I asked softly, "Sir, what time is it?" Puppy was asleep, his head nestled in Runner's lap. In the front seat, detective Reed appeared to be sleeping as well.
Runner was still wide-eyed, of course, the more so since the car had reached the city. His neck seemed spring-loaded, whipping his head from one side to the other as each new wonder came into view. There were few cars on the streets, and almost no pedestrians. But to Runner, it was a hive of activity such as he had never imagined. Mostly it was a blaze of lights that banished the night entirely.
"About 1 AM. I'd like the three of you to spend the night in the infirmary, so the nurse can check you out in the morning. Before that, we'll all go to my office."
"Yes, Sir." I had to shake my head to clear it as an odd feeling washed over me. The world of the mundane seemed to be opening up and surrounding me, caressing me, beginning to banish the adventure I had never wanted — and which I'd feared would never end. Somehow even the infirmary seemed exciting.
"Am I correct in understanding that neither Runner nor Puppy can read?"
I choked back a laugh. Runner's illiteracy could easily have been inferred from his conversations with me, but Puppy hadn't said a word. The Dean didn't yet understand that Puppy's lack of speech wasn't simply a lifestyle choice, in the manner of puppyboys here. "Umm, that's right, Sir. Runner's going to start learning right away, though." Beside me, Runner smiled and nodded at me eagerly.
"I'm concerned with the present rather than the future. We have some paperwork to do. I'd like to get that done before they take up residence as slaves."
I bit my lip. I hadn't actually told Runner he was going to be a slave. I'd been uneasy about how he would react to that word. Runner knew what it meant on the island. It was unavoidable, though. No one but slaves lived in the Academy's secure area.
Runner looked quickly at me. "Am I going to be a slave?"
I held Runner's hand more tightly. "Runner, it's a different thing here. It's not all about serving men because you have to, the way you've seen boys doing. You'll understand it better later, but it's okay. I'm a slave. All of the Hanging Boys are slaves. It's a good thing. It's what I wanted to be, so I could be a Hanging Boy." I wanted to explain to him that it simply meant the Academy would own him, but realized Runner wouldn't have a clear idea what "ownership" meant. I hadn't exactly wanted to introduce the subject while Runner had been out stealing things for us.
Runner relaxed, his smile coming back. "Okay."
My lips curled themselves upward in a grin. I pointed. "Runner, see that big building right there?"
Runner looked at the approaching structure. "What..." He gasped suddenly. "Is that it??" He seemed almost ready to hyperventilate.
Tears streamed from my eyes. I could only nod my head.
The hallways were deserted at this time of night — probably just as well, I thought. I wanted desperately to see all my friends, but the reception they would give me would be overwhelming — not only to Runner but to me; I was exhausted. I figured that Runner was equally tired, though it was hard to tell. Runner was breathlessly looking at every passing feature, his mouth open in wonder. He said to me, automatically whispering in the quiet of the empty halls, "I thought it would just be like a bigger cabin."
The Dean ushered the three of us into his outer office. Bill was driving Detective Reed, and Ted said he'd drive himself home; I remembered the flashy red car parked near the Member's Entrance — a Testarossa. I looked into the office, and blinked when I saw Tina, raising her head from her desk where she had apparently been napping. She came around the desk and gave me a warm hug. "So glad you're back."
I laughed. "Me too. Tina, what are you doing here?"
"I work here."
"At one o'clock in the morning?"
"I wanted to be here in case you needed anything."
The Dean said, "Tina, could you print out two slave service contracts, one in the name of 'Runner,' and the other..." He looked at me. "What is the puppy's name?"
I laughed. "'Puppy,' actually."
The Dean smiled. "Simple enough."
Tina looked puzzled. "'Runner'? Spelled like it sounds?" When I nodded, Tina went on, "What's the full name?"
I shook my head. "Just 'Runner,' nothing else. And just 'Puppy.'"
A thought occurred to me as Tina sat in front of her computer. "Oh, Tina, could I have a pen? And a blank sheet of paper?"
Tina handed me the necessities, and I set the paper down on a low file cabinet. "Runner, do you want to learn a letter?"
Runner's eyes lit up. He nodded vigorously.
"Okay. Watch me, and then do what I do." I took the pen, and slowly made a large capital R on the page. "This letter is 'arr.' 'Rrrunner' starts with arr." I emphasized the R sounds.
