CHAPTER 11

When I arrived at the headmaster's office an hour later, I saw that I wasn't the only parent who had been called in.

"Jim Gordon! What are you doing here?" I gave him a firm handshake, then took a seat in the waiting area.

"Heh. I could ask you the same thing, Bruce," Gordon replied, sitting down again. "I got called in because Barbara was caught fighting."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your niece? The one who studies ballet?"

Gordon shrugged. "She's also been taking karate. I still don't know quite what happened; the principal wanted to wait until I was in the office. How about you? I read about the adoption in the paper."

"It's still making its way through the system, but yes, I'm adopting Dick. He's a great kid, but he's been having trouble with bullies lately. I gave him a few self-defense pointers." I settled back in my chair, feeling a sense of satisfaction in how well Dick had handled the entire thing.

"Well, the way the principal sounded on the phone, you'd think Babs was training to be Batman or something..." Gordon said calmly. I shot him a glance, but didn't see any reason for concern.

Shortly thereafter, the secretary let us into the headmaster's office. Seated there were two abashed looking kids. Barbara Gordon sat sullenly, lower lip stuck out and eyes blazing as brightly as her hair. Dick...he looked worried. He looked up at me with entreaty when I entered, as though afraid I'd be angry about this visit. I flashed him a reassuring smile as I took the chair offered me by the headmaster. Gordon was seated next to me.

"Gentlemen, I am truly sorry to have to call you into my office about your children. As I said to each of you earlier, your children apparently teamed up and seriously injured several other children on the playground today," the headmaster cast a raking look at Dick and Barbara. "Three of the boys involved were taken to the hospital. One had a cracked collarbone, the other a dislocated knee-cap. The third broke his nose when Richard and Barbara pushed him down and began hitting him. Since you are both single fathers, I felt that we should confer."

I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled. "Are you saying that because Jim and I are both single parents that our children are somehow at fault?"

"The children who were victimized each said that Dick started the fight," the headmaster said firmly. "Now, given Dick's...unusual...background, I think it very possible. And you only took custody of the boy recently; he may have emotional problems you're completely unaware of..."

I stood, focusing what Dick calls my 'bat-glare' full at the headmaster. "I know my son very well and he's a fine boy. Are you aware that these so-called victims have been bullying Dick for the better part of a week?" I turned to my son. "Dick?"

He nodded and removed a small tape recorder from his pocket, setting it on the principal's desk. At my gesture, Dick turned it on.

Loud voices came from the speaker:

"Yeah! This school will let just anybody in these days. Even stinkin' carnies!" A young voice called after Dick, who was moving swiftly for the building. A second young voice joined in.

"And how didja persuade old moneybags Wayne to adopt you, Dick? Was it because you're a dick, Dick?" Loud, braying laughter followed. Then came sounds of movement, followed by the first voice.

"So, Dick, what does a carny have to do to get adopted, huh? Steal his wallet?"

"I'll give you one chance to leave me alone," Dick's voice said. "Then you'll be sorry."

We heard the sounds of malicious laughter, then the sounds of fighting until the teacher arrived. I reached over to the principal's desk, then turned the recorder off.

"Dick, come over here," I motioned to my son. "Did you throw the first punch?"

He nodded. "Yes sir."

"Why?"

"Because they were gonna beat me up again," he said stolidly. "Just like before."

"Did you ask Babs and Dick why they were in the fight?" I asked the headmaster.

"Well...yes, but since the affected boys have been at this school for such a long time and all come from good families..." the headmaster sputtered.

"And Dick is a gypsy from a circus, whose parents were recently murdered," I supplied, my voice bone dry. "You assumed that he must be at fault, coming from such questionable antecedents as he does..."

"Now wait a minute," Jim broke in, glaring at the headmaster as well. "Babs' only crime here is being a new student who helped another student stand up to a pack of bullies. She told me yesterday that these fine, upstanding young men from the best families jumped Dick and beat him black and blue. She said that if she ever saw anything like that again, she was going to help him." He glanced at his daughter, eyes blazing. "Now, her family may not be stuffed with millionaires, but she knows right from wrong."

The headmaster puffed himself up and glared back. "I have no proof that anything happened to Richard. No one reported any incident of bullying against him."

