117 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 117 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

It’s X-Files week at Rattler Radio. I freely admit to you and the world that I own seven X-Files novels. These are books based on the series and were not turned into episodes. Well, six of them are like that. One is the novelization of the movie.

The first novel to be excerpted is Goblins by Charles Grant. For the life of me, I can’t remember what it is about. Maybe the excerpt will help.

Leonard stood at the end of the basement corridor, listening.

He didn’t know what he expected to hear. There was never any noise save for the faint grumble of the machines that gave the building its power.

Nevertheless he listened, and wished there were more lights.

A single bulb over the entrance, one down at the far end. Nothing more. No need for more. He and Rosemary were the only ones who used it; Major Tonero was the only one who visited.

Still, he couldn’t help thinking there should be some sound other than the rasp of his breathing.

You’re making yourself jumpy, he scolded as he started toward the Project office. Not that he shouldn’t be. So much had gone right, and so much had gone wrong, that half the time he didn’t know whether he should shout or cry. Rosemary didn’t help either, nagging at him constantly, pushing him, reminding him unnecessarily that this had to be the right one or all support would vanish as if it had never been.

And, he feared, him with it.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.