CHAPTER FOUR

THE SEVENTH QUESTION

“Welcome back,” said the dean.

“Thanks,” replied Henry. Silence followed.

“Now I think you’ve known what you didn’t know—eh.”

“What?” he asked.

“The answers to the seven great questions.” The dean laid more emphasis on the word ‘Great’.

“Yeah,” said Henry.

“What kind of power do great inventors have?”

“Magical power,” said Henry, having based his thoughts on the French inventor and some others he had seen in Gyrus.

“What’s faster than the rocket?”

“Movement in Gyrus,” Henry replied again promptly.

“I wouldn’t need ask on,” said the dean. “I believe you’ve got the answers to all—in Gyrus.”

“Not all.” Henry said, “I got one right back on earth before we left, but you said I was wrong.”

“Which one?” asked the dean, raising up three fingers and smiling.

“Yeah, question number three,” said Henry. “You asked where I would be in forty-five minutes, then I said, in the meeting. But—” Henry paused.

“Keep talking,” said the man.

“You said I was wrong.”

The man guffawed suddenly, making Henry feel embarrassed. The man said, “Ignoramus. Here’s ten minutes past six. We left for Gyrus exactly six p.m, so we’ve only spent ten minutes.”

Henry could hardly wait for the completion of his speech before protesting, “Untrue. I checked my wristwatch in the hall; discovered we’ve spent twelve hours. So, the time should be ten minutes past six a.m now—not six p.m as you’ve said. It’s next day already”

“You’re wrong Henry—still in today. We spent just ten minutes in the meeting.”

Henry said, “About four hundred people spoke over there. How on earth can that happen in ten minutes?” Henry believed he had justified his claim with the simple illustration he had just made, but the dean gainsaid it once more.

“You’re right by saying ‘how on earth’. It’s not possible on earth—remember Gyrus is another planet, where twelve hours equal to ten minutes on earth,” explained the dean.

His explanation appeared not good enough to convince Henry, who was always in his elements as far as argument was concerned.

The dean led him towards the window, opened it, pushed its blinds aside and they peeped.

Through the window, Henry saw his colleagues walking about to their various hostels. They could not have been out there by 6 a.m. He also noticed that the arena was not quite different from how it was when he had entered the dean’s office earlier. Seeing same people at same places Henry began to believe the dean’s words.

He knew they could not have remained in a spot for twelve hours.

“You’re right sir.”

“Always right,” boasted the man. “So, Henry where you’re going to be forty-five minutes from the time I asked the question depends on you.”

To keep his ego inflated, Henry quickly said, “Sir, the sixth question—what’s the answer to it?”

“About a friend, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Henry. “I said I will strangle him.”

“It’s not true. You won’t strangle such.”

“You don’t know my mind, do you?” said Henry.

“I’ll strangle him.”

“You didn’t.” The man looked on him and said,

“You met Ted, I’m pretty sure—your best friend—in Gyrus. He’s been into something good—magic—for the past two years, but he kept silent until you found it out yourself in Gyrus today.”

Henry became cold.

“You didn’t strangle him. I sensed that you felt at home instead, seeing him in there.”

“Yeah, I was,” concurred Henry. “It’s amazing. Sir, how did you know I won’t do that?”

“Seems like you forgot something.”

“What?” demanded Henry instantly.

“That I told you, prior to your initiation, that you can see someone else’s future.”

Henry’s eyeballs rolled to and fro inside their sockets. A sensation of enthusiasm descended on him and he said, a bit louder than how his voice used to be under normal situation, “Sir, the last question, what’s the answer?”

“What’s it about?” said the man, feigning ignorance.

“Can’t remember, but it was the most striking to me then when you were asking me about TEN MINUTES AGO.” Henry had intentionally stressed his last three words. “Can you remind me?”

“I’m not going to. You can walk up to me when you want—but make sure you’ve remembered it, cos I’m not going to answer a question that’s not asked me, cos I’m no simpleton.”

“Sir. I implore you to tell—”

“Forget it!” he yelled.

Henry looked at himself and discovered that the dark mirror was with him. He came with it from Gyrus.

“What’s it for?” said Henry. “Am I supposed to come with it?”

“Yeah, It’s for you. Do anything with it—look into the future, communicate with any member, do anything you want, to whoever you want to see in it.”

Sadly, Henry rose up, preparing to leave, since the dean did not remind him of the seventh question. Coming out of the room, the Professor called his name and said, “It’s forty-five minutes! I was right by saying you are going to decide where you’ll be.”

Henry stooped, glancing at his watch. He saw that it was exactly forty-five minutes. The dean was right, because Henry’s ‘nick-of-time’ decision to leave had seen him out of the office at that time. Therefore, Henry had decided it, fulfilling the dean’s prediction.

Walking away dejectedly, Henry spent time thinking. Leafing through the ‘magazine of thoughts’ in his heart, Henry halted on the thought of his parents; what their reactions would be, should they know about his newly-found approach to life. Arriving at the conclusion that he would be disowned if they should know about it, Henry said, “I don’t give a damn.”

The following day Henry discussed at length with Ted. He asked Ted about the Seventh Question.

“Forgotten. I can’t even remember what it was, let alone supply the answer?” said Ted, transforming his visage to a wrinkled one instantly. Henry noticed it.

Ted said, “Henry, don’t ask me about it anymore.” To Henry’s amazement Ted was fidgeting visibly. Henry was dumbfounded by his friend’s attitude. Henry was about to ask him what was going on when Ted said, “At least for now don’t ask me that question anymore.”

Henry had known Ted for putting someone in suspense, so he felt he should not bother asking him that moment. Henry changed the topic:

“Let’s talk about your Uncle, shall we?”

“Go on, ask about him,” said Ted, wearing a happy face again.

“Ted, does your uncle know about your power?”

“He dare not. He’ll kill me.”

It baffled Henry.

“But—how have you been able to hide the mirror from him these two years?”

“It’s simple. I’ve got a private bathroom where I keep my mirror.”

“Uhm,” Henry said. “Our own bathrooms are free for all. We’ve got none personal.”

“Then try look for alternative.” Ted grinned and added, “How ’bout your parents?”

“They’re doing fine.”

“No—I mean do they know you’re now a magician?”

“They’ll disown me if they do.”

“It’s terrible,’ whispered Ted. “Your mirror—where’s it?”

“In my wardrobe, in the hostel.” Henry faced Ted. “I don’t think I’ll need it.”

“You’ll sure need it. You can’t do without it.”

“Hey man, I’m never concerned with people’s future, ’cos it’s no business of mine. Achievement is all I care for.”

“Was that why you became a citizen—in Gyrus?”
“Nothing else could have pushed me into it.”
“Stop kidding me Henry,” said Ted, disbelieving him. You have the potential already in you—to achieve things, You’ve won eight prominent laurels already, the Spelling Bee twice, International quiz and debate competitions, yet you said you became a magician just because you— ”

“That’s it Ted. I have to.” He brought his face closer to Ted’s and said, “A boy is contending with me result-wise. We’ve got same CGPA. He’s in the Petroleum Engineering. Professor said I’ll edge him if I join the magic.” Ted took it as a laughing matter.”

“Will you stop the joke?” said Ted, giggling. “No one’s as brilliant as you, as far as this campus is concerned.”

“I’m serious,” Henry said, face contorted in a grave manner, with wrinkled nose, typical of a Halloween wizard. Ted had to believe him.

“So… someone’s as good as you here? That fellow must be a first-class recluse—for him not to have been known by all—like you,” concluded Ted. “Petroleum Engineering—uh! What’s the guy’s name?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll sure find out,” Ted resolved.

Henry was bored already. He began to show some blasé attitude to what his friend was saying. He started with yawning, which culminated into sneezing, then coughing. Ted had known him for such displays whenever being bored.

“Hmm—seems you want the topic changed,” said Ted fondly. He had perceived Henry’s thought.

“Got it!” Henry replied. “Have you seen her lately?”

“Who?”

“None other than Cynthia.”

“Oh Henry!” screamed Ted suddenly. “She’s yours already.” He rose up excitedly, spanking and tickling Henry lovingly. “Her destiny’s on your palm.” Henry was discombobulated, being unable to comprehend his words.

“Stop the titillation and tell me what you mean.”
“I mean if you want to have her you can. Take your mirror, call her name, talk to her and she’ll listen.”

“You mean I should woo her magically—through the mirror?”

“Exactly dude,” Ted said. “She’ll listen to you.”

“You want me to spellbind a little innocent girl?” said Henry with no smile on his face. Ted shook his head vertically in agreement, not able to read what was going on in Henry’s mind, since his heart was no limpid object.

“Are you crazy?” said Henry, outraged. “Listen, I’m not going to have her love through a spell, but naturally. I’ll get her someday… but not with the goddamn mirror.”

Ted lowered his head, abjectly abashed. He managed to say, “Do as it pleases you Henry, I’m no longer interested. But I bet it with you, you’ll never get her by any other means. Why not go for Susie instead? Give her a chance to prove that she cares for you better than any other lady on earth.”

It angered Henry, who gave a repulsive prompt response:
“A chance in my life? Not that sloe-eyed thing. Never!” Henry yelled at him. “Besides, I can’t befriend a female magician.”

“What d’you mean?”

“Ain’t you aware she’s a witch?” said Henry in a critical manner.

“Serious!” Ted said, expressing great shock as he repeatedly muttered the word ‘witch’ silently to himself as if enamored with it.

“Yeah,” said Henry. He was going to prove his point. Then he continued, “Prof. said meet me six pm, you said the same and… she said exactly the same too. Dean wizard, you wizard, so she’s a witch also.”

Ted laughed.

