I had previously warned the Headmaster that they were plotting against the village in the schoolyard for a particular cause of which I had no knowledge but he had ignored me. He preferred to remain like an ostrich with his head in the sand... until something of significance occurred. I became aware of the meeting at breakfast time when Bridget asked Robert to outline the lessons he had for the day. His reply was sonorous to say the least and I suspected that he was plotting something more sinister than just his lessons. I left the entrance of the village at lunchtime to go directly to the school instead of the cafeteria. All the teachers had departed to go for their mid-day meal and there was no sign of the Headmaster. The children had gathered in the school playground at the rear of the building and they were sitting cross-legged in a circle facing each other. Robert appeared to be the key figure in the discussion and he spouted his grievance to the others. ‘My friends,’ he began, like a politician speaking in public, ‘we have a severe grievance to which no one will listen.
