(本文是在北京上学的15岁学生 Sean Li 的英文作业，一篇关于冒险的短篇小説。内容完全为作者原创，编者只字未改。)

Adventure Story:

Illuminati Confirmed

by Sean Li

Zavier entered his house, an extraordinarily grand and luxurious mansion that hangs from a cliff. He walked across the hall and took the elevator upstairs, to his study room with a gigantic French window, where he can get the magnificent view of the entire canyon, and the lake down at the valley.

It is approaching evening, Zavier reached the shelf for a book, lighted himself some candles and poured some of the finest wine into his goblet glass. Zavier can sit for hours, just to sip on his wine and some lore from the book in his hands, and occasionally look up to appreciate the marvelous scenery in front of him.

Zavier is a very gifted man, and a natural scholar and thinker. Ever since Zavier was a kid, he grew curiosity in all the unknowns in the universe. Hence, although Zavier is a much successful and renowned historian, he has still dabbled deeply in many other scientific and literature fields. He had devoted most of his life of 28 years into studying of illuminati, a peculiar and forbidden organization. Zavier decrypted all of Illuminati’s secret messages, its wicked doctrines and beliefs. Illuminati is an exterminated religion that hadn’t been active for centuries already, according to Zavier’s findings, which Zavier is deeply certain of, and is all that Zavier stands for.

Zavier won numerous awards and noble prizes with his findings, and created an immense wealth with it.  Any other young men with his achievements would spend all day socializing and bragging about their successes. But Zavier is different; he has lots of friends, but doesn’t let them get involved in his personal life much. Zavier has a quite solitary personality, and would only like to spend most of his leisure time away from work by himself, drinking wine and reading books, which is also why he built such an extravagant mansion on a cliff, away from all noises.

Zavier looked out from the French window, down at the zigzagging, narrow highways around the canyon, “Why not go for a ride?” Zavier thought. He got up, put the book and the glass of wine aside, and took the elevator down to the garage.

Zavier started the machine of his brand new Lamborghini, as it made a deep, mighty growl. As soon as the garage doors rolled up, Zavier pushed the gas pedal, his car suddenly thrusts forward and out of the house.

Zavier is now roaming through the endlessly long and narrow highway along the precipitous mountain. Racing in such narrow roads can easily lead to crashing, but Zavier had confidence in his driving, besides, racing precariously is what Zavier always liked to do, he loved the feeling of adrenaline rushing through him, it gives him the thrilling sensation, which he enjoys. Zavier handled every turning and swerves very well, and he started getting more and more carried away. Zavier was maneuvering the car with only one hand on the steering wheel; he turned around, and used the other hand to reach for his phone. Then, Zavier heard a loud sound of car horn; an enormous truck was right ahead of his car, approaching him from the opposite side.

Zavier had no time to react, or to push the brake pedal. His car thrusts forward and bumps into the truck. The collision was hard, and Zavier’s light weighted Lamborghini had to deal a lot more damage than the heavy truck. His car was spinning forward to the fenceless cliffs, and rolled off from the mountain ridge, a steep and hard fall. With his last bit of consciousness and sight, Zavier turned his head faintly and gazed at the engine of the car, it was on fire.

People see red smokes coming out from the valley, the sound of explosion resounds across the entire canyon.

When he woke up, there were explosions, sound of gun firing, and the screaming and howling of soldiers, these noises are deafening.

Zavier’s eyes fully opened up, he found himself lying on his stomach on some black soil, he was perfectly sane and have sound limbs. He was also carrying a gun. From the color them of his dress, Zavier can tell he is wearing a germen military uniform.

“Where is this?”

“Sergeant peaceful! Our forces are under severe assault!” A desperate voice came from behind. The person was speaking in German, Zavier can speak proficient German, and thus he has no problem with understanding or speaking the language.

“Am I a Nazi?” Zavier thought to himself, he deduced that he is in the frontier of Second World War. Zavier started having lots of doubts and questions. He is bewildered, not knowing of his current identity, where he is at, or how this crossing in time and space had happened. However, it had come to notice for Zavier that staying alive is the top priority. Forces were already ordered to retreat, and so Zavier did with all the other soldiers, he needs some time in solitude to figure things out. Zavier crawled, ducking bullets while using his utmost strength to get back to their bomb shelter.

After Zavier had successfully retrieved to the shelter, he sat down in a corner and tried to think it through. He started pondering deeply, a thousand questions are welling up in Zavier’s mind, and what has happened was too much for him to process. The travelling through space and time that he experienced was not scientific. Zavier would like to think that he is experiencing a delusion or a dream, and that he did not die in the first place, but a dream would not feel as authentic. Moreover, while knowing that he is with the most wicked organization in history, and that Zavier may have a chance to prevent the tragic catastrophes that the Nazis will cause, ordered the conquest of Nazis, he also finds this the best opportunity to study the history of World War two, playing a part of a history in person. In the end, Zavier is still clueless about his situation.

