Somewhere Else Entirely -10-

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Garia begins to settle in her new quarters as part of the Royal Family. Master Gerdas learns more than he expected, and it dawns on everyone that steps have to be taken to manage Garia's other-world knowledge effectively and safely.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

10 - Astronomy, Cutlery, Murder


Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2011-2016 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.



"Is that a dance, Mistress?"

Garia had expected the question but continued sweeping through the positions to the end before repeating the explanation she had given Jenet two mornings before. Kenila looked completely blank. It occurred to Garia that in this society women never fought except presumably at life-or-death moments and possibly not even then. The maid just couldn't grasp the concept of fighting back.

"Never mind for now. Let's go and get bathed."

After washing herself - and the maid - the pair walked into the dressing room in their fluffy robes. Garia was unprepared for what she found after opening the door but on reflection she realized that the daughter of a King would need a bigger dressing room than a mere visitor. This wasn't a closet, even a walk-in closet, but a large room with its own tall window, the same size as the three in the bedroom and the two in her sitting room. In front of the window was an ornate dressing table with a mirror and a row of stoppered porcelain pots. Beside the table and beside the window was a full-length mirror like the one in the Lilac Chamber, made of what Garia had previously decided was polished and lacquered steel. Behind, her transferred clothing filled less than a quarter of the available rail space and there was plenty of room on the shelves as well.

'My' clothing? This is unreal, but I'd better get used to it darn quick.

"What do you suggest I wear today, Kenila?"

"Try this one, Mistress," the maid said. "Or perhaps this one? Do you know what you might be doing today?"

"Not really. The last few days have been a bit... haphazard, haven't they? I wondered if I might get out into the fresh air today." The maid looked concerned. "Oh, I don't mean I'll be going anywhere, I think I might like to get a chance to wander in some of the enclosed gardens here, have a bit of time to myself to think about things, you know? A lot's happened recently, I need to think about it all."

"I understand, Mistress. Perhaps something light, then. I heard it's still going to be warm today. This one, perhaps."

Kenila held up yet another white gown. This one had pink trimmings and gathered flounces at neck, sleeves and hem. Garia sighed internally and nodded acceptance.

A week ago I'd fight to the death if someone attempted to get me to wear something like that, she thought. Now it just plain doesn't matter. They feel good against the skin, though. They look good on, as well, although I'm really not into all these flounces and twiddly bits. This whole business is just so outside my experience I might just as well be in the school play. At least I look as though I ought to be wearing this stuff. Gary would just look plain stupid.

She examined herself in the full-length mirror before sitting in front of the dressing table so that Kenila could brush her hair.

"Do the women where you come from normally wear their hair like this, Mistress?"

"No, not really. A lot of women have short hairstyles though just as many have long hair like yours. The fashions change from time to time." Garia peered into the smaller mirror. "This is beginning to look bad, isn't it? How is hair looked after in the palace? Do you have someone who cuts it?"

"Yes, Mistress, there's a -" the word Garia mentally heard was salon "- where the ladies of the court have their hair trimmed and lots of other things done besides, like feet and nails. Would you like me to arrange a session for you, Mistress?"

Garia sighed internally. She was going to have to spend maybe a couple hours immersed in a totally alien environment and she wasn't looking forward to it. If nothing else, there were too many other things going on to waste the time, but looking at the state of her hair she recognized that there was really no option.

"Yes, Kenila, I think you'll have to. I need to at least have this hair trimmed into something respectable-looking." She paused, a thought surfacing. "But don't make it for today, I'll be too busy, I suspect. Tomorrow at the earliest." And then I'll have Jenet back. She seems to understand my problems much better than the Queen's maids ever will.

"As you wish, Mistress."

As she stood and turned to go she had another thought.

"Kenila, there's a lot of rail space here. What will it be used for? What different sorts of clothes am I likely to be wearing through the rest of the year?"

"Ah, Mistress, there'll be more gowns, I expect. We'll soon be into the rainy season, you'll need outerwear to keep the rain off, capes, cloaks, waxed boots and head wear. As the weather cools there will be different fabrics and styles to keep the drafts off. As winter approaches you'll need woolen underwear, tights, boots and so on. Maybe some furs if you'll be visiting outside the palace."

"Winter. How cold will it get then? Does it snow here?"

"Not very much, Mistress. We get a thin layer two, maybe three times in a winter. Of course, the mountains are entirely covered, nobody can travel very far. Sometimes it gets cold enough that the river starts to freeze. You'll be warm and snug inside the palace, though, don't worry about that."

"I'm not worried, I just didn't know what sort of climate there was round here. Thank you, Kenila. Another question, then. What sort of clothes do I wear if I want to do some exercise? I can't wear something like I have on now, can I?"

"Mistress?" Kenila looked at Garia as if she had grown another head. "Exercise?"

Garia sighed again and dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. Oh, well. A t-shirt and shorts, or even a hockey skirt is obviously going to be out of the question. I'll have to work on that one. "Never mind, let's go and get breakfast."

As they walked into the dining room Garia belatedly remembered Gerdas. He stood talking with the King and Queen as she approached. I'm going to have to make him my first priority this morning, I think. Robanar wasn't entirely fair to the poor man yesterday. She curtseyed to the group.

"Good morning, Your Majesties, Master Gerdas."

"Mistress Garia," Robanar responded. "I trust you slept much better than you did the previous night?"

