Chapter 5: Professor Peach
Tuesday, the day after Alex arrived in Los Angeles, he found himself in Charlie's office. The office was square in shape, with many blackboards scattered around the room. It had many different items on the desks; piles of paper, worksheets, and files; toys of certain descriptions; and a large goldfish bowl, filled with, not fish – but lollies.
Alex noticed that the blackboards had many calculations scribbled hastily over them. He tried to decipher the symbols with no such luck.
"Would you like one?" Charlie asked, breaking into Alex's thoughts.
"Umm… One?"
"One lolly."
"Oh sure, the yellow thanks. What are you working on?" Alex asked gesturing towards the blackboards with his hand.
"Oh, they're rates of dispersion of certain items in certain places. I've assigned values for…" Charlie rattled on, explaining to Alex about the different symbols and equations.
After a while – actually two whole hours – of Charlie's ramblings, they were interrupted by a soft knock at the door, which Charlie was too caught up in his maths to hear.
"Umm… Charlie? There's people at the door."
No response, still explaining, oblivious to everything around him.
"Let me try," the man with sandy coloured hair said.
"Larry, I'd like to see you successful on the first time," his companion, a pretty girl with long, silky, black hair, challenged.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Amita," the man, Larry replied.
"You're welcome," Amita returned.
"Professor Charles Edward Eppes! Working on some interesting equation. What is it this time?" Larry turned to Charlie.
This time he heard, and responded.
"Err. Hi Larry, Amita. Didn't see you there."
Larry gave Amita a smug look.
"So, who's this charming young man, Charlie?"
"Oh, this is Alex Rider. The exchange student I told you about, or at least I think I told you about."
"You did Charlie," Amita reassured her former professor.
"Alex. This is Larry and Amita," Charlie introduced the duo.
"So I gathered," Alex muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
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By the time lunch started, Alex had been involved in the most eccentric conversations involving many unproven theories, and some famous P vs. NP problem, so famous in fact, that he hadn't even heard of it before.
Being part of that group, and seeing Charlie at work. Alex had the strangest impression. If they were shot at, trying to escape, in terrible danger, or the like, they could still go on talking about who knows what, as if nothing was happening.
The discussions could have gone through all of lunch, and had Amita not stopped them and reminded them of the time.
Alex gave a silent sigh of relief, he was starving.
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At the canteen, both Charlie and Larry grabbed the closest sandwich, and bolted it down their mouths, both were eager to return to their individual work, more time had passed during the headed discussion than either had liked. How they managed it politely was a mystery to everyone, including themselves, though they never realised it.
Amita, on the other hand, like Alex, took her time for lunch, enjoying what she ate.
Charlie finished first and with a quick "I'll see you back in my office once lunch has ended, Alex," returned to his office, closely followed by Larry returning to his office, in the Physics department. Alex had just sat down with his lunch.
Amita looked at him sympathetically.
"Charlie's well known for his obsession with math, but he's an absolutely wonderful teacher. You'll get use to him eating at the speed of light, just so that he can return to his equations."
Alex just nodded, looking around the crowded area, wondering who might be behind all those disappearances. Here he was in the open view of everyone in the college, should they be there, looking out for more teenage students to abduct.
After a while of companionable silence between Amita and Alex, she finished eating and returned to Larry's office, leaving Alex behind, alone, at the table.
A couple of minutes passed, as Alex continued to scan the room, only to notice that a blond lady with stunning blue eyes headed towards him.
Now if all the girls were like that. Not including Sab, of course. Where did that come from? He thought. Sabrina Pleasure is just a friend, that's all.
The woman arrived at his table.
"Do you mid if I join you?"
"No, not at all."
"I'm Professor Peter Peach, of the Chemistry department by the way."
She was giving him a good hard look, eyes cold and calculating. Alex watched her politely, wondering what she was thinking.
"Können Sie mich verstehen?" Peach asked.
Can you understand me? Alex pretended to look blank, pretending not to understand what Peach was saying in German.
After a pause, which gave Peach the response she seemed to want, she continued in German.
"Good you can't understand."
"Pardon Professor?" Alex enquired in English. "What did you just say? I'm afraid I can't understand you."
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about Mr Rider."
Alex nodded.
How did she know his name? He certainly didn't tell her. Maybe she got it off the school database.
Alex decided not to push the subject, keeping in mind the need to possibly watch her a little closer.
Lunch ended, and Alex excused himself, returning to Charlie's office.
As he arrived at the door, Alex saw Don and Charlie talking, well Charlie was, and Don just looked plain lost.
"These variables here show that eh children have all disappeared while still on campus, and I am close to figuring out the patter of disappearance, by the equations of dispersion," Charlie was saying.
"OK buddy. Maybe if you come to the FBI office with me," Don suggested.
"Alex will be here any minute now. I don't want him to wait fruitlessly for me," Charlie replied.
Alex gave a soft cough, announcing his presence.
Charlie jumped. "Oh, Alex, you're back."
"Yes Charlie."
"You didn't happen to hear our discussion did you?"
"Some of it."
Charlie looked concerned at this revelation.
"Buddy, let's take Alex with us," Don prompted.
"This case is too dangerous. And he's a teen."
"Well, at least the perp will know he is associated with the Feds."
"I suppose."
Charlie finally agreed with Don, and the two brothers and one student got into Agent Don Eppes' jeep and drove to the FBI headquarters.