“Coincidence!” said Ted. “She’s not into power. If she is, I bet you she would have been through with you long ago. By now you two would have exchanged the rings.” Ted made fun of him in a silly manner, getting Henry gutted.

“God forbid,” he yelled. The white of his eyes had suddenly turned red. He turned heel to leave, but Ted said, “Let’s see in the mirror tonight—goodbye.

“I’ve told you I’ll never use it,” said Henry, turning again to Ted. “You’d better reach me through my mail if at all you’ve got any important message to pass.”

Ted guffawed again.

“You’ll surely use it. I’ll force you into it,” said Ted in an authoritative manner, but in a seemingly unserious mannerism.

“I won’t! Heaven knows I won’t!” vociferated Henry, whose parabolic forehead was almost touching Ted’s hyperbolic own, thus creating a kind of ‘face and vase’ illusion, typical of a scene common to Hollywood blockbuster movies, where two lovers were going to have a buss, or where the Hero and the Villain were going to see eye to eye, especially towards the end of a movie immediately after the strongest servant of the ‘Boss’ was dead.

“We shall see,” Ted said, using a rather harsh voice. Henry replied, “We ain’t see nothing”, and left immediately.

As Henry was walking toward the school library, he saw Susie coming out from there. With lugubrious countenance, she trudged along, having left the library for lack of concentration. She changed her direction swiftly at the sight of Henry, having vowed not to have anything doing with him. Seemed like Susie had discovered something annoying about Henry.
Henry waved at her.

“Hi, Susie,” but she gave a yell. “Don’t you talk to me in your life! I loathe you, bloody liar!”

“Myself, liar!” wondered Henry as he looked on in horror.

“That’s what you are!” she affirmed, almost poking her index finger into his face. “You said you’re going out with Professor Wilson by six, I monitored you, saw you entering his office—only to come out few minutes later all alone. You never went anywhere with him. What d’you take me for, a fool?”

“Susie, you can’t understand…”

“I saw you, right. Deny it, you big liar!” said the sad-looking girl. “You used his office to cover up for it.”

“Not at all Susie—”

She was not patient enough.

“Okay, okay, okay, don’t you worry,” she said. She was almost weeping. “I’ll go ask him myself. If I found you a liar, bet me, every one will know about it in the campus. They’ll call you a white-lie monger. No one’s going to listen to your ‘I-hate-liar’ talks anymore.”

“Please, don’t do that.” Fear gripped him suddenly—the fear that the dean was soon going to know that he had told someone about the meeting. To deter her, Henry said, “Please for God’s sake don’t ask him. I’ll go with…”

Henry had to pause, having seen that the girl had adamantly poked her fingers into her ears to block them as she doubled her pace, leaving him in jeopardy under the blistering sun. Henry had wanted to cajole her with his unfinished statement, but she wasn’t in the possession of sufficient patience to listen. He was going to promise a date with her immediately.
Henry had never wanted to insinuate the aftermath if Susie told the dean.

“Professor said tell nobody. He’ll have me roasted alive.”

Henry’s heart thumped at every thought of it. He had to skip the rest of the day lecture, retiring to his room for fear. That night he wasn’t able to sleep. He had known Susie for being incredibly daring. She could walk up to anyone to tell the person whatever she had got to say, regardless of whether such a receptor was going to be sad or angry about it. It seemed people were scared of her, perhaps as a result of her strange face and unusual physical structure. She was more like Kate in character.

While Susie was in her first year in the campus, she was incessantly disturbed by a male lecturer, who had asked to have an intimate intimate relationship with her, but Susie never liked him. The lecturer had often declared to Susie his ambition of getting married to her, calling her his fiancée publicly, whenever he was to address her. When she couldn’t stand the open insult anymore, she got upset. Right in front of every one in class that day she promised to slap the man’s protruded cheek, but he never took her serious, persisting in his wooing words.

Whoosh! landed the slap on his face. The lecturer fell flat to the floor.

Seeing the scene was one major reason Henry had felt that he must try by all means to avoid her, though Susie had not begun to hanker after him then, since she’d not yet known the level of intelligence of Henry, because they were still new students then. Henry felt she was going to prove insurmountable for him; Kate she couldn’t subdue, let alone Susie, who never cared who you are, regardless of your gender.

At the middle of the night, the urge came; the urge to look into the mirror.

“Why should I?” Henry questioned himself, not having sensed the need for it. He tried very hard to restrain the strange urge, but he seemed not strong enough to do that. Rising up, he moaned. “Ted said I’ll make use of it—rubbish. I’ve got to prove him wrong because he mustn’t win me again this time.”

Henry wouldn’t want to be at the losing end of any argument. He was always on the winning side and would do anything to see his ego inflated.”

“I’ll get Cynthia without the magic,” he thought, pacing to and fro. He stopped pacing as he moved toward his wardrobe. He turned the knob and took out the mirror. Glancing at it rapidly, he saw Ted.

“Hey little clairvoyant,” said Ted’s image in the mirror, in an amusing manner. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” Ted guffawed.

Henry blushed with shame. In a swoop he had lifted the mirror above his head, about to smash it on the floor. He heard Ted shout, “Don’t smash me!” and off he went. The Professor’s image came up in it immediately, as though it had displaced Ted’s, but in the actual sense it was a coincidence. The fatherly voice Henry did hear made him look up into the mirror he was lifting above his head.

“Henry G, I said don’t tell anybody, you told Susie. You got amnesia?” the dean yelled out from the mirror immediately. Henry’s lips failed to give the answer, his tongue having not received suitable message from the brain.

“Come for your punishment—” said the dean,

“tomorrow, in my office, 10 a.m. Be sure your retribution’s going to be terrible—for committing such large trespass. Bye-bye.” He vamoosed.

Henry’s condition was far more exacerbated, having thought that he had heard the word “bad-bye”. No sleep until morning!

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CHAPTER FIVE
THE PROFESSOR’S RETRIBUTION

Henry rose from bed. The first place he headed was the bathroom. Turning on the knob, he had his bath under the shower. The ablution was done perfunctorily, something unusual with him. Henry had always taken painstaking care of his body in the past, spending over half an hour in the bathroom each time. But those bathing periods were never without deliberate complaints from Kate, who would always want to have her bath same time he was having his, neglecting the fact that there were several other bathrooms she could have made use of. She would bang the door forcefully, hollering on the top of her voice that Henry had lingered too long in there. Many at times Henry would come out, half-dressed, with lather all over his body, to deal brutally with her. Indeed Kate was the pugnacious type.

Back to the thought of the impending punishment, Henry’s heart lurched. Though not intending to fast, Henry decided to skip breakfast. The first familiar face he saw that foggy morning was Susie’s own. Surprisingly her eyes were misty, almost like the prototype of the nimbostratus cloud covering the sky that morning. Henry was still trying to deduce something when tears began to flow down Susie’s face. Coincidentally, perhaps incidentally, the sky began to shed tears too. It was raining.

Henry, never wanting to be cozened by her supposed slyness, made a U-turn away from Susie’s direction.

“A second look could mean another trouble,” Henry thought, “Sphinx!”

Henry had only trekked few distances when Ted and himself ran into one another. His countenance fell because he felt that he was soon going to be ridiculed for losing the argument.

“Henry, how’s the mirror?” said Ted in a humorous manner. “I hope it’s not in pieces yet.”
“Nope,” replied Henry, wanting to deliberately exhibit an amazingly humongous terseness. As expected, Ted said, “I won the argument, you lost.”

“Agreed,” said Henry dissatisfied. “How did you make me use the mirror?”

Ted smiled and said, “Oh, simple. Any member ready to speak with another need not do anything other than to pick the mirror, call the name of the one he would like to speak with. I bet you, the urge will come on such to pick up the mirror instantly. Communication begins from there.”

“Wow!” Henry exclaimed. “I’ve been so foolish to have said I’m not using it.”

“Maybe,” said Ted hilariously, giggling, but discovered that Henry was not in a good mood. He asked Henry what was wrong and the latter explained—the ‘Susie-Dean’ issue.

Ted felt sorry for Henry and assured him that the Professor’s punishment was not going to be unbearable.

Henry entered the dean’s office.

Henry came out perplexed. It was his turn to have the kind of eyes Susie was carrying earlier—misty eyes. But this time there was no drizzle from the sky, even after a drop of tear had torn itself apart from the whole mass of the salty fluid being secreted from the lachrymal gland of Henry’s left eye. The tear ran down his cheek, into his mouth and subconsciously Henry licked it.

Henry now had with him a pile of books, numbering up to twelve, each having some copious amounts of pages. He had entered with none, but had come out with twelve. Silently Henry recalled in his mind the event that had led to that:

“Welcome Henry,” said the dean. “Here’s your punishment…”

“Sir, I can explain.”

“No explanation dudes. Nothing’s going to lift your punishment off you.”

“I never tell anybody.”

“Got no time for folktales. Yesterday’s gone, can never be mended—we’d better face the present, and—the future. Listen carefully now…to your punishment…”

“You’re not going to punish an innocent soul, are you?”

“Not at all,” said the man. “But I’ll punish the guilty you.”

“Sir,” said Henry. He was going to try this last time, perhaps he could be lucky to escape the looming retribution that was soon to be meted out on him. “I didn’t tell anybody…but I told…”

“Who?”

“Nobody.”

“Ssh!” said the man. “You’ve said this before, and it’s a lie for God’s sake. You told Susie, didn’t you?”

“I’ll explain. You said I shouldn’t tell anybody, to me Susie was a ‘nobody’ and I told her. I didn’t tell anybody,” deduced Henry, not sure if his foxy skill would suffice to win the dean over. The man replied immediately, “To me Susie can just be anybody, I said don’t tell anybody but you told Susie—anybody.” Henry succumbed. The dean won.

