Ransom stepped in it, but he didn’t care. The worst thing that could happen is that Mayor Barton would toss him to the street tonight. Then, he’d threaten to just make something up (which he could easily do) and Paul would either give him something to go on, or risk having him publish whatever he wanted. They were hiding something, and he knew it.
“I've heard it's an important piece of town trivia.”
With Barton still in shock over the question, Doc stepped in as he turned away to push Philpot toward the school.
“I don't know what you're talking about. Please excuse us.”
Mayor Barton encouraged Mestes to move back inside with a wave. When he turned his head back around, Ransom knew he was furious.
“Why are you asking about that? I told you Buck was nuts. You said you didn't write about bull crap.”
“Sorry I just wanted to see what would happen if I said ‘BLT.’ There's got to be a story behind this sandwich thing.”
“And I told you there is nothing to tell. We don't teach our boys fables. We teach them they play a part in their destiny and that part requires hard work.”
“Much like a political career, I'm sure.” Ransom retorted.
Mayor Barton lips snarled up for a response, but a shout from Coach Anderson diverted his attention and the confrontation would have to wait just a bit longer.
A novel, presented in chapters.
A small town high school football team has gone largely unrecognized after forty years of consecutive wins and a young, ambitious reporter uncovers a stunning secret—behind the small town values and string of impressive athletic victories hides a bizarre pre-game ritual: each player must rub the bulging tumor of their school janitor for good luck. As the janitor's health begins to fade, the town unites around the local body politic to push for the world's first ever tumor transplant in a crazed attempt to save their winning streak. The transplant fails, creating even more fevered desperation to win at least one more game. The town’s proposed solution is both as sickening as it is outrageous: players will consume the tumor during a special called Eucharist served up by the town minister, thereby demonstrating just how far a group will go to stay on top in the ‘dog eat dog’ world of high school athletics.
This book is in no way meant to make light of the terrible disease of cancer, which took my grandfather and many others I have loved. It's a metaphor for a different kind of illness.
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