deserve. … Don't be surprised, Peter, I've been fighting for justice for thirteen years before coming here.'

'You were a cop?'

'Heh, nothing so exciting, I was a lawyer. Then I thought it's probably more worth trying to prevent crime in its infancy, so I took the job in Pineridge.'

'You're kinda failing with Max…'

'I haven't given up on him yet. And, speaking of which, we have to come up with a proper punishment for you.'

'Oh, well... Guess I deserve it...' Then Peter added aggressively: 'Though not as much as Max!'

'Let me worry about him, OK? Now, I'll have to move you to the single room, just for a while. You will spend the rest of the weekend without leaving it. Your meals will be brought to you, cold. And from Monday you'll be giving shifts at the kitchen after classes. Let's see what old Mr Show can find for you.'

Peter grunted. 'Whatever.'

The principal did not want to argue any longer. 'You can go now. And Peter, try not to allow this to happen again, please.'

'I'll do my best.' Peter went to the door and before opening it he turned abruptly: 'But if I see Max, or anyone, pestering some of the younger kids, I won't be responsible for the consequences.'

Mr Bine nodded in silent agreement. He then nearly panicked when he saw that at the doorway Peter almost bumped into Max. However the most extraordinary thing happened. The tall massive teenager stared at Peter for a moment, stepped back, and made way for the new boy to pass. Peter acted like Max was obliged to do so and walked away with his head high up. The door shut behind him.

XXX