Chapter 34 : Capable of Anything

Catch my own father using his trap for the kings. Can I do that?

The idea makes me feel like I’ve just plunged into a rushing icy river. I have no idea where the current will sweep me away.

On the other hand, my father dropped me in this situation to begin with, just like he tossed me in the pond near our home when I was seven to see if I’d panic. To see if I could swim. I did. Spluttering and splashing, I made it to the water’s edge only to realize I could have stood on the bottom all along. It was shallow.

It didn’t make any difference to Mom, though. Her angry shouts rang in my ears and I thought she was angry at me until, in a rare display of fury, she shoved my father into the water face-first. He looked ridiculous facedown in the pond.

I tell that story to my mates, who all shake their heads. “If I were your mother, I wouldn’t have stopped there.” Kent’s eyes are flinty.

“It takes a lot for her to lose her temper, especially where other people might be watching,” I say.

Wi