Page 472 of Black Reign

Reads.

His eyes narrow.

“Pierre.”

“Hmm?”

“Where did you see this?”

“Grand-père's office.”

My stomach sinks.

“What did Grand-père show you?”

“A math question.”

Xavier becomes very still.

“What math question?”

Pierre points casually at the screen.

“That one.”

I look at Xavier.

He looks at our son.

Then at the screen.

“No.”

“What?”

Xavier moves closer and begins reading everything from the beginning.

My son spins once in the chair because apparently revolutionary mathematics gets boring quickly.

I grab Xavier's arm.

“What?”

He looks at me.

“You know the Cambridge problem?”

“No.”

“The optimization proof they've been working on.”

Still nothing.

“The one that has resisted a complete solution for almost twenty years.”

I stare.

Then look at Pierre.