-Wait a minute! - the author says with his microphone to everyone. None is listening to him though: in the large hall, the audience is tapping on phone screens or chatting with somebody next.

In the while, he prepares his speech. After picking up his papers and standing up, he leaves his chair and goes towards the bookrest. As he steps forward, he enters a light. He puts down the papers.

-First, thank you all for...

He stops as he understands  they're not listening to him. Everybody's talking and laughing. He understands he has to shift to drastic measures.

So, he shouts: -You all, if you don't shut up immediately, you won't be given the hot chocolate we promised!

As his lips articulate "hot chocolate", everybody turns to him.

Silence graves on the whole room for a second. It's crowded by hundreds of people, who came discover his new book. (And drink hot chocolate).

"Hot chocolate?" someone shouts out.

"Where is it? I want it!"

"Me too!"

"Hot chocolate?"

"Will you add sugar for me?"

"Please give me a napkin too!"

"You'll be given when we end!" the author answers.

Oh, you reader! Yeah, you. You're already feeling thirsty, aren't you? Don't worry, you'll be given too.

"However, let's talk about something serious instead" he states, then steps to the side so the spectators can see the screen behind him. The cover of his book appears, and he starts talking.

"First, thank you all for coming here read my new book. I'm Toadino2..." the crowd erupts in claps as he says his own name "... and this is Rousing Numbers, my first fantasy story! If you hadn't read its summary, here it is."

The image fades to blank, then some big black lines begin flowing.

"Maths are in your body. No kidding."

Lights are weakening, and mystery fills the air. Perhaps someone doesn't love maths, but keeps listening.

"Everybody in Hypat's World, Numarth, loves maths. It inspires their design, their imagination, their culture. Everybody is a true expert. But they still think that it is something abstract, which won't ever be concrete, and that they will use it just for calculating, designing and working.

They're wrong.

Maths digs in every part of that world. Even their DNA.

Hypat's ancestor, many centuries ago, fought to block a dark force that would use maths to wipe them dead. They meant to kill the dark magic, springing from their body numbers.

What if all that roused back?"

Well, some people in the room, especially students, wish maths didn't exist at all. However, they can't help but be interested.

That's why, as the lights come back and the screen turns off, the whole crowd bursts, applauding.

"Bravo!" they shout. He bows and exits.

Oh, wait. I'm sorry, but the hot chocolate has already been stolen.

LAST DISCLAIMER: I'm not a native English speaker. You may find mistakes and bad-sounding phrases in this book. Please tell me about anything I should correct, both via comments or private messages. Even though I'm going to carry on this book normally, as I would with the others in my native tongue, this is quite an experiment. If it turns out right, I'll likely take it to the end.

Thank you all for reading :)