Chapter Twenty

A t this period of history, man began to learn more about his environment — "

Suddenly, pandemonium reigned. The class exploded in frantic motion. Brother Jacques looked aghast. The boys leaped from their chairs, performed an insane jig, jumping up and down as if to the beat of unheard music, all of this in complete silence — although the sound of their jogging feet was noisy enough — and then sat down again, frozen-faced, as if nothing had happened.

Obie watched the teacher sourly. Brother Jacques was obviously bewildered. Bewildered? Hell, he was on the edge of panic. The ritual had been going on for a week now and it would continue until the cue was heard no more. In the meantime, the class would suddenly erupt into a confusion of waving arms and jogging legs, unsettling poor Brother. Of course, Brother Jacques was easy to unsettle — he was new and young and sensitive, raw meat for Archie. And he evidently didn't know what to do about it and so he didn't do anything, figuring apparently that the thing would run its course and why risk a futile showdown when it was obviously a prank. What else could it be? Funny, Obie thought, how everybody — the kids as well as the teachers — knew these stunts were planned or carried out by The Vigils and yet they still maintained that air of mystery, refusing to acknowledge it all. He wondered why. Obie had been involved in so many Vigil assignments that he'd lost count of them and he was continually amazed at how they got away with it all the time. In fact, he'd been getting tired of the assignments, of playing nursemaid for Archie and his trigger man as well. He was tired of being the fixer, making certain the assignment went off on schedule in order to maintain Archie's big shot reputation. Like the Room Nineteen assignment when he'd had to creep in there and help the kid Goober take the place apart — all that work so that Archie and The Vigils would look good. Even this particular assignment involved him — if Brother Jacques failed to come up with the cue, then Obie had to find a way to feed it to him.

The cue was the word " environment. " As Archie had said when he announced the assignment, " The world today is concerned with ecology, the environment, our natural resources. We at Trinity also ought to get involved in this environment thing. You guys, " he said, indicating the fourteen students of Grade Twelve Class II, of whom Obie was a member, " will carry on our environmental campaign. Let's say Brother Jacques' U. S. History class — history should be concerned with environment, shouldn't it? Now, whenever Brother Jacques says the word 'environment, ' here's what happens…" And Archie had outlined the instructions.

" Suppose he doesn't use the word? " someone asked.

Archie looked toward Obie. " Oh, Brother Jacques will use the word. I'm sure somebody — Obie, maybe — will ask a question that will produce the word. Won't you, Obie? "

Obie had nodded, disguising his disgust. What the hell was Archie involving him in an assignment at this stage of the game for? He was a senior, for crying out loud. He was secretary of the goddam Vigils, for crying out loud. Jesus, how he hated Archie, that bastard.

A new kid, a transfer from Monument High, asked, " What happens when Brother Jacques finds out we're putting him on? When he finds out that the key word is environment? "

" Then he stops using it, " Archie said. " Which is the point of the whole damn thing. I'm getting sick and tired of all this environment crap — and at least we'll have one teacher in the frigging school who'll cross it off his vocabulary list. "

For his part, Obie was getting sick and tired of Archie, of picking up the pieces behind him, of performing those little services — like Room Nineteen or cueing in Brother Jacques, feeding him a question that could only lead to the word " environment" in the answer. Anyway he was getting fed up with the entire deal. And he was also biding his time, waiting for Archie to overreach himself, to make a mistake. The black box was always there and who could tell when Archie's luck would run out?

" In any discussion of the environment…"

Here we go again, Obie thought in disgust as he found himself leaping up and down like a madman, jogging his heart out, hating every minute of the damn thing. And his energy was wearing down.

Brother Jacques used the word " environment" five more times in the next fifteen minutes. Obie and the other guys were practically wiped out from all that jumping up and down, weary, out of breath, their legs beginning to ache.

When Brother Jacques used the word a sixth time and a weary battalion of students struggled to their feet to perform their task, Obie saw a small smile play on the lips of the teacher. And he knew immediately what had happened. Archie, that bastard, must have tipped Brother Jacques off, anonymously, of course, to what was going on. And the teacher had turned the tables. It was now the teacher who was in command, making the guys jump up and down until they almost collapsed in exhaustion.

When they left the classroom, there was Archie leaning against the wall, that smirk of triumph on his face. The other guys didn't realize what had happened. But Obie did. He gave Archie a look that would shrivel anybody else, but Archie just kept that silly smile on his face.

Obie stalked off, insulted, injured. You bastard, he thought, I owe you for that.