It was late in the afternoon he entered the wall’s of Challiste once again. Gael was sitting on the back of a cart with the hindsblue was on his lap. The dark green fence passed Gael as the cart had entered the University grounds. Gael suddenly got tensed up unknowing how everyone would react.

  ‘Were here!’, the merchant yelled as the cart stopped at a goods entrance. Without stopping or saying a word, the clerk veered off to the clerks lodgings. Gael thanked the merchant and entered the University. He searched the hallway towards the agricultural department.

  ‘There you are!’ To his surprise it was Suzet approaching him.

  ‘I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard the news. “A flower believed to be extinct had been found”. I thought you would just go write some paper why it could be extinct, to get yourself accepted. But here you are, with the plant nonetheless.’

  ‘Hi Suzet. It's good to see you’, Said Gael, relieved to see a friendly face.

  ‘It's good to see you too. You quite stirred up the beehive. They know of your arrival so I thought I ought to prepare him. They are quite interested in your find.’

  ‘I don't get it, this case should have been removed. Why are they suddenly so interested?’

  ‘You know how it goes. The University is keen on successes. And you have to admit, it is a good story.‘

  They arrived at the agricultural department. While holding the doorknob she added:

  ‘Just try to enjoy it while it lasts.’

She opened the door for Gael and they entered the agricultural department. At first the main hall was fairly quiet. A few heads turned and some people started to whisper to each other. But then a man came walking at Gael with an outstretched hand. He was wearing the light blue robe of a professor.

  ‘I wish to congratulate you on your find’, he said and Gael had to awkwardly shift the heavy pot of the little hindsblue to his other arm to shake the man’s hand. After that more and more people got off their chairs to meet Gael. At some point even people from the greenhouse and the field’s started flooding in. When quite the crowd gathered a person in workman's clothes asked the question they all wanted to ask:

  ‘Can we see it?’

Before Gael could react a professor handed him delicate steel utensils from his robe. Gael put the plant on a table as the room got quiet. Carefully Gael used the tools to peel away the green leaves covering the flower. Somewhere Gael still feared that the petals would be white, but when he revealed the blue flower the crowd applauded and cheered. Some even cried out in disbelief, but immediately got into a discussion with their colleagues. Then the headmaster approached from the crowd. He watched for a moment before he stepped to Gael.

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  ‘Can we have a word?’ headmaster de Brún said, in a serious tone. Gael was hesitant to leave the plant behind, but Suzet and a few professors seemed to understand and sprung in action to keep people away. A few feet from the crowd they stopped as they looked at the commotion.

  ‘You have attracted quite the attention,’ he said. Then he took a moment to choose his words.

  'Look Gael, I have never thought you were going to find that flower. I expected you to write some research document on where it could grow or why it didn't exist or something. A professor and I would review that and if it was any good I was going to allow you to study here.’

Not knowing how to react, Gael said nothing. Without looking at Gael, De Brún continued:

  ‘However I think our agreement changed a bit. I didn't even believe it when I first heard about your find. But now here it is. However I think our agreement changed a bit. The professors objected.’

He paused again which made Gael feel terribly uneasy.

  ‘They demanded me to assign you the position of researcher. To give you tenure here. They think your knowledge is an addition to the department’, he said and turned to Gael.

  ‘I think I might agree. Would you be able to accept a position as researcher within the agricultural department?’

  ‘Yes! Of course, yes! I would like that very much’, Gael answered without hesitation.

  ‘Great! Congratulations!’, De Brún said and he gave Gael a pat on the back. For a second there was a moment where the two men watched the crowd.

  ‘Now don’t let me hold you up. Get back there, go tell your story’, De Brún said. Gael thanked him and he went back into his office. Gael returned to the plant where the crowd bombarded him with questions.

  That evening he walked towards the dorm where he still got a bed, but he would get his own room as a researcher. He looked at the hallways, thinking they would become very familiar to him. Though he recognised this hallway as being the one where the department of the inexplicable was located. The door was open and when he passed it he looked inside awkwardly locking eyes with the headmaster. The tiny woman came running out of her department.

  ´I heard you were back!´

  ‘Yes. Thanks again for your advice’, Gael said and smiled friendly although he did not want to stay there very long.

  ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

  ‘Oh there is not that much to tell. Another time, please’,

  ‘Have you seen anything in the Yeavinkhall forest?’, she asked hopefully.

  ‘What I saw in that forest?’

Gael's mind drifted towards the flashing spots he saw, but answered smiling:

  ‘Oh don’t worry. Nothing but the night sky and plants. Luckily the right one!’

  ‘Oh alright’, the woman replied and looked distrustful at Gael.

  ‘Take care’, she added and with a nod and a small hand gesture she backed away. Gael continued walking and chucked to himself. Nothing inexplicable about falling on your face, he thought.