A corporal approached Zavier: “Sergeant,” he said. “We have some good news, the headquarter is sending more troops that are going to substitute us, our job is done here, sir! ”

“We’re not fighting in the frontier anymore?” Zavier exclaimed, he was happy that his life was no longer at risk.

“Yes, we’ll be heading back to the citadel of army.” The corporal replied.

Zavier frowned, he was looking for the name “citadel of army” from his memory, but it did not ring a bell at all. Zavier had read plenty of World War II books, but it has never been mentioned that there was a German base named the “citadel of army”. Zavier was confused, but this feeling was well disguised, he smiled back to the corporal.

As the conversation ends, the corporal salutes to Zavier. He yelled out “hail Hitler”, then, he adjusted his posture solemnly and waved the greeting gesture at Zavier.

Zavier stood astonished, even more puzzled, and not believing what he is seeing: the gesture that the soldier did differs a bit from the perceived salute that is usually seen in books, movies and TV series: based on the extending right arm, the fourth and fifth finger were curled in, and his thumb was separated from his index finger, this gesture is known to be the signal to show one’s worship to Illuminati, the shackled religion that has not been seen for hundreds of years.

“Is Nazi related to Illuminati?”

This idea was very shocking for Zavier, not only because Nazi might have passed on Illuminati after it has been forbidden for centuries, but also because this finding largely revolves around Zavier’s daily profession: all of Zavier’s publications, articles and discoveries about the Illuminati won him numerous awards and created him immense wealth, and yet all of his made conclusions collapses as he witnesses modern German Soldiers performing Illuminati gestures. Zavier became more determined on his intention to study the Nazis.

Zavier realized that the corporal was waiting for his response, so he held out his right arm, mimicked the corporal’s gestures, and shouted, “Hail Hitler!”

Two weeks later, Zavier was wandering around the citadel of army. It is an enormous military base, and is equipped with the most advanced weapons during World War II, and all-around best facilities for military uses. In the citadel, there are airfields where combat aircrafts were resting on, and garages where tanks were stored, all ready to carry out commands promptly at any time. However, strangely, the citadel was never documented in any history books, and only authorized members are allowed access to the base. The presence of the citadel being so confidential had lead to Zavier believing that there’s something extraordinarily sinister about the place. Therefore Zavier, as an authorized first-class sergeant, decided to closely observe the place, especially to pay close attention to details.

Zavier noticed a narrow, inconspicuous passage. In this fast-paced military base where everyone is usually on duty, barely anyone could afford to stop and wonder where it lead. Zavier snuck in, went down from a spiral staircase, which lead to a long, underground hallway. The lights were dim, the sound of Zavier’s feet pedaling on the ground echoed, and darkness was closing up from behind. The environment was getting to Zavier. It was a long walk, and time only puts more fear on Zavier.

At the end of the hallway is a rounded platform surrounded by fences, where there is also a lever. Zavier stepped up to the platform, in the beginning, Zavier was quiet hesitant, but then he looked back and saw nothing but darkness from behind, which helped make up his mind to pull the lever. Then goes the creaking sound of ancient machines at work, the platform descends slowly, and an enormous cellar began to present itself.  Zavier was absolutely astounded.

The cellar was moist and dusky, with a dense smell of rust; it had a high ceiling, supported by two rows of pillars. On the pillars and the ceilings were compact carvings of sacred characters in Illuminati’s traditions. Zavier quickly identified the art style of the carvings, in which all were derived from well-known renaissance artists. Zavier’s studies showed that numerous intellectuals throughout history were members of the Illuminati, where they are fanatical believers of Illuminati’s doctrines.

Zavier began studying, analyzing and interpreting the carvings on the pillars and the lateral walls; he was so concentrated that he became oblivious about himself, spending hours upon them. Each carving had its own symbolisms, according to Zavier’s findings, the carvings symbolizes Adolf Hitler as the new autocratic dominator to the world, and the leader of Illuminati. As Zavier investigated more, he realized that many carvings represented Nazi’s steps to the world’s conquest, including significant campaigns they have fought. These campaigns follow a time sequence, Zavier found, and that the last piece of carving was emphasized as the most important one: Conquering the soviet union, a total catastrophe recorded in history, where the Nazis have pictured to be the final piece of their puzzle, and one of the finishing steps to their conquest.

At the other end of the cellar, there was an operating panel made of steel. Capable of performing “self destruction” of the military base, which can be used as a part of the tactic to crush both Nazi’s allies and enemies.

Zavier walked up to the panel, knowing that the destruction of this military base would be lethal for the development of Nazi, as it stores Nazi’s major arm forces, but it will also leave Zavier with no time to escape.

Conflicts built up in Zavier’s head, but it was soon being relieved. “God had blessed me to make me live twice” He said out loud to himself, “and now it's time to repay the world for its blessings on me.” Then, without hesitating, Zavier activated self-destruction.

And the history was changed. Countries began to counter attack, and the Nazi Empire had fallen apart. Millions of lives were saved.

Zavier’s eyes opened up once again, he found himself lying on the side in a valley, he was perfectly sane and has sound limbs. He looked upwards, and saw his mansion.

【END】

(May 2017)