Chapter 17. The term ends

The week of the exams came all too soon. There was a special timetable, just for examinations. Like everything else, they were interrupted by the offices of Terce, Sexte, and None. Adam found that his nerves disappeared as soon as the paper was in front of him. Even the maths paper was not as difficult as he had expected. English was pure delight - a passage to analyse, then a story to write, nothing you could revise for at all. The science exam was easy, history hard. The only washout was music. Br Bernard had set questions about notes and tones, and Adam simply didn't know the difference. Then there was a tune to identify from the music. Adam could match the notes to the letters for them, but as for identifying the tune, you might as well have asked him to interpret hieroglyphics. All in all, however, he was confident that he had done well. Abagail was pleased also. She hadn't really put in much effort over the term, she realised, but she felt she had done credit to herself. The tune was easily identifiable as "Puff the Magic Dragon", which they had played on recorders several times before. Her story was a story about a school where they taught magic. "No-one would want to read a story about us" she thought to herself, "if only I went to a school that was more exciting." She wasn't bad at any subject, even maths or Latin, which she found the hardest. You had to get it right in those subjects. In everything else, you could just waffle. Ibrahim and blonde Mary, however, had a terrible time. Neither had done anything more than the bare minimum for the entire term, and now it caught up with them. Blonde Mary couldn't ask anyone for help, even Mandy. She was not so bad in the arts subjects, but mathematics and science were awful for her. Ibrahim was awful at everything. On Saturday they got the results back. James was first, Mandy second, and Adam third. Cecilia was fourth, and Albert and Abagail joint fifth. Albert had done well in maths and science, but been let down by his other subjects. Sebastian was seventh, short Mary eighth (a surprise, that, said Br Dominic) and blonde Mary ninth. Ibrahim trailed easily at tenth. Adam followed Ibrahim out of the room. He went to an area where the sea beat at steep rocks. "Ibrahim, you're not going to throw yourself into the sea." said Adam. "Don't be silly. I don't care." said Ibrahim. "You wouldn't have left like that unless you did care" said Adam, "Next term, why not gel with Albert and me? Leave the Jade, Olivia, blonde Mary scene." "I like a good time" said Ibrahim, "can't be bothered with all this schoolwork. What does it matter, anyway? In seventy years' time we'll all be equally dead." "I've no easy answer" said Adam, "but you scored one of the goals when we beat St Dunstan's. You were there when we slew the white stag. You can join in, Ibrahim. It doesn't have to be like this. It's all in your mind." "It's too dangerous to go back to Pakistan" said Ibrahim, "I'm spending Christmas here." "So that's what's bothering you." said Adam, "We've nothing really worthwhile to go back to either, just a horrible stepfather called Alex." "It's the wrong school for me. You realise I'll be singing psalms in that chapel, on Christmas day." "They'll be others staying over, Ibrahim" said Adam, "Like Mandy, maybe." "Lucky Mandy" said Ibrahim. "What's she got that you haven't?" asked Adam. "She came second" said Ibrahim, "but most of all, she's happy. What has she done to deserve it?" "I don't know, Ibrahim" said Adam, "Life is strange. Mandy did everything wrong that it was possible to do wrong, but here she is, second only to James in class order, everyone her friend. Whilst short Mary tried so hard, but at the end of the day only ended up making herself unpopular. That's the way things go. We can't control the gifts that we have, and we have only a loose idea what the results of our actions will be. Look out onto the sea, Ibrahim. See the endless expanse of water that both imprisons us and is our playmate. So is life. The surface may seem empty and devoid of possibility, but below all kinds of strange creatures are swimming. And at the end of it all is a further shore, even if you cast out far into the Atlantic, eventually you will come to America. Life is just a voyage, and you are just at its beginning." "I don't see it" said Ibrahim, "Here we are, to be bored and take drugs. Worked, bored, then more work. I wish I was out of it. I wish I was going home." "We're at the end of term, Ibrahim. There are no more lessons. O, listen. There's the bell." The two boys hurried into the chapel for Sexte.

"Adam, what are you doing?" said James, "you've got all your stuff to pack." It was true. Without the discipline of prefects to keep things tidy, their utility room had got into a shambles. A terms' worth of stuff was all over, and would in no wise fit back into their trunks. "Soon we're out of this dump" said James.

