John Ringo - Princess of Wands

He leaned back and nodded, picking up his mocha with a very straight posture as if daring Barb to debate him on his area of expertise.

“I can see that,” Barb said, sipping her decaf vanilla latte. She’d decided on decaf since she was pretty sure she didn’t want to lose her temper in this meeting. “Can I ask a couple of questions?”

“Sure,” the coach said, warily.

“Why’d you come up here from Mobile?” Barb asked. “Mobile is a much bigger league and you were a pretty big fish. You didn’t move for the job, so…”

“I’m ambitious,” Sherman admitted. “Yes, Mobile is a bigger and more noticeable league. But the high school positions are all filled with people that, however, incompetent, are in there for life. It’s very much a good-ole-boy network, no outsiders allowed. I want to be a professional softball coach and to do that you have to get into one of the colleges. Any college will do. To get to college you either have to know some rich alumni or you have to have been successful at coaching high school teams. Really successful. I looked at a lot of areas and I really liked the Sirens. This team. I want to coach them this year and then go on to coach at Algomo High School. If I can take this team, and the girls that are following them, through high school I can take state. Not just one year, but several. And if I do that I can get into a college spot. And the bottom line is that my methods work . Some people say it’s about learning to play the game. Bullshit, pardon my French, ma’am, but it’s about winning . And if you let me, your girls will win . And if they can’t take the heat, they’re not going to make it as high as I intend to take them, anyway. Up to you.”

Barbara had to admit that the coach had her number. Barb believed in winning against any odds. If she didn’t, she’d be a skeleton in a Louisiana bayou.

The flip side was that she didn’t trust this guy as far as she could throw him. Of course, it was a bad analogy; he’d be surprised as hell just how far she could throw him.

Take a different tack.

“I can see that as well,” Barbara said, nodding her head and not letting that piercing stare apparently affect her at all. “There is one small problem, though. This is… not the fifties. There are understandable concerns about males spending significant private time with, frankly, susceptible young girls.”

“Which is why I’m never alone with any single girl at any time,” Sherman replied, nodding sharply. “I have never had an allegation of sexual harassment laid against me, Mrs. Everette. Not one.”

Barbara believed that about as much as she believed the rest of the spiel, but she didn’t let it show on her face. On the other hand, it was possible. Especially if he was threatening enough. Vast numbers of sexual predation reports waited years until someone was willing to break the code of silence surrounding them. She hoped that Allison would come to her if anything happened. But it was better that nothing happened in the first place.

“So what you’re saying, Mr. Sherman, is hang everything else,” Barb said. “If we want the girls to win and win big, we have to go with your program or our girls are out of the team.”

“That was in the introduction sheet,” the coach said, nodding sharply, again. “If you want the girls to be guaranteed to win, you have to go with my program. And I do guarantee it.”

“Nothing is guaranteed, Coach Sherman,” Barbara said, softly. “Except the End of All Things. Even death is not immutable, as the Lord Jesus Christ proved in the case of both Himself and Lazarus. Taxes, admittedly, are close,” she added with a slight smile.

“I hadn’t realized you were… that staunch a Christian, Mrs. Everette,” Coach Sherman said, uncomfortably.

“I don’t wave a Bible, Mr. Sherman,” Barb replied, quietly. “But faith in the Lord is very strong in me.”

“Faith in Jesus doesn’t win softball games,” Sherman replied.

Barbara tried not to furrow her brow at the reply. There had been a very slight emphasis on the name “Jesus.”

“Faith can work miracles, Coach Sherman,” Barb said, her eyes narrowing.

“Well, on that we agree,” Sherman said, obliquely. “So are you going to oppose my practices? I get the feeling that if you do, there’s not going to be a team.”

“I’m going to discuss it with the other parents,” Barbara said, her face poker blank. “For the girls to continue at the current pace will require them to drop other activities. That’s a major change.”

“If you do, if you stay with my program, we will win,” Sherman said. “If you don’t want that, then make up your own minds. I know what wins. Despite our wins, this is a tough league. Maggie Anderson at Shipman is one of the best pitchers in her age group in the state. If we’re going to win the championship, it’s going to take more than faith in Jesus , Mrs. Everette.”

“Foundation for Love and Universal Faith.”

“This is Barbara Everette, could I talk to Sharice, please?”

“Hold a moment, Barb, I’ll transfer you.”

“Sharice, May the Lady Bless.”

“Sharice, it’s Barb,” Barbara said, biting her lip as she weaved through traffic with the cell phone clamped to her ear.

“How are you, Barb?” Sharice asked. “Is the family well?”

“I think so,” Barbara said, accelerating and cutting left in front of a semi, just missing the bumper of the car in front of her, which was slowing. She hadn’t been thinking about the maneuver, she was driving in alpha state. “I need some information for something that has me worried.”

“I see,” Sharice said, slowly. “Barbara, I take it from the background you’re on a cell phone?”

“Yes,” Barb admitted.

“Perhaps you should talk to one of your friends in the area about this, dear,” Sharice said. “I’m sure it’s a private matter and you wouldn’t want anyone with a scanner listening in.”

“Oh,” Barbara said, her face coloring as she cut back into the right-hand lane and then slid sideways to make the exit. “I suppose I should.”

“If it’s a very important matter, I’m sure someone can come talk to you right away,” Sharice said.

“Not at this time,” Barb said. “It might be nothing. Just a bad feeling about someone.”

“I can tell you that there are no issues that the Foundation is paying attention to in your area,” Sharice said, obliquely.

“What about last year in Mobile?” Barbara asked.

“Hold on a mo, dear.”

Barb checked left and pulled out in a cloud of tire smoke so she wouldn’t slow down the oncoming truck. By that time Sharice was back.

“I think you should probably talk to a friend, dear,” Sharice said. Barbara could almost see her forehead crinkling in perplexity. “We were tracking an issue in the Mobile area last year but the local chapter didn’t turn up much. If you have a bad feeling and it relates to Mobile, it might be wise to discuss it with a friend.”

“Got it,” Barb said, pulling in at a convenience store. “I’ll do that.”

“Lady bless and keep you, Barb,” Sharice said.

“And may the goodness of the Lord be with you as well, my friend.”

“Good day, Mr. Patek,” Barbara said, picking up a packet of chewing gum and tendering a five-dollar bill.

“Good day, Mrs. Everette,” the Hindu said, nodding at her. “May Vishnu light your way.”

“And may the Lord be with you,” Barb said as the convenience store owner slipped the note behind the five into his register.