Math City

By Ahmad Amani

Product Details

· Paperback: 47 pages

· (February 28, 2011)

· Language: English

· ISBN-10: 1456773755

· ISBN-13: 978-1456773755

· Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches

My name is Ahmad Amani from the Middle East.
Dear friends

My book (Math city) has been published on amazon. And now I'm writing new book entitled Broken Line which is more interesting than Math City. In fact I have a story series about math with new theme and new style.

Now I want to find traditional publisher also I want to publish new edition of Math City.

[ahmadamani1358@gmail.com]

Chapter 1
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This is the Lying Line, which all the children liked. Whenever a child was punished, the Lying Line intervened. For example, if a teacher told one of his students, "You must stand on one foot for ten minutes,” the Lying Line would reduce it to five. It was his job to reduce. Children hid the Lying Line from their mothers because they were afraid they'd use it to make their allowances smaller.

The Lying Line was awakened by what felt like an ant bite on his cheek. Instead, he was surprised to discover a frozen tear. The Lying Line glanced around; it was already morning.

The Lying Line had lain on the ground and slithered on the floor like a caterpillar. Many sharp points had grown on its body, like a rose. He used these body thorns to subtract something from someone. The Lying Line tilled the soil as he crawled across on the ground.

The Lying Line’s father had been killed while fighting to defend himself when the Lying Line was only eleven. But his mother had not died. On the contrary, she had married another man and abandoned Math City forever.

Now, you may wonder about minus food. Well, the Lying Line cut a piece of a number’s body with his thorns when he got hungry. Excessive hunger made him lose control of his own body and absorb numbers into himself like a magnet. More important than anything else, The Lying Line had four eyes, two heads and a mouth with 64 teeth. He did not have any tail; instead, he had another head.

Chapter 2
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The sun brightened beautifully. The Lying Line got up and went to Math City (which was a book) and walked the streets (which were the pages), the city that had many sources of multiplication and division and earned a lot of money but it did not have any importance to the world’s people.

He was walking and said himself, “Oh what a wonderful dream. I was a friend of the children and they all liked me. How I wish it were true.”
On one of the streets a warning grabbed his attention. It was 35th street, I think.
Warning:
To all dear numbers of the city:
Beware! A minus, called Lying Line, is prowling about. Stay away from him! You will change to zero if he should find you! Oh yes, being zero is equal to your death. This minus is armed with cold and hot weapons, including a sharp knife and a loaded gun!

The Lying Line saw his picture on the warning. He was embarrassed and continued sadly on his way.
Some noise caught his attention as he arrived at the center of Math City. It was the noise of the numbers, which had gathered at the center of the city. They were the numbers One, Two, Three, Ten, Twenty, One Hundred, Two Hundred, One Thousand, and many others. The Lying Line saw his friends and remembered their complaints from a few days ago.

Chapter 3
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Mr.Two cried, “You always subtract me and I don’t want it to happen again”. When the Lying Line first met Mr.Two, he was the number Five Thousand, but the Lying Line constantly fed on the body of the number Five Thousand and he gradually became Mr.Two.

Of course I should say that the numbers always changed in Math City, but the change was made when they wanted it. For instance, the number Five Thousand was in love with Lady Fifty One, who was so much smaller than him. So, he made the decision to become the number Fifty Two so he could marry Lady Fifty One. But he gradually changed into Mr.Two after making friends with The Lying Line. After this, Lady Fifty One did not want to be married to Mr.Two because he had become so smaller than lady Fifty one. The number Five Thousand wanted to become Fifty Two, which was a fit for Lady Fifty One, but now he was too small to love lady Fifty One!

"You reduced us so much we can’t walk anymore,” Lady Seven said angrily. She was a number that all people had known as Sir.Seven Hundred Thousand but now she was a Lady… “Oh, my God, this is intolerable to me!” Lady Seven had wanted to be a Senator when she had been Sir Seven Hundred Thousand. Only due to taking a vote, Sir was friends with the Lying Line and so was afflicted with this terrible misfortune.

