They missed having a professional ball player living with them during late Spring and Summer. It was December and the teens had been selling their mom...on the idea of sponsoring a ball player again. The average salary is only about $6,000/year, so if someone takes them in, it helps them out financially. Also, they are usually young and away from home for the first time. Sometimes 1,000 or more miles away. Having a surrogate family helps them out emotionally. She did miss baseball conversations.. There won't be, if they can't resolve the lock-out." Be nice. I've seen you in the library a lot in the evenings. Do you like to read?" Oh, yeah. I'm constantly reading. Books, magazines. Anything." That's a good thing. I'll bet you like science fiction stuff, huh?" Yeah. Good guess. Fantasy stuff too." Oh, like Tolkien?" Of course." Although, I've also seen you reading Eric Jerome Dickey and Marcus Major." Well, you know, it doesn't hurt to read different kinds of books." No. It sure doesn't.. " I thought he would fall over right where he stood. I bet he doesn't goto sleep at all tonight."Kristine laughed. "Well I'm going to. I'm exhausted."With that they turned off the lights and went to sleep.The next morning they got up and all headed to the school. They arrived alittle bit before the opening bell. They all went straight to the officeand asked to speak to the principal. They were escorted to some chairsjust outside the principal's office. A little while later, the. Its radiant peace was a sharp contrast to the shrill sound of voices busily going about Bureau business. Phones were ringing incessantly in the distance, angrily waiting to be answered.I would have to go out there again soon. I was lead agent on the winter's most exciting case. I would go out there into that throng of people, and stand under the obnoxious fluorescent lights, and tell them they were all doing a great job.I downed the last dregs of my drink, and grimaced.There was a knock at the.