Mystery at Shildii Rock. Robert Feagan

      "Mr. Harris, I presume?"

      "Yes, sir."

      "I'm glad to see you so anxious to honour us with your presence. You have a late slip, I presume?"

      "Yes, sir." Without looking directly at Mr. Debark, Robin stepped forward and handed the now-crumpled paper to his teacher. He levelled his gaze on Mr. Debark's hand as it darted forward and plucked the note from his fingers.

      Talons retracting, the vulture spoke. "Find your seat, Mr. Harris."

      Robin quickly scanned the room, hoping to locate a seat near Wayne. The only vacant desk, however, was in the front row, next to the only face Robin didn't recognize. As he moved to sit down, he caught Wayne's eye at the far side of the room. He smiled and shrugged at Robin, helpless to communicate with his friend in any other fashion.

      The silent exchange wasn't lost on Mr. Debark. He made a mental note of the alliance between the two friends. These first few days were important ones. Getting to know the students, their friendships, their motivations. There were many sides to successful learning, and all of these had to be explored if each student was to achieve his or her full potential in grade seven.

      Robin settled into his seat and tried to move the contents of his backpack into the desk with the least noise possible. Mr. Debark was giving an overview of the subjects they would cover throughout the year and his rules of the classroom. Robin tried to listen and unpack at the same time. He knew everyone in the room. They had been at school together since kindergarten. There was only one class for each grade, so you always stayed with your friends from year to year. He didn't know the student sitting next to him, though.

      As Mr. Debark spoke, Robin cast a side-long glance at the new student, and when the stranger's eyes met his, Robin smiled. The boy scowled, however, and quickly trained his eyes on the blackboard at the front of the class. He was slightly shorter than Robin, with whitish-blond hair cropped short, and very pale skin. The boy had a thin but athletic build and actually looked a little imposing. Remembering that his father had mentioned that the Hudson's Bay store had a new manager coming to town and that the man had a son about Robin's age, Robin decided to shrug the scowl off as the stranger's first-day jitters and turned his attention back to Mr. Debark.