Page 106

By Jack Joseph Smith

107 _ ‘ Yes Father, I was afraid; But hen againg in a way I wasn't, I let the head trustee hit me four or five times, before I hit him back, I Imew they would try and send me E away for a long time, if I got into a fights : You had no choice Michael, considering the crippled kids I kmows I wish we could take the whole gang from Saint Bernards up there and whlipe , the place outs Tts not just the guards anf trustees that are at fault Michaels Its much deeper, or higher for that matter, than thats j Tt 6 the administrators, : Right Michael, And worses But youlwout an the street nowy so you have the choice : of _— you want to fight the guys that don't make any differencescor not; What : do you think you are going to ack T don't knows ° Your hurting your parents, You do lmow thats Don't you? Yess i Well Michael, The decision is yourss Youtggood inside Michael, but don't let to? much hang out, or your guts are going to begin to be stomped on and turned into an i ugly messa : Thanks again for getting me out of Thorn 4ill Fathers Lets go home Michaeli The wind blew and the flowers cane up though the cement ig’ places Voices: talked in ° the distence and I felt free, but Dare calling was hurting my heads

Original Scan

Page 106

AI Interpretation

GPT

Walking down the steps into the sun, Michael and the Jesuit speak about fear, pain, Johnson's rescue, and the deeper chain of blame that runs above guards and trustees into the administrators themselves.

The page is quieter than the hearing, but morally sharper, because the priest refuses the easy target and points to a higher structure behind the violence. Michael still thinks in terms of retaliation, while the priest tries to redirect him toward choosing what is worth fighting.

Claude

The street-freedom debrief: Michael wishes they could take the Saint Bernard's gang up and wipe Thorn Hill out, and the Jesuit corrects him that it is not just the guards and trustees — it is deeper, or higher — the administrators and worse.