The Missing Link (17 page)

Lilly continued slowly but unerringly across the floor. She came to the wall, reached out
with her hands and touched it. Ripping off the blindfold she looked back at her footprints. "I did it!"
She beamed.

The children cheered.

"Way-to-go Lil." Zack congratulated his sister with a thumbs-up.

Lilly tossed the blindfold his way. "Your turn."

"Hmmm," Zack looked around him at the expectant faces. "Tough crowd to follow, but I
guess you wanted to save the best for last, eh?" The children giggled. "Okay, let's see what I can do."
Zack sat on the bench and deliberately looking away from the squares, covered his eyes.

"Just like you sister," professor Startling encouraged. "Sense your way across."

There was a buzz of whispering between Jo-jo and some of the boys, and they squeezed
in close to Zack.

"Children," the professor warned.

Zack stepped onto a red square, paused a moment, stepped hesitantly onto a second red
square, paused again and stepped onto a third and then a fourth red square. As he lifted his foot for
another step, Jo-jo's group exploded into a chorus of belching bullfrogs, startling Zack and causing
him to slip and fall spread-eagled onto the floor. The class howled with delight, and even Carole and
Lilly couldn't hold back.

"Children!" Professor Startling said. "You boys come here."

The guilty party shuffled forward, studying their toes. Zack regained his feet, looking
like a red and blue patchwork.

"I'm surprised and very disappointed in you. Mr. Deville had given you his total
attention while it was your turn, and you do this to him. How do you think that makes him
feel?"

"Probably wishes he'd thought of it first," Lilly whispered to Carole.

"Sorry Zacky," Jo-jo mumbled, pulling on his ears and tying them together under his
chin.

"Sorry," the rest of the boys followed.

"That's okay," Zack said. "Nothing hurt other than my pride. But how'd I do before going
down?"

"You did great," Gerald said.

"Yup," Jo-jo agreed. "Red, red, red and red."

The bell sounded, and the children ran for their lunches.

"Not so fast," their teacher said. "All the bullfrogs front and center. You get to wash up
the floor."

"But it's lunch time, Professor Startling," Jo-jo whined.

"Since Mr. Deville will be spending his lunch time washing up, through no fault of his
own, I think it only fair that you bunch get to do the same."

"See you in a bit." Zack stopped in front of a washroom door.

"You're not changing at home?" Lilly said.

"Want to wash my hands first. This stuff really itches."

Zack headed to a sink and immediately realized his mistake. He'd chosen the washroom
favored by the upper years. Leaning against the wall, watching him with great interest, was none
other than Ferdinand Dalimar.

A cruel smile cut across the senior's face. "Well now, look what the pigs dragged in."
Next to him stood Reginald Squim, Dalimar's beefy sidekick.

When Squim nodded his head, Zack heard feet shuffle behind him.

"Smells as bad as a pig," Squim drawled, "and don't look much better."

"Maybe we should we help clean him up," Dalimar suggested.

"It would only be proper," Squim agreed, matching Dalimar's smile.

"Course there's no shower handy. What to do? What to do?" Dalimar tapped his chin, as
if deep in thought.

Zack turned on the tap and washed his hands. At the same time, he quickly studied the
seniors. Squim was the greater threat, stocky and muscular. Dalimar had a long reach but his arms
looked spindly. Zack bent to splash water onto his face and surreptitiously glanced at the exit. His
heart dropped. Three more of Dalimar's gang had planted themselves in front of the door.

Five against one. He'd never taken on that many at once. Still, it didn't look like he was
going to have much of a choice. He stole another look at the three by the door. At least they were
more his size. He turned down the cold, pressed his hands over the drain and tried not to wince as
the sink filled with near scalding water. Adrenaline surged through his body.

Ferdinand snapped his fingers. "The toilets. What do you think, Reg?"

"Perfect. Time for your bath, pig boy. Got to smell pretty for your girlfriend,
Sylphwood."

As Squim and Dalimar closed in, the washroom door swung open and a middle grader
tried to enter.

"We're busy," Dalimar snarled, looking to his three friends. The student was shoved
from the room.

