Living My Life By Socrates (Working Title)
an excerpt

Gus nervously walked up to the old seemingly abandoned building as fast as he could in the brisk cold. The giant building that Gus used to associate with wonder and greatness, now somehow resembled a foreboding castle, old and ominous. He marched up the cement stoop and knocked the big brass knocker. He was surprised when the sentry who answered wasn’t Thales, but was a girl with a husky voice. He was a little nostalgic for Thales to answer his knock. Before the girl could even ask what his business was, he sternly said, “I’m here to see Galileo.”

Gus could see the girl nod. “Ah, Socrates, right? The head guy has been waiting for you.”

Gus was a bit stunned at this and wondered how Galileo had known he would be arriving. Meanwhile, the girl opened the many locks with an irritating slowness that began to chew on Gus’s last nerve.

After what seemed like an eternity, the girl finally opened the door and welcomed him in with a sweeping gesture. “Welcome, Master Socrates,” she said, bowing her head.

Gus scowled. “Don’t do that,” he said, walking briskly past the girl and up the swirling staircase.

“Master Socrates,” the new sentry called, “Galileo isn’t in his room right now, sir. He’s teaching his class.”

“What class?!” Gus’s voiced boomed off the echoing walls.

The sentry slightly cowered. “His class, sir. Describing the great achievements of Great Master Linanglius, the history of The Think Tank and how it’s come to be.”

“What room is it in?”

“Well, two hundred and seventy five, sir. But I high recommend you don’t disturb –“

Gus continued up the stairs and reached the second floor. He sped around the many corners of the twisted hallway and reached room two hundred and seventy five. As he stopped outside the door, Gus realized that this was the first classroom he had entered many months before; back when his only name was Gus, when Thales was just an acquaintance, and before Plato had kissed him. It all seemed like years ago. He remembered standing outside this very door, anxious and fretting his first day.

But now there were no pretenses and Gus opened the door without any hesitation.

Galileo was mid-lecture and as soon as the door slammed open the ten students snapped their heads in Gus’s direction. Galileo froze, in the middle of writing something on the black painted wall, but he relaxed and smiled when he realized the commotion was Gus.

“Hello, Socrates,” he said grinning. “How are you this morning?”

Gus was fuming. “Where is Thales?” he barely managed to get out through clenched teeth.

Galileo ignored Gus’s question. “I was just telling my most promising students here” –he motioned toward the kids in his class- “about all the good work you’ve done for us, and if they work as hard as you did, maybe they can do great things for The Think Tank one day as well.” At this, Gus could hear the kids whispering to each other, pointing at him.

Gus felt like breathing fire, he felt like ripping Galileo’s throat out for all he had done to him, but he thought of a better route. “I’m just here to remind you about the assembly.”

Galileo tilted his head to the side as if to say ‘please, do tell.’ His smile did not falter.

“Kids, head back to your rooms. You’ll be called shortly to attend an assembly. Class is cut short today,” Gus lied. He never took his eyes of Galileo.

The kids nervously filed out of the room, able to feel the tension between mentor and former student.

Galileo waved his hand, motioning Gus to follow him. They walked up the secret flight of stairs to Galileo’s study. Gus trailed Galileo as he walked into his study and gently closed the door.

With sad eyes, Galileo looked at Gus, and said, “Have you not heard about our friend Thales, Socrates?”