then why, oh why am I required to be amazed, pleased or full of wonder at the things he is supposed to have made? I’m not. What does puzzle me, however, is why then did he do such a stupid thing as to ask Adam to name them? Damn it, Fynn. I mean Babel and all that nonsense. What with that and the supposed flood, he does seem to me to spend a lot of time undoing his own creations. If only Adam had had the good sense to give everything a number rather than a name, it would have saved us all a lot of heartache. Ah well, my young friend, after too many years of trying to teach mathematics, I have come to the conclusion that it’s the “numb” in numbers that causes the blockage. That is partly the reason why I am always so happy to have taught you and will always be so glad to see you. You are just a tiny bit different from my other pupils. Not much, mind you, but enough!’
I wanted to say something that would justify my difference, but nothing came.
‘For goodness sake, Fynn, don’t look so dumbfounded. Finish off your drink and indulge me occasionally in my hobby-horses. My problem is really quite simple. I cannot believe. It’s as simple as that. If I could, I would, but even now I have not said what I wanted to say. Anno Domini, I suppose. What I am trying to say to you is, whatever else mathematics might be, it is certainly a language and that’s important. Now, my young friend, it’s about time you were off. Let me know what you decide to do and please come again and often.’
I was really quite confused by all this. He had never been as open with me before and I felt that I would like to stay with him, except that it wouldn’t have been much use because I was perhaps even more uncertain about things myself. The idea that mathematics was a language was new to me and it gave me much to think about, for if it was true that you could talk about God in any language and if mathematics was a language, then … except that I couldn’t see how that might work.
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