The attendant escorts Lewis past the cricket pavilion, where evening duties draw several older boys into the failing light. Their voices carry over the gravel and clipped grass.
A loose board beneath the pavilion steps has shifted. In the narrow darkness beneath it, the edge of a school scorebook shows among dust, twine, and dead leaves.
The attendant
Do not stoop, Lewis. We are returning directly to the infirmary, and I have no authority to let you examine anything here.
Beyond the steps, the older boys gather near the equipment racks. One laughs, another checks the pavilion door, and a third glances toward the exposed book without approaching it.
The Older Boys
Leave the steps alone. Evening duties are being assigned, and nobody wants a younger boy meddling in house business.
The attendant keeps his position between Lewis and the pavilion, but the book lies plainly visible now. Its open page lists runs beside privileges, obligations, and ranked authority attached to each boy’s name.
The attendant
Keep walking, Lewis. If that volume belongs to the house, its proper custodians will decide what becomes of it.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn how rank governs ordinary school life