Pawn of fate. Poor little pawn. In the grip of external strategy, if strategy it be. Unprotected at least. I will protect you said the gentleman standing above him. He said nothing of his power to protect. The boy looks up into the man’s eyes and, quite out of character, trusted him completely. So far so good. What to lose, some helpless urchin, best not mess with princes. Freedom of choice? What choice? Too poor too cold too hungry, too sick perhaps. No fun. No luck. And now this man turns up and takes me in his arms. His home is warm, washes me and clothes me so pleasantly. Some good luck at last. Off to bed. The problem starts, he’s so attentive. I’m tired I’ll have to think. The man expecting as much asks the boy to be honest. I’d rather not, came the reply. Rather not be honest? No, silly, rather not sleep with you. Oh. That’s that. Can I ask you why? Yes, it’s because I want you to be my father. And you shouldn’t do, you know, those things, if you are my father. I don’t think your father would have done them to you. True, he didn’t. Would you have liked him to? I do not recall. At your age I had only opportunity, and awkwardly at that, with another boy my own age. That’s got nothing to do with it. Would your father have wanted to do them with you? I never asked. No, you know, knew then, he wouldn’t. At this point the boy looked at him imploringly, I want to have a father as you had a father. ’Cause I never had nothing like that. Why don’t you have a woman who could be my mother like you had a mother. I want both, a happy family. You did come from a happy family, didn’t you? Didn’t you? Happy? The man hesitated over the vagueness of the term. We were neither the happiest nor the unhappiest. Did you know a happier family? The man hesitated again.