Fr Abbot held a debrief on the term and the examination. "So you were right about Mandy, Fr Abbot, and I was wrong" said Br Dominic, "She seems finally to have been accepted. Exactly how it happened I do not know, but there she is, happy as a lamb. And she came second in the examinations. Some bright girl." "Not to be compared to Adam" said Br Kieran, "orally Adam is best in the class. But he doesn't take care with his written work, and loses marks." "He does take care with his English" said Br Robin, "The handwriting is sloppy, the spelling and punctuation a bit loose, but the words on the page are very good. I'd vote for Adam as the best in my class, too." "But his music is hopeless" said Br Bernard, "absolutely a lost cause." "So those were our two main worries" said Fr Abbot, "and they seem to have fought each other to death. At least that's what I heard." "The other worry is Ibrahim" said Br Dominic, "he's going to have to leave, if he doesn't improve." "Adam has taken him under his wing" said Fr Abbot, "in fact I told him to do so. If Adam can't cure him, no-one can. Let alone any other school. We'll worry about expelling Ibrahim when we come to it." "And Sebastian?" said Br Jumbo. "Problems there under the surface" said Br Dominic, "but not easy to put your finger on. Like Adam he's emotionally distant. Unlike Adam it's controlled. But he's had a good term, I'd say. Not startling academically." "Short Mary?" "She's had a good scourging and she deserved it, the little puritan." said Br Dominic, "But I think she's beginning to see the error of her ways. Hopefully she won't pull out. She's started smoking, by the way, which I'm in two minds about. Blonde Mary needs a good beating too, but hasn't had it." "You can't do everything" said Br Kieran, "she's just like her mother, really. You should hear the squeals of protests when she's got to do a science job that is slightly dirty." "James?" "Nearly got himself killed, which would have required some explaining to his parents. He's in the right place. Adam tries to stand up to him, not all that successfully, I would say." Br Dominic paused. "Cecilia we've cured. A textbook case." "And Albert?" "Don't underestimate Albert. Adam would be nowhere without him. Gets the job done, quietly and with no fuss. He's pretty academic too, on the technical side, he's not just a hobbyist you know." "Those bows were measured and individually fitted" said Br Peter. "You let him get away with murder" said Br Dominic, "I always dread to think what will come out of that toolshed." "That leaves" "Abbey. Abbey seems to have spent her whole term doing, exactly what?" said Br Dominic, "She hasn't done any work to speak of, and she hasn't messed about enough to attract attention. She's hardly been in trouble, but she hasn't been a goody two-shoes. She came in the middle of the class for all her subjects. What exactly has Abagail done?" "What exactly?" said Fr Abbot, "Well she seems to be a popular girl. Maybe Abbey has done more than we imagine. Anyway, that wraps up everything, brothers. Now we just have to arrange a Christmas party for Mandy and Ibrahim, and of course the other years who are also staying."

"Stop trying to decipher that Latin, Adam" said Abagail, "you know it's way too hard. The exams are over, anyway." "This is the mystery of Gregorias" said Adam, "if you'd seen him you'd want to get to the bottom of it too." "A tree and a shadow" said Abagail, "I'm not interested in some old, long dead abbot. I've got enough Fr Abbots of my own to worry about. We need one last trick." "One last trick?" "To show them how much we hate the food. And the cold showers. And the discipline. And practically everything else about this place. A trick that will show the monks that, then we'll be off and it will be too late to do anything." Abagail was getting into her stride, "And I'd like a bit more revenge on those prefects." "Gillian's father had to hire a lawyer." "It's not enough" said Abagail. "OK, Abbey, I'm on" said Adam. "You know that someone stole money from blonde Mary’s locker?” “Yes” “They must have known she was into drugs. That’s why she had so much. What if a prefect thought there were still drugs, like in the toilet cistern?” "They'd go to grab them for themselves" said Adam, "Unless they were a honest, of course, in which case they'd tell the police." "But the they would check that the story was true first." said Abagail, "So he'd go to the toilet, extract the bag, and ..." "Open it, find some packets of white powder" said Adam. "Which are in reality ..." "We need Albert" said Adam. "Bicarbs of soda" said Albert, "it looks just like cocaine. In fact cocaine is cut with it. And vinegar. And we need a dye to be released at the same time as the vinegar, to stain the prefect. For that we need to nick some hair dye or something, or maybe food dye from the kitchen" "Just use ink" said Adam. "Indelible red ink, Br Dominic uses it for marking. Abbey, get a teat pipette from the science room, and pipette a bit up" said Albert. "So how do you get the vinegar and the bicrabs of soda to mix?" asked Adam. "It's as simple as two plastic bags" said Albert, "the ink and the vinegar are in the inner plastic bag. The bicarbs of soda are wrapped round so it won't show. Then you seal the mouths of both bags with the same strip of sellotape, and then tape it round a bit to make it look convincing. The victim thinks he's opening a bag of drugs, spills the vinegar in to the bicarbs of soda, and all of a sudden there is this huge amount of frothing and red dye coming out." "OK, perfect" said Abagail. Abagail got the red ink, whilst Albert stole some vinegar and bicarbs of soda from the kitchen. Sellotape and plastic bags were easily available. The boys put it together in the utility room. Then they put it all supermarket carrier bag, and Abbey put it in the cistern of the girls’ toilet.