“Listen—I’m delivering a seminar on Nuclear Physics in eleven days time. Henry, competent Professors worldwide are presenting same topic, but Henry—I want to win the prize. I’ve spent less time preparing, because I’ve also got two more seminars to deliver on other disciplines.”

“Wow!” screamed Henry.

“See, winning may bring me much fame and—I need it. I guess it’s the reason I’m alive today—get whatever I can get and fade away.” He budged to the shelf, took out a huge textbook and handed it to Henry. As if that was not enough, the man lingered on before the shelf, taking more and more of such kind of book out of the same shelf and saying, “Take this… and this… and this” as he handed them to Henry one after the other. He stopped at the twelfth, when Henry was strained already, more than his ‘elastic limit’.

“Henry, trust me, I’m not going to ask you to memorize everything inside there at once. Trust me.”

Hearing such allayed Henry’s fear. He was already nursing the feeling that the dean was going to ask him to read all at once and tell him everything inside them verbatim before the dean had said otherwise.

“Don’t panic. Just go through ’em all, prepare for me an award-winning synopsis for the seminar. Seven days to do this Henry, else…” The man paused deliberately.

“Seven days?”

“Yeah,” re-affirmed the dean.

“I can’t,” Henry rebuffed acutely. “It’s Impossible!”

“You can do it Henry. You’re a genius…” The dean saw him shuddering. “Listen boy, it’s a must for you to do it, else…”

“Else what?” asked Henry, petrified with fear.

“Else…” repeated the man, “something’ll happen to you”.

“I won’t,” Henry said obdurately.

“You’ve got no choice boy. Remember it’s a punishment—for your trespass. So go on, do it.”

Henry had plodded out of the dean’s office, engrossed in the seemingly onerous task ahead of him. He blamed everything on his joining the occult world.

“If I hadn’t joined, I wouldn’t have been asked not to tell anybody and…that sphinx wouldn’t have had anything to divulge to the dean concerning me.”

Looking ahead instantly, he saw the so-called ‘sphinx’ distances away, coming towards his direction. The urge descended on him immediately to demo his yet unproved magical power by using it on her, but his attention was diverted instantly, having been snapped by some unknown persons, with some sophisticated cameras they had adventitiously carried with them.

“poo!” Henry screamed when he saw the snappers scurry away, chortling hilariously. They were bevy of ladies, whose intention was unknown; perhaps they had been intrigued by the sight of Henry bearing twelve humongous textbooks and they had felt like having the scene preserved in a permanent format for easy reference.

Henry made a surreptitious move, but Susie, being eagle-eyed, had seen him already with her bulgy frog-like eyes. Behind her was Ted Manuel, both walking toward him. Well at eyeshot, Henry could see them vividly. Susie’s face was gloomy and wet with tears as it had been earlier that morning. Henry was baffled.

“I’m very sorry,” she said penitently, sobbing silently. Henry’s heart melted instantly, observing her display.

“Sorry for what, Susie?” asked Henry, raising some speculative eyebrows.

“I caused it all,” she said, pointing to the books Henry’s hands were laden with. “All you went through,” she added.

“I’ve not told you I went through anything,” said Henry.

“I’m sure this is the Professor’s retribution for my action. He told me that he was going to give you the most impossible task on earth. What are these for?” she said, touching the books being piled up on top of Henry’s adjoined palms.

“Never mind,” Henry replied imperviously. “Just let me be.”

At that juncture Ted barged in, having been mute all the while. Ted said, “Henry, Susie’s regretting her action now. She told me that she was wrong; that the dean had confessed to her that you both really had appointment yesterday—”

“But it was suspended eventually,” said Susie, interrupting Ted to speak for herself. “I’m sorry for everything,” she said once more.

Still speaking some other people came around again, releasing flashes of light on Henry from their capturing gadgets. They were males this time. Henry’s annoyance was excited. He made swift movements to leave the scene, but Susie hurried to catch up with him. She stood right in front of him to halt his walk.

“I’m very sorry Henry. It’s my fault. I’ll sure deal with those girls.”

“Which girls?” responded Henry rudely. He was incredibly stunned that Susie had seen his first set of snappers, whom he had felt that she never saw, since she was not around yet when they did snapped him.

Susie replied, “Those ladies that gave you the first round of snapshots a while ago.” It then occurred to Henry that Susie wasn’t the type to cast aside as far as optical genius is concerned. Her tears flowed down again in torrents and the raindrops began to descend again, this time in torrents. Henry handed the books to Ted, who had already placed his umbrella over his own head. Henry was going to hug her.

During the moment of embrace there was snapshot again; this time Ted’s handiwork, having placed down the textbooks and spread the umbrella over them, being wary of the intense consequences that could accompany the destruction of the dean’s books if they got soaked with the raindrops. Ted bore them up again later and said, “Henry, these books are heavy” as he handed them over to Henry again…

CHAPTER SIX
RECEPTION BY DECEPTION

Ted had gone miles in search of the said genius in the campus, who, according to Henry, was having the same Grade Point Average as Henry. If Ted had found him, he would have extended a hand of friendship to him immediately, not minding the fact that Henry could be skeptical about the motive behind such ideated friendship, but unfortunately Ted’s effort was not fecund. He never saw someone like such.

Two years back, Ted had carried out such kind of exercise too, to discover Henry. Having heard about Henry then, Ted came to the Physics Department where Henry had belonged, to seek for him. Prior to that time Henry was without a single friend, having determined before getting into the campus that he was not going to have one. When Ted came around, Henry made it known to him that he was going to be faithful to his rather seemingly impossible resolution, but Ted assured Henry that it was not going to be possible.

“It’s a lie young man. No man can live in isolation,” Ted had said.

“Are you calling me a liar?” Henry voiced out, red with anger. He was undoubtedly a Prima Donna, never wanting to accept his flaws.

“ That’s who you are if you are telling me that,” replied Ted, fearlessly. Henry moved closer and held the collar of Ted’s shirt rudely, shouting out some swear words:

“Look at this idiotic mad fellow! I hate liars all my life. How dare you call me a liar!”

“So that you can hate yourself,” replied Ted, “for lying that you can be in isolation.”

Hearing Ted’s reply, Henry left the collar of his shirt in a way that seemed he had been affected by the boy’s speech. However, he looked at him with a wrinkled face and yelled, “Bastard” at him as he turned around to leave.

“Ain’t you going to consider my proposal… to become your friend?” said Ted, remaining on the spot.

“Never!” shouted Henry cruelly without turning back to look at him. “We can never be friends.”

“You’re wrong,” said Ted. “We shall be best friends…soonest.” On hearing that Henry turned back. He was at it again, wanting to win an argument. He came to Ted.

“I bet you, we shall never be,” yelled Henry as they hooked their index fingers together briskly to seal the bet.

Hardly had Henry left when a female student walked up to Ted. She was Henry’s departmental mate—Susie.

“Hey guy, you want to make friend with somebody?” she said. Ted was shocked, because he never noticed anyone was around during the course of his conversation with Henry. However he answered, “Yes…that boy over there.”

“Hmm,” sounded Susie. “You can’t get him, I’m assuring you. Seems like he’s autistic,” said Susie in a critical and rather genuine manner.
“Autistic or no I’m getting him, as far as he’s a genius and—I’m a geniophile,” Ted had said, not minding the fact that his last word could be grammatically unsuitable for what he had meant it for.

Susie, not taking into consideration the fact that Ted was just meeting her for the first time, had demanded for a bet instantly, in opposition to what Ted had just said. Ted agreed to the bet and the wager was agreed upon by the two—some paltry amount of money.
“Give me a week and he’ll be my best friend,” Ted had said.

Henry was going to write a test. Suddenly, some groups of boys, who had on them some tattered jean trousers and bedraggled hair, encircled him. They were mixture of the Whites and the Black Americans.

“Hey,” said one of them, snatching his schoolbag. “You’ve got to drop something for the guys.”

“My Bottom,” replied Henry inimically, pointing a finger at his buttock ridiculously.
“You’ll pay for that—with your test,” the gutted boys said. Henry soon realized it was no child’s play when his hands were suddenly held backward by those guys and he was lifted off the ground. He shouted.

“Leave me alone. I’m almost late.” His words seemed not sufficient to make them have a change of mind. But Ted was around just in time to rescue Henry from their unfriendly hoist.

“Leave the poor boy alone,” Ted demanded.

“Who the hell are you?” said the guy in whose hands Henry was.

“I’m Ted,” Ted replied, “He’s a gentle boy.”

“It’s none of our business. He’s got to give us something,” they said with a tone of hostility.

“He’s a genius,” Ted said. As if those boys were genius—freaks they put Henry down gently, each of them stretching their palms before him, this time not to ask for money, but to demand an autograph.

“We’re very sorry,” they said. “Please your autograph.” Henry picked his pen, which had fallen off his bag, from the floor. Like a celebrity Henry scribbled his signature into the palm of each boy.

“Thanks,” they said happily, leaving him.

Henry stood like an , looking shamefacedly at Ted. Just as he was about to say a word one of the boys ran back to them. Henry had almost run away for fear that he was coming for him again to ride roughshod on him, but to his utmost surprise the guy said, “My second palm too” stretching it before him. Henry signed into it again, then the guy skittered away childishly, looking into his newly autographed left palm.

“Thanks,” said Henry to Ted in a whisper, “You won me.” He shook hands with Ted, who was grinning excitedly. Susie was watching them covertly too. It staggered her to see them together at last, being the seventh day Ted had given as a deadline for the bet. Since she did see clearly the event that led to the friendship between the two, she was going to find out the real cause of it at the expense of the test she was soon to write. She hid herself somewhere, watching Ted’s movement.

