WONDERBOYS, a novel by Mike Mason, is a fascinating tale of young pool talents in 1960's New England. Mike has agreed to allow us to serialize his novel here at AzBilliards and we will post a section a week with one week's section archived in case you miss it. Last weeks scene is still available here. If you can't wait to find out what happens to Del and Lombard, you can purchase the book by contacting Mike at mason@azbilliards.com
	WONDERBOYS Scene 62 Lombard was the first name on the chart. First paid entry and first name drawn. Because of his position, he drew a bye. I've played many tournaments in my time, and have noticed a trend that the best players draw the most byes. But Lombard drew tough. His first match was against Herb Lehmann, from Connecticut. Herb was a perennial U.S. Open contestant, winning a qualifier somewhere every year, or finishing high enough the previous year to be invited back. The Whale told me that Herb was a big Lombard pre-service rampage victim. Herb won the toss and Lombard broke. Lombard was taking his time these days, so made sure of his aim and grazed the corner ball so the cue ball then traveled back to the top rail. The two corner balls left the rack, went to a rail, and returned to where they came from. Lombard couldn't have racked them any better using a wooden triangle. Herb went two rails and took a deliberate foul, just to knock a few balls away from the rack. They played two or three safeties, then Lombard found a shot and picked up a few racks. After a few more safes, Herb opened up and ran half the game. He tried to cheat one too many pockets, though, because his last shot just wouldn't wobble in for him. Lombard jumped all over the opportunity and ran out, setting the mark for high run at 97, putting most players out of contention for high run prize. It was classic Lombard, the cue ball barely moving more than a few inches, the intense concentration demanding that every ball be hit just right. The bug eyes and pursed lips were in full flower, and the crowd was very appreciative for the display. The next victim was Roger Boucher. Like I said, Lombard drew a bye, but he didn't draw easy. Roger elected to lag for the break, which was his choice, but he should have chosen to flip a coin. Lombard won the lag, Roger broke, and Lombard ran 112 balls. Roger outsafed Lombard and made a few attempts to get back in the game, but left a safety that wasn't safe, and Lombard closed the door. Lombard had to make a few tough shots on that run. The talk of the tournament was how Lombard was changing everyone's opinion of how straight pool should be played. The talk, mostly among the fans, had been that great players don't take chances, don't play low percentage shots, because a miss is too costly at that level of play. But Lombard played and made shots a normal person wouldn't consider, especially the cut shots. Some Lombard shots seemed ridiculous to the spectators, but I knew that many of them were routine, and if Lombard tries a shot, he's got a high percentage of success. Like a hundred percent. Lombard was now the darling of the tournament. The man the fans fell in love with. The man who set the example for everything a pool player should be. The man to beat. Lombard was gracious with everyone, his fans, the locals who patted him on the back, strangers who had never seen such pool before, and the players who were genuinely glad to see him back. He had a kind word for everyone, and took the time to explain certain shots that spectators asked him about. Watch Lombard play one game of straight pool and you'll see three or four shots you never imagined before, and will need to ask him how it's done. Two superb matches, and now Lombard is off until Sunday. We stuck with the Whale, who was the king of the New England pool scene on this day. When people came up to congratulate Lombard, and me, they praised the Whale for having such a great tournament and for fielding such a tough team. The Whale was proud that the Cue & Billiard was represented by Lombard, Hodgkins, Marco, Ferguson, and me, a pretty tough contingent for one pool room. Lombard and I took our dinner at the Chicken Kitchen across the street, mingled at the tournament a little longer, and went home. We watched TV until the Whale came home with the report of the survivors. Me, Lombard, Shorty, and Fleming undefeated. Here I am again in select company. But another day to go. Lombard and I went to early mass and took breakfast at the Lincoln Diner, which was in the Lincoln Hotel, between the church and the pool room. We joined Joe Belisle and Jake the Snake at their table. We were at the pool room by ten where the Whale was at his counter, studying the tournament chart, chugging black coffee and cigarettes, the kids brushing the tables down and vacuuming the rug. Later, while Shorty was embarrassing me, Lombard was taking care of Fleming. Pat was a traveling representative for the game. He played and won national tournaments, produced great exhibitions, and a one man goodwill ambassador for the game of pocket billiards. I told Whale that Lombard shouldn't have to play him because he wasn't a New England resident, but Whale said he grew up in Connecticut, his parents lived there, and besides, Lombard will make swiss cheese out of him. Lombard broke, Fleming played a bad safe, and Lombard ran out. A most amazing thing. Two guys near me had a bet. One of them put up a hundred dollars to make three hundred that Lombard would run more than fifty balls on his second shot. Not the first, not the third, not any other shot but the second shot. And he won his bet. I'll believe anything with Lombard around. Shorty would rather play anyone in the world besides Lombard. They saw each other too much for Shorty's liking, and he said familiarity breeds contempt, that Lombard has had too many chances to get comfortable with him. And Lombard looked very comfortable during his 83 ball run. Once you give Lombard the table, he hogs it. Shorty went to the loser bracket, and snarled his way through Fleming to get back to Lombard in the finals. This time Lombard ran a measly 79 and kept Shorty at bay the rest of the match. Lombard earned applause from the fans for routine safeties, and when he pocketed the final ball that made him 1968 New England Open Champion, they erupted. The Whale went wild. He handed over the cash and the trophy after a big speech about how Lombard was the finest pool player in New England, and after he wins the U.S. Open, the best pool player in the United States. If you ask me, Lombard is the toughest man on the face of the earth. A most incredible performance. Lombard beat some of the best players in the world like they weren't even there. A perfect run against Fleming. A tournament high average 24.3 balls pocketed per inning. That's five or six shots to win a match. And most of those shots were safeties. Incredible statistic. The Whale kept the tournament chart and made copies of Lombard's scoresheets, and preserved them. They're hanging on the wall now at the Cue & Billiard. What you can't hang on the wall was the performance itself, and that will live in New England pool history. Lombard treated the fans to a display that they can never forget. They will remember those high runs, how it seemed so natural to make shot after shot after shot without missing, because they were so easy. But then there were those wingers that Lombard pulled out of his hat when it looked like a safety was called for. Watch Lombard on a run and you're thinking, what's so hard about this, I can make those shots, then he plays a shot that crosses your eyes, and you have to wonder what game is he playing. And he did it on one leg. When he wasn't playing, he looked like a young man with a cane who might have stubbed his toe. At the pool table, Lombard maneuvered himself with some difficulty and great dignity, leaning slightly on the rails and using his cue as a cane. On those shots where he stretched a bit, the metal brace on his leg showed, to remind us that his triumph was more than a pool game. And he can laugh all he wants at my notions about adolescent brotherhood, but I know that Lombard won that tournament for Del. All copyrights are owned by Mike Mason. No duplication is allowed without his permission.