“Oh, no! I want to last forever! Please, stop it!” Mr.Six shouted. He too was afraid of death. Because of his horror, he wanted to make the entire world safe from the danger of collapse. From the time he was born, Mr.Six had been an intellectual person who was interested in serious ideas and subject such as science. He was a law professor at the University of Math City. He often talked nonsense and gave speeches about impractical things. He had been Ms.Fifty-Five Thousand at the university before he visited with the Lying Line.

Ms. Fifty-Five Thousand had been so fat she could hardly stand up. This figure was not adequate for a professor, so she thought to become friends with the Lying Line in order to have a more attractive figure. The professor wanted to be the number Sixty-Five. It means, the lady was most beautiful and very cute but the Lying Line could not stop himself from overeating, especially from eating the lady professor, who had a very tasty body, until she became Mr.Six. He was so angry about changing into the number Six. But because he had become a man, he was so happy because the people would rather accept his speeches and ideas. Yes, he understood that a man is more important than a woman and even a few women.

Before this, he had to give a lecture about 4 o’clock long but now he spent a short time doing a speech around 1 o’clock. Yes, women’s ideas were never taken seriously by the people. But all of the people stared at the man who mounted rostrum. Though he used to be a woman, Mr.Six was really proud to be a man.

Poor Zero cried out: “Stop it!” but nobody heard Comrade Zero. He again roared, “Get out of our city!” but again nobody heard Comrade Zero which, before its friendship with the Lying Line, had been Lady Thirteen, a very unlucky number and it was the cause for making always a mistake about understanding problems. She had a lot of problems in life, such as high rentals that had to be paid. Lady Thirteen drew near the Lying Line in order to decrease her unlucky problems, but she quickly changed into the number Zero, which was never heard of by the people. Even they had not seen it. Comrade Zero was no man, no woman! It was only a poor worker which usually cleaned up the streets or built buildings.

Poor Zero was everywhere and nowhere. It attended all costs and main projects of Math City but it had not achieved anything as worker. For example, the people of Math City, for the writing of the number one million or a million bricks, need 6 Zeroes but those were not as important as One Million. They were everywhere, but nobody attached importance to them.

“All the minuses are the same”, they shouted. The Lying Line asked warily, “Am I a minus?!” From then on he was alone and nobody wanted to be his friend.

Now in the center of Math City, The Lying Line recognized some of his friends' voices amongst the crowd, but their appearances had changed. He looked at them and said, “Why did you become so fat?”
Number One Hundred-and-Eighty-Thousand shouted, “Oh no! I should go on a diet, my stomach is getting big!” He made and sold sweets and cakes at his confectionery shop. A sweet of Math City was an enigma which was giving a lot of pleasure to who had answered to that enigma and usually said, “So great, oh my god Mmmmm… lol” but the same person was feeling very bitter if could not solve the enigma, shouting that shit ahhhhh, this was a sweet or snake poison. The people of Math City were so interested in eating enigmatic sweets, of course, on the condition that a sweet did not become snake poison.

A Million-and-One-Hundred was lying on the ground and told Three and Four, "I have become so heavy that I can’t walk anymore.” He was a dentist and only knew how to pull teeth out. Extracting teeth was a very important issue in Math City because the pulling out of teeth was a punishment here. When someone broke a law or rule, he (she) faced the penalty of extracting teeth.

“I am going to burst because of fatness, help me please!” said Seventeen Million, who belonged to the highest social class and came from an aristocratic background. He was the boss of everywhere, school, municipality, hospital, factory, park, street, even the toilet. Nevertheless, he was incapable of doing any work. He was an inefficient aristocrat who laid down the law just to gather money and boast. He merely listened to the voice of middle-class Mathcityian, who often worked hard, and went swimming or watched a film on TV after work. For this same reason, they could not follow the boss’s works. He then abused his position of power as Boss to make him wishes come true.

Then happened a strange thing. As Lying Line came closer, the nagging of the fat numbers became less.

Chapter 4
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Comrade Zero again saw him and shouted, "Stay away, stay away! The Lying Line! No, no! Here is a minus!” As usual, Poor Zero was not heard. Until another slim number appeared and wailed, “Be careful! He will deduct you if he touches you!” The Lying Line stayed still, but the noise of the fat numbers became louder.

