Sandy called Dan Atkins the following week, to give Berta Canning, her literary agent, plenty of time to get in touch with him and send him the manuscript he could read. She hoped he would 30 ______ to help her to edit her first book. And when Dan Atkins answered, he seemed as though she’d woken him out of a sound sleep. She 31 ______ profusely, and he didn’t sound happy to hear from her. There was a long silence and then he told Sandy to come on Saturday. He explained that he lived near the university campus where he 32 ______ to teach. She wasn’t looking forward to meeting him, but she didn’t want Berta to be angry with her either. So, she bicycled over to his address on Saturday. When Sandy got there, he took forever to answer the bell. She was 33 ______ about to leave when he opened the door.

She followed him upstairs to a large living room that would have been lovely if he tidied it once in a while. There were stacks of books everywhere, a pile of papers, a mountain of manuscripts on the desk and half eaten food on the coffee table. He obviously lived alone and needed a housekeeper desperately. He was as untidy as his living room. He had a long, unkempt beard, a mane of wild white hair that 34 ______ Sally of Albert Einstein. He was wearing jeans, a sweater with holes in it, and tennis shoes. Sandy could 35 ______ figure out his age. He seemed to be about seventy, 36 ______ Berta told her later that he was only sixty. He said that he liked her book.