IMMOLATION: Chapter 21

Matt wasn't sure how he should feel as he entered the old building that housed the physics department. A poster on the wall caught his eye and made him chuckle. The theater department was putting on an adaptation of Charles Dickens' “Tale of Two Cities”.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Matt nodded appreciably. “That about sums it up.”

Everything in the building, walls, floors, ceiling, was white and the intense lights reflected off of everything, dazzling his eyes. Memories of the headaches he use to get in this building came back to him and he wondered at how he'd never figured out why. Matt ignored the elevator and instead took the stairs. The stairwell, while intended only for emergencies, was not alarmed and the dull concrete grays were a welcomed relief to his already throbbing eyes.

Matt checked the scribbled note on the back of his hand. Dr. Muto had moved offices since the last time they'd seen each other. When he and Matt first met, Dr. Muto's office was in the basement in a back corner. They use to joke that the office was so small that it must have been a janitor closet before. The joke lost its appeal when, after an experiment ruined the carpet, they found the floor drain. Shortly after that day was when Dr. Muto moved offices for the first time. Then again, and again, each time to a slightly nicer, slightly bigger office, and always on a floor higher. Matt paused on the fifth floor landing, briefly regretting his decision to take the stairs, and checked the note on his hand again. Dr. Muto's office was one more floor up, just shy of the Dean's Complex on the seventh floor. Matt climbed the last few steps to the sixth floor and gave himself a minute to catch his breath.

“I need to get out more,” He said, wiping his forehead on his sleeve.

At last he was ready and pushed open the door. The bright whiteness immediately assaulted his eyes and he had to blink several times before his eyes could adjust. To his side, the elevator dinged and its doors opened. Judge Dervin stepped out. It was odd to see Judge Dervin out of his robes and instead in regular clothes. For a moment they both stared at one another

“Hi,” Matt said at last, waving an awkward hand.

Judge Dervin glanced over to the door Matt had just come through. “You took the stairs?” He asked.

Matt nodded.

“Wish I had your energy,” Judge Dervin sighed.

“Me too,” Matt said.

Judge Dervin looked at him, puzzled. “What?” He asked.

“I wish I had my energy too,” Matt said. “I seem to have lost it all in the stairwell.”

Judge Dervin chortled and patted Matt on the shoulder. Matt didn't know what to make of it. Since they'd never really been on good terms with one another, such an obviously friendly gesture was a bit of a shock.

“Glad you could make it,” Judge Dervin said and then turned to lead the way to Dr. Muto's office.

“Thanks for the invite,” Matt said with not quite enough conviction in his voice.

Judge Dervin eyed him as they walked along. “I did get him to agree to meeting us here like you asked, instead of the courthouse.”

“Yes, thank you for that.”

“I thought you'd be a bit happier to be back here,” Judge Dervin said.

“Why?” Matt asked, “You know they kicked me out.”

“Well,” Judge Dervin fished around, “You just sounded so eager on the phone to have the meeting here.”

Matt chuckled and shook his head. He'd been eager to not meet in the courthouse. Just being in the building made him uncomfortable, feel like he was trapped, imprisoned. Here at least he could walk out at any time without fear of being restrained.

Judge Dervin looked like he was about to speak and so Matt, noticing that they'd reached Dr. Muto's office, knocked on the door and put an end to his and Judge Dervin's conversation.

A moment later, the door swung open and Dr. Muto waved them silently into his office. There were cups of tea for them all, placed perfectly on the table in the center of the room. Three chairs were placed around the table. Dr. Muto's desk was off to the side, clean and organized. Matt frowned. He missed the Dr. Muto who's office was nothing more than a glorified broom cupboard. The happy, excited genius who would help students on their unapproved projects simply because he thought they were interesting. Certainly Dr. Muto had always had his quirks, his knack for cleanliness and perfection, but back then those things had been endearing. Now they were imposing.

“Thank you for letting us meet here,” Judge Dervin said when they'd all taken their seats.

Dr. Muto waved a dismissive hand. “It made sense,” He said curtly. “The university is a central location where the courthouse is not.”

Dr. Muto took a sip of his tea. Matt did as well, remembering back to the times they'd taken turns brewing it while the other kept working on whatever project they had at hand. Judge Dervin tested the tea, downing a polite sip before placing the cup back down on the table.

“Now, what can I do for you?” Dr. Muto asked, turning to Judge Dervin.

Judge Dervin pulled out a folder and opened it, revealing copious notes. “You expelled this young man, after the two of you fought,” Judge Dervin began, “after he presented a thesis that you have admitted to be correct. Why?”