Runner stared at the letter, frowning in concentration. I could see the tiny movements of his eyes as he visually traced the shape of the letter.
Suddenly he gasped, and pointed at the letter. "Say that again! What you just said."
I repeated it, again stretching out the R sounds.
Comprehension flooded Runner's features. "Arrr. Runner. Rrrrunner."
He gets it! I thought. Already! "Each letter makes a sound like its name."
Runner whirled toward me, pointing insistently at the paper. "Make the whole word, Wynn! Runner!" Runner already knew, from my earlier explanation, that it took several letters to make a word.
I started to comply, then said, "Wait. You do this one first. Make an R, just like that one." I gave the pen to Runner and spent a moment coaching him how to hold it, then watched as Runner slowly made the strokes on the page forming a shaky R, identical to mine. He made another beside it, and scattered several more R's on the page before demanding, "Now the whole word!"
In block capitals, I printed "RUNNER" on the page, then pointed to each letter in turn. "R. U. N. N. E. R." I repeated it, and said slowly, "Rrruhnnnnerrr," sweeping my finger slowly across the letters as I said them.
Runner hopped up and down in place, his hands clasped together as if in applause, his whole face glowing. "Now let me do it! Let me do it!"
I gave him back the pen, and watched, suddenly understanding how a proud parent must feel, as Runner wrote his name for the first time.
Runner made five copies of my example, then turned to hug me ecstatically.
The Dean cleared his throat. "Likes learning things, does he?"
I explained the slavery form as well as I could, and Runner signed it triumphantly. Tina signed as witness. Then the Dean turned and spoke to Puppy. "I'll need you to sign one, somehow. Could you write with the pen in your mouth?"
I choked. Shit, I hope this doesn't screw up anything. "Uhhh, Sir..." He turned to look at me, and I went on, "He doesn't understand you."
The Dean frowned. "Excuse me? I wasn't aware there were other languages on Purity Island."
"He... doesn't understand any language, Sir. Except a few words he gets used to and responds to. He was trained from infancy to behave like a dog, and never learned language. That's how they do it there."
The Dean retained his frown, and stood stroking his chin. "I'm not sure what I can do about taking him in as a slave. Personally I don't care to have unwilling slaves in my establishment, and obviously he can't give anything like informed consent to the arrangement. I'm convinced that Runner understands what he just agreed to, but..." He gestured toward Puppy uncertainly. "You're telling me he can't."
My heart sank. I had anticipated the awkwardness, but I'd hoped the hurdle had been crossed when the Dean agreed to take Puppy in.
"Sir..." I began. "Puppy is willing to stay with us, if that means anything. He doesn't want to be anywhere else. Yes, I know he can't understand the concept of being a slave, but..." I suddenly redirected my pleading as a thought struck me, "He could stay here as a free puppyboy, couldn't he? If he can be anywhere he wants to be, couldn't he just want to be here?" It was lucky that I'd removed Puppy's collar.
He continued stroking his chin. "There are no free anthros living full-time on the premises."
"I know, Sir. But... well, slavery is subject to all the laws that cover it, and you can't do anything about them, but now we're getting into your own rules. You can decide to let a free anthro live here if you want to."
"You know the reasons..."
I was thinking so hard about how to keep Puppy, I neglected the etiquette involved in interrupting the Dean. "Yes, Sir, but the reasons don't apply to him. It's not like he could learn some secret you don't want him to learn, then decide to leave and pass it on to someone outside. He's not going to want to leave, and can't communicate any complex thoughts to anybody if he did leave."
"The point is, how can I know he doesn't want to leave? He can't tell me. I can't keep a free anthro here if he doesn't want to be here. That's another law beyond my control."
I stood helplessly, my mind racing. If Puppy can't tell us...
I laughed suddenly. Wynn, you idiot, start thinking like a Hanging Boy! Since when did you need people to speak to you to know what they were thinking? You can come closer to reading minds than anybody outside these walls. And the Dean can do it too.
I turned to Runner and took his hand. "Runner, I need you to come with me for a minute."
Runner nodded, and I led him to the door of the room, opened it, and stepped out into the hallway.
From inside the office, I could hear Puppy's bark of distress, full of the fear of abandonment, followed by a thumping sound as Puppy scrambled to the door.