Adam and Albert were no good at subterfuge, so Abagail got Cecilia in. They were in the boys' calefactory. "We need to tidy up before we go" said Abagail. "Why" said Cecilia. "The police found nothing." said Abagail, then she caught herself, and waited for a third year to pass by, "The police found nothing" she whispered, "but Mandy handed over five hundred pounds. It must still be there." "Abbey, watch what you're ..." said Cecilia. "What do you know?" said the boy. "None of your business" said Cecilia, "but if you must know we were discussing some money Mandy hopes to be sent." They left instantly, and went to the dorm. Pretty soon it was all about the boys' JC that drugs were in the first year dorm. Rupert got to hear about it. Now Rupert was most prudent. He wasn't going to take drugs lying about someone else‘s dorm, in case it was a trap. He suspected they had been left there deliberately. On the other hand the last thing he wanted was competing drugs coming back onto the market. So he made sure the prefects got to know about it. The prefects instantly went to the girls’ dorm, clearing away boys who had dawdled to sightsee. There was a bag of white powder inside. "Cocaine" said another prefect, "straight to Fr Abbot" "Maybe there's money inside as well" said the first. "Maybe" said the second, "this goes to Fr Abbot."

They solemnly took the bag, and marched to Fr Abbot's office. "It could be talcum powder for all I know" said Fr Abbot, "We need Br Kieran." Br Kieran was summoned, and took the bag to the science lab. "I can't do a full analysis" he explained, "but I can check whether it is something ordinary. Let's open it first and see how much stuff is inside." Fr Abbot and the prefects gathered in a circle round Br Kieran as he opened the bag. It suddenly foamed explosively, spurting red ink everywhere. The prefects' clothes were ruined, but, worse still, Fr Abbot got ink all over his habit. Abagail had finally gone too far. "You think that's funny?" said Br Kieran. The prefects protested their innocence.

"Not a bad last trick" said Albert, "time to go now, before Fr Abbot finds out who to blame". Indeed, term was winding down. A noticeboard was set up with the names of parents who had arrived at the village. They phoned through to the office then waited for their offspring coming off the ferry. Adam and Abagail, however, were going by train the next day. "It's a sort of anti-climax" said Adam, "Albert and James have left the dorm already. Ibrahim is staying. I thought we'd have a celebration, but it just fizzled out." The refectory was half empty for breakfast, which was the usual porridge. "That's the last time I'll eat this for a few weeks" said Abagail, "Funny, I'm getting almost partial to it." "And that was the last Mass" said Adam, "and Matins the last office."

There was an announcement at breakfast. Could the person or persons responsible for the ink trick please report to Fr Abbot. "Sit tight" said Albert. "I'm not so sure" said Adam, "what if he finds out?" "We'll be gone" said Albert, "he'll have forgotten, by next term." "Knowing Fr Abbot he'll have a pretty good idea who did it" said Adam, "or he wouldn't risk asking for volunteers." "After all" said Abagail, "who else would have thought of mixing vinegar with bicarbs of soda?" Albert began to look uncomfortable. "We'd best own up" said Adam, "we'll all three go." "There's no point doing three punishment runs when one will do" said Abagail. "Let's draw lots for it" said Albert. After breakfast was over they took three drinking straws. Albert cut the bottom third off one with a pair of nail scissors, then rolled the straws around in his hands. Abagail drew the short straw. "Guess it's me".