At that moment Zack attacked. He scooped out a wave of water, hitting Squim squarely
in the face. While the stocky boy sputtered with shock, Zack stepped in with a flurry of blows.
Squim crumpled without a sound.

Pivoting quickly, Zack ducked a wild punch thrown by Dalimar and landed an upper cut,
solidly against the youth's jaw. Dalimar stumbled backwards with a howl, blood spurting from his
mouth. Wasting no further effort on him, Zack spun to face the three remaining gang members, who
were still rooted to the ground. He drove the middle boy back with two quick jabs to the nose, while
himself taking a solid punch to his eye from the boy on his right. Barely flinching, Zack turned on
that boy and with pummeling fury, dropped him to his knees.

"You want some of me, too?" he growled at the last boy standing.

Hands up, eyes wide, this boy bolted from the room. Zack followed, pushing past the
crowd that had gathered outside the washroom door.

"Get ready," Carole said. She gave one final heave and the rock clattered down the rock
pile and onto the grass.

Runt poked around the hole she'd just created, and shook his head.

"Well this has been a big waste of time." She looked up the cliff face of the Celestial
Nexus. "And where's Zack? Wasn't he supposed to be helping us?"

Shielding her eyes from the noon sun, Lilly caught sight of her approaching brother.
"There he is, now."

"Took you long enough," Lilly razzed. "We were about to-- What've you done to your
face?"

"Nothing." Zack shifted the ice pack he was pressing against his eye.

Lilly pulled the pack away and jabbed a finger at his swollen cheek. "That's
nothing?"

"Did you fall?" Carole said as she and Runt climbed down the rocks.

"Onto a fist." Lilly accused. "Of all the stupid... You were just going home to clean up.
How'd you manage to get into a fight between here and there?"

"It was Dalimar. I told you he was trouble. Been itching to get at me all term." Zack
gingerly pressed his fingers around his eye. "He jumped me the washroom."

Carole was incredulous. "He jumped you?"

"Well, he would've, if I'd given him the chance."

Lilly examined his face more thoroughly. "I guess it's not too bad. It'll barely
bruise."

"That's something." Zack sat down in the long grass and reached for a sandwich.

"Not so fast." Lilly crossed her arms. "Let's see your hands."

Zack stuck out his hands, palms up. "They're clean. I had a shower."

"Nice try," Carole said. "Turn 'em over."

He did so reluctantly, showing red and swollen knuckles.

Lilly gasped. "How many times did you hit him?"

"Just once. He wasn't alone. There were five of them but I only hit four, and two of them
I only hit once each. Just enough so I could get away. Honest. It was minimal damage, Lil. Hardly any
blood."

"Hardly any?" Carole said.

"Dalimar might have bit his tongue. Serves him right. He started it all."

Lilly shook her head. "Don't you realize, Zack? Hotspot's been waiting for something like
this?"

"What was I supposed to do? They were trying to stuff me down a toilet."

"Maybe they'll keep quiet," Carole said, but she didn't really believe it. She'd have to let
Professor Philamount know as soon as possible.

Zack sighed. "Too many witnesses."

"But that's good. They can back you up."

"Not eyewitnesses. Just after-the-fact witnesses."

"Still, they'll confirm it was five against one."

"Maybe." He leaned back against a rock and bit into the sandwich.

"Hey," Amanda Cleroux waved her arm as she came walking into view.

Lilly scowled. "What does she want?" she muttered under her breath.

Zack covered his eye with the icepack, and took another quick bite of his sandwich.

Amanda didn't bother with pleasantries. "Is it true? You took on Ferdinand Dalimar's
gang, all by yourself?"

Zack's face went crimson.

"How do you know about that?" Carole said.

Amanda plopped onto the grass beside Zack and tried to see past his icepack. "The
whole school's talking about it. They say Squim's eyes are practically swollen shut."

Zack smirked.

Carole wanted to smack him. Didn't he realize how serious this could be?

"It's not funny, Zack." Lilly said. "They'll probably send us packing."

"Doubt it," Amanda countered. She sounded disgustingly cheerful.

"Why do you say that?" Carole said.

"Some junior saw Dalimar and Squim going for Zack."

Zack beamed. "Oh yeah, I forgot about him."