After Henry’s departure, Ted walked slowly to the bullies. Seemed he had been in connivance with them from the onset to get Henry deceived. They gathered round him, stretching their palms towards him, but this time it seemed they were not asking for an autograph.

“The money,” they demanded and Ted tucked his right hand inside his pocket, brought out some money and delivered it into the waiting hand of one of them. At this time the autograph signed by Henry was no more on their palms. They had all got rid of them by scrubbing their palms together, having spat little saliva into them for easy erasure of the unwanted autographs.

Susie smiled, having got the mystery solved. She had it settled in her mind that Ted had colluded with those guys to get Henry deceived. She had to rush down to her class in order not to be late for the test.

Ted later came demanding for his bet from Susie. She refused giving it to him, letting him know that he had achieved the feat in a dishonest manner. To make Ted agree to the non-remittance of the wager, Susie threatened to blackmail him. Ted had to forgo the money for good, since he wouldn’t want to lose Henry, whom he had paid dearly for, to earn his friendship.

Susie was going to coerce Ted into telling Henry her feelings towards him. Henry was adamant. He never listened to Ted, telling him that he had aversion towards the opposite gender, using his sister as an example.
“I’m not interested in girls,” Henry had said. In a short moment his keenness with Ted had become full-blown. Susie was jealous, having been chasing after Henry right from the first month on campus, but had never been considered once by Henry.

Susie felt that by intensifying her threats towards Ted, much pressure would be mounted upon him to as well intensify the talks concerning her before Henry, believing that one day Henry was going to change his orientation toward her, but it seemed she was making a mistake. Henry was willful still.

Susie began to blackmail Ted, receiving some paltry sums of cash from him often. Ted had no option then than to give them to her, to avoid losing his friend. All of a sudden Ted was fed up, but not until Susie had bilked him to bankruptcy. He told Susie to go ahead and tell Henry about it and she never hesitated to do such.

Surprisingly, Henry was not a bit perturbed by the news. He only confronted Ted to confirm the authenticity of the news and Ted unequivocally admitted that Susie’s observation was the truth. Thereafter Henry didn’t take any step whatsoever to end the relationship with Ted. Instead his abhorrence for Susie congealed from that moment, on the ground that she had swindled Ted, his new friend often.

Susie was sad that she had made a fool of herself by reporting the case to Ted, who could have been the only hope of bringing her into a chummy relationship with Henry. Realizing her mistake, she later went to Ted secretly to apologize, yet she never restored all the cash she had extorted from him since Ted never asked her for that.

It went on that way between Henry and Susie until two years later (the day Henry had the hug with her in the rain) when she finally had his favor, but Henry had already begun to cast his eyes at Cynthia before then.

Ted’s quest for geniuses on campus had also led him to a bully called Julius. Ted had misconstrued the macho man for a genius, having heard friends and foes call him ‘Genius’. He never knew that the senior student had only acquired such name by bullying on some weaker ones. Julius had asked to be called by such name and they had to give it to him to avoid his avoidable troubles.

Ted, being a first-year student then, had approached Julius to ask for his hands in friendship, but the guy had treated him badly.
“What level are you?” asked Julius cruelly as he grabbed Ted’s scruff forcibly.

“A first year student,” Ted spoke in a shaky tone.
“First year!” exclaimed Julius, expressing shock. He had counted it a discourteous attitude for a first year student to walk up to someone like him, a final-year student. He would have him disgraced.

“I’ll teach you how to respect your seniors,” Julius had said, shoving him away and winking concurrently to his followers. As if under the influence of a remote control, they descended on Ted, beating him blue-black and getting rid of his trousers, but leaving him with his underwear, at least to let him have something to still make do with. However, they went away with his pocket money, pulling out the inner part of his pocket.

Ted since then had kept an eye on the rogue, Julius, waiting eagerly for an opportunity to revenge. Going by the look of things then such opportunity might not come and therefore Ted might need to wait for long in vain. But Ted’s hope came alive suddenly when the dean, Professor Wilson, had him initiated into magic, having made the man his friend when he got to know that he was a genius.

When Julius was graduating, he was preparing to receive an award for the hip-hop music he’d entertained the audience with (having sang in the graduation ceremony). He mounted the podium to receive his award from Professor Wilson’s hands, but something unbelievable happened. As he opened his mouth for a smile, his teeth, all of them, were discovered missing. Despite the disgusting sight, many still held up their cameras to take a view of the toothless bully. Ted’s doing!

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genius indeed, u re gud dis kip it up

[quote]Continuation

[color=#000099][b]Henry was engrossed in the taxing work that he had just been endowed with by the Professor. Fear mingled with horror at a gargantuan extent, had possibly thrust him into some ineffable actions for seven days. Having set everything apart, he had focused on the dean’s arduous task assiduously, though not trusting in his ability to write an award-winning synopsis for the dean. While at work only one thought sometimes crossed his mind—Susie, not Cynthia this time. Since having a clinch with Susie in the rain, Henry had developed a secret affection for her, though not yet made known to her.
Henry had considered perusing the whole textbook a suicidal manifestation. He made up his mind not to open them at all. From the knowledge he had already acquired in the past on Nuclear Physics, Henry wrote the synopsis. He had had much cognition of the subject, Nuclear Physics, earlier in life. Thanks to the library he had made his ‘next of kin’ those times.
Henry was through with it after seven days, but he waited till the eighth day to get it across to the dean, for fear of being snubbed by him, believing that a nineteen-year old boy of his kind cannot write out what was going to be award-winning amidst the intelligentsias across the globe.
On getting to the lecture room, he saw his photographs with mates, made a cynosure. In them he was carrying twelve huge textbooks, the Professor’s own.
“Hi Henry, bookworm,” he was taunted by a girl, who had burst into laughter. Another said, “I’m pretty sure you’ve got the content of these books inside your puny brain,” pushing Henry’s forehead roughly with a finger. Henry was abashed. He had felt like applying his yet unproved magical power on them immediately, but he declined.
Susie came closer, still conceiving a guilty conscience.
“I got you into these. I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Never mind Susie,’ replied Henry in a very polite manner, which had sent her smiling secretly, believing that she’d got him at last after about two years and a month of trials and errors to get his attention.
On the marker board was written an implicating statement about Henry. He read it silently and the look on his face was that of dejection:
Henry needs Cynthia badly. He will do anything to get her. Yes, things like carrying myriads of books in his hands—just to impress her that he’s such a genius.
Still looking at the board in anger, Henry felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, he discovered it was Pete, Cynthia’s boyfriend. The boy smirked and said, “Young chap, you think you can have her love by this—impossible? She’s no braniac-freak.”
Pete was loud-mouthed, but seeming to be the most easily cowed. He was a timid type who could even be intimidated by a tomboy, or any lady which had felt like scaring him. All such a person would need to do was to pose a threat at him. Pete had joined the school basketball team so that he could receive a level of protection from his teammates, who had helped him out of troubles at one time or the other.
Henry said in annoyance, “Who’re you talking about?” as if he didn’t know. The boy replied, “Cynthia. She’s going to stick with sportsman—like me. She’ll kick your arse.”
Though Henry’s care for Cynthia was no more wholesome, the urge to have her by all means so as to silence Pete who had been bragging all the while came upon Henry immediately in a gush.
“I’ll sure get her one day,” Henry had thought, “but not with magic,” he had added.

