Allan raised his hand. Blaise subsided but only barely.

"Okay, this is what we'll do," Archie began firmly; his words humming with official tones. "After Christmas break I'll make you the gifted… the GATE teacher. Owen won't like it, but tough. Okay? I said it. Don't say a thing, Allan. I don't want that boy's name mentioned again. I don't have the time to remember what for all intents and purposes never was."

"You are talking of me?" Blaise asked.

"No," Jacqueline snapped. "not everything is about you. He means David Weller."

"I'll put Jacqueline in your class with Mary Timm. Just don't.. . "

"How did you learn about him, Jackie?" Allan asked.

Jacqueline wasn't sure if she liked being called Jackie. It made her name sound all American.

"Logan showed me his grave. She told me about them. She told me all about him. He would make a good story."

" No!" Archie spun about. His eyes were looking for a taller person, presumably older, to shout at. He almost didn't look down at Jacqueline. "I mean, I would rather… you did not. Besides, to do the story right you would need to talk to the person who found him. I know he won't speak to you. Hear me?"

Archie turned back to Allan. "You win, okay? What else do you want? Huh? You're the GATE teacher now. You won. Two eighth grade math classes in the morning then you get them. All of them. Okay? All I ask is that we forget the past. Finally. Can we do that? Can we…"

Archie turned to go then stopped. He looked about frantically.

"Mary? Where's Mary?"

"Upstairs." Jacqueline whispered, "She is in the boy's room. She is looking for ghosts on the glass."

Archie stared at the door leading out of Allan's classroom.

"I'll go get her, Archie."

"No," Archie said softly. "I will."