"Everyone knows it was five against one. They're the ones who'll be expelled." Amanda
apparently gave up trying to see how badly bruised Zack's eye was and looked up at the cliff face.
"Hey, isn't this where The Hall of Records was supposed to be?"

"Yes," Carole admitted.

"So you found some ruins after all." Amanda ran her hand over a smooth stone.
"Anything interesting?"

"Just what you see." Carole made her tone deliberately bland, and waved a hand at the
tumbled stones.

"Oh. Not much to it."

"A waste of time, really," Lilly said, a little too quickly.

"I wouldn't say that. It was fun exploring the archives. Anyway, got to leap." Amanda
sprang to her feet. "See you in Travel Troubles class, Carole," she said, and skipped away.

After lunch, Carole, Lilly and Zack returned to the school. They entered the building to
even more stares and whispers than was usual, though it was uncertain whether this was a good or
bad sign. Vice-principal Ramage, who was standing near the entrance, made directly for Zack.

"Here it comes," Lilly whispered.

"Mr. Deville," Professor Ramage said, as she studied Zack's swollen cheek, "might I have
a word?"

"I'll see you later," Zack said, as he quickly followed on the Vice-principal's heels.

Inside the reception area, he saw Dalimar, Squim and the three other gang members
squished together on a small bench. He noted with some satisfaction that four of them looked pretty
rough.

Vice-principal Ramage closed her door and indicated the chair in front of her desk.
"Please take a seat."

Zack inhaled deeply. He was ready. Self-defense. It was purely an act of
self-preservation.

"First of all Mr. Deville, on behalf of the faculty, the school and the rest of the
community, I wish to apologize."

He obviously hadn't heard that right. "Sorry?"

"The behavior of those boys was appalling. Multitaskers are supposed to lead by
example, not..." She shook her head. "I just don't know what to say. Something like this has never
happened before. "

"Oh." Not knowing what else to say, Zack studied the scratches on his knuckles.

"Of course it goes without saying that they will all be expelled."

"Oh, no. I don't want you to do that."

The Vice-principal looked confused. "Why not?"

"It'd just make... I mean it was all just a big misunderstanding."

"There is no misunderstanding five against one."

"Well the floor was wet, and everyone was... slipping, so maybe things looked worse
than they actually were. Anyway, no real harm done."

"There was a witness to the incident. A Mr. Austin Nexel."

"Did he actually see anyone fighting?"

"No, but he and others--"

"Well there you have it. That must have been when we all slipped and I... must've
collided with Squim who must've fallen against Dalimar. A total fluke. You know how these things
go."

"And your eye?"

Zack automatically raised his hand to his face, saw the Vice-principal staring at his
knuckles and quickly dropped his hand to his lap. "It's not that bad."

"What about the three who were preventing you from leaving the washroom?"

Not knowing how to answer that one, Zack remained silent.

"You do not wish me to expel those boys for attacking you?"

"No." Zack studied the soggy cloth he was still holding, looking for remaining traces of
ice.

"As to their punishment, then--"

"Don't you think they've been punished enough?"

Vice-principal Ramage eyed Zack with an unreadable expression. "Very well Mr.
Deville," she said after an extended silence. "Come with me please." She opened her door and
stepped into the reception area. Zack remained a few paces behind. The paper shuffling behind the
counter stopped, and the room became noticeably quiet.

"Mr. Deville suggests that it was all a big misunderstanding and does not wish to see any
of you punished on his account."

Dalimar and the others looked from Ramage to Zack. A range of expressions contorted
their swollen faces.

"I would not have been so charitable. Letters will be drafted to each of your parents
outlining events in full. Let me assure you that if anything like this ever happens again, your time at
Hub Central will be at an end. Do not, Mr. Dalimar, Mr. Squim, or the rest of you, extend even one
toenail out of line for the remainder of this term. Have I made myself clear?"

The boys mumbled unintelligibly.

"Pardon?"

"Perfectly clear," Dalimar said, with a glare in Zack's direction.

"Good. Return to your classes."

"Is there anything else professor?" Zack said, once the five had shuffled out.

"No, Mr. Deville. Inform Professor Startling that you were detained on my account."