Here are the facts on the ground:
- I am a loathed outsider to my entire society.
- I have Discovered a Thing that would have heaped acclaim upon me in the times of unloathing.
- There are only a few Full Professors still around. I know they have long-accepted the Truth that there is nothing left to Discover.
- I have Discovered a Thing. Therefore:
- The Truth is not itself.
- This Thing was made by non-Professor hands. Therefore:
- There is a wonderful wicker world outside of Professor Island.
- To leave Professor Island is a near impossible feat. The rocks and volcanoes that encircle us are impassable. By boat.
My sense of Truth is thrown all akimbo. What is next? Will the Astronomers tell us the Sun is not a giant lightbulb switched off nightly by the Great Sky Professor? I am shaken to my core!
So I could probably use my Discovery to at least be accepted back into society, which would be fine and things would eventually return to Normal again. On the other hand, would not the truest, purest act of a real Discoverist be to find this Undiscovered Wicker Country from Beyond? If not by boat, could I not fly? What is, really, this need to feel Normal?
