,*APT] #aa 
,MY ,EXAM9ATION ,9 ,MA!MATICS 

#ahegaheg 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,AT ! SUBSEQU5T EXAM9ATIONS1 ,I MADE SEV]AL NEW ACQUA9TANCES 9 ADDITION TO ! ,GRAPS 7:OM ,I CONSID]$ UNWOR?Y ( MY NOTICE7 & ,IW9 7:O = SOME REASON OR O!R AVOID$ ME74 ,) SOME ( !SE NEW FRI5DS ,I GREW QUITE 9TIMATE1 & EV5 ,IKON9 PLUCK$ UP SUFFICI5T C\RAGE TO 9=M ME1 :5 WE NEXT MET1 ?AT HE W\LD HAVE TO UND]GO REEXAM9ATION 9 HI/ORY--! REASON = HIS FAILURE ?IS TIME BE+ ?AT ! PR(ESSOR ( ?AT FACULTY HAD NEV] =GIV5 HIM = LA/ YE>'S EXAM9ATION1 & HAD1 9DE$1 0ALMO/ KILL$0 HIM = IT4 ,SEM5(F 7:O WAS DE/9$ = ! SAME FACULTY AS MYSELF--! FACULTY ( MA!MATICS7 AVOID$ EV]Y ONE UP TO ! V]Y CLOSE ( ! EXAM9ATIONS4 ,ALWAYS LEAN+ =W>D UPON HIS ELB[S & RUNN+ HIS F+]S ?R\< HIS GRAY HAIR1 HE SAT SIL5T & ALONE4 ,NEV]!LESS1 :5 CALL$ UP = EXAM9ATION 9 MA!MATICS 7HE HAD NO COMPANION TO ACCOMPANY HIM71 HE CAME \T SECOND4 ,! FIR/ PLACE WAS TAK5 BY A /UD5T FROM ! FIR/ GYMNASIUM--A TALL1 D>K1 LANKY1 PALE-FAC$ FELL[ :O WORE A BLACK FOLD$ CRAVAT & HAD HIS *EEKS & =EHEAD DOTT$ ALL OV] ) PIMPLES4 ,HIS H&S W]E %APELY & SL5D]1 BUT !IR NAILS W]E SO BITT5 TO ! QUICK ?AT ! F+]-5DS LOOK$ AS ?\< !Y HAD BE5 TI$ R\ND ) /RIPS ( ?READ4 ,ALL ?IS SEEM$ TO ME SPL5DID1 & :OLLY BECOM+ TO A /UD5T ( ! FIR/ GYMNASIUM4 ,HE SPOKE TO EV]Y ONE1 & WE ALL MADE FRI5DS ) HIM4 ,TO ME 9 P>TICUL> HIS WALK1 HIS EV]Y MOVEM5T1 HIS LIPS1 HIS D>K EYES1 ALL SEEM$ TO HAVE 9 !M SOME?+ EXTRAORD9>Y & MAGNETIC4 

,ON ! DAY ( ! MA!MATICAL EXAM9ATION ,I >RIV$ E>LI] ?AN USUAL AT ! HALL4 ,I KNEW ! SYLLABUS WELL1 YET !RE W]E TWO QUE/IONS 9 ! ALGEBRA :I* MY TUTOR HAD MANAG$ TO PASS OV]1 & :I* W]E !RE=E QUITE UNKN[N TO ME4 ,IF ,I REMEMB] RI<TLY1 !Y W]E ! ,!ORY ( ,COMB9ATIONS & ,NEWTON'S ,B9OMIAL4 ,I SEAT$ MYSELF ON ONE ( ! BACK B5*ES & POR$ OV] ! TWO QUE/IONS1 BUT1 9ASMU* AS ,I WAS NOT ACCU/OM$ TO WORK+ 9 A NOISY ROOM1 & HAD EV5 LESS TIME = PREP>ATION ?AN ,I HAD ANTICIPAT$1 ,I SOON F\ND IT DIFFICULT TO TAKE 9 ALL ?AT ,I WAS READ+4 

