An Elegant Solution(94)

That was enough to close Daniel’s mouth. He dropped his chin onto his hands in a pout. Nicolaus watched him a few minutes then came to join me.

“I think he’s right, that the deliberation’s already set,” he said to me. “And you’re shaken by a third death.”

“Yes, I am.”

“And you’ve been close by all three, very close. Knipper, and Huldrych, and Lithicus.”

“Nicolaus!” I said. “What do you mean by saying that?”

“You’re not such as a child as you’ve seemed, and maybe you’ve never been.”



Some time went by, about an hour. The talk was still mixed between the University and the stonemason. I would have left but I was too grieved to stand.

I was sitting by the door. Nicolaus was nearby watching me, and Daniel was in the thick, talking spurts, and I couldn’t hear for the din. I saw that Daniel was having no pleasure in all the rumors that he was hearing and repeating. He was agitated and soon turned to the wall and shrugged away questions. Then we all were waiting.

Until there was a tug on my sleeve, and then a soft torrent of words. And when Little Johann was finished, he said, “Don’t tell anyone that I told you.”

And then he was gone.

I’d had nearly a score of names thrust into my ear. I’d only barely kept up with them. It meant the University door must have been opened and the announcements made, for they were all the assignments to the committees, though no one else in the room seemed to have heard them. The minutes passed and I began to wonder that no messengers were plunging in from the streets outside. And I also began thinking through the assignments and what they might mean.

But finally Pheippides arrived: a student, Stottfeld, I’d tutored in Latin some year in the past. He came breathless into the Common Room and instantly was bread to the ducks.

“They’re out, just now,” he proclaimed, though instead of collapse he only gasped.

“And who are they? What are the committees?” was asked.

“It hasn’t been said yet. They’ll give an announcement tonight.”

“Oh!” Daniel said. “That’s murder! Tell us now!”

So I waited for the waiting to resume, and then I came close to him, and leaned closer, and whispered into his ear what had been whispered into mine.

“The first committee’s led by Master Johann himself,” I said, and I told him the others that made up his six, all fine Chairs and Lecturers.

“Melchior? Bost? They’re his own fish. They’ll be leaping to do what he says. Hoppenfeld? Cassini? Van der Veld? A little stiffness there in those three, but they won’t stand up to him, not in the same room. Oh, there’s no doubt of that committee.”

“The second committee’s led by Master Desiderius,” I said, and the list of those five, the Dean of Law, the Chair of Law, Chair of Anatomy, the Chair of Botany, and Vanitas of Theology.

“Paleologus? Tertullus? That’s Desiderius held in check. He’ll dance the jig played for him, and Paleologus will make sure he does. They’re as like to Brutus as if they’re himself. So there’s the first committee that’s all his, and Desiderius has the second committee and he’s the perfect finger on the Brute’s paw.”

“Paws don’t have fingers,” I said.

“Leonhard, he’s Brutus’s Cassius. That I know. And Vanitas to be sure of him.”

“Anyway, the third committee is Gottlieb’s.”

“Oh, that’s the pudding, that one. Oh! That dear cousin! Only two years a Chair himself, and he’s to decide who’ll take the next.”

“And he has Suvius of Latin, three lecturers, and the Bursar.”

“Gottlieb’s no one, but there’s less than no one to gainsay him.” Daniel boiled in his seat. “The Brute’s done it, in every way. He has it all in his hand. It’s all under his thumb. It’s under his foot. He’s picked every name, the very ones he wants.”

“Who else is there?” I asked. “They’re the Deans and Chairs and Lecturers. It’s near half the University, and I’ll even say the most distinguished half.”

“And that’s the rub. They’re best of the University and he has them all in his pocket. And if he has them, who doesn’t he have?”

“I think the University convened, and chose proper committees, and they’ll do what they’re meant to do. They’ll nominate a man from Basel, a man from another University, and one other. You can rave, Daniel, but you’re only seeing shadows.”

“Seeing things that aren’t there?” We were both startled by Nicolaus, always beside us. “So how do you know what the committees are, Leonhard? They’re not announced yet.”