As Puppy came out the door, I knelt and held my arms out, and was almost knocked over as Puppy ran into me. He whined and licked my face, then turned to lick Runner as well. Every quiver of his muscles, every whimper of his voice said how much he needed to be with us. I knew the Dean would have no trouble reading him.
I looked up to see the Dean watching from the doorway. "Sir, as long as Runner and I are here, this is where Puppy's going to want to be."
The Dean, his arms crossed, sighed, then muttered, "I don't know why I thought I'd win an argument with you." He turned his head and said into the room, "Tina, could you get a slave collar... just the one, for Runner. And a uniform suitable for a staff slave. Also a graduate uniform and collar for Wynn. I'm not sure what sizes to tell you. Bring them to the infirmary, please."
Tina came out past him into the hallway. "I can tell the sizes."
I looked up from hugging Puppy, grinning. "Oh, and could you see if they have a pack of alphabet flash cards in the student store?"
Tina flashed me a smile. "I'm a little doubtful about the cards, but I can order some in the morning."
As Tina walked down the hall, the Dean said to me, "I think we've already established Puppy's job here. In the morning we can talk about what Runner can do for us."
I gave Puppy one last stroke and stood. "Sir, if you're not too tired yet, while everything's quiet could we go down to the Demo Room? As long as we're thinking about what Runner's job might be, I want to show you what he can do."
The Dean responded with a puzzled frown. "In the Demo Room?"
"Yes, Sir."
I followed the Dean through the door to the Demo Room, holding Runner's hand. Puppy trotted happily behind. I asked myself why I felt so insistent on showing the Dean now. We were all tired, though Runner was so amped on the wonder of his new world that no fatigue showed.
The Dean started to speak, but stopped at the sound of Runner's loud gasp.
Runner almost crushed my hand. "Wynn, it's a noose! Can I hang? Can I hang? Please?"
I saw the Dean's stunned look. Before he could speak, I held up my free hand, the one not caught in the vise of Runner's grip. "I know what you're thinking..." I laughed. "Of course, you know I know what you're thinking. But I did not give him any instruction in hanging. I told him some basics about breathing and blood flow that everybody knows, but he'd never learned them. That's all. Everything you're about to see him do is from him just watching me practice."
The Dean frowned and waited as I led Runner to the hanging platform. I debated about whether to show Runner how the platform worked, and decided to postpone that. I pushed the platform back slightly so that it was no longer quite directly under the rope. For now, I wanted to stay with what Runner was familiar with. As I lowered the noose over Runner's head and tightened it around his neck, I said, "I haven't even talked to him about the proper placement of the rope. I've just been doing it for him."
Runner's jaw dropped, and he rubbed his neck against the rope. "It's so soft! Smooth. Is this what you always use here?"
As I nodded, the Dean asked, "What have you been using?"
I answered, "Local vines. They're a little rough, but I've kind of got used to them."
I suppressed a smile. I knew how the Dean would react to what I was about to do, and didn't want to give away any of the surprise. I said casually to Runner, "Here, let's get you out of these clothes. You never wear them when you hang." I unbuttoned the vest, and Runner shrugged out of it. I pulled Runner's shorts down, revealing the rest of him. The slightly baggy leather outfit had not given much idea of the body underneath.
I almost laughed aloud at the Dean's gasp. He hadn't been expecting the size of Runner's cock. Nor the perfect shape of his chest and belly. I stayed out of the Dean's line of sight to Runner, wanting him to get the full first impression of what he'd just acquired.
I went to the cabinet at the side of the room and picked out a short rope for wrist-tying, I saw the Dean staring at Runner, his wide eyes running up and down Runner's body.
I tied Runner's hands, then edged back on the platform, and let him choose his own moment. Runner took a last, slow breath and stepped off.
As Runner kicked and twisted, turning and thrusting his hips, I looked back and forth between Runner and the Dean. The Dean was rubbing his chin on his hand, his eyes not focused on any one part of Runner's body but taking in his performance as a whole. He was slowly nodding, probably without realizing it.
I let Runner kick for three minutes. During the third minute the Dean appeared steadily more surprised at the sheer length of the session. At last I gently gripped Runner's waist and guided him back to the platform.
As always at the end of practice, Runner had a blissful glow on his face. He kissed me as I loosened the rope.
