Math City Read online

  Chapter 8

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  Eventually, five people sat around a table: my father, the Horizontal Line, and three agents of the Dictionary. My father sat opposite the Horizontal Line, a face-to-face meeting.

  “I wish I could arrest you and kill you,” my father said vengefully when he saw the Horizontal Line.

  I do not know what the Horizontal Line was thinking about my father, but I am sure that he was even more vengeful than my father was. My father always got angry and quickly disclosed what he wanted to do, but the Horizontal Line was a mysterious man who often lied because he wanted to show he was a good man even though he was not. He was two-faced.

  Physics Question, the first agent of the Dictionary, started talking. “As you know, the Dictionary has asked us to come together to find a peaceful solution. You cannot find it by quarreling and fighting. The Dictionary is ready to help you if you want it to, but you must start rebuilding the streets again.”

  My father said, “This is the same old ploy of earning money. First, you gave the Horizontal Line the weapons to destroy our city, and now you ask us to rebuild our city. Okay, it is important, but with what money?! Math City already gave money for weapons and destroying, and now you expect us to pay for construction materials. Physics City is a colonialist, and I do not trust you!”

  The second agent, Chemistry Question confirmed his colleague’s speech by nodding his head and saying, “Physics Question is the agent of the Dictionary here, not Physics City.”

  “It is clear that you have conspired against us,” my father said.

  Sociology Question was the third agent; she stood up and said, “Please be quiet, I think the numbers of this city have not learned to live together yet. They do not even know what being citizens means. The culture of this town is suited only for living in the mountains.”

  Upon hearing this speech, my father got so angry he shouted, "Do you mean we are uncivilized? Our city is accepted as one of the great cities of antiquity, our ancestors built the city, and now you are telling us we are being uncivilized? When our grandparents found out how to count the numbers, your grandparents lived in the jungle. I do not want to participate in this stupid meeting anymore.” So he left the meeting angrily.

  Sociology Question again said, “The Vertical. H. Line did not let me speak about Math City's problems. I wanted to tell you the truth about your city. The real problems will be solved only by learning and promoting your culture. I am so sorry.”

  The Horizontal Line used the opportunity and said, “You saw the Vertical. H. Line; he cannot bear such polite speeches and refused to accept the conditions set by the agents of the Dictionary.” Then, he asked for help from the Dictionary to destroy the Monster Number, but nobody paid attention to what he was saying. All agents left Math City and then came back later.

  The meeting and negotiation ended before they arrived at a peaceful solution.