She gave him a wry smile. "That wouldn't be difficult, Sire. For any of us, I think. Is there any further news?"

"None, Mistress. Certain inquiries are being made in the city and countryside but I have not heard of any progress in that regard. Will you sit next to the Queen this morning?"

"As you wish, Sire." She hesitated, then continued. "Sire, I think it might be a good idea if, after breakfast, I put Master Gerdas out of his misery. It was perhaps unkind to dangle such a bait in front of him yesterday and then tell him nothing."

Robanar looked startled then grinned. "I had not realized that I had done so," he said. To Gerdas he added, "You have my apologies, Master Gerdas. Aye, I think a talk with Mistress Garia after breakfast is a good idea. Shall we sit at table and continue this discussion?"

Halfway through breakfast Prince Keren appeared, grabbed a mug of pel from the serving staff and sat down between two of the officials facing Garia.

"Good morning, Mistress!" he said to her with a smile. He acknowledged his parents. "Father, Mother. I thought I'd come and assist Mistress Garia this morning. Without even her maid to support her today I wondered if she would be strong enough to cope with the questions Master Gerdas is going to throw at her. After all, I'm familiar with much of what she will be telling him." He looked along the table. "Master Gerdas! I can already see that you are anxious to have your curiosity filled today."

"Highness," Gerdas replied. "Am I that transparent? I must admit I spent a poor night, my head filled with speculation as to what I could possibly learn today."

Keren grinned at him. "I can promise you won't be disappointed, Master."

Robanar added, "Mistress Garia has pointed out that I have treated the poor man cruelly by giving him a hint yesterday and then not telling him any more. The two of you had better go and satisfy his quest for knowledge before he expires with frustration."

"Aye, Father."

After breakfast the Prince found them a small meeting room at the front of the palace and they made themselves comfortable. Gerdas immediately made his position clear.

"Mistress, I have been thinking over what the King said to me yesterday and I am wondering just how you can be sure that you come from another world." He shrugged. "I grant it is possible that you may come from a part of Alaesia where conditions are very different to those in the Valley, where different plants grow and different animals wander. You might even come from a distant group of islands in the great ocean we know little or nothing about, for that matter. But... another world? How can you be so sure, Mistress?"

"Easy, Master Gerdas," she replied. "Orbiting my world there is only one moon, not the three that I see here. As I explained to Morlan, my world has been completely and thoroughly explored and there is no part of it that resembles this one, no animals here that are known in my own world."

"One moon, Mistress? Um, it may be possible for there to be a part of Anmar where only Kalikan is visible. I'm not sure, I'd have to make some calculations, but it might be possible."

"Master Gerdas," Garia emphasized, "there is no possibility of my coming from any part of Anmar. Although people from my world cannot travel very far, we have put ships of space in orbit around it, we have even sent men to stand on our Moon. We would know very definitely if there were other moons. No, I can absolutely guarantee that I come from somewhere else entirely."

The color drained from Gerdas's face. "You can send ships up there?" He pointed to the ceiling. "How is that possible?"

"A lot of money, Master Gerdas, a lot of time, a lot of research, a lot of effort. I suppose I'd better explain the reason why we can do things like this. In terms of development my world is about three hundred years ahead of yours."

Garia explained as she had done to Morlan about the progress through technology that Earth had made compared to the present state of Anmar. Unlike Morlan, however, Gerdas immediately accepted the truth of what Garia told him and obviously thirsted for more knowledge. She had to let him down gently.

"It's not that simple, Master. Each advance has to be developed and understood thoroughly before the next can be made. If you can imagine, you would have to make tools to make tools to make tools to make... you get the idea. There are other, ethical factors involved as well. Many, many of the things I know about could prove disruptive to society here. Some of the devices invented on my world can destroy yours utterly. They have come near to destroying Earth, certainly. Most of the technologies would completely change the face of Anmar. A lot of people are going to be out of a job, and mad about it. I promised the King I wouldn't let that happen."

Gerdas seemed frustrated by that statement but accepted the logic of it.

"So," he said after thinking things through, "what you are telling me is that you have some knowledge which is known in your world but not in Anmar." Garia nodded. "And that some of this knowledge you consider dangerous to us. Does that mean that you aren't going to tell us anything? If so, why tell us that you have the knowledge at all? Why say anything?"

"Because not all of that knowledge is dangerous, Master Gerdas. There are certainly things I can tell you, for example, which would advance the science of astronomy by many years without disturbing more than the Society of Questors."

Oh, shit, I forgot. Telling the Pope the truth didn't do Galileo any favors, did it? I'd better find out how the land lies, I think. Now, how can I phrase it so that I don't get burned at the stake?

"Um," she continued slowly, "I've had a thought on the matter of astronomy. There's a fair amount I might tell you, but it may be somewhat different than any current theories you might have. If so, how might new knowledge be received? I don't want to cause any arguments or get myself into trouble for saying things any of us would come to regret."

Gerdas gave a shrug. "Knowledge is knowledge, Mistress. There are many things that puzzle us about the night sky and if someone can provide an explanation which makes more sense then it would generally be accepted, I think. Oh, there are always one or two who will stick to a favorite theory but if your arguments are persuasive most will accept them. Why do you ask? Was there some problem on your own world?"

"Oh, yes, Master, there certainly was. It took hundreds of years before the plain truth of the way the sky worked was accepted and even now there are a small number who insist on different explanations. In fact, many were killed for their beliefs."

I might have