| 1 | He's trying to pick a quarrel, so it's better to leave him alone . | |
| 2 | From what he says, that can't be easily done. | |
| 3 | Ms. Olin, teacher of sixth-grade French, nearly shouted. | |
| 4 | "Rudolph, " he said, dismissing her, "what do you plan to do?" | |
| 5 | It was the first week of May, and she was holding court in the teachers' lounge, her hair nearly down to her waist and her big belly protruding over her lap. |