The Hunchback Assignments Read Online Free

still learns so effortlessly.”
    Mr. Socrates crossed the room and looked down at Modo. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Modo. Are you obeying Mrs. Finchley in all matters?”
    “Yes, Mr. Socrates.”
    “I see you are reading Suetonius. Good. What is your opinion of Julius Caesar?”
    “He—he was strong.”
    “Yes. But what was his greatest strength?”
    Modo scratched at his eyebrow. “Umm …”
    “Don’t preface your thoughts with ‘umm.’ It’s boorish.”
    “His greatest strength was that he was … he was …”Modo searched for a word that described Caesar. Brave? Intelligent? “He was very determined.”
    “Determination will take you a long way. Good answer, Modo.” Mr. Socrates took the carpetbag from Tharpa, reached inside, and handed Modo a book. “I think you’re ready for this. It is Colonel Graham’s translation of
On War
, by Clausewitz. The prose is clunky but passable and—” He paused, picked up a book that was lying open on the side table. “
The Light Princess.
Mrs. Finchley, why is this book here? It wasn’t on my list.”
    “Sir, it’s only to improve his imagination. His ability to think.”
    Mr. Socrates’ eyes narrowed. “Ability to think? If he reads books for children he will remain a child.” He handed the book to her. “Have him read Shakespeare or Coleridge if you must encourage flights of fancy. I thought I’d been clear that any other books must first be vetted by me.”
    “They will be, sir.”
    Modo stared at his feet, ashamed that Mr. Socrates knew he had been enjoying a child’s book. Am I acting too much like a child? he wondered.
    Mr. Socrates turned back to Modo. “Tharpa certainly praises your skill and strength. He claims you’re an apt pupil.”
    Modo blushed.
    “It has been four years since I rescued you. Four years that you have spent in these three rooms. You have been extremely diligent in your training and your studies. I’m pleased by your performance.” He put his hand on Modo’sshoulder. Is this what fathers do? Modo wondered. Mr. Socrates wasn’t his father, but he was the closest thing Modo had to one. Mr. Socrates lifted his hand and looked at it as though he had surprised himself with that gesture. “You are well worth the investment, Modo. Now, would you like to one day see the outside world?”
    “Yes. Yes!” Modo exclaimed, beaming. Then, catching himself, he replied with some restraint, “I would enjoy that very much, sir.”
    “Patience, Modo. That day will come soon enough. Today we have a different, more important lesson. But I must warn you, it will be a hard one.”
    “I don’t understand,” Modo said.
    “Well, Modo, in all this time you have not seen your own reflection, have you?”
    Mrs. Finchley cleared her throat. “Mr. Socrates, I—”
    “This is not an appropriate time to speak, Mrs. Finchley,” Mr. Socrates replied without allowing his eyes to stray from Modo’s face. “Before you meet the world, you must first know yourself. Do you understand?”
    Modo looked from his teacher to his master and back again.
    “Do you understand?”
    Modo nodded, hesitantly.
    With that, Mr. Socrates pulled a small hand mirror from his vest pocket. On the back of it was depicted a royal lion inlaid with gold. The glittering mirror hypnotized Modo. Mr. Socrates turned the mirror slowly toward Modo’s face.
    Modo looked into the glass and saw, for the first time inhis life, his own eyes blinking. One eye was larger than the other, protruding like an insect’s. His enormous teeth were crooked. Bright red hair grew in clumps on his head. He had imagined his face as everything from beautiful to scarred and ugly, but this was much worse than he’d dreamed; uglier than any illustration he had ever seen. Disbelief turned to horror, and Modo’s eyes grew wide and welled with tears. He looked up at Mrs. Finchley and whispered, “You told me I was beautiful.”
    Collapsing on his knees, Modo slapped his hands over his