The Dean opened his mouth to say something, and closed it without finding the words he wanted.
I hugged Runner, then put my arm around his waist as I looked at the Dean. "As I said, I never told him..."
The Dean nodded, interrupting. "I know, I believe you. I could see a few counterproductive moves you would have corrected by now if you'd been giving him any coaching." He slowly shook his head in amazement. "How long has he been doing this?"
"I guess it'd be... a little less than three weeks."
"He'd never done it before that?"
"He'd never even seen it before. They don't do it on the island."
The Dean rarely took very long to make a decision. He looked at me. "You know what I want you to do, I assume? You and the rest of the boys. I'm not assigning you to do it by yourself. You don't have to worry about delaying your own hanging any further."
I gave him a happy, wide-mouthed grin. "Yes, Sir! I'm already on it. You heard me ask Tina for the alphabet cards."
The Dean gave me a small smile. "Now will you go to the infirmary?"
I giggled. "Yes, Sir."
I had a hard time keeping my eyes open as I led Runner and Puppy into the infirmary. There it was; I smiled despite my exhaustion. A bed. A real bed. What I need more than anything in the world.
The small dresser adjacent to the bed had two small piles of clothing, one for me, and one for Runner. The latter pile included boxers. I hoped Runner would be willing to wear them. There were also shorts and shirt, in khaki, the shorts a little longer than the ones the students wore, and a standard T-shirt in place of the short version worn by students. In the morning, I would ask the Student Store to make or order an outfit in that color, but the same cut as a student uniform. Runner should have a sense of belonging, to the greatest extent possible. There were also two sets of socks and sneakers.
I wasn't surprised to see that Tina hadn't been able to find a set of alphabet flash cards on the premises. It's probably just as well, I thought. Plenty of time for that later. I suppressed a giggle at my knowledge of Runner. If he had seen such cards here, he would have recognized the similarity of the letters to those he had just learned, and he would have insisted on a lesson right this minute. I just wanted to sleep.
The one remaining item was a collar.
It was a metal one, like the ones that all staff slaves and students in their first two years wore. Like the one for a First Year student, it was simply engraved, "Slave Boy — Property of the Hanging Academy."
I picked it up, and turned to Runner. "Runner, this is yours."
Runner blinked in surprise. "It is?"
I nodded, smiling. "When you wear it, it means you're a slave. The good kind. Like me."
Runner looked puzzled. "You don't have one."
"I've been here a long time, so I wear a different kind, but it means the same thing." I picked the bright red choker from the pile of my own clothes, and closed my eyes, savoring the feeling as I fastened it around my neck. More than anything else in our surroundings, it made me feel fully returned.
I opened my eyes. "Now let me put yours on." Runner stood patiently as I closed the hinged collar around Runner's neck and secured the catch.
I stood back and looked at him, and that proud parent feeling swept through me again. I kissed Runner's cheek. "Now you're part of the Academy. The Academy is my home, and now it's your home too."
Runner's face glowed. "My home."
Yes, I thought, Runner had picked up very accurately what the word meant.
I shrugged out of the leather Islander outfit for the last time. Runner, who had redressed after his hanging, did the same. I sighed. "Now let's get some sleep."
I lay on the bed, and held out my arms to Runner. As Runner sat on the surface of the bed, he exclaimed, "It's so soft!"
We curled into the position we had evolved in the last week or so of our time on the Island. We lay facing each other, in opposite directions, our mouths wrapped around the other's nipples. We had added a refinement: each of us brought his knees up behind the other's head, gently nudging the back of it to help keep it in place. Puppy climbed up to lay atop both of us, sucking the free nipple of one of us — tonight, mine.
I reflected on how well the Dean and I could read each other. Neither needed to spell out his thoughts to the other. I knew that the Dean saw the natural instinct for hanging in Runner, and understood, with no need of an explanation, how much of an asset to the Academy Runner could become. I also knew that the Dean had no intention of relaxing the Academy's admissions standards. Runner could not be a student if he couldn't keep up with the courses in history, in the sciences, in the theories of hanging.
And I knew what Runner's job would be at the Academy. He wouldn't be joining the kitchen staff, or the cleaning staff.
All of the students had had twelve years of public schooling before arriving at the Academy. Runner had a lot of catching up to do. His job now was to learn.
The Next Morning
The light in the room came on. Puppy was up off me and growling, facing the door.