With some trepidation, Abagail walked up to the great oak-panelled door, and knocked. "I've come to own up to the ink trick, Sir" she said. "I see," said Fr Abbot, eying her deliberately, "Thank you, Abbey, for owning up so promptly. Did you act alone, or did others put you up to this?" "Just me, Sir" said Abagail. Fr Abbot knew it was a lie, and she knew that he knew. They looked at each other uncomfortably. "You've manged to ruin my second best habit." he said at last, "Why was it necessary to use indelible ink?" "Sorry, Sir" said Abagail. "You needn't pretend to be sorry when it is clear that you are not sorry at all" said Fr Abbot, "You enjoyed the disruption caused by your trick, and you think the punishment is worth it, don't you? The truth now." "No sir, I mean yes sir" stammmered Abagail. "Abbey" said Fr Abbot, "I am going to hand you over to the prefects for punishment. Thank you again for coming to see me. You will go to the prefects' room and apologise for what you have done. Then you will accept any punishment that they impose. Go now." "Yes Sir" Abagail left. This was an unexpected and unwelcome turn of events. Not daring to disobey Fr Abbot, she went straight to the prefects' office. Sally, Gillian and Mark were there. "Fr Abbot sent me" she said, "I've got to apologise for playing the ink trick." "'Got to apologise'" said Sally, "What sort of apology is that?" "You realise my uniform is covered with ink, and it won't come out?" said Mark. "You've got all together too high an opinion of yourself, Abbey" said Gillian. Abagail looked at the floor. "She needs the strap" said Sally. "You can't" said Abagail, "it's been abolished". "You want a bet, Abbey?" said Sally. "Do the honours, Gillian" said Mark. Gillian went to a cupboard and withdrew a wicked-looking leather strap, obviously old. "You can't do this" protested Abagail. "We can and we will" said Sally. "Hold your hand out" ordered Gillian. Abagail held out a trembling hand. Gillian brought the strap down hard on her palm, and it hurt more than Abagail had believed possible. "Five more to go" said Sally. Abagail received three lashes on each hand. The pain was too intense to cry, though she yelped a little. She stood for two or three minutes, dazed and overwhelmed by agony. "OK, you may go" said Sally, shortly. Flushed with anger and humiliation, Abagail made the short walk back to her own dormitory. Short Mary was away, but the others were there, still packing. "I got the strap" she announced, matter of factly. "No kidding?" blonde Mary was shocked, "I can see your hands, Abbey. They're all red." "That's illegal, that is" said Abagail, "Fr Abbot must have known what those prefects would do. I can get him into trouble. And them too. I'll call Childline." "That's what I'd do too" said blonde Mary. "I'll ring them tomorrow" said Abagail. "Oh no you won't" said Cecilia, "Abbey, you are not to embarrass Fr Abbot." "Like I care" said Abagail, "I want my own back." "You've been wanting your own back ever since you arrived at this school. On the fifth years, on Rupert, on Mandy, on the prefects, now finally on Fr Abbot himself. That's the point, Abbey, at which it has got to stop", Cecilia was insistent, "You can't get your own back on Fr Abbot, Abbey, it's wrong and it will never work." "Just see me try" said Abagail. "Maybe what Fr Abbot did was wrong" said Cecilia, "or maybe you deserved to be punished in that way. I really don't know, Abbey. But you undermined his dignity, and then you messed him about. You can't expect to get off with a little run round the island." "Well Mandy dealt drugs and she got nothing." said Abagail. "Cecilia's right" said Mandy, "Fr Abbot knows what he is doing. If he told the prefects to strap you, and I don't say that he did, you deserved it, Abbey." "No one deserves the strap" said blonde Mary, "It's because of the way you've been brought up that you think that, Mandy." "Don't you see?" said Cecilia, "It doesn't matter whether you deserved it or not. At some point the round of tit for tat has got to stop. Forgive, Abbey, say you forgive." "OK" said Abagail, "so I say I forgive him. But it's still a brutal school, and I still hate the prefects. And he doesn't know or care what I think. So what's the point?" "So you need to make friends again" said Cecilia, "send him flowers, or they're out of season I suppose. Chocolates." "Cecilia, you are crazy" said Abagail. "It would be the classy thing to do" said blonde Mary, "look, Abbey, it doesn't matter what you think on the inside. You can't afford to fall out with Fr Abbot. Chocolates and an apology is a good idea." "It does matter what you think on the inside" said Cecilia, "What do you think Fr Abbot is feeling?" Abagail had no answer to that one. "We'll all chip in" said blonde Mary, "I have some Belgian chocolates I was going to give to my mother. Have those. And we'll buy something from the shop for the prefects." "I'm as guilty as you are" said Cecilia. "We all enjoyed it" said Mandy, "let's all pay". "What matters is how it is wrapped as much as what's inside" said blonde Mary, "I'll see if we can scratch up some nice paper and ribbons." "And now for your letter of apology" said Cecilia. "I can't write" said Abagail, "my hands are too sore". Blonde Mary took out her notepaper and added a dash of perfume. She began to write in a perfect, neat script. "Dear Fr Abbot" she said, "Please accept this apology for the silly and thoughtless trick which I played on you yesterday." "I am truly sorry" said Cecilia. "He told me off for saying that" said Abagail. "Thank you for correcting my behaviour" said Mandy, "and I accept that my punishment was entirely appropriate." "I hope that you now forgive me" said Cecilia. "And I send you these chocolates," said blonde Mary, "because of the deep love you have shown to me" "You can't say that" said Cecilia. "And I send you these chocolates" said blonde Mary, "to make you feel better about me. Please accept them to show that I am sincere. Please also show this letter to the prefects and anyone else I may have offended. I remain, Sir, your humble and obedient pupil, Abbey." "That will do" said Cecilia, "not too long, and to the point." Blonde Mary finished writing it down and Abagail attached a signature. "We'll give him a couple of hours to cool down and for your hands to cool off, and then go for it, Abbey" said Cecilia.

