[Excerpt from Chapter 9, The King's Retinue]

Next year Wymack will need new players, so now he asked Neil for help in choosing players for next year's team.

Wymack sorted the papers into four piles, and threw the empty box aside, Neil looked into the thin folder, it turned out to be an application, the face in the photo was unfamiliar to Neil.

-Candidates for the team, - explained Wymack, -We need at least six recruits.

-Six, - repeated Neil, -Do you want to double the roster?

-A forced measure, one of the conditions that the Committee set for us, they really don't like that this season we almost flew out of the championship due to a shortage of players, and they are no longer willing to bend the rules for us. I told them that this won't happen again, which means we need to recruit new players next season," Wymack looked at all four stacks and handed one to Neil.

"Our girls are entering their fifth year, which means we have to prepare replacements for them - at least three people. Overall, we need two forwards, two midfielders, a defender and a goalie. Pick a more or less suitable one, then we'll narrow down the search."

"Shouldn't Kevin help you with this?" Neil said.

"You go through the first round, Kevin - the second, and I'll make the final decision." Wymack answered.

Neil looked at the stack of questionnaires. Finally, he opened the top folder and began to study the statistics: physical data, performance, rating, and so on. The third was not bad, but the fourth in comparison - noticeably better. Taped to the inside of the back cover of each folder were discs containing highlight reels of the potential recruit.

Neil looked up at Wymack, but it turned out that he hadn't advanced very far either. His eyes didn't even skim the lines - Wymack wasn't interested in statistics, he was studying the player's photo intently, as if he could learn everything important from it. Perhaps Wymack could read pain in a face, just as Neil could read anger.

So you were in that six. The next year, you arrived early, in the summer, in the last month before the new season. Wymack met you and brought you to his apartment for now, later he helped you get into Palmetto University, you had already met Kevin, since he hadn't gone anywhere. And a few days later Neil, Andrew, Aaron and Nicky arrived, they already knew that you had arrived, they would be staying at Wymack's apartment for a while until the Fox Tower dorm opens, which would be closer to the new season.

Abby set the table, Wymack brought a bunch of drinks, and you, along with Abby, Kevin and Wymack, wait for Aaron, Nicky, Andrew and Neil to arrive.