I let Runner's nipple slip out of my mouth and looked in that direction. The nurse, Carol, was standing there, looking startled, warily regarding Puppy.
I sat up, and felt Runner come quickly alert as well, twisting around to see what Puppy was growling at.
Carol stammered, "Uhhh, I'm sorry. I think I snuck up on you a little."
I reached out to stroke Puppy and calm him. "It's okay. He doesn't like strangers much." I gave Puppy a soft kiss on the neck. Puppy stopped growling, but continued to watch the nurse's every move. She made no move to come closer.
I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"
"Eight o'clock. Do you want breakfast?"
I suddenly noticed how grimy I was. I hadn't spared much attention to cleanliness on the island. "I think we'll take a shower first. Oh..." I bent down and picked up the leather outfits Runner and I had been wearing. "Could you have all this cleaned? It's real preyskin, so treat it like the skin of one of our students. We probably won't wear it, but I want to keep it." Several slaves had given their lives to be these clothes.
Carol nodded, cautiously stepped forward and took the outfits. "After you clean up and eat, I want to check you over."
"Sure." I stood and stretched.
Puppy hopped down to the floor. I barely reacted in time as Puppy lifted one leg. "Whoa!"
Puppy looked startled, and cut off the flow that was just starting. I looked around, and spotted the bedpan. I set it on the floor and pushed it toward Puppy, and watched in frustration as Puppy sniffed it as if he thought it might contain food, then backed away, dismissing it.
I sighed. I hadn't really given much thought to this.
I dropped down onto all fours, straddled the bedpan and peed into it. Runner, in a surprised voice, asked, "So am I supposed to do it that way now?"
I worked desperately to hold back my laughter. This is like herding cats sometimes. I shook my head, and pointed to an adjacent room, its door ajar. "There's a toilet in there. Go ahead and use that if you need to. But Puppy can't use that. This is just for him."
As my bladder finished emptying, I backed away from the bedpan and beckoned toward Puppy.
Puppy at last got the idea, padded forward to straddle the bedpan and directed his own stream down into it.
I led Puppy into the bathroom, where Runner was just finishing with the toilet, and led both of them into the shower. Runner's face lit up after I turned on the tap. "You can make it rain in here!"
I bent to start soaping Puppy. He seemed to tolerate it as long as I was doing it. Runner pulled the soap out of my hand and held it to his nose. He gave me an astonished look. "I like that!"
I grinned. "Let me rub it all over you then."
Runner loved the shampoo as well.
We made love standing up in the shower; I loved the feel of Runner's slick, soapy fur sliding against mine. Afterwards we knelt, and gave Puppy similar attention.
I had just finished helping Runner dress, explaining the underpants at great length, ("No, it goes on like this. It helps keep it from bouncing around too much when you exercise, and it absorbs sweat so it doesn't get into your outer clothes and make them smelly.."), when Carol looked in again. "Do you want breakfast now?"
I stood with my hands on my hips. "Can we just go eat in the caf? I want to see my friends."
Carol shook her head. "The Dean wants us to do some tests."
I rolled my eyes. "I feel fine. We all do. And if we've got any diseases, the Dean is already exposed. So is Tina."
"I know, but he said his priority is to protect the students. Even if something starts going around now, it helps to have some advance warning about what it is."
I sighed. "How long will it take? When can we leave?"
"We should have results around dinnertime."
"Can some students come over?"
"I'm sorry. That would kind of defeat the purpose, you know?"
I ground my teeth. Here I was in familiar surroundings — I had spent a lot of time with Larry in this same room after his operation — and wearing familiar clothes. I just wanted to get back to the normal routine of my life, and see the friends I missed so much. With an almost Puppy-like growl, I sat on the bed. "Okay. What do you need to do? Blood test? Can we do it now?"
I had Puppy and Runner both watch closely as Carol jabbed the needle into my arm near the elbow. Runner followed me in giving blood, his free hand gripping mine, his eyes squeezed shut, making a small squeak as he felt the prick of the needle. Then he helped me keep Puppy calm as Puppy's sample was taken. Afterward, we had breakfast at last. Then I looked around for something to occupy our time. My eyes stopped at the obvious solution. Of course, I thought. They'll both be amazed.