"Dick, come here," I motioned to him. He came to stand next to me and I put him next to the principal. "Take off your shirt, son," I said. Dick cast an embarrassed glance at Barbara, then removed his gym-shirt. Both Gordon and the headmaster sucked in a breath when they saw the pattern of bruises that covered the boy's chest and back. "Dick, did those boys do this to you?"

"Yes sir," Dick said calmly. "They jumped me and started kicking me when I was on the ground."

"When did this happen?" I handed Dick his shirt back and he shrugged it on.

"Couple days ago. They said they didn't want any 'Gypsy trash' at their school," Dick said.

"Mr. Evans, it seems to me that you have a problem that goes deeper than bullying," Gordon drawled at Evans. "It sounds like this school may have a civil rights problem as well, since it's allowing groups of young toughs to commit hate crimes against one of your students because of Dick's ethnicity. There are laws against that, you know. Especially since you seem anxious to punish Dick for something that wasn't his fault..."

The headmaster just looked up at Gordon and I, both of us radiating cold anger.

"I...I...suppose that this might be a misunderstanding..." Evans jittered, suddenly nervous as he contemplated the lawsuits. "I'll consider further action against the other boys. But as for Richard.."

"Dick. My name is Dick!" I heard my son enunciate carefully.

Evans cleared his throat. "As for Dick, I think that we can consider the matter closed."

We both heard Gordon harrumphing and Evans went on. "And young Barbara too. No negative repercussions for her either. It's clear that she was helping young Ri...Dick defend himself. We can consider the matter closed."

He stood and hurried the lot of us out of the office.

Once we were out in the hallway, Gordon gave a low chuckle. "That'll show that stuffed shirt!" He laid a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "Babs, I'm proud of you."

She flushed and looked up at him with a smile. "Really? I'm glad." She nudged Dick. "And I'm sorry I got involved in your fight, but that kid, Gary, was about to jump you..."

Dick grinned back. "I know. I'm glad you got him first. That was a great move with the back pack!"

I quirked a smile at both children. "In celebration of a couple of battles won, how about ice cream? I'm treating. Jim?"

Jim laughed out loud. "I'd never turn that down. Babs and I'll follow you over. She might want to put on her street clothes first." For the first time, Barbara seemed to realize that she was wearing only her gym shorts and shirt. She blushed and nodded vigorously.

"How about we meet at Farrelli's in half an hour?" I suggested, to everyone's agreement.


I haven't been to Farrelli's since my twelfth birthday but it hasn't changed much. They still have obscenely huge ice cream desserts, strolling magicians and balloon artists. Looking at the circus atmosphere, Dick's entire being lit up. As the hostess, dressed as a mime, escorted us to our table I could see Dick craning his neck, trying to take it all in.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

Dick simply gave a low-voiced "Yeah..." as a balloon artist approached our table. The man was completing a balloon elephant when the Gordons arrived.

Gordon and I sat together on one side of the table, the kids on the other. It was clear that Dick and Barbara were getting along well from the chatter I overheard. The two had decided to share a giant confection called a "Hog Trough". When I saw the size of the mountain of ice cream it contained, I knew I'd have to explain to Alfred why Dick wasn't eating dinner tonight.

"I'm so glad that Barbara has found a friend," Gordon said while he ate his scoop of ice cream. "She's been pretty lonely since she came to live with us, even though she has my son James for company."

Gordon had just said exactly what I was thinking: how good it was that Dick had found a friend. He's had so many losses, the friendship of other children among them. I planned to encourage Dick's friendship with Barbara Gordon and young James as well.

We parted cheerfully and I drove a very full Dick Grayson home, feeling very satisfied at the way the day had gone. Fortunately for Dick and especially for me, I had telephoned Alfred before we went for ice cream and told him of our plans. He had made the obvious assumption and wasn't surprised or upset that neither Dick nor I was hungry for dinner. He did, however, want a blow by blow description of the fight.

The three of us sat around the kitchen table drinking tea while Dick gave us a detailed description of his showdown with the bullies, complete with sound effects. I followed up with a report of the meeting with the principal. By the end of the evening, both Dick and I were favored by Alfred's approving smile.

After Dick had gone to bed, I went into my study to go through the day's mail. I was reveling in my cheerful mood, a rare occurrence before Dick's arrival, when I came to the final envelope. It was a heavy one with an attorney's return address. I read through the documents inside and felt my new happiness shattering into pieces.

Relatives of Dick's had filed an objection to my adopting him. They were asking the court that my boy's custody be given to them immediately.