The History Paper
Knowing your goal, you considered how to get there. “You know, Plato, I would love to convince you I’m worth giving the seeds to.”
“Well, that would be a stupid decision. I don’t have them.” He reached for the pitcher of water on the coffee table and poured himself a glass.
“I disagree.” A tentative smile found its way to your face.
“And why is that?” He asked, clearly entertaining you.
“Aside from fact that your questions seem to certainly indicate you do, I disagree because there is no risk involved. I already have an inclination that you do have the seeds, so proving myself will be worth it in the end.” You sat forward, resting your forearms on your thighs. “Now, entertaining the idea that you don’t have them, there is nothing I lose from convincing you; I will be in exactly the same boat I started in. How would that be stupid?”
Plato smiled. “You make a good argument, but you failed to consider a possibility: what if you cannot prove yourself? If I do have the seeds and you do fail to convince me, you have lost. Is that not a risk?”
“It’s not that I failed to consider it, but more that I don’t believe that is a viable possibility.”
“Ah, be careful where you place that confidence.” He set the glass on the table. “But you are correct in your assumption – I do have them.” He leaned back against the couch. “What do you propose we do?”
“What about a deal?”
Chase shot you a concerned look. “Really? You think this is a good idea?”
You waved away his concern and turned back to Plato. “What do you say?”
“What sort of deal are you thinking of?” Plato looked as though he was trying to level out the look of intrigue fighting its way to his face.
“You propose your most difficult puzzles, paradoxes, whatever.” You crossed your arms. “If I can solve them, you give me the seeds. If I fail to, you don’t.”
Chase looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He whisper-yelled. “Plato. Plato. You’re going to try to pull this with Plato.”
“Chase has a point,” Plato said a cocky smirk on his face. “You’re going to wager, essentially, your freedom in a – as Westley in The Princess Bride put it – battle of wits? With a philosopher?”
It took you a moment to process that he had seen the movie, but then again, there wasn’t all too much to do in the Underworld and it seemed to be modern enough. “If you recall in that scene, there is also the line where Vizzini calls you a moron.”
“Vizzini also loses that battle.”
“Fair enough.” You held up your hands. “So, you agree?”
“Of course. I will propose 3 puzzles. You must solve 2 of them to get the seed.” You nodded and he continued. “I will start with an easier one: The Super Bullet. It is as follows:
The Acme Arms Company has invented a Super Bullet; a Super Bullet penetrates anything it hits. But the Adamantine Armor company has invented a Super Strong Armor Plate; nothing that hits a Super Strong Armor Plate penetrates it. The army is planning to shoot a Super Bullet at a Super Strong Armor Plate. What will happen?”
“Well, that would be a stupid decision. I don’t have them.” He reached for the pitcher of water on the coffee table and poured himself a glass.
“I disagree.” A tentative smile found its way to your face.
“And why is that?” He asked, clearly entertaining you.
“Aside from fact that your questions seem to certainly indicate you do, I disagree because there is no risk involved. I already have an inclination that you do have the seeds, so proving myself will be worth it in the end.” You sat forward, resting your forearms on your thighs. “Now, entertaining the idea that you don’t have them, there is nothing I lose from convincing you; I will be in exactly the same boat I started in. How would that be stupid?”
Plato smiled. “You make a good argument, but you failed to consider a possibility: what if you cannot prove yourself? If I do have the seeds and you do fail to convince me, you have lost. Is that not a risk?”
“It’s not that I failed to consider it, but more that I don’t believe that is a viable possibility.”
“Ah, be careful where you place that confidence.” He set the glass on the table. “But you are correct in your assumption – I do have them.” He leaned back against the couch. “What do you propose we do?”
“What about a deal?”
Chase shot you a concerned look. “Really? You think this is a good idea?”
You waved away his concern and turned back to Plato. “What do you say?”
“What sort of deal are you thinking of?” Plato looked as though he was trying to level out the look of intrigue fighting its way to his face.
“You propose your most difficult puzzles, paradoxes, whatever.” You crossed your arms. “If I can solve them, you give me the seeds. If I fail to, you don’t.”
Chase looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He whisper-yelled. “Plato. Plato. You’re going to try to pull this with Plato.”
“Chase has a point,” Plato said a cocky smirk on his face. “You’re going to wager, essentially, your freedom in a – as Westley in The Princess Bride put it – battle of wits? With a philosopher?”
It took you a moment to process that he had seen the movie, but then again, there wasn’t all too much to do in the Underworld and it seemed to be modern enough. “If you recall in that scene, there is also the line where Vizzini calls you a moron.”
“Vizzini also loses that battle.”
“Fair enough.” You held up your hands. “So, you agree?”
“Of course. I will propose 3 puzzles. You must solve 2 of them to get the seed.” You nodded and he continued. “I will start with an easier one: The Super Bullet. It is as follows:
The Acme Arms Company has invented a Super Bullet; a Super Bullet penetrates anything it hits. But the Adamantine Armor company has invented a Super Strong Armor Plate; nothing that hits a Super Strong Armor Plate penetrates it. The army is planning to shoot a Super Bullet at a Super Strong Armor Plate. What will happen?”