Matt almost spit out his tea. For a moment he considered standing up and leaving but his body didn't respond to any of his commands to rise and so he decided to sit it out and watch.

Dr. Muto shot a glance at Matt, but Matt was fairly certain his own expression of shock and horror would be enough to convince Dr. Muto that Judge Dervin was acting of his own accord.

“I see,” Dr. Muto said, placing his cup back down on the table.

Matt couldn't help but notice how Dr. Muto placed his cup in such a way that it formed a perfect isosceles triangle with the other two cups.

“I told you before,” Dr. Muto said, “Matt's ideas were not new and our disagreements came on the implementation.”

“And what does that mean?” Judge Dervin demanded.

Matt, again, felt like leaving but couldn't.

“It means his thesis was political statement, a social-economic piece of wishful thinking.”

Matt dug his fingers down into his chair, blood pumping in his head as the anger rushed back in on him. Anger he thought he'd let go of.

“At least,” Dr. Muto said, his voice softening, “That was what I thought then, and I was wrong.”

Matt blinked. Dr. Muto, sitting there in front of him, was looking at him in the same way he use to all those years ago in his basement office. Like a proud parent.

“I have never felt right about how those events played out,” Dr. Muto said, now speaking directly to Matt, “I've read and reread the thesis since then and, after my conversation with Judge Dervin, I finally began to understand.”

Dr. Muto got up from the table and moved over to his desk. He picked up a thin stack of papers and returned to the table. He thumbed through them, as though making sure everything was in order and then handed them over to Matt.

“I've spoken to the Dean,” Dr. Muto went on as Matt scanned the papers, not believing his eyes, “And with the President of the university. They've both agreed, as you can see there, to revoke your previous expulsion, grant you your doctorate and,” Dr. Muto paused to take a sip of tea at the same time that Matt reached the final sheet of paper.

In moments he'd read through it. Dr. Muto let him read through it again.

“And,” Dr. Muto said when Matt looked up from the paper, “Grant you space here to work on developing your ideas.”

“It says here I'd be made an assistant professor,” Matt said, dumbfounded.

Judge Dervin took the papers from Matt's shaking hands and looked through them.

“Yes,” Dr. Muto said. “We are all aware of how hard we made things for you over these past few years and feel it only fair to try to make things up to you.”

Matt still couldn't believe it. He glanced over to Judge Dervin who was frowning.

“And what does he have to do in return?” Judge Dervin asked, setting the papers down.

“What do you mean?” Dr. Muto asked.

“Does Matt have to sign some kind of paper absolving the university of any wrong doing for the expulsion?”

“Why would we have him sign anything like that?” Dr. Muto asked, “We are apologizing, not bribing.”

Judge Dervin huffed at that but said nothing else.

“Really, Matt,” Dr. Muto said, “You don't have to do anything you don't want to. We really are sorry. We were wrong and we are taking responsibility for our mistakes.”

Matt was about to reply when Judge Dervin's cell phone rang.

“I'm sorry,” He said, and answered the phone. “Judge Dervin speaking.”

Dr. Muto's smile faded slightly but he otherwise sat patiently. Matt continued to sit and stare at the papers before him. Everything he'd ever wanted. Funding for his projects. Never having to write another stupid paper for the Bleeding Edge.

“...where was it?” Judge Dervin was saying as he scribbled down some notes in his folder. “Yes, certainly, I'll call the airline and...oh, I see...alright then, I'll call you tonight when I get in. Bye.” Judge Dervin hung up. “I'm sorry but I must be going,” He said, rising from the table and collecting his things.

“Is something the matter?” Dr. Muto asked.

“My daughter went missing a few days back,” Judge Dervin said, “They just found her car and they're flying me out tonight.” With that, Judge Dervin turned and left the room.

“Poor man,” Dr. Muto said.

“Yeah, but at least he gets to go someplace warm,” Matt said.

“Hmm?”

“Oh, the address he wrote down was in Texas,”

Dr. Muto's smile slipped even further. “Where exactly?” He asked.

Matt shut his eyes, envisioning in his mind what he'd seen and then tracing in out with his finger on the table. Dr. Muto jumped up from his seat and rushed to the phone.

“Thank you,” He said hurriedly, “But I just remembered I was suppose to call someone. Please take those papers with you, think it over and let me know when you've come to a decision.”

Matt stumbled out of the room and back into the blinding white light, utterly confused but pleased with the results of the meeting.