Free London Calling by Edward Bloor

to report that another distinguished All Souls alumnus—I should say ‘alumna’—is actually working on this important entry. Isn’t that right, Margaret?”
    Margaret seemed caught off guard. She answered, “Yes. That’s right.”
    Father Thomas was speaking to Margaret, but he was looking at Cal Livingstone. “And your grandfather, Martin Mehan, is another great friend of All Souls Preparatory School, having taught history here for three years following his retirement from the government service.” He smiled kindly at Mom. “Martin Mehan served with General Lowery in London, did he not?”
    Mom answered. “He did. With Ambassador Kennedy, too.”
    Cal Livingstone spoke up. “Perhaps Mr. Mehan left memoirs or other papers that could shed more light on General Lowery’s contributions to the war effort.”
    Mom said, “I believe my father did mention him. Didn’t he, Margaret?”
    Margaret clearly was not pleased to be in this conversation. She answered, “There were one or two mentions of the General.”
    Cal Livingstone smiled at Margaret. “That is interesting. I was not aware of that. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
    “No.”
    He stood up and approached her. “My understanding is that you work for the Millennium Encyclopedia. Is that correct?” “
    It is.”
    “That is the encyclopedia owned by the Wissler family?”
    “That’s right.”
    “You see, my concern, and the Lowery family’s concern, is that General Lowery not become the victim of revisionist history. Are you aware of that term?”
    “Of course.”
    Livingstone explained it anyway. “Revisionist history is when the facts of the past get distorted to further someone’s agenda in the present. Stalin rewrote the Soviet history books to remove all mention of people he didn’t like.” He looked back at Margaret. “We just want to make sure no prejudice like that exists here.”
    Margaret gritted her teeth. “Why does the family think there is prejudice against General Lowery?”
    “I did not say the family thought that. The family wants to make sure that none exists.”
    “But why would it?”
    He shrugged theatrically. “Because the world contains prejudiced people.”
    Margaret continued coolly, “But who could possibly be prejudiced against a hero of two world wars?”
    Cal Livingstone sharpened his tone. “Someone who has never been in a war. Someone like your boss, perhaps; your Mr. Wissler.”
    “I see. Well, to my knowledge, no one has
ever
questioned Mr. Wissler’s objectivity before.”
    “And no one is doing so now. I apologize if it seemed that way.”
    Margaret’s neck and cheeks flushed pink. Now she knew why Father Thomas had wanted her to come. It was to take a message back to her boss from the Lowery family.
    The meeting ended on that note, with everyone staring at the face-off between Cal Livingstone and Margaret. Livingstone smiled tightly at her. Then he shook hands with Father Thomas and walked out the door.
    Everyone else got up to leave.
    I knew I had to do something or I would be back at that place on Monday, ready to start classes, so I spoke directly to Father Thomas. “I don’t want to go to this school anymore. I hate it here. I want to withdraw. Right now.”
    Father Thomas’s brow furrowed.
    Mom gasped in shock. “Martin! That is ridiculous.”
    But Father Thomas answered patiently, “Nobody wants summer vacation to end, Martin. You’ll feel differently after you see all of your friends.”
    “No. No, I won’t. I only had two friends here, and you just kicked one of them out. Kick me out instead!”
    Mom held out her hands in supplication. “I . . . I don’t know what to say, Father. I am so sorry. I am so embarrassed.”
    Father Thomas reassured her. “Don’t be embarrassed. Remember, we are dealing with children. They are very temperamental, and they wear their emotions on the outside.” He looked at me. “Martin, I know from my own experience, and from my brother’s