A Knight of the Sacred Blade Read Online Free PDF

shrugged. “Because it doesn’t matter to me one way or another how my team does.” 
    Mr. Paulsen glared. “The textbooks are over on the counter.” He leveled a meaty finger. “Distribute them.” 
    She had a feeling this class was not going to go well.
    Ally got up and walked to the back of the room. She felt dozens of eyes on her, many of them mocking, but she ignored them and began distributing the textbooks. No matter.  This was just one class, and she would graduate in five months. If she kept her head down and didn’t make trouble, she could get through this easily enough.
    Even if Paulsen was a jackass. 
    “Wet blankets aside,” said Mr. Paulsen, “I hope we can have a good time in this class. Let’s face it. American government’s a pretty boring topic, and you all have more important things to be doing.” He got another laugh. “At least those of you who aren’t in chess club, like Miss Wester.”
    Ally handed over another textbook and looked at him. She ought to feel embarrassed, she knew. Even intimidated. But Paulsen was just a fat, middle-aged basketball coach, and Ally had seen things far scarier than him…
    She frowned. What things? 
    “Come on,” said Mr. Paulsen. “Hand this books out! Hustle!” He grinned. “If you had been in a sport, you would know what that word means.”
    The class laughed.
    And all at once Ally decided to make trouble.  
    Ally finished and sat down with her book. She raised her hand. “Mr. Paulsen?”
    He turned. “Yeah? What?”
    Ally put her hand down. “Why is American government a boring and unimportant topic?” 
    Mr. Paulsen laughed. “You think it’s fun?”
    “No. But it’s probably important,” said Ally. 
    Mr. Paulsen groaned and threw out his arms. “Oh, come on. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s have a poll. You have a choice. You can go to Friday night’s varsity basketball game, cheer on the team, and have a good time. Or you can sit at home and watch Congressional debates on C-SPAN or whatever. Okay, let’s vote. Game?” A forest of arms went up. Mr. Paulsen grinned at Ally. “It’s democracy. The people have spoken and all that.” 
    “So it’s important to vote?” said Ally. 
    Mr. Paulsen snorted. “It’s not like it matters, anyway. The politicians are all crooks. And let’s face it. Politics are boring.”
    Ally shrugged. “I can see your point.”
    Mr. Paulsen smiled. “Good.”
    “It might cost you your job, though,” said Ally.
    Mr. Paulsen. “What? That’s stupid.” He sneered. “That some sort of threat?” 
    “No,” said Ally. “But it might disappear in the next budget cut.”
    “What the hell are you talking about?” said Mr. Paulsen, his face knotting in a frown.
    “The state legislature passed a twenty percent cut to the public education budget for the next fiscal year,” said Ally. “The governor will probably sign it.”
    Mr. Paulsen’s mouth opened and closed. “Don’t spread rumors, Miss Wester. Where did you hear this?”
    “Internet news yesterday,” said Ally. That, and Simon had complained about it at some length.
    “I read the news on the Internet every day,” said Mr. Paulsen.
    “I don’t think it was on ESPN.com,” said Ally. 
    “Funny,” said Mr. Paulsen. A pulsing vein stood out on his forehead. “They’ll never cut the education budget. The union would make sure they lose the next election.”
    “They seem pretty determined,” said Ally. 
    Mr. Paulsen’s jaw worked. “It doesn’t matter. They wouldn’t cut me. The football program is too important.”
    Ally shrugged. “I’ll bet a lot of deadwood will go.”
    Paulsen stalked before her desk and glared down at her. “I am not deadwood, Miss Wester, and if you keep up with that I’ll send your arrogant ass to the principal’s office faster than you can blink. I have a wife and kids to feed. They wouldn’t fire me.”
    Ally blinked and looked at his thick hands. He wore a University of Illinois football