Adam Canfield of the Slash Read Online Free PDF Page B

understand, the best reporters had to be tough as nails and street savvy? Adam’s philosophy when it came to cub reporters was sink or swim — throw them in the pool, give stories to the ones who bobbed up, and fire the ones who drowned.
    Adam checked his To Do list and realized that after school he had eighteen free minutes between Math Olympiads and soccer practice. He really was on top of things these days and headed up to 306. Jennifer was going to feel terrible about the way she’d treated him. He was going to do reporting on
her
basketball hoop story. Probably get the whole story reported for
her
with one single phone call. He couldn’t wait to see
her
face when she realized he was selflessly doing
her
story without even having to be asked.
    Jennifer was going to feel miserable about misjudging him.
    Adam dialed the number in the phone book and a crisp voice said, “Tremble County Zoning Board.”
    Adam explained he had a question about the new accessory structure policy.
    “That’s Code Enforcement,” the crisp voice said. “I’ll transfer you.” There was quiet, then a dial tone. He’d been cut off. Well, so maybe it would take him two phone calls.
    Adam tried again and was cut off — three more times. On the next try, he asked for the direct dial number for Code Enforcement. The crisp voice said, “I’d be glad to connect you immediately.”
    “Please. NO!” said Adam. “Anything but that. I’ll dial it myself.”
    He did and a woman’s voice answered, “Code Enforcement.”
    “Yes,” said Adam. “There was an article in the
Citizen-Gazette-Herald-Advertiser
—”
    “Honey,” said the woman, “I am so busy, I just don’t have the time to do all the reading I should, and I feel terrible about it.”
    “Hey, that’s OK,” said Adam.
    “No,” said the woman. “Reading is so important. I need to do better.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” said Adam. “See, the reason I’m calling —”
    “Well, you are so sweet,” said the woman. “You have just made my day. Thank you for your moral support, honey.” And the line went dead.
    Adam froze. Had that really just happened? He called back.
    “Code Enforcement.”
    “Yes,” said Adam. “I’m the guy who just called, about the article in the
Citizen-Gazette-Herald-Advertiser
—”
    “Honey, we get so many calls, it’s hard to keep track.”
    “Remember, we were just talking about the importance of reading?”
    “It’s possible, honey,” said the woman. “It’s been so nice —”
    “Wait!” yelled Adam, and he quickly explained that the story he’d read was about zoning officers enforcing local law 200-52.7A.
    “Now, that does sound like one of ours,” said the woman.
    Adam said he had a question about what kind of structures would be affected. He purposely didn’t say basketball hoops. He wanted to keep it vague. Maybe Jennifer was wrong, and the last thing he wanted to do was plant the idea in these guys’ heads that they should be tearing down his basketball hoop.
    “Well, now, honey,” said the woman. “What you’re asking for is an interpretation of the law. Am I right?”
    Adam said he guessed so.
    “I am so sorry, but I am not authorized to do interpretations,” she said. “You’ll have to speak to the Herbs, honey.”
    The herbs? Adam thought. Speak to the herbs? He’d heard of talking to the animals, but speaking to the herbs? It did not matter. He was going to keep this woman on the phone until he got an answer. That’s how street-savvy reporters work. He’d show Jennifer.
    “Which herbs do I speak to?” asked Adam.
    “Green or Black,” said the woman.
    “I don’t know,” said Adam. “Green or black herbs? Which is better?”
    “You know, I can’t answer that, honey,” said the woman. “They don’t allow me to give out opinions over the phone, but in my opinion the Herbs are pretty much interchangeable.”
    “OK,” said Adam. “Then let me talk to a green herb.”
    “You mean Herb