Number One Hundred-and-Eighty-Thousand shouted, "You’re very welcome! Since you came here, our pain has reduced. Do you like sweets?”
Seventeen Million said, “Thank you for coming! I have become smaller, as if I’m living in a Jacuzzi”

A Million and One Hundred couldn’t walk, but after the Lying Line appeared, he lost a hundred thousand and could stand again. "What a good boy you are! Please come a bit closer to lessen our pain!” he leaned over to whisper to the Lying Line, “Would you like me to make a few teeth for you?”

The Lying Line was surprised, “You know to make teeth!”
A Million said, "I know, but this is especially for the great men of Math City.” And he cunningly continued, “No one must know! It's a secret! Don't tell! O…”

The Lying Line was happy, but Professor Six said, "Please, no! I am going to turn to zero and die! Please do not come any closer! I’m a Professor and wouldn't like to become a worker that does not exist and in fact has passed away. Do you understand us?”

The Lying Line felt sorry for him and stayed still. He did not know what to do, whether to go forward or backward. The smaller numbers did not like him, but the fat ones did. “Come! Come closer,” they shouted.
Come, come, and go, go backward, started suddenly.

Chapter 5
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The numbers were slowly divided into two groups: A side for slim numbers and another side for fat numbers, in such a manner that the Lying Line was placed in between them. Each and every one was trying to overcome the others by shouting. The terrible quarrel grew hotter and hotter, until someone raised his voice and shouted: "What happened? What are these quarrels for?

It was my father's voice, a lying line in an upward position. ”We are from the plus family,” they said. They called my father "Upward Lying Line," and he had earned great respect among the people. In fact, they were forced to respect my father; otherwise they would lose their place in society. As the boss, my father had gathered a lot of admirers around him, and also found customers for the sly confectioner, and captured guilty for that deceitful dentist.

Poor Zero tiredly came near me and my father and said, “I was so unlucky, but since this minus arrived, I have been more miserable than ever.”
My father did not hear it. But I saw it and said, “I understand you.” Poor Zero was so surprised, “Oh my God, you can hear me... this is impossible! I don’t exist…”

Poor Zero was right because only I could see, understand and hear it. From then on, we have been friends, and poor Zero has never left me. I wish it was a woman and I could be married to it.

Professor Six then ran to us and told him, “We are going to get killed if you do not come here.” My father came to the quarrel as he heard this. The Number Million was scared to once again become fat and started nagging. He shamelessly told my father, “We don't want you here; we will try to get along without you. Don’t stay here.”

- Yes, the Upward Lying Line must go away. I am breathing heavily.
Mr. Six said, “The one who must not be here is the Lying Line”.
- He’s right, minus should not be here.
-
My father became happier and turned his face toward A Million, “O tricky, you should be ashamed of yourself. You would not even be a street cleaner if I weren't here. You are a clown.” At that moment, Seven Million, the boss of Math City, leaned forward with a sly smile, cleared his throat and began, “Folks, as president of Math City, I should say that we all live in Math City and mustn’t fight against each other. But well, there are a few problems and I think we must solve this problem with a real solution on the basis of bilateral agreements.”

- Ok… Of course… A great speech…
He continued, “We clearly made a profit from the existence of Mr.Upward Lying Line in this city. We all would have been destroyed by our enemies if he had not been here. Oh yes, he is who was able to save up large amounts of money for Math City.”
The slim numbers confirmed what was being said, but the fat numbers only swore under their breath at the boss because what he was telling them was not to their advantage.

The boss again cleared his throat. “We thank The Upward Lying Line’s efforts but… but…” Everyone was quiet and all the numbers held their breath as they listened to their boss. “But most of us who have been damaged by the plus don’t want him (he pointed to my father) staying here.”

When he heard these words my father got mad and swore at Number Seven Million, who was nothing without my father. “You are stupid… Damn! You are a steer…” My father said to the boss.

Comrade Zero started to curse at the Lying Line, “You are a witch.” Of course, nobody could hear it except me.

