In the morning, William attended a foundational class in the main lecture hall, only to find it somewhat dull.
Even the university-level courses seemed overly simplistic to William, who had profound insights into many core subjects.
Rather than listening to someone else in class, he’d be better off heading to the library to read on his own.
After entering the library, William simply strolled leisurely through the aisles. If he wished, he could, in just a day, finish reading all the books in the library without physically flipping through a single one.
It would have been too mundane to just sit idle, so William picked up a copy of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and settled into a chair next to the bookshelf.
Even William had to admit, Steinbeck was an unparalleled genius in portraying the raw realities of society. His prowess in storytelling was simply unmatched.
Fifty years ago, William had read works by many renowned authors, but compared to Steinbeck, they fell short.
Many writers tried to depict the struggles and injustices of their era, but few captured it with such poignancy.
But Steinbeck? Just one line from him elicited a knowing smile from William.
“Why are the rich so intent on taking from the poor?”
As William was deeply engrossed in his book, Edward Taylor came over and sat next to him.
The former principal of Hudson University had been keeping a close eye on William since he returned from the museum. Upon learning that William was a freshman at Hudson University, he was ecstatic. Having accessed William’s records, he specifically instructed his former students to report any updates on William’s activities to him.
The school to which Anthony Carter had recommended admission undoubtedly had a notable background.
“You enjoy John Steinbeck as well?” Edward Taylor remarked with a warm smile, trying to strike up a conversation with William.
William momentarily shifted his gaze from his book to glance at Edward Taylor.
Any other student, realizing they were seated next to the former principal, would likely be deeply intimidated. But William merely gave him a brief look, then returned to his reading, leaving Edward Taylor feeling somewhat awkward.
“William, how… how are you feeling today?” Edward Taylor inquired.
Edward Taylor initially wanted to negotiate with William to teach him the ancient scripts. But the words that came out were different from what he had planned. He recalled William mentioning that if he was in a good mood, he might consider teaching him.
Upon hearing the question, William slowly set down his book, looked at Edward Taylor, and replied with a smile, “I’m in quite a good mood. But are you truly curious about what happened in the past?”
“Of course, I want to know!” Edward Taylor replied earnestly, “If you can decipher the inscriptions on the stone tablet, you should understand the historical significance it holds. It represents a blank in our world’s history.”
“If it’s as you say,” Edward Taylor continued passionately, “then our world’s history might date back even further than the generally accepted 5,000 years. Understanding our past is crucial to comprehending the origins of humanity and the trajectory of world history, which aids in establishing our place in the grand scheme of life.”
Edward Taylor’s voice had risen in volume. A student from a nearby table, unaware of who he was, looked up and said, “Excuse me, could you please lower your voice?”
“I’m sorry,” Edward Taylor apologized to the student. He then lowered his voice and continued, “William, I’m willing to pay any price if you’d teach me those scripts.”
William calmly asked, “Even your life?”
“Absolutely!” Edward Taylor responded without hesitation. “If it allows me to understand what truly transpired in the past, I wouldn’t mind even if it meant my end would be tomorrow.”
“You remind me of someone,” William remarked with a smile. In front of Edward Taylor, he seemed more like an elder, exuding an air of seniority. This peculiar feeling wasn’t lost on Edward Taylor either, but he didn’t find anything amiss about it.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
“Who?” Edward Taylor inquired.
“Socrates.” A quote from Socrates suddenly came to William’s mind — I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing.
Edward Taylor chuckled ruefully, “How can I even dare to compare myself to Socrates? I just hope you can teach me, William.”
“I can teach you, but what if you had to die tomorrow? Would you accept that?” William’s eyes narrowed slightly, “You should know that some things aren’t to be taken lightly in my presence.”
“Yes! As long as you teach me, I’m prepared to die tomorrow!” Edward Taylor declared resolutely. Though he wasn’t sure of the background of this young student, he was willing to face death if William would teach him the inscriptions on the ancient tablet.
“Then come with me.” After saying this, William picked up his copy of “The Grapes of Wrath”, intending to borrow it and read further.
Edward Taylor followed William out of the library. The librarian was rather taken aback when she noticed Edward Taylor. Just what was this student’s background?
It even seemed that Edward Taylor was trailing behind him.
Walking beneath the shade of campus trees during class hours, they encountered only a few students and townspeople. William asked, “Did you bring a pen and notebook?”
“I did!” Edward Taylor eagerly took out a small notebook and a fountain pen from his pocket, adjusting his glasses in preparation to jot down what William would say.
After a moment’s reflection, William began, “The inscriptions on the tablet depict an individual’s life journey. You can think of it as a diary, though certainly not as eloquent as Mr. Steinbeck’s writings.”
Edward Taylor’s mouth twitched in disbelief. Could the two even be compared? While Mr. Steinbeck’s prose was undoubtedly splendid, how could the inscriptions on the tablet be judged as a piece of literature? It was a precious historical artifact; even a snippet from it could represent a missing piece of history!
The two are not comparable.
“The first sentence reads, ‘I finally found a way to record my thoughts. I awoke from a realm of chaos and monotony; I couldn’t find anyone else.'”
“Then, after an indeterminate amount of time, I encountered a woman named Gaia. She found the chaotic realm too bland. So, I created a beautiful place for her, which we named ‘Earth.'”
“Later, I fell into another deep slumber. Upon waking, I met someone named Cronus. He was somewhat interesting, albeit a tad verbose and not particularly strong. Eventually, Cronus and Rhea had many children; one of them named Zeus, whom I quite favored.”
“In the end, Cronus fell. I wonder when will it be my turn to die?”
…
As William walked, he recounted the inscriptions on the tablet. Those were his memories, memories from so long ago that he might have almost forgotten them had he not seen the tablet.
Edward Taylor quickly noted down every single word William spoke, ensuring he missed nothing. His excitement grew as he listened. From what William described, the person who inscribed the tablet must have lived for at least a billion years.
Moreover, there seemed to be an era of a battle between deities interwoven within.
It sounded more like a fantastical novel!
Yet Edward Taylor couldn’t help but believe. His notebook contained sketches of the inscriptions from the tablet, and the translation William provided matched these inscriptions precisely.
This meant William had memorized the entire content of the ancient tablet. .𝙘𝒐𝒎
The content on the tablet was not extensive. It was as if the author would only inscribe a sentence every thousand or several hundred years. Yet, each sentence was powerful enough to be profoundly moving.