[b]CHAPTER SEVEN
THE PROFESSOR’S AWARD


“Henry!” the man shouted. Henry’s buttocks were glued to his seat. “Are you saying that this can earn me the award?” The Professor waved the write up before his face.
“I don’t know,” responded Henry, anticipating something worse.
“Well, I shall go through it today. I’ll get across to you—at night.”
“At night?” Henry yelled, “Hope not through the mirror.” Henry’s reaction depicted that he was possibly eisoptrophobic, but in the actual sense he wasn’t. Perhaps, he was just scared of the magical mirror in particular, which could even be illuminating at night when put to use.
“Where else?” said the dean, not intending to ask a question, but was letting him know that he was bent on using the mirror. “You think I’m going to want to burn my credit unnecessarily on telephone calls when I’ve got my mirror—charge free—and every other benefit attached to it. Listen, if you don’t use it you don’t get wiser. Have you ever proved your magic at all?” the man asked inquisitively.
“No sir.” Henry’s face glowered. “… and I don’t think I’ll use it at all.”
“Why?”
“’Cause I don’t see the need.”
The Professor smirked and said, “You’ll sure use it…someday.”
“Why d’you think so?”
“Because Professor Wilson Gee say so,” said the dean, beating his chest in an egoistic manner.
“I won’t—” replied Henry, “because I said I won’t,” he added in a mimetic style.
“You’ve got goat-like characters indeed—stubborn.”
“Can I take my leave,” Henry had said rudely.
“Sure, if you want to,” the dean had replied, “Got no business with you till after the presentation of the seminar.”
Few days later, early in the morning, the indispensable urge to look at the mirror came upon Henry again. Henry picked up an ordinary mirror at first.
“Not this,” said Henry, quickly dropping it carefully to go for the magical one. His heart missed a beat on seeing the dean’s image in it.
“What’s he up to again?” Henry had thought.
“Shocked!” the laterally inverted image of the dean had said. “You’re thinking of what I’m up to again.”
“What!” Henry exclaimed. “How d’you know that’s what’s on my mind? Does the magic include mind-synching?”
“Sure. While looking into the mirror you’ve got the benefit of reading the mind of the other fellow in an unmistakable and precise manner—something that the psychologist cannot do.”
“Really!”
“Henry,” said the man going straight to the point, “I’ve obtained a flight ticket for you. We’re flying together to Washington today. Guess what, we’re going to the venue of the Seminar Presentation together, this morning. Meet me at the Port of Los Angeles presently.”
“Must I come with you?” said Henry out of panic. “I don’t deem it necessary.”
Henry was afraid that the man would vent his anger on him if he eventually did not come out the winner of the presentation, so he had felt that avoiding him would be the solution. The return flight would be full of reprimands, if the dean lost the award.
“I’ve bought the flight ticket already—you have my word,” the dean said, and in a moment, he was off.
Henry, being left alone still staring at his mirror in awe, was able to view the reflection his face. It was glum. Having no choice, Henry had to prepare to meet the dean. But he was going to visit the school library first, to return some of the borrowed books he had got with him. After taking a cup of coffee Henry left the apartment to get a cab that would transport him to the library. Henry saw the poster of the dean, placed side by side with that of Einstein, pasted on many suitable places around the school. It seemed both geniuses (Albert Einstein and Professor Wilson) were performing the same action in them—clicking their skulls. Henry moved very close to one of those amazing pictures with great interest. He read the statement on the poster:
THE DEAN OF THE PRESTIGIOUS CALIFORNIA CITY UNIVERSITY IS PRESENTING A SEMINAR TODAY, ON NUCLEAR PHYSICS. IS HE A MATCH FOR ALBERT EINSTEIN THE GENIUS? LET’S WATCH IF HE’S GOING TO EMERGE THE WINNER OF THE GLOBAL SEMINAR PRESENTATION.”
No one knew who had put those posters there. They just crowded around them, making silly remarks about them in a hilarious manner. The dean had seen it too, but himself was amazed, never remembering having taken any picture in the ‘skull-clicking’ pose like the one in the poster. But seeing it, Henry’s mind flashed back to his first encounter with the dean in his office, when he was bragging and clicking his skull subconsciously as he prided himself on being wiser than Albert Einstein, in Henry’s presence then.
“Someone must have snapped him then,” thought Henry, calling back to memory the flashes of light he’d seen then, coming from the window.”
Henry soon joined the Professor in the Airport. The plane arrived after some moments of waiting patiently. The two were not silent all through the flight period. They were busy all the while discussing, since their seats were abutting each other.
The dean said, “Young man, have you been to the campus this morning—before coming to the airport?”
“Y-Yes,” said Henry, already speculating what the lecturer had intended to do with the question. As conjectured by Henry, Professor Wilson said further, “I’m definitely sure you saw those pictures of myself and Einstein put side by side.”
“I saw them. What about them?”
“Who did that?”
“I don’t know, “Henry said. “All I know is I didn’t do it.” Henry had quickly uttered such to get himself out of the trouble he was insinuating.
“That fellow must be a silly plonker!” the dean had yelled. “Henry, d’you know the implication of the statement he’d written along with the picture? If I don’t win the award then I’m not a match for Einstein—that’s the implication.” The dean resumed his speech. “But…that’s not philosophically true.”
Henry never uttered a word. His chin was leaning on his right palm, probably, engrossed in thought.
“Dude, If I lay my hands on him I’ll sure tear him apart. I’m quite sure he’s going to be expelled from the CCUL,” said the dean frankly. He spoke on as Henry remained speechless beside him, like an android, which had been asked to keep shut.
“I don’t even know when the picture was taken. I’ve never posed myself that way in any of my photographs. Checked through them yesterday and never came across any as such,” the dean murmured continuously.
“I think I know when it was taken,” said Henry suddenly and the dean gripped the collar of his silky shirt immediately, demanding impatiently when it was.
“The first day I stepped into your office, while you were telling me about your ability, which, according to you, surpasses that of Albert Einstein,”
The dean, having remembered, said, “Then who snapped me?” Henry saw it as an opportunity to get the dean to tell him what the seventh question was all about. He was going to use diplomacy to get it.
“Promise me you’ll remind me of the seventh question if I tell you.”
“I will,” agreed the dean impetuously.
“Sincerely I don’t know who…but, I saw flashes of light coming from the window. I’m sure the photographer was standing behind the window then. So… the seventh question,” Henry demanded. “At least I’ve told you all I know—about the incident.”
“Sincerely I don’t know the last question—I’ve forgotten it too,” said the dean uproariously. “I’ll be a fool if I tell you that, when you didn’t provide an answer to my own question too.” “But will you tell me if I eventually find out and tell you who was behind the picture?”
“Sure,” the man had agreed.
“It’s a deal,” Henry had said.
The plane soon touched down. A taxicab was already waiting to pick up the professor.
“Sir, are you Professor Wilson Gee,” said the taxi driver and the dean said, “Yes.” The man noticed Henry and said, “Is he your kid?”
“Yeah, my kid,’ the dean said, but the driver had got one more question for Henry, “What’s your name?” “Henry White,” said Henry, but his answer seemed not sufficient to satisfy the dean, who said immediately, “Henry Gee, not Henry White.” Nevertheless, they got into car and it sped off.
Henry thought he’d known something; that the dean would stop saying “Henry Gee,” as soon as he had lost out in the seminar presentation. Henry was instantly lost in thought:
“He’ll say, ‘Henry White, you’re not going back home with me. You’d better find your way back to campus yourself.’ I’ll say, ‘Sir I’ve got no airfare’ but he’ll say, ‘I don’t care’. I’ll say, ‘Sir… but you brought me here for God’s sake. Is this how you want to have me punished?’ He’ll say angrily, ‘This isn’t punishment. Be sure I’ve got stacks of punishments, real ones, waiting for you on campus. Be sure I’ll see to it that you don’t graduate Summa Cum Laude from the CCUL.’
“I’ll say, ‘But why? I think I said it then that I’m not capable of writing for you an award-winning synopsis. I’m a teenager for God’s sake.’ He’ll say, ‘Shut up there! Collins the youngest Professor in history was only nineteen when he became a professor. Ain’t you nineteen too—so what’s it you’re saying that you’re not capable of…?”
Henry screamed suddenly, “I’m not Collins for Christ’s sake—got my own destiny to fulfill!” He soon became aware of what had happened. Henry had just let out a scream, a product of the ‘He’ll-say-I’ll-say’ imagination he’d occupied his addled brain with.
“Henry, are you all right at all?” the dean barked. “I don’t think so?” he had added in disagreement to Henry’s head movement. “You yelled like that just because I tapped you to inform you that we’ve got to our destination? You’ll sure tell me who that Collins of yours is.” While the man spoke, Henry kept mute, but that doesn’t make the dean stop talking. Instead, the man became more persistent.
“Are you dreaming or what…or did I call you Collins?”
“I’m very sorry. I’d been in a reverie,” Henry had pleaded, intending to make him keep calm. “I’m very very sorry,” he said again, as if two adjoining “veries” would do instead of one to placate the dean.
It’s alright,” said the dean. “Let’s alight.”
Henry’s heart missed a beat.
The presentations were broadcast worldwide. After all the hustle and bustle of the day, Professor Wilson was eventually announced the gold medal award winner to Henry’s amazement. He was given a check instantly, bearing a large amount of cash. The silver medal went to Professor Teddy Brown from England, while the Bronze medal honor was for Professor Kofi Johnson of Africa (who was a Ghanaian, known to Henry in Gyrus). Henry’s joy knew no bound on hearing his dean’s name called as the number one. Seeing Henry when the judge was about to announce the winners earlier, one would have clearly perceive that Henry was more under pressure than any of the contenders—even the dean. Henry had felt that somebody from bigger Universities such as Harvard or Oxford would have carried the day. He had almost collapsed when the judge was announcing it:
“And the winner is professor…” the speaker had paused deliberately, maybe, to increase the blood pressure of every one in the large auditorium.
As expected, the spectators had said “Professor what?” and the judge had finally said, “Professor Wilson Gee from the University of California…here in the US.” Then shouts of joy, which might have possibly been adulterated by some immeasurable amounts of contumelious moans by the unsatisfied ones, had filled the air. Seemed Henry’s voice was the loudest. He had screamed, “I did it!” to the hearing of people around him, jumping and leaping triumphantly, but the poor boy had received a sharp query from one of them.
“ You did what?” asked a black man who was sitting next to him, while many others were staring at him too.
“Em…Em,” Henry stammered, knowing that there was nothing he had to say.
“Young man, you’re just fooling around here in a corner, yelling for someone who never knows who you are,” another man had said, and yet another said, “You’d better not let the Professor hear that you said you did what he did. A dream that can never be accomplished, that’s what you’ve got. He’ll sue you.” She was a young lady.
Not able to swallow the shame, Henry had sneaked away from their presence to another place.
A limousine pulled up the next day in front of the motel they had lodged in overnight. It was an entirely different vehicle this time, from the one that had transported them to the presentation venue. The limousine pulled up at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport, from where they took their flight back to California.
Aboard the plane, they spoke again:
“Henry Gee, I’m so proud of you. I’m sorry I’ve got no time with you yesterday, due to my frailty…you know…after times of sleepless nights.
“No thanks Prof., you did it,” said Henry, but the man said, “We did it!” instead, then he added excitedly, “Got an open check for you.”
“What’s it sir?”
“Ask anything from me till the one-third of the cash prize,” said the dean. Just as if he knew what Henry can do the man quickly modified his words by saying, “But don’t ask what I can’t do.” Some kinds of emotional expressions of elation had explicitly elevated Henry’s mood on hearing the dean’s statements, so he asked promptly, “The seventh question…and the answer.”
“I can’t tell you that Henry.”
“I thought you’ve just said that I should ask you anything,” Henry frowned.
“Yeah, but I said—don’t ask me what I can’t do. To get the seventh question you have my condition already—to get me the photographer,” said the dean, smiling.
“Well—I’ll sure find that out—very soon,” Henry had resolved.
Henry was silent again, but the dean had to remind him of the open check. “You’ve not asked me what you want me to do for you?” the dean had said, but Henry had replied, “First thing first…I need the seventh question. Maybe I’ll think of what to ask after that.”
“It’s okay,” the Professor had said, and in a short moment he was dozing off unconsciously beside the wondering boy.[/b]

Nicely put

I gotta say you're good. Nice job. More MB to your devices. Hehe

Sammy More na...

