Riddle 020: Calling All Crooks

[questionauthority]

A. [At Mayfield High, Edward is taking to his new job as Ethics teacher with very little enthusiasm. Any kids in his class? Your first assignment is being written on the board in a neat, tidy scrawl:

"How far would you be willing to go to escape this place?"]

Discuss.

B. [Later on that afternoon, Edward makes a public phone call, filtered away from drones, Grady, the Mayor, the Smiths, and the like.]

Mayfield, Mayfield, Mayfield. You know what I like to do every Sunday night when I'm not scheming a daring escape? I like to think up riddles. Like this one, for example: "What is the one question you can ask at any point in the day, and still get a different answer?" Give up? Hmm?

Answer: "What time is it?" See? Simple. I could say "7:26" just as easily as I can say the time is 9 o'clock PM. Or this one---actually, my old college roommate, Andrew, was instrumental in helping me think this one up.

"Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man's father is my father's son!" I'll let you figure out the answer to that one on your own.

Hmm. Perhaps this Sunday night, I'll think up another good riddle. Or perhaps I'll finally find a way for all of you to get out of here. Who knows? Maybe I already have. Interested? Well---you already know where to find me. I've practically given you all the answers, regardless.

[He chuckles obnoxiously.]

Comments

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

I almost have to applaud your ability to stretch the subject you teach to provide yourself with information, Mr... Nigma, is it?

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He glances up at his fellow educator, closing up his paper and tossing it onto the table.]

Who says that the students are the only ones allowed to learn anything? [He doesn't bother moving from his seat, though, extending his hand outwards for a handshake.]

Edward Nigma.

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

[doesn't look up either as he shakes his hand] Adrian Veidt.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

A pleasure, Mr. Veidt.

So. What do they have you teaching here?

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

Civics. It's rather a pity; I think I might have preferred History. It's fortunate that the subjects carry some overlap.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

True. Still, Ethics was hardly my first choice. Believe me.

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

[dryly, but a bit smirky and not truly judgmental] And I can't imagine why not.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

[He shrugs, taking one last drag of his cigarette before rubbing it out in the ashtray.]

Almost takes me back to when I was in school. The teachers were still dunces, mostly. But there alway was that one teacher who knew what he was doing.

[Yeah, toot your own horn a little bit more, why don't you?]

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

[lol this face]

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

I tended to find teachers rather more useful for... shall we say, encouragement than genuine discovery.

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

I suppose it all depends on your specific faculty. Most of my teachers simply refused to understand my genius.

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

[laughs, but it's a warm, approving laugh]