The next bell has barely faded when a younger boy appears at the library door, cap in hand. The librarian remains rigidly at his desk.
the messenger boy
Turing, you are required at Abbott's House. Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith wishes you to explain your afternoon.
The messenger boy waits beside the door, plainly intending to accompany Alan across the quadrangle. On the table, the physics volume lies open beside the untouched Latin.
the librarian
The book was read here under my supervision. His Latin remains in the satchel, and I shall say so if I am asked.
The librarian’s caution is visible in the way he closes the ledger and keeps one hand upon it. He does not leave his desk or follow them.
Alan Turing
The summons concerns both books, not merely the library rules.
The messenger steps aside to clear the doorway. Beyond him, the cloister leads toward Abbott’s House and the Headmaster’s study, while the physics volume remains open behind Alan.
“I ask the messenger boy if he could hear the sounds of other boys being caned when he left Abbott's House.”
FAILURE (Fair Social Awareness, rolled -1)
Alan Turing
Could you hear other boys being caned when you left Abbott's House?
The messenger boy’s hand tightens around his cap. He looks toward the cloister rather than answering, and the question hangs plainly between them.
the messenger boy
I was not listening, Turing. It is not my business to repeat what happens in the Headmaster’s house.
His guarded reply makes the matter more conspicuous, not less. He steps farther into the passage, keeping his voice low while the librarian watches without comment.
the messenger boy
You had better come now. If the Headmaster is waiting, asking me about punishment will not help explain why you were in the library.
The messenger turns toward Abbott’s House and waits at the threshold. Behind Alan, the physics volume remains open, while the untouched Latin sits visibly in his satchel.
the librarian
Mind your words on the way, boy. Questions about caning are easily mistaken for defiance, however reasonably they are meant.
✓ Quest Accepted
Give the Headmaster a defensible account of his studies
“Will the messenger boy tell the other boys in our year about my awkward questions about caning, resulting in the other boys singling me out for mockery?”
YES (Likely, rolled 31)
The messenger leads Alan across the cloister toward Abbott’s House, but his guarded silence does not last. At the next turning, two boys from Alan’s year fall into step behind them.
the messenger boy
He was asking whether boys were being caned in the Headmaster’s house. I told him it was none of my business.
The words travel quickly along the corridor. One boy imitates Alan’s careful tone, while the other nudges his companion and glances toward the open satchel containing the untouched Latin.
the older schoolboy
Are you studying punishment now, Turing? Perhaps you can take notes for the rest of us.
A few younger boys turn to watch. No one touches Alan, but their smiles and murmured repetitions mark him as a subject for the afternoon’s amusement.
the messenger boy
I only said what he asked. If he did not want it repeated, he should have kept quiet.
Ahead, Abbott’s House doors stand open. The Headmaster’s summons remains unavoidable, while behind Alan the mockery gathers into a small, mobile audience.
“I will tell the Headmaster the truth; that I spent the whole afternoon studying Physics because I do not consider Latin interesting or worthwhile; and that i enjoyed an afternoon learning Physics without any prefects being able to summon me for errands.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
The messenger opens Abbott’s House door, and the small audience falls silent behind Alan. Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith waits in his study, papers arranged precisely upon the desk.
Alan Turing
Sir, I spent the whole afternoon studying Physics instead of Latin. I do not consider Latin interesting or worthwhile, and I enjoyed learning without prefects summoning me for errands.
The plain confession enters the study without apology. The messenger boy remains by the door, while the older schoolboy’s amused expression fades beneath the Headmaster’s steady attention.
Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith
You have spoken candidly, Turing. I shall not pretend that this is an acceptable arrangement of your studies, but neither shall I mistake candour for insolence.
Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith
Science may reward concentration, yet Latin is part of the course required here. You will not discard one subject merely because another presently interests you more.
He glances toward the messenger and the boys beyond the threshold, then closes the file before him. His tone remains controlled, giving the confession a formal place rather than a public spectacle.
Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith
As for prefects and errands, their authority is part of school life. Your afternoon has been heard and recorded; now return for your Latin preparation and await further instruction.
“I return and complete my Latin preparation”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +3)
Alan returns to his room, removes the physics volume from his satchel, and sets the Latin book open beside it. The school’s bells recede behind the closing door.
Alan Turing
The Latin preparation must be completed before the next obligation.
He works steadily through the assigned passage, parsing each sentence and writing the translations neatly. The grammar yields to patient examination, while the untouched exercises are finished in order.
By the time the next bell sounds, every required line is translated and checked. Alan places the completed preparation beside the closed physics volume.
Headmaster Charles Nowell Smith
You have completed the work, Turing. That is the proper answer to finding Latin uninteresting.
Charles Nowell Smith examines the neat pages and adds a brief approval to the written record. He also permits Alan to keep consulting the physics volume after his required preparations are complete.
The permission gives Alan a definite private interval for science, provided his classical work remains finished. His Latin is complete, and the physics book is available again.
Quest Complete
Give the Headmaster a defensible account of his studies
Skill Upgrade: Writing Fair→Good