search of some familiar character, until he came across a number of blank sheets, right at the end of what seemed to be the first chapter. When he touched them he realized that they did not form part of the book, but were instead part of a large sheet folded back on itself until it was a similar size to the other pages. He unfolded it and saw that it was indeed a huge, white page approximately ten square feet in size. It didn’t contain any writing and was covered only a series of quarter-inch holes which were in no particular pattern. James was puzzled and had no idea what it was. He guessed that the holes had been caused from the page being folded up for so long - the paper must have deteriorated.
He continued turning the pages until he stumbled across something very strange. At the end of the second chapter was a metal object whose shape was similar to the illustration on the cover of the book - it was much thinner, but still the same size. However hard he looked, he couldn’t figure out which material it was made from, since it didn’t remind him of anything he had seen before.
He didn’t find anything interesting in the following chapters, except for a grid of 23x23 letters which really stood out to him, not least because of its solitary location on the last page of the book. This gave him the impression that he was looking at the Holy Grail - he would need to decipher it.
Incredible! he thought. I have the discovery of the year in front of me and I can’t work out what it is about!
He mulled it over for a few minutes, thinking about the numerous friends he had, many of whom were experts in semiology and extinct languages. Maybe one of them could help him.
The shower in the bathroom stopped. Mary had finished freshening up and the noise of a hairdryer began to echo throughout the flat, making it difficult to concentrate.
He had sometimes heard Margot, one of his fellow university professors, mention how a group of experts in extinct languages and academics from universities across the country met once a month in the name of research. They debated the latest discoveries and studied the most implausible topics which had yet to be discovered. He knew that his knowledge of extinct languages was rather limited. He much preferred art, studying ancient civilizations, archaeological remains… For a moment, he toyed with the idea of attending one of those meetings to see if they were as rewarding as they were said to be.
The bathroom door opened and a cloud of steam wafted out. James was sitting on the living room sofa and the door was ajar, allowing him to see Mary emerge from the bathroom with a towel around her body, covering her most compromising areas. She was a beautiful woman with very feminine curves. Her hair, still damp, also gave her an extra touch of sensuality.
The girl surreptitiously looked towards the living room to check where her guest was, but their eyes suddenly met. James just looked away and cleared his throat as if he hadn’t seen anything.
Mary couldn’t stifle a smile when she noticed that James had become nervous. “I’ll be right with you, and then you can tell me everything you’ve discovered.”
Although on first impressions the room had been perfect, after having spent an hour in there he had begun to feel on edge and observed. This was in part due to the masks and sculptures which adorned filled the room, all of them facing the sofa. One of these masks in particular stood out to him. It had a black face with a prominent jaw, white teeth and eyes as red as blood. It took center stage and was surrounded by various others positioned lower down. It most likely represented the chief of an ancient African tribe listening to his warriors.
The young woman finally came into the living room wearing some sweatpants and a loose top. “So, what have you discovered?”
“In all honesty, not much. I can’t manage to decode a single word, it seems to have been written in some kind of
He continued turning the pages until he stumbled across something very strange. At the end of the second chapter was a metal object whose shape was similar to the illustration on the cover of the book - it was much thinner, but still the same size. However hard he looked, he couldn’t figure out which material it was made from, since it didn’t remind him of anything he had seen before.
He didn’t find anything interesting in the following chapters, except for a grid of 23x23 letters which really stood out to him, not least because of its solitary location on the last page of the book. This gave him the impression that he was looking at the Holy Grail - he would need to decipher it.
Incredible! he thought. I have the discovery of the year in front of me and I can’t work out what it is about!
He mulled it over for a few minutes, thinking about the numerous friends he had, many of whom were experts in semiology and extinct languages. Maybe one of them could help him.
The shower in the bathroom stopped. Mary had finished freshening up and the noise of a hairdryer began to echo throughout the flat, making it difficult to concentrate.
He had sometimes heard Margot, one of his fellow university professors, mention how a group of experts in extinct languages and academics from universities across the country met once a month in the name of research. They debated the latest discoveries and studied the most implausible topics which had yet to be discovered. He knew that his knowledge of extinct languages was rather limited. He much preferred art, studying ancient civilizations, archaeological remains… For a moment, he toyed with the idea of attending one of those meetings to see if they were as rewarding as they were said to be.
The bathroom door opened and a cloud of steam wafted out. James was sitting on the living room sofa and the door was ajar, allowing him to see Mary emerge from the bathroom with a towel around her body, covering her most compromising areas. She was a beautiful woman with very feminine curves. Her hair, still damp, also gave her an extra touch of sensuality.
The girl surreptitiously looked towards the living room to check where her guest was, but their eyes suddenly met. James just looked away and cleared his throat as if he hadn’t seen anything.
Mary couldn’t stifle a smile when she noticed that James had become nervous. “I’ll be right with you, and then you can tell me everything you’ve discovered.”
Although on first impressions the room had been perfect, after having spent an hour in there he had begun to feel on edge and observed. This was in part due to the masks and sculptures which adorned filled the room, all of them facing the sofa. One of these masks in particular stood out to him. It had a black face with a prominent jaw, white teeth and eyes as red as blood. It took center stage and was surrounded by various others positioned lower down. It most likely represented the chief of an ancient African tribe listening to his warriors.
The young woman finally came into the living room wearing some sweatpants and a loose top. “So, what have you discovered?”
“In all honesty, not much. I can’t manage to decode a single word, it seems to have been written in some kind of
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