Bro, where art thou? This piece is really nice.
Everything's been on point-imageries; diction; flow; storyline, albeit the voluminous unnecessary description of Henry and Kate's rivalry. Also, try to make your work less explicit-let the readers do more. Create moments of euphoria.

Come continue.

[b]CHAPTER NINE
JEFF VERSUS CHEUNG

Li Cheung appeared too immature to be in the university. He was only thirteen and was in his third year. Cheung was gentle, just as Henry had said. Seeing Cheung no one would believe he could belong to a magic cult. His face looked innocent. Indeed Cheung did not like the condition he had found himself. Cheung had not asked to be initiated into cultism. He had only got there by accident.
What led into his initiation was his timid nature. Since becoming a freshman, at a tender age of ten and half, Cheung had begun to experience incessant troubles from Jeff, who had utilized the opportunity that Cheung was too little to fight back to ride roughshod on him. Jeff had asked Cheung to always share his pocket money with him; the bully would always part with the lion share. Cheung’s timidity had made him keep silent, not telling anybody about it.
One day, while Jeff was cruelly dealing with Cheung, Professor Brown witnessed it per chance. Jeff took to his heels as he sighted the man. The man took Cheung to his office to have a rapport with him. He told Cheung to meet him by Six pm the next day, promising to take him to a place where his timidity would be taken from him permanently. Cheung had accepted innocently, not knowing where the man was taking him. Getting to the man’s office, he was asked seven questions, as usual with the magic world where the man had belonged. Cheung could not answer any. In that state, they left for Gyrus. Cheung was extremely scared. He wept sore in Gyrus that day.
Professor Brown never lived to tell Cheung the answers to the seven questions, because he died that day in Gyrus in a fight of position with Professor Kent Robins, who was the ‘Power Guard’ in Gyrus. Cheung, who had remained weeping after the meeting, had to be brought back to earth by Professor Wilson’s touch on the head.
Two years since becoming a magician, Cheung never used his magical power. He never even knew that he had any such thing. Jeff continued to oppress him. Ted saw the poor boy one day when Jeff was beaten him up.
“Ain’t you from China? You must show me the Bruce Lee stuff,” Jeff said to Cheung as he threw his fist at his chest.
Ted was unable to bear it. He approached Jeff and said, “Hey, leave the poor boy alone, bully. Don’t you have little ones at home you can use as a punching bag?”
Jeff was surprised beyond measure. No one had ever challenged him in such manner. He came closer to Ted as if to beat him up, but Ted had backward fast to avoid him.
“You want to fight for him, isn’t it? I’ll handle you both—with my smallest finger.”
“You’re stupid,” Ted said, not regarding the presence of Jeff’s followers. Jeff beckoned on his accessories to take hold of Ted and they did. After punching Ted on the stomach, they shoved them off and they fell. As the bullies were departing, Ted screamed.
“Wait there!” His shout brought them to a halt. Jeff said, “D’you want to fight back?” Unexpectedly, Ted said, “Cheung will fight you back, not me.”
They laughed.
“No! No!” Cheung gave a frightful yell in disagreement.
“You see, he doesn’t want it,” said Jeff, who was ready for the fight. Then Ted said, “Not today. He’ll surely fight you tomorrow, 5pm. Save your power till then—uh.”
“It’s a deal,” said Jeff, walking away.
Ted, who was on his feet already, helped Cheung to get up too. It was the first time they would be coming together, though Ted had seen him in Gyrus aforetime.
“Thanks mister,” said Cheung. “He’d always been treating me that way.”
“Since when,” asked Ted.
“First day at school.”
“What the hell!” Ted screamed. “Ain’t you with power?”
“Power!” Cheung had said in abject ignorance. “I can’t comprehend you.” Ted reduced his tone and said, “You are a magician, isn’t it?” Cheung expressed shock and said, “How d’you know?”
“I’ve seen you in Gyrus many times with this same kind of lugubrious face.”
“You’re right,” admitted Cheung. “But it was against my wish that I became a magician. I want to quit, but it seems no way,” said Cheung, shedding tears.
“Hey, stop that man. You’re a big guy.”
“I’m not!” shouted Cheung. “I’m only thirteen.”
“You’ve got much power Cheung. You should have stopped Jeff long ago—with your power.”
“How? I’ve never used any such power. I don’t know if I’m in possession of such. I’ve got no one to put me through since joining the magic, so how would I know?”
“The person that took you there, why didn’t he put you through?” asked Ted in a surprised state and Cheung said, “He died before returning from Gyrus that day.”
“How?” Ted asked. “In a fight—with the Power Guard,” Cheung replied.
“Who?”
“Professor Brown.”
Ted nodded and smiled having just discovered what the real death of the late Professor Brown was. Ted had earlier thought that some armed robbers, according to the news that was aired on TV, killed the man. Professor Brown’s age was only forty-one when he gave up the ghost. It was just two weeks after Cheung’s initiation that Ted was brought to Gyrus too, by Professor Wilson.
To intimate Cheung with the possibility of achieving things with the magic, Ted revealed the mystery of Julius’ missing teeth. Cheung was intrigued.
“So, boy, you’ll surely fight Jeff tomorrow.”
“No, I can’t,” Cheung said, still timid.
“Don’t panic. Listen to the plan. I’ll inform the Student-Gyrusers I know, Ken, Joyce and Henry. We’ll combine our effort together and you’ll deal with that fool, I can assure you.” Doubting, Cheung said, “How?”
“Magically.”
“Will they co-operate?”
“Just leave that to me—uh,” said Ted and Cheung nodded childishly in the affirmative.
“So—may I know you?” said Cheung giving him a hand.
“Ted—Ted Manuel,” responded Ted. The boy smiled a reply, “Li Cheung my name,” he said.
“As if I don’t know,” Ted had replied amicably.
“Thanks a lot.”
Leaving Cheung, Ted went straight to inform Ken and Joyce about the fight. The two had agreed willingly to give out their energies. Ted had sought after Henry, but he could not find him. Ted was told later that Henry was sick, and he was in the clinic.[/b]

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8. Laisser Moi Tranquille (French Story)
9. Bella Benson (Nigerian High School Musicals)
10. Devil's Prey
11. Goats In Uniform
12. Suicide Note, etc.

You can also have award-winning stories written for you in your own name by Sammy O. Contact Sammy O. on FACEBOOK: Sammy Oh; Twitter: SammyEbiag and Whatsapp/Call: 08138410839.
Website: www.ebiag.com is under reconstruction to fit our needs.

Note that the WE ARE ABLE story is now in prints and currently selling at promo price. Note, you can win up to #250,000 annually or #10,000 weekly by buying the hard copies or subscribing to the PDF and E-PUB version of any of our stories.

We Also Offer Home Coaching Services in all SUBJECTS, seeking to explore the talents in you or your children/Ward.

Visit us today at EBIAG NIGERIA, 5/9 MOHAMMED STREET, SANTOS LAYOUT, AKOWONJO LAGOS or Lekki-Ajah Office, Addo-Badore Road.

Call: 08138410839

EBIAG= Every Body Is A Genius

YES YOU ARE IF YOU BELIEVE SO!!!