Two hours later Abagail arrived at Fr Abbot's office, carrying the letter and the presents. "Ah, Abbey" Fr Abbot smiled to see her. Abagail dropped a little curtsey and gave him the letter. Fr Abbot opened the letter and smiled again. "Why thank you, Abbey" he said. "I'm sorry, Sir" said Abagail. "Now what did I tell you?" said Fr Abbot. "No, I'm not sorry. I'm glad I did it. But you were right to do what you did and" she faltered. "And?" "I want your forgiveness anyway." "I think we can forgive a practical joke" said Fr Abbot. "Please Sir?" said Abagail. "Yes?" "Does this go on my report?" "Abbey", said the headmaster, "At St Tom's we do not keep disciplinary records. Every detention, every punishment run, once it's done, it's done. Of course we remember, but memories grow dim. See, there is not a single book in this office that keeps a record of anything done." "Even Mandy's drug dealing?" "Even Mandy's drug dealing. Nothing. I would have thought you would have realised this by now. Now go my child, back to London, in peace." Tears stung at Abagail's eyes as she left Fr Abbot's office for the last time that term. Cecilia kissed Abagail goodbye, and went on the ferry to join her parents. Then it was the Marys' turn. "Don't let your mothers meet" said Abagail, "or you'll be at each others' throats all next term". Blonde Mary laughed. Then it was time for them to go. "Mandy, Ibrahim, we're sorry" said the twins. "Don't worry" said Mandy, "beats a childrens' home." They pulled their heavy trunks onto the ferry, and they were off. A stretch of clear blue water opened between them and the jetty and the monastery, and their eyes lingered on it for a while. "It looks so pretty from here" said Abagail. "And there you can see the rocks where the prefects marooned Albert" said Adam. "We got our revenge, though" said Abagail. Within a few minutes they were on the other side, and Albert tipped the boatman. It was about a half hours' wait for their train. Eventually it arrived, and Adam went to get some coffees. "I never did find out about Gregorias" said Adam. "You're obsessed with Gregorias" said Abagail, "He'll still be there, when we return."

"I can use my phone at last" said Abagail, "let's phone Daddy." She dialled. "Daddy, is that you?" "Abagail?" "Yes Daddy, we're just leaving St Tom's for London, and we've had the most wonderful time."