ASHWOOD ACADEMY

Chapter 20: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

"This is Oubliette, another rare favorite of mine. One that is..." 

She sighed with wonder.

"The most difficult to book to translate, in the world."

"It has a language of it's own, you see. No ciphers, no words derived from other languages. It simply is a language unto itself."

"Who's the author?" Bianca asked.

"No one knows." she said with a smile. 

"It is said, that his or her name is in the text somewhere. Only five hundred of these were printed and less than ten copies exist in the world today."

"This..." Estelle said dramatically. 

"Is your assignment."

"Wow." Bianca said, as she ran her hand over the heavy silver lettering.

"Feeling challenged now?" she said, smirking at Bianca.

"Now. You two get acquainted, because this will be your assignment for the rest of this session. Translate as much of it, as you can."

Bianca picked up the book and hugged it in her arms. She held it like a close friend, a treasure she couldn't wait to discover.

"Bernard, is it?"

He nodded.

"Let's get cracking."

***

Nathan sat in the back of his class with Professor Pulanski, his head in his hands. Pulanski, was loud and excited, as usual.

He continued his lecture as he discreetly balled up a piece of paper on his desk, and tossed it at Nathan, bouncing it off his head.

"That got your attention didn't it, Mr. Fulton."

Giggles reverberated through the room.

"Stay with it!" he said, snapping his fingers.

Fred, looked at him but didn't dare ask what was wrong during Pulanski's antics. He'd likely get a spitball or worse, at that point.

So, he waited until after to class to ask Nathan,"Okay. What happened with you and Anita?"

"What? How could you even know...?"

"What else would make you look like a wounded puppy who hasn't been fed? It's obvious man. So. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. She's the one who bit my head off. I was just trying to protect her."

Fred sighed. "Okay, listen. I'm only going to tell you something that is the best piece of advice my daddy ever gave me."

Fred rubbed his index finger lightly across the bridge of his nose.

"The woman. Is ALWAYS. Right. You hear me?"

Nathan blinked a few times. "But..."

"Ahh-Ah!"

"She's right. Now, go get her something nice and apologize."

Nathan frowned for a moment, then sighed, and nodded his head. 

"Well okay. The woman-"

"-is always right." Fred completed. 

"And don't you forget it."