The Doctor’s morning phone conference was running an hour over time. Just now it was the head of the US Olympic Committee on speakerphone, still deeply upset baseball had been dropped from the summer games.‘You Europeans just don’t get it. Baseball’s the Great American Pastime. To be enjoyed and cherished by the entire world, like democracy!’The Doctor explained yes, baseball may indeed be a great American pastime, pure as democracy itself. But that doesn’t necessarily qualify it as an Olympic event. The Yank gasped and vented his outrage for ten minutes before ringing off without a missing you already. The room went blessedly quiet. The Doctor hung up.‘I suspect the Americans, having once renamed French Fries to Freedom Fries, will now whip themselves into patriotic frenzy and rename them again to Home Run Fries.’Harper nodded, wondering if this might be a good time to ask why the hell he’d been ordered to report at eight a.m. if it meant hurry up and wait. Then a chime sounded over the speakerphone, followed by Miss Barraud’s reverential voice.‘Pardon, Docteur.