I tuned the television to a children's channel, currently showing cartoons, then I summoned Carol once more. "There was a Detective Reed I was talking to last night. Could you contact him and tell him I can answer his questions now? Tina should have a number for him. If I'm sick, he's exposed already." Carol nodded and left.
I wasn't sure why Detective Reed was so fascinated with the satellite phone I had found on the beach. "So you didn't bring it back with you?"
I smiled at the sight of Runner sitting cross-legged on the bed, Puppy stretched out beside him, their faces full of childlike wonder, both of them with their whole being focused on the colorful moving images. It had taken ten minutes before Runner stopped looking behind the flat-screen set to see where the pictures were coming from. Now he sat still, his eyes wide and barely blinking, his mouth slightly open. I turned back to Reed. "No, I told you I threw it away. I couldn't think of any reason I needed to keep it. Well, I mean no, that wasn't really it. I was just pissed off. But I still don't know why you'd want it. I'm sure would make sure it couldn't be traced to him."
"Do you think you'd recognize the brand and model? Be able to pick it out from a selection of various phones?"
I shrugged, puzzled. "I guess so. What for?"
Reed gave me a small smile. "I've got some ideas I'm working on."
Detective Reed left around lunchtime, and Carol brought lunch and also a small box. "Tina said you wanted these."
I practically leapt off the bed. "Yes! Thank you."
During lunch, Runner spared just enough attention to the food without withdrawing his gaze from the television. After we'd eaten, I waved the box at Runner. When Runner at last looked over, I asked, "Do you want to start learning some letters?"
Runner shot off the bed just as I had earlier, the television instantly forgotten. "Yes!! Teach me letters, Wynn! Do you have a... what was that called?" He pantomimed writing his name, as he had last night.
"Oh, right, we do need that. Let me get one from Carol."
At about five o'clock, my heart leapt at the sound of footsteps just beyond the door. The test results must be back.
My jaw dropped as a face looked in past the door. "Carol told me to tell you you're all okay..."
I sprang off the bed and threw my arms around Marcus in a single move, holding him tight, tight, tight, tears streaming down my face, murmuring "I missed you so much I missed you so much..."
Holden and Zuchter came up behind Marcus, grinning. Holden explained, "We drew straws to see who got to tell you."
I tried to shift my grip to encompass Holden and Zuchter, without losing hold of Marcus. All of us laughed and cried at the same time. I wondered who would be the first... Zuchter, it turned out, was the one who rubbed my head and demanded, "Wynn, what'd you do to your hair??"
I started, "It's a long story," but stopped: Runner had come up behind me, leaving behind his writing pad with a page covered with lower-case a's. For hours he had been testing my powers of explanation ("Why do they make every letter two ways?"), but now a new source of excitement had caught his attention. "Wynn... Are these the Hanging Boys?" He appeared to want to touch them but hesitated, not sure what to do.
My three visitors seemed really to notice Runner for the first time, and I watched their reaction. I knew this was going to be repeated often as Runner met more Academy students. Zuchter said, "Wow," under his breath, while Holden whispered, "He's so beautiful, Wynn."
I let go of my friends with one hand to wipe my eyes, and said to Runner, "There are a lot more Hanging Boys, but these are also my really good, good friends."
Confirmation left Runner frozen in awe. Finally he managed to say, in a soft voice, "Can I watch you hang?" He'd seen me, and now he clearly had a high priority on learning more of the techniques.
I laughed. "We'll get to that soon. First I want you to get to know them, because we'll all be spending a lot of time together." I put my hand on Marcus's shoulder. "This is Marcus." I continued with the introductions of Zuchter and Holden, then said, "Guys, I want you to meet Runner."
Marcus blinked. "'Runner,' did you say?"
I nodded, grinning. "One who runs. Runner."
Marcus held out his hand. "Very nice to meet you, Runner."
Runner stared at Marcus's hand — he had no idea what to do with it. I gave him a demonstration, and Runner shook hands all around, but he still seemed to puzzle over the significance, looking at his hand as if he expected to see some change in it.
Zuchter looked past him to the bed, where Puppy was still entranced by the television. "That's the puppyboy Tina was talking about."
I nodded. "He told you where I've been?"
Holden said, in a voice of amazement. "Purity Island. He didn't exactly say how you ended up there."
I waved the point off. "Later. Part of the long story. But anyway, Runner and Puppy are both from the island."
