If you have any questions, keep themto yourself. I am not interested, and will not answer them, Youare here for my purpose, and if that means that you...will feel pain occasionally,then so be it.Is that understood?" I could see thethousand questions flashing through her mind, but only one came out. "Why me?" As if todemonstrate my ignorance of her questions, as the words left her mouth Islapped her across the face, hard enough to sting, but not to cause real pain.Immediately tears filled her eyes. And the audience sat in front of us and in balconies on both sides. I had to consider it the best performance we’d delivered yet. And I was told there were no tickets sold to the public. All the audience was National Service laborers, bused in from their various camps within seventy-five miles of Los Angeles.I made sure all my pod mates were safely on the bus before I turned to face the reporters.“Mr. Hopkins, are you attempting to incite a rebellion?” was the first question. I was best. Like most pitchers I'm successful about 70% of the time." 70%? I thought..." Batters foul the ball off, or hit it to a fielder. A good hitter is successful 21⁄2 times out of 10. A fantastic hitter is successful 3 times out of 8. Fortunately there are only a few of that caliber." Who do you play for?" The Charlotte Knights, they're the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox." Okay, I've heard of the White Sox. When I was growing up there was a neighbor of ours who was a White Sox fan." Most. He was at Mass last night and at the Hacienda just this morning. He doesn’t seem to be anything other than a successful businessman, and Valeria’s grandfather.There is Ramón, though. He’s obviously her bodyguard and with her if she’s not at the Hacienda. I’ve hardly given that a thought considering all the security around that place. Certainly, Harrison and Jessica wouldn’t have anything to do with Rafael Ramirez if he was a criminal... Suddenly a chill swept through her. What if Jenny had.