Chapter 9: Section 4.1

The qualifier sold out in two hours, and Raven's mother had made a sign.

It said GO RAVEN in red marker, and underneath, smaller, and NOAH.

Benjamin sat beside her in the first row with a laminated game schedule on his knee.

Raven saw them from the tunnel and lifted a hand.

Behind the bench, in the medic's chair, Noah lifted a hand back and tilted his head.

Before tip-off Noah had checked the patch on Raven's neck twice.

"It's new," he said. "It's fresh. It should hold through anything."

"Anything?"

"Not a hand," Noah said. "Nothing holds against a hand."

"Then I'll keep my head down."

"Raven."

"Noted, doctor."

Noah had written nothing down.

He had only touched the patch with one finger and held it there until the buzzer.

For the first half, nothing could touch him.

Raven hit four threes, two off the glass, and a fadeaway that made the arena groan.

At the break Thompson stood in the middle of the locker room with the rulebook open in both hands.

"Section 4.1," he announced, "says a player's roster status must be verified before a qualifier."

"Page fourteen?" said the point guard.

"Page fourteen of the large edition."

"Thompson, sit," said Coach.

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