0,H]E HE IS4 ,?IS WAY1 ,NE*LUD(F10 SAID ,WOLODA'S FAMILI> VOICE BEH9D ME4 

,I TURN$ & SAW MY BRO!R & ,DIMITRI--!IR G[NS UNBUTTON$1 & !IR H&S WAV+ A GREET+ TO ME--?READ+ !IR WAY ?R\< ! DESKS4 ,A MOM5T'S GLANCE W\LD HAVE SUFFIC$ TO %[ ANY ONE ?AT !Y W]E SECOND-C\RSE /UD5TS--P]SONS TO :OM ! ,UNIV]SITY WAS AS A SECOND HOME4 ,! M]E LOOK ( !IR OP5 G[NS EXPRESS$ AT ONCE DISDA9 = ! 0M]E C&IDATE0 & A KN[L$GE ?AT ! 0M]E C&IDATE'S0 S\L WAS FILL$ ) 5VY & ADMIRATION ( !M4 ,I WAS *>M$ TO ?9K ?AT EV]Y ONE NE> ME C\LD N[ SEE ?AT ,I KNEW TWO REAL SECOND-C\RSE /UD5TS3 :]E=E ,I HA/5$ TO MEET !M HALF-WAY4 

,WOLODA1 ( C\RSE1 C\LD NOT HELP VAUNT+ HIS SUP]IORITY A LITTLE4 

0,HULLO1 Y\ SMUG60 HE SAID4 0,HAV5'T Y\ BE5 EXAM9$ YET80 

0,NO40 

0,WELL1 :AT >E Y\ READ+8 ,>5'T Y\ SUFFICI5TLY PRIM$80 

0,YES1 EXCEPT 9 TWO QUE/IONS4 ,I DON'T UND]/& !M AT ALL40 

0,EH1 :AT80--& ,WOLODA /RAI<TWAY BEGAN TO EXP\ND TO ME ,NEWTON'S ,B9OMIAL1 BUT SO RAPIDLY & UN9TELLIGIBLY ?AT1 SUDD5LY READ+ 9 MY EYES C]TA9 MISGIV+S AS TO ! S\NDNESS ( HIS KN[L$GE1 HE GLANC$ ALSO AT ,DIMITRI'S FACE4 ,CLE>LY1 HE SAW ! SAME MISGIV+S !RE1 = HE BLU%$ HOTLY1 ?\< /ILL CONT9U+ HIS 9VOLV$ EXPLANATIONS4 

0,NO2 HOLD ON1 ,WOLODA1 & LET ME TRY & DO IT10 PUT 9 ,DIMITRI AT L5G?1 ) A GLANCE AT ! PR(ESSORS' CORN] AS HE SEAT$ HIMSELF BESIDE ME4 

,I C\LD SEE ?AT MY FRI5D WAS 9 ! BE/ ( HUMORS4 ,?IS WAS ALWAYS ! CASE ) HIM :5 HE WAS SATISFI$ ) HIMSELF1 & WAS ONE ( ! ?+S 9 HIM :I* ,I LIK$ BE/4 ,9ASMU* AS HE KNEW MA!MATICS WELL & C\LD SPEAK CLE>LY1 HE HAMM]$ ! QUE/ION SO ?OR\<LY 9TO MY HEAD ?AT ,I CAN REMEMB] IT TO ?IS DAY4 ,H>DLY HAD HE F9I%$ :5 ,/4 ,J]OME SAID TO ME 9 A L\D :ISP]1 0,A V\S1 ,NICOLAS10 & ,I FOLL[$ ,IKON9 \T FROM AMONG ! DESKS )\T HAV+ HAD AN OPPORTUNITY ( GO+ ?R\< ! ,O,!,R QUE/ION ( :I* ,I WAS IGNORANT4 ,AT ! TABLE :I* WE N[ APPROA*$ W]E SEAT$ TWO PR(ESSORS1 :ILE BE=E ! BLACKBO>D /OOD A GYMNASIUM /UD5T1 :O WAS WORK+ SOME =MULA AL\D1 & KNOCK+ BITS (F ! 5D ( ! *ALK ) HIS TOO VIGOR\S /ROKES4 ,HE EV5 CONT9U$ WRIT+ AFT] ONE ( ! ,PR(ESSORS HAD SAID TO HIM 0,5\<60 & BIDD5 US DRAW \R TICKETS4 0,SUPPOSE ,I GET ! ,!ORY ( ,COMB9ATIONS80 ,I ?\<T TO MYSELF AS MY TREMUL\S F+]S TOOK A TICKET FROM AMONG A BUNDLE WRAPP$ 9 TORN PAP]4 ,IKON91 = HIS P>T1 REA*$ ACROSS ! TABLE ) ! SAME ASSURANCE1 & ! SAME SIDELONG MOVEM5T ( HIS :OLE BODY1 AS HE HAD DONE AT ! PREVI\S EXAM9ATION4 ,TAK+ ! TOPMO/ TICKET )\T TR\BL+ TO MAKE FUR!R SELECTION1 HE JU/ GLANC$ AT IT1 & !N FR[N$ ANGRILY4 

