Cleverness When It Counts - Lauren Ipsum: A Story About Computer Science and Other Improbable Things - page 73

“Even more to the point,” said Anton, “if zero is odd, then Basil would be Senior both today
and tomorrow, the First of Hectember. I won't sit still for that !”
“You see, miss, when it comes to important questions, where you stand depends on where
you sit,” Basil said.
“But—” Laurie started.
“Anyway, you need to have your Pass Approval Request Form approved first.”
“My Pass Approval Request Form? I don't understand.”
“Oh, we don't have the Passes here, of course,” said Basil. “That would be bad security!”
“You have to get your Pass Approval Request approved by General Case. If he says you can
pass, then we say you can pass,” said Anton.
“He's down the hall to the right,” added Basil. “Now see here, Anton: If you add two odd
numbers together you get an even, right? And zero plus zero is zero. So if zero is even like
you insist, then it must also be odd at the same time . . .”
Laurie walked down an endless hall until she came to a slightly open door marked General
Constantin Case, Office of Perimeter Security . She knocked lightly and stepped inside the
room.
“Hello, Mister General, sir? I'm looking for a Pass to go through the gate.”
“Hmm.” General Case looked up from his papers for a moment. “And what is your busi-
ness?”
“I'm delivering a package.”
“Hmm. How many fenceposts do I need for 100 feet of fence?”
“Excuse me?”
“ Fenceposts , child. I want to put a fencepost every 10 feet for 100 feet of fence. How many
do I need?”
“Uh, 10?”
“That's what I thought, too,” he said, “but we're running short. I suspect the enemy is steal-
ing them.”
Laurie had no idea what he was talking about. “I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but about that
Pass . . .”