Marcus looked at Runner, puzzled. "I thought people on Purity Island were originally from here."
I laughed: this would be another of the many things I would have to explain again and again. "There were natives before they got there."
Zuchter looked back and forth between Runner and Puppy. "It sounds like you're saying they're going to live with us. How did you manage that, with the Dean?"
"Another long story, but later I'll have Runner show you what he can do. You'll understand."
Marcus said, "We can all talk later tonight, but by now Tina should have got all the students together in the caf." He grinned. "They don't know why."
I laughed. "Now that should be fun. Pizza?"
"Of course."
I reached for the remote and turned off the television. Puppy made an uncertain sound and pawed at the screen, trying to urge the pictures back into existence. I called to him. "Puppy! Come." I clapped my hands together.
I heard the buzz of conversation as we approached the caf. I said quietly to Runner, "There are going to be a lot of boys here. Probably more than you've seen in one place before. They're going to be really loud, but they're all Hanging Boys, so they're very nice. Stay close to me. Puppy is going to be really scared, so give him some hugs if he needs it."
Nervously, Runner nodded.
Marcus entered first, and knocked on one of the propped-open double doors to get everyone's attention. The room quieted. My heart was fluttering, my lips were quivering, but I tried to maintain a smile. I walked into the entrance and stopped.
There were a few puzzled comments, from among the hundred or so boys present — "What's..." "Who...?" "I thought all the graduates were gone..." Then Chris, one of the Third Years, threw his hands in the air, and shouted, "It's Wynn!!!"
After that it was a long while before I heard any more individual voices over the general shouting.
The nearest boys began to close in, forming a tightening semicircle around me. I held up my hands and shouted, "Wait, wait! I'll try to talk to everybody when I get a chance..." It slowed the onslaught, but the boys from farther away continued closing up against the back of the crowd. I looked down and saw Runner kneeling with his arms around Puppy, who had tried to bolt in the first seconds and now stood on all fours shivering, pressing up against Runner as if trying to shrink away to invisibility. Beside me, Marcus and Zuchter were both making quiet-down gestures with upraised arms, and making shushing sounds. Holden was helping Runner settle Puppy down.
As the room grew more-or-less still, I spoke up again. "I know this would be my one chance to tell everybody what's been happening with me so I don't have to repeat it all a hundred times, but I'm not up for that right now. I just want to have a party..."
Another exuberant shout went up from all the boys, and we had to work for some degree of quiet again.
I went on, "I just want to tell you a couple of things first, and then I'll come in and start saying hi to everybody. I want everybody to be patient, because I can't see all of you all at once, and I'll try to stay until I see everybody. The main thing is, I've been on Purity Island..."
Everybody started talking at once, and I resumed when it was quiet again. "I'll tell my roommates a lot more details, and they can pass it along to all of you when they get the chance. One last thing, and then we can all start mingling. I want you to meet two very special new friends. Without them I could never have got back here, and they'll be an important part of the rest of my life." I looked down and saw that Puppy was under control, though still looking scared. I reached out to urge Runner back to a standing position. I put my arm around Runner's waist, and announced, "This is Runner. He's from the island, and..." I grinned and rolled my eyes, and went on, "To keep everybody who knows anything about Purity Island from asking, yes, Purity Island was settled by our own people, but there were natives there before that, and he's descended from them."
I half-crouched now and stroked Puppy's side. "And this is Puppy, also from the island. I want all of you to welcome Runner and Puppy here, because the Academy is their home now. And all of you are their brothers."
Rather than shouts, this time there was sustained applause. Runner shot me a puzzled look, and I assured him, "That's a good sound. They're all happy you're here." Runner responded with a grin.
As the applause subsided, I shouted, "Okay, I'll talk to the boys standing closest to me first. Everybody else — please, patience, I'll get to you. Now let's do some partying!"
For the next three hours, I held forth, returning hugs, answering a few questions and begging off answering others in the interests of time. I wished I had remembered to preempt the inevitable "What did you do to your hair?" question by explaining it to the whole room beforehand. Runner was asked a lot of questions, a few of which he could answer. He looked to me for help with the others, and he received his own share of hugs. Puppy had decided by now that the crowd was well-intentioned, and several boys knelt to pet him and giggled when they got face licks in return.
Runner enjoyed the pizza very much.