Chapter 3

Chapter 3 In Their Defense, Sword Fighting After a Meal Is Great for Digestion! I 'm beginning to think something strange is going on in that computer lab." Principal Ferris clasped his hands behind his back. "Doctor Culpepper has told me you're playing a game, which seems innocent enough. But what else are you doing in there? Why are you at the center of so much trouble, just two days into your time at our school?" The six of them were squeezed into the principal's office. Morgan glanced over at Po—he was staring at the ground, not even looking at the principal.

This isn't fair, Morgan thought. Ferris doesn't understand. He had to say something. "We're not doing anything except playing Minecraft." Technically, they were trying to save a brand-new AI inside Minecraft, but there was no way the principal

would believe them. "And we weren't causing trouble. Po and Will were trying to bring our schools together!" "Morgan. I'm so glad you're here." Principal Ferris didn't sound glad. "Perhaps you can tell your friends what I told you yesterday? If you remember." Morgan remembered. "You said, 'There is a right way to do everything, and we always do things that way.' "Exactly. Would you like to guess whether I think sword fighting in the middle of the school is the right way to bring people together?" "Probably not," Morgan mumbled.

"Certainly not!" Ferris corrected. "And you, William. I'm very disappointed. You know better than anyone how the student council president should behave. I recommend you keep your distance from this…Minecraft group." Will said, "Yes, sir." But it didn't really sound like he meant it. "I understand the school you came from is very different from ours. And so I've prepared an opportunity for you to learn to appreciate the

Ironsword way of doing things." Principal Ferris stood up from his desk. "All of you—except for you, Will, I have a different job for you—will be going on a school tour." He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper for each of them. Morgan checked his; it looked like a to-do list. "You'll be learning about Ironsword by participating directly in caring for it. This is a list of tasks designed to show you the beauty of a

school kept clean, orderly, and perfect. I am certain you'll find this work rewarding." "But, sir!" Morgan had to try. Eek needed them, and they didn't have much time to play to begin with. "We already understand. We know this school is different from ours. We didn't mean to cause trouble, and we won't interrupt lunch again. Please let us—" "Play your game? Is that it?" Principal Ferris rubbed his mustache. "You know,