play nice

If Fitch was going to teach a few students, why couldnt one be Joel? Joel, dear, Florence said, halfway through her sandwich, I spoke with your mother this morning. She wanted me to see if I could give you a nudge on your summer elective paperwork. Joel grimaced. There were advantages to living on the campus as the son of academy employees. His free tuition was the biggest of those perks, though hed only been given that because of his fathers death. There were also disadvantages. Many of the other staff memberslike Exton and Florenceed room and board as part of their employment contract. Joel had grown up with them and saw them every dayand that meant that they were good friends with his mother as well. Im working on it, he said, thinking of his letter to Fitch. The last day of the term is coming, dear, Florence said. You need to get into an elective. You finally get to pick one of your own, rather than sitting in a remedial tutelage. Isnt that exciting? Sure. Most students went home during the summer.

The ones who did not leave only had to attend for half days, and could choose a single elective. Unless they did poorly during the year and needed a remedial tutelage as their elective. Rithmatists were luckythey had to stay in school all year, but at least their summer elective was a Rithmatics elective. Have you given it any thought? Florence asked. Some. Theyre filling up fast, dear, she said. There are still a few slots left in physical merit class. You want in? Three months of standing on a field while everyone ran around him kicking balls at each other, playing a game that they all tried to pretend was half as interesting as Rithmatic duels? No thanks. What, then? Math might be fun. Literature wouldnt be too painful. But none would be as interesting as studying with Fitch. Ill have one picked by tonight, he promised, eyeing the clock. Time to get to his next class. He picked up his books from the cornerplacing Fitchs two books on topand left the building before Florence could push him further.

CHAPTER History class passed quickly that day; they were revieg for the next days final exam. Once it was over, Joel went to math, his last period. This semester focused on geometry. Joel had mixed feelings about math class. Geometry was the foundation for Rithmatics, so that was interesting. The history of geometry had always fascinated himfrom Euclid and the ancient Greeks all the way forward to Monarch Gregory and the discovery of Rithmatics. There was just so much busywork. Endless problems that held no interest for him. Today, were going to review formulas for figuring area, said Professor Layton from the front of the class. Formulas for figuring area. Joel had memorized those practically before he could walk. He closed his eyes, groaning. How many times would they have to go over the same things? Professor Layton, however, didnt let his students lounge about, even though most of their courseworkincluding the final examwas already done. He insisted on spending the last week of class covering an exhaustive review of everything theyd led. Honestly. Who reviewed after the final exam? We get to start today with conic sections

Layton said. He was a largeframed man, a tad overweight. Joel always thought Layton should have been a coach, not a professor of mathematics. He certainly had the motivational speaking part down. Remember the great thing about cones? Layton asked, gesturing at a cone hed drawn on the board. You can make so many things just slicing a cone at given points. Look! Slice it in the middle, and you have a circle. Cut it at an angle, and youve got an ellipse. Isnt that incredible! The students regarded him blankly. I said, isnt that incredible? He got some halfhearted responses of Yes, Professor Layton. The thing was, Professor Layton thought that every aspect of mathematics was incredible.