"Well, if you must know, I had a fight with my brother. I hit him in the eye and broke a finger."

Goose gaped.

"Really?"

"That's right," said Kasia, holding her injured hand as if it really hurt. Goose left her and looked about the milling crowd of kids until he spotted Daniel. Sure enough, Daniel had a handkerchief bandage over one side of his face. There was even some red showing, where the 'blood' had seeped through around the bruise.

"Get into a fight?" said Goose, pretending he didn't know.

"Yeah," said Daniel morosely.

"Could I see the damage?"

"Its not a pretty sight," said Daniel.

"Who did it?"

"Oh, just someone," said Daniel vaguely.

He carefully lifted the edge of the plaster and waited until Goose had seen the gory, lumpy, glistening, red and black mess underneath.

"Man! You were plastered!" he said.

"I know," said Daniel, wincing.

"Who did it to you?"

"You won't tell if I say?"

"Never!"

"My sister."

"Amazing! She must have hit you really hard!"

"I'll say. She was in a shop, stealing things, and I said I'd tell on her, so she hit me!"

"Stealing things?" said Goose.

"Yeah, she was nicking sweets. You won't tell anyone will you?"

"Me? Never!"

"Thanks."