0,I ALWAYS DRAW ?IS K9D ( ?+10 HE MUTT]$4 

,I LOOK$ AT M9E4 ,HORRORS6 ,IT WAS ! ,!ORY ( ,COMB9ATIONS6 

0,:AT HAVE Y\ GOT80 :ISP]$ ,IKON9 AT ?IS PO9T4 

,I %[$ HIM4 

0,OH1 ,I KN[ ?AT10 HE SAID4 

0,WILL Y\ MAKE AN EX*ANGE1 !N80 

0,NO4 ,BESIDES1 IT W\LD BE ALL ! SAME = ME IF ,I DID10 HE CONTRIV$ TO :ISP] JU/ AS ! PR(ESSOR CALL$ US UP TO ! BLACKBO>D4 0,I DON'T FEEL UP TO ANY?+ TODAY40 

0,!N EV]Y?+ IS LO/60 ,I ?\<T TO MYSELF4 ,9/EAD ( ! BRILLIANT RESULT :I* ,I HAD ANTICIPAT$ ,I %\LD BE = EV] COV]$ ) %AME--MORE SO EV5 ?AN ,IKON96 ,SUDD5LY1 UND] ! V]Y EYES ( ! PR(ESSOR1 ,IKON9 TURN$ TO ME1 SNAT*$ MY TICKET \T ( MY H&S1 & H&$ ME HIS [N4 ,I LOOK$ AT HIS TICKET4 ,IT WAS ,NEWTON'S ,B9OMIAL6 

,! PR(ESSOR WAS A Y\NGI% MAN1 ) A PLEASANT1 CLEV] EXPRESSION ( FACE--AN EFFECT *IEFLY DUE TO ! PROM95CE ( ! L[] P>T ( HIS =EHEAD4 

0,:AT8 ,>E Y\ EX*ANG+ TICKETS1 G5TLEM580 HE SAID4 

0,NO4 ,HE ONLY GAVE ME HIS TO LOOK AT1 PR(ESSOR10 ANSW]$ ,IKON9--&1 SURE 5\<1 ! WORD 0PR(ESSOR0 WAS ! LA/ WORD ?AT HE UTT]$ !RE4 ,ONCE AGA91 HE /EPP$ BACKW>DS T[>DS ME FROM ! TABLE1 ONCE AGA9 HE LOOK$ AT EA* ( ! PR(ESSORS 9 TURN & !N AT MYSELF1 ONCE AGA9 HE SMIL$ FA9TLY1 & ONCE AGA9 HE %RUGG$ HIS %\LD]S AS MU* AS TO SAY1 0,IT IS NO USE1 MY GOOD SIRS40 ,!N HE RETURN$ TO ! DESKS4 ,SUBSEQU5TLY1 ,I LE>N$ ?AT ?IS WAS ! ?IRD YE> HE HAD VA9LY ATTEMPT$ TO MATRICULATE4 

,I ANSW]$ MY QUE/ION WELL1 = ,I HAD JU/ READ IT UP2 & ! PR(ESSOR1 K9DLY 9=M+ ME ?AT ,I HAD DONE EV5 BETT] ?AN WAS REQUIR$1 PLAC$ ME FIF?4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
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