Why does Erasmus lie about the discovery of a fossilized “human shoulder with faint traces of wings” (58).

Erasmus is alive at a time in history when religion has been a vital part of everyday life, and he has begun to struggle with the connection between his religious beliefs and what science reveals. The newly-introduced theory of evolution has further muddied the waters. Erasmus is truly struggling. Erasmus wants the truth about the origins of mankind, and he believes that getting the answer from the Mendacity Tree will give him that information. He creates an enormous hoax by gluing fossilized feathers to a human shoulder bone as “proof” that angels once walked the earth.