Professor Six yelled--do not forget that he was enjoying his being male--at the crowd of angry protesters, “Shut up! As a professor, I’m saying that the minus is a massive egoist. He is addicted to opium and has a serious caudal illness which often makes him behave violently.”

Someone asked, “What? Caudal illness! What do you mean?!”
The professor confidently said, “Yes, It is a dangerous illness in the tail that…”
All started sighing. “Son of a gun, The Lying Line doesn't have a tail, stupid!”
A Million said angrily, “This foolish professor is trying to trick us into thinking the Upward Lying Line is a good person.”
The dentist shouted, “Parasitic professor, surely I must pull out your teeth!”

Mr. Lovely Two said, “No. It is clear that you are parasitic with your fat body, but we are dying slowly. I fell head over heels in love Lady Fifty One. The Lying Line abused my love.” My father came near him and said, “Surely I will help you to reach Lady Fifty One. I'll give you a few numbers from the body of one of the fat numbers."

Upon hearing this word, his eyes lit up, “Oh my God. Thanks…”
The confectioner answered, “It is loose talk, because we have tried hard to reach the position that we are now in. I want to slim down, but I'll never give my body! Not at all.”
Lady Seven, who had the dream of being a senator, sadly said, “All of you have reached this position because you helped the Upward Lying Line. I would never say such things if I could become a senator with his help.”

My father told her, “I wish I could have helped you to become a senator. But it’s not too late to do it.” She coquettishly covered her face with both of her hands and looked at my father with her big blue eyes, but then got angry with herself for letting the others see his true feelings. She said, “I was a man but now I am a woman… oh, my God," (again coquettishly)… "Oh shit. Mr.Upward Lying Line, I promise you I will remain loyal to you if I could be a senator and a man again.”

Professor Six rudely said, “That is shameful. I used to be a woman. You are insulting half of the people on Earth. I’m so sorry that I have to live with you!”
- You should be ashamed of yourself. All of us know how proud you are of being a man…
-
Then, with utter impudence, they began cursing each other with the foulest language. You also would have heard the voices of many animals, like donkey, cows, goats, etc, if you had been at the center of Math City then.

Chapter 6
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The Lying Line and my father gradually found out the truth. Both of them knew everything.
Finally, the boss shouted, "This is not true… please be quiet.” One of the slim numbers threw a stone at him, but the stone hit the Lying Line’s head and he started bleeding.

In response to that stupid act, the fat numbers also started throwing stones at my father and the slim group. The bloody quarrel rose in intensity as they threw stones at each other. The stones hit the windows of the stores. All along, voices rose loudly, “Ouch, my head! My eyes! My feet!” At the corner of the street, one of the numbers was being beaten to death in the name of justice by a few other numbers.

The quarrel was getting terribly big and some cars' tires were burnt. 25th Street was destroyed completely. Although many of the stores had closed, they were plundered.

Now maybe you'll ask me about police presence. Well, it is true that Math City did not have police. Make no mistake: all the people of Math City know how to use a gun, and just like any group had its own warlike people. Even Math City would once have organized a city police force, but just as a stupid quarrel started, the police forces returned to their own group.

Anyway, when the city was full of injured numbers, the bloody quarrel ended. After the quarrel, the slim group carried my father on their shoulders, shouting, “Our boss is the Upward Lying Line!"

The Lying Line belonged to the fat ones. Oh yes, he belonged to those who only liked somebody or something they could profit from, and if they did not, such junk would be thrown away.

Finally, the city became quiet and everything went in silent for a while. The thick black smoke of the burning tires blended into the darkness of the night and faded. The city was like someone who had faced an awful nightmare and was sweating profusely.

Chapter 7
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Oh, children /

Oh, the children of the Middle East, oh /

The children who are more impeccable than any water /

The children who are more impeachable than any breeze /

The children who are more impenetrable than any soil /

The children who are more imperishable than any sky /

The children who are more impersonal than any cloud /

Oh, yes... even more than any cloud /

Anyhow /

But the war, oh. But... Bu... B... /

But... Bu... B /

Bu... B