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Biology One of the few classes where I pay attention Not because I’ive th!) but because I like the teacher, Mr Burke

Burke impressed me the first day he walked into class and said, "I know y, but if you don’t givefor you"

Burke’s the best of our teachers, ood one that we have I don’t knohat he’s doing in this duood school like the one Vinyl s like Meths and Kray and yeah, I can adh opinion of Mr Burke and has tried a few ti kids of his own race Which is odd, because the lightly colored Burke is of a ht that meant he could claim membership to either side, but Dad doesn’t see it that way He moans about Burke all the time and I nod like the obedient little puppy that I as full, Dad" It sickens me but what can I do? If I told him Burke’s a cool teacher, he’d ha and keephard toevent but it’s hard to keep us interested in crap like this After a while Trev puts up a hand "Sir?"

"Go on," Burke sighs, looking up froest he finds this particular lesson as boring as the rest of us

"Can we dissect a zohter

"If you bring me one, I’ll certainly help you cut it up," Burke says drily, then pushes the worive hireat e sidetrack Burke He doesn’t let it happen often - he insists on covering the course inside out - but every now and then he’ll relent

"Who believes that zoo up, but not many It’s not that we don’t believe, just that we don’t want to be seen to be enthusiastic in class

"Come on," Burke snaps "A real show of hands or it’s back to the wor up Soon most of them are in the air

Burke does a slow count, then says softly, "Why?"

We gape at hiain "Because they’re on TV? Because you’ve seen photos and video clips?"

"Yeah," soital equipment these days, can’t they?" he smirks

"Don’t you believe, sir?" I ask I was one of the few to keep their hand down

"Actually, I do," he says "But let’s explore alternatives" He turns to the whiteboard, grabs a pen and writes Media hoax? Publicity for a film or TV show? then looks over his shoulder at us "Any other ideas?"

"It’s a conspiracy," Stagger Lee snorts

"The government?" Burke asks

"Yeah"

"The Irish? Ours? As "The whole bloody lot"

"What for?" Burke asks "Why go to all that trouble?"

Silence for a moment, then Linzer - one of the sone wrong"

"Good," Burke beams and adds it to the whiteboard "What sort of experiment?"

"Che soot into the water or air Or they released it on purpose"

"Which isat Elephant