[b]“Ted,” Henry whispered on seeing him.
“Henry, What’s wrong?”
“I have a fever.”
“Sorry,” Ted said. Not minding the condition Henry was, Ted said instantly, “Cheung will have a fight with Jeff tomorrow, 5pm. I’ll need you to help him.”
“I don’t fight,” said Henry with an unusual lean voice.
“I’m not asking you to fight. I only need you to combine your ‘em’ with mine, Joyce’s and Ken’s. We’ll blow up that fool, Jeff.” Ted had said ‘em’ in order to avoid using the word ‘magic’, justifying his thought with the fact that those in the ward could pick it up.
Henry replied, “I’ve got no ‘em’ to combine… What d’you mean? Ted bent his back, lowered his face close to Henry’s head and whispered it to him. He got it. Henry raised his head too, to speak to Ted, “I’ve told you I’m not going to make use of it.”
“Cheung’s using it, not you,” said Ted worryingly. “Or you want Cheung beaten up?”
“Why should I? But I’m quite sure you guys’ own are enough to deal with Jeff, so leave me out of this. I’m sick over here for God’s sake!”
“Jeff’s powerful, one more effort will do—yours. Henry it’s tomorrow, 5p.m, venue, my room, bye,” Ted had said, taking some quick strides to leave the ward.
‘I’m not coming.”
Ted’s commanding tone was the most offensive to Henry. Though Henry would want Jeff beaten up, yet he made a resolution not to be involved in it, reason, the manner of approach Ted had utilized to disseminate the information.
“ It’s going to be fun all the same, either Cheung loses or win,” Henry had thought.
The following day was the fight. Funny enough, almost all the spectators were with placards, which were bearing the statement, “US versus China, who wins?”
Seemed Cheung was the only Asian present. He was not a bit willing to take up the challenge, but Ted kept reassuring him of victory. Ted handed a camera to someone he knew among the throng, who had come to watch the fight. Amazingly, a commentator was available to narrate the fight.
“Who’ll be the referee?” said a boy. “You do it,” he added, pointing to Ted.
“Me? Never…have I got to go now,” replied Ted as he took some steps away from the scene. He soon came to his door to find out that Joyce was waiting.
“You kept me waiting,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” said Ted as he opened his door with a key.
“Go in, Joyce,” Ted said, but Joyce replied in earnest, “I’m sorry I’ve only come to tell you that I can’t participate any longer.”
“I’m having fever,” she announced with a countenance underscoring her point, but Ted did not countenance her excuse.
“What’re you saying Joyce? Poor Cheung’s going to get killed. He’s too young to face Jeff all alone. He needs us now?” Ted barked at her.
“I’m sorry I’ve got to go—now,’ she said as she made to depart. Ted obstructed her and said, “You ain’t going nowhere. Listen to me, half cake’s better than none—”
“But I’m not better than none. I’m a girl, weak, sick and without strength,” she yelled. Ted yelled back, “You’re a giant, witch, skillful and with sorcery,” Joyce calmed down as if touched by Ted’s words. She began to weep, speaking vaguely, to expressing the pain in her heart. Ted drew closer to her and patted her back to console her. Already lost in the reverie of a future blissful marriage, Ted was jolted by the howls he was hearing, which was diffusing from the outside.
“US! US! US!” came the never-ending chants from Jeff’s supporters. Cheung had been beaten to a decubitus position. The two Gyrus-citizens indoor could no more wait to perform the magic. They held each other’s arm tightly and power flowed. The door was suddenly pushed inward and Ken emerged. Ken had earlier gone to witness the fight with the thought that the other three, Henry inclusive, would carry on with the energy transfer at his absence. He did not want to miss the imaginary scene of a small man dealing with a big and muscular one.
“What happened!” he screamed and Ted explained:
“Henry’s sick, Joyce’s sick too. Our effort’s not enough here.” Ken hasted with great impulse to contribute his effort to form a strong magic bond. Just then Henry emerged too.
“Enough!” Cheung suddenly cried out as if instantly invigorated by something. Jeff did not hearken to him, since the boy had been making same noises ever since the fight had begun. Cheung rose up swiftly and gave Jeff a heavy-duty punch on the face. Swollen face!
Jeff held his face and fell headlong. He wobbled to his feet again, but Cheung doled out slaps to his cheek, coupled with a head-butt and a kick. He fell again, this time with a heavy thud.
“Here’s the Bruce Lee stuff,” Cheung poked fun childishly to the horrified spectators, as he landed powerfully on the loser, whose body was already motionless.
“Who’s next?” Cheung had said, after dealing ruthlessly with the unconscious Jeff, but no one was ready to pick up the challenge.
“I said who’s next?” Cheung yelled even more, but himself began to hurry away before someone would say, “I’m next” having felt the withdrawal of a great deal of energy from his system at that instance.
Henry, who was just convalescing before the energy transfer, had managed to walk away, unlike Joyce, who fell helplessly to the floor, having contributed the little strength she had got at that moment. Henry felt light and powerless after the dismantling of the bond. He staggered for balance as he trudged back to the clinic where he had earlier sneaked out. On getting to his ward, Henry met a surprise:
A MONSTER ON THE BED!!!
It was Jeff wrapped up in bandages.
“Surprised!” said a nurse to Henry. “Your space was the only vacant one. Since you decided to sneak out earlier, you’re a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c-a-l-l-y discharged.”
[/b]


Note: This STORY and other EBIAG STORIES are available in PDF and EPUB format which you can purchase through attachment to your e-mail address or by coming down to our office, EBIAG NIGERIA, 5/9 MOHAMMED STREET, SANTOS LAYOUT, AKOWONJO, LAGOS.

Other stories you can get written by the same author are:

1. Hope And The Island of Greatness
2. We Are Able
3. As E Dey Happen
4. Honeymoon In Prison
5. I wanna Win
6. The Changed Criminal
7. Political Crinkum Crankum
8. Laisser Moi Tranquille (French Story)
9. Bella Benson (Nigerian High School Musicals)
10. Devil's Prey
11. Goats In Uniform
12. Suicide Note, etc.

You can also have award-winning stories written for you in your own name by Sammy O. Contact Sammy O. on FACEBOOK: Sammy Oh; Twitter: SammyEbiag and Whatsapp/Call: 08138410839.
Website: www.ebiag.com is under reconstruction to fit our needs.

Note that the WE ARE ABLE story is now in prints and currently selling at promo price. Note, you can win up to #250,000 annually or #10,000 weekly by buying the hard copies or subscribing to the PDF and E-PUB version of any of our stories.

We Also Offer Home Coaching Services in all SUBJECTS, seeking to explore the talents in you or your children/Ward.

Visit us today at EBIAG NIGERIA, 5/9 MOHAMMED STREET, SANTOS LAYOUT, AKOWONJO LAGOS or Lekki-Ajah Office, Addo-Badore Road.

Call: 08138410839

EBIAG= Every Body Is A Genius

YES YOU ARE IF YOU BELIEVE SO!!!

CHAPTER TEN HARRISON BURTON Henry had discovered the name of the boy, whose seat Henry’s own was abutting in Gyrus. His name was Harrison. Ted had explained to Henry that Harrison was the son of the predecessor of the current Gyrus head of magistrates. His name was Sergius Burton. He was the most respected of all the past rulers of Gyrus. “Harrison’s father was Sergius Burton. He was the most influential in the history of Gyrus. He ruled Gyrus for quite a long year, died at seventy-five. His death occurred just a week before you were initiated, then his assistant, Patrick Rutherford, the current head of magistrates, was sworn in immediately to succeed his boss.” Ted took time to talk about Sergius. “Sergius was the only person initiated at birth in the history of Gyrus. He made immense contribution to Gyrus’ civilization too. He upgraded the mirror so that it became mobile of its own accord. No one knew the man had a son until he brought him to Gyrus recently to initiate him. Sergius died only three days after his son’s initiation.” “How?” asked Henry. “It’s a mystery. Harrison alone was the witness, since his father’s death took place in a large study in his home. Harrison told us that the man was murdered by some people he had called thieves, explaining that his father was stabbed by the thugs.” “Serious!”Henry expressed shock. “Didn’t you say he was powerful?” “Of course yes, Henry, but I perceive the man was on amnesia then.” “Amnesia—loss of memory?” “Yes, but that definition of yours is only valid on earth,” said Ted. “In Gyrus ‘amnesia’ means deliberate or unintentional loss of magical power, which could be as a result of the owner’s feeling that he needs to be without the magical power for sometimes, or had been stripped off it against one’s will by another magician. The second is often performed during fights between two or more magician. “It’s crazy,” said Henry. “What’s the advantage of the first—I mean the deliberate one?” “It’s just to make you temporarily become an ordinary person, you know, in feeling, thinking and everything—you’ll be without power.” “poo!” said Henry, expressing hatred towards the concept. “I can be with my magic and never make use of it, just as I’ve been doing ever since I became a citizen of Gyrus.” “Liar,” Ted said. “You can’t give me that poo— you used it against Jeff, didn’t you?” Ted revealed to Henry’s confusion. “I didn’t. It was Cheung that used it—not me.” “You used it to help Cheung, so you’ve used it.” Henry kept shut, feeling that Ted had won him once more. “You this guy, were you not the person that coerced me into it?” “Not at all. You can’t push blames on others if you want to make it in life. Henry, you can’t do without using your power as a magician.” “Hmm,” sighed Henry, “What about Cheung you told me of? He has never used the poo!” “Cheung always put himself on amnesia, always occupying himself with the thought of how to break lose from witchcraft.” Henry did not tell Ted how Harrison had proved to be an adversary to him without reason. It then occurred to Henry the reason Dolly and Harrison had never spoken to one another since Henry’s arrival. However, Henry had considered Harrison’s failure to socialize as an oversight, trying on each ‘Gyrus-day’ to make friendship with him. Henry soon discovered that Harrison’s hobby was to sit down watching Gyrus bloody fights, something Henry loathed with all his soul. In Gyrus, there had always been two kinds of contests between two or more citizens—fight of naturalization and fight of position. The first was a kind of fight between two people from different nations of the world, whereby one is seeking to naturalize to the country of the other. Such fight must always end up in the death of one of the fighters, meaning that if the one seeking to naturalize won the fight, he would take up the seat of the other among the nation he had wished to naturalize to. But if it was the other way round, the winner would maintain his seat, but would earn some points. The fight of position was a fight in which one is seeking the position of the other. The position-seeker must need win the fight to earn some points (though such may not be given the position immediately). If it was the other way round, then the original position- owner will earn more points. This may not involve death. Harrison had always harbored strong indignation toward a winner who had deliberately let alive his antagonist in the fight of naturalization. During the fights, Harrison had often looked to his side to discover that Henry was bowing his head, disinterested in the ongoing fights, not watching it.

[b][color=blue]Harrison was a totally bad-tempered fellow.
Seeing Henry not enthusiastic about such
fight, Harrison had made a plan to relocate. He
was going to give the fight of naturalization a
consideration. Having endured the stay beside
] Henry for seven months, Harrison felt it was
time to put his thought into action. He walked
clumsily on the aisle separating the Chinese
and the Japanese in Gyrus. The population of
the Chinese nativity in Gyrus was
approximately four times that of the Japanese.
Such claim might just have justified their
respective populations on the planet earth.
Since every Gyrus citizen had got some
freakishly large range of view, Harrison had no
problem scanning through all those seated in
the section of the large hall where the Chinese
had sat. Spotting Cheung few kilometers away,
Harrison made a swoop to him in less than a
second. Harrison touched Cheung’s shoulder
lightly, but inimically, and said, “Here’s the
person.”
Fear gripped Cheung, who had been hiding his
face away from Harrison ever since his eyes
were roaming the Chinese area for someone to
have a fight with. Cheung’s tears flowed like
rivers of water. Cheung was of the thought
that his end had come. Cheung pleaded for
mercy, but Harrison’s fiendish nature would
not allow him to pick another for a fight. He
needed to fight with Cheung badly, having
sensed fear in his eyes earlier.
“He’ll make a walkover,” muttered Harrison to
the hearing of himself alone.
Seated on the left of Cheung was a boy of
about the same age as Harrison. His name was
Kim Park. Kim had been awarded the coveted
post of a Mystery Maker, having fought and
overcome many fights. Kim had watched
Cheung’s reaction ever since the time Harrison
had challenged him. Seeing Cheung’s reaction,
Kim had instantly developed a strong
sympathy for Cheung at that instance.
The Chief magistrate’s voice suddenly came up
saying, “Li Cheung, you’ve been picked for a
fight, so hurry up to save our time.”
Cheung’s head ‘rang bell’ on hearing the
suicidal call. Shivering to get up, he suddenly
heard a voice beside him:
“You can pick up a fight with me either.” It
was Kim. Harrison was scared on hearing
Kim’s pronouncement. Harrison had never
fought since getting to Gyrus, but had seen
Kim fight several times, defeating his
antagonists. Though Harrison was very much
afraid of Kim, he would not reject the fight
because of pride. The magistrate’s voice came
up again.
“Hurry up Harrison. You may decide not to
have a fight with Kim and go for Cheung
instead—if you insist.” The advice did a great
harm to Cheung’s system, who had instantly
resumed his whines.
Suddenly Harrison said, “Dear Management of
Gyrus, I’m not a bit scared of Kim, but I’d
loved it if you can just grant us some times to
practice for the contest.” Harrison bowed his
head to the magistrate as a sign of respect
after his speech.
“You’ve asked a hard thing,” came up the
voice of the magistrate. Well, left to me I’ll
grant you the permission, but I’ve got to
consult my co-magistrates, generals and
lieutenants to hear their views too.” Instantly
the mentioned ones had crowded around the
chief magistrate; all heads lowered to begin
brainstorming. They had one voice at last.
The magistrate came up again to say,
“Permission granted, but you’ve got only two
days.” Kim’s annoyance arose. He screamed,
“No, it’s better to fight it out now.”
“Shut up boy, we have spoken,” scolded the
magistrate.
Cheung’s gladness knew no bound. His bitter
tears were transformed to tears of joy at once.
When the meeting was rounded off, Cheung
was the first to leave the planet.
The Power Guard, Kent Robins, walked up to
Kim.
“Hello little boy, I can assist you to defeat that
boy,”
“Who are you?” replied Kim with a tone of
hostility.
“So, you don’t know who I am? You don’t
know the magic Power Guard. One who
maintains balance between Magic and Minors.
I see you’re nervous, that’s why I’ve come to
your rescue.”
“Me? Nervous?” the boy replied insolently.
“Sorry to say, I don’t need your help. I can
always defeat him.”
Harrison was listening to their conversation.
He waited patiently for Kim’s departure, then
he rushed to the Power Guard.
“Sir,” Harrison called out.
“Little boy, what d’you want?”
“What Kim had just refused.”
The man ran his hand through Harrison’s hair
and said, “You’re a wise boy Harrison, like
your father. We shall see tonight in the
mirror.”
Ted heard the brief discussion between
Harrison and the Guard while he was passing
by, but he had only walked past them as if he
was not concerned, since he had no single
interest in Gyrus fights.
Ted found Henry still glued to his seat.
“Henry, ain’t you leaving?”
“I’ll see Professor Wilson first.”
“About what?”
“To get the seventh question, or have you
remembered it?”
“No!” exclaimed Ted. “I don’t think I can ever
remember such question for the rest of my
life. Why can’t you pretend as if you’ve
forgotten there was any seventh question, so it
won’t bother you anymore?” Henry ignored his
suggestion, quickly changing the topic.
“Ted, what d’you think about the fight in the
next two days? Who’ll win?”
“I don’t like watching such fights. Whoever is
more powerful should win.”
“I don’t enjoy watching too, but this time I’d
prefer the Chinese boy.”
“Why d’you want him to win?”
“It’s obvious he’ll win.”
“I can bet it with you, Harrison will win,” Ted
said. Henry laughed a great deal.
“Let’s watch and see who wins this argument.”
Ted was about to leave the planet, but Henry
said, “Ted, are you not going to wait for me to
see the dean?”
“No, Henry, I’m perceiving that my uncle’s at
my bathroom door. He’s always watching my
moves these days. It’s already six minutes
since I’ve entered the bathroom.”
“Okay Ted, give me a minute more. We shall
be through.” Ted agreed and remained.
Henry said, “Why d’you think Harrison will
win? I don’t want to take chances. If he wins
I’ll sure drop my magic.”
“Why d’you say so?” Ted asked, full of
surprises.
“I don’t like him.”
“Why? He’s the son of Sergius. His father was
a good man.”
“For all I care Harrison’s nothing like his
father,” rebuffed Henry sharply.
“Why?”
“Because he hates me. Ted, remember I told
you I don’t like anyone who does not like me
and I like anyone who likes me.”
“What about Cynthia?” Ted reminded. “She
doesn’t like you but you love her.”
Henry said funnily, “Sorry, I’ve got to modify
what I’ve just said: it was a slip of tongue.”
Ted looked on to hear what Henry would come
out with.
Henry said, “I don’t like any boy who doesn’t
like me.” They laughed.
Ted said, “What has he done for you—I mean
Harrison?”
“He’s always wanting violence. He almost
made me lose my life one day while I was
racing to my seat to escape the death-bell. He
placed his leg on my path and I stumbled over
it. I wobbled to my seat just two microseconds
before the death-bell rang.”
“Huh!” sounded Ted in awe.
“And when I got to my seat he gave me a
thunderous slap; then I was still very new in
Gyrus.”
“So such a thing happened and you never told
me!” Ted said expressing shock. If you had
told me then I’d have picked a fight with him;
I’m his senior—got here before him,” boasted
Ted as if Gyrus position had been awarded
according to arrival time.
“Why should I tell you?” Henry said. “I
thought you said you don’t enjoying watching
two citizens fight.” Henry evinced his victory
in the argument by a grin, but Ted had
something to say.
“But I never said I don’t like participating
myself. What I don’t like is standing back while
the fight’s going on.”
The two burst into long-lasting giggles. Henry
howled, “Again!” and added, “Ted, on a more
serious note, did you use the magic to know
that Harrison will win?”
“No,” he replied. “You’re wasting my time,”
Ted expressed his uneasiness.
“Oh, I promise I’ll not exceed one minute.”
Henry remembered as he glared at his
wristwatch and screamed, “Wow! It’s one-hour
already! I wonder what it will be on earth!”
Ted hurriedly poked a hand into his pocket
and took out an object. It was a Gyrus
converter. Ted was intending to convert the
time mentioned to its earth equivalence.
“It’s not necessary Ted, I’ll use—”
“What else can be faster?”
“Einstein’s magic,” said Henry. “It’s the
human brain,” admonished Henry and added
excitedly, “Forty-five seconds approximately,
fifteen seconds left.”
“I don’t believe you. I’ll confirm that with
this,” said Ted as he hurriedly pushed a button
on the converter. The answer came clearly.
Henry was right.
“C’mon boy, you’re damn right,” ululated Ted.
“Yeah, won you this time.” Henry put his arms
up to celebrate his victory, but Ted was not
ready to give up the debate.
“No, you didn’t win me. You–said,” Ted was
thinking of what to say.
“Talk! Talk!” Henry said laughing heartily.
“I said I don’t believe your conversion, but—”
“But what?”
“I believe in Einstein’s Magic which you used.”
The two guffawed.
“You know something Henry?”
“No,” he replied.
“You’re a genius, like Einstein.” To poke fun
the more Henry said, “But Einstein’s a pure
genius, but I’m backing mine up with magic.”
“That’s why you are unique,” said Ted, then
he added, “Who can tell if he had also patched
it up with the big letter ‘em’?”
Henry was still on it.
“Do you agree I won the argument?”
“Sure, I quite agree.”
“Then it’s infinity-one—” declared Henry, “our
arguments score line so far.” Another laugh
followed. “Ted, tell me why you want Harrison
to win, or why you think Harrison will win.”
Ted then explained what he had heard the
Power Guard tell Harrison.
Henry yelled, “No, we mustn’t allow it. We’ve
got to report to the magistrates.”
“Let’s tell Kim to be careful instead,”
suggested Ted.
“Yes, in a mirror conference communication
tonight,” Henry said with unwonted zeal. It
seemed he was now, for the first time,
interested in using the mirror.
“That’ll be cool,” Ted uttered softly.
The two saw the dean at that instance. He’d
just ended his protracted discourse with the
head-magistrate.
“Hey, Ted, here’s the dean; let’s hurry to him,”
Henry suggested, but Ted contradicted. But
raised an apparent better, “Let’s shout his
name instead. Can’t you see he’s already set to
take off. Let’s shout now.”
The twosome hollered, “Professor Wils—”
They had to pause, since the dean had
vanished already. It irked Ted that his stay in
Gyrus since the close of the meeting was only
a wasted endeavor. Before Henry could say
“I’m Sorry for the delay” Ted had gone too.
It was Henry’s first experience to be left alone
in a whole planet.
“Awesome!” he screamed, but was not
preparing to leave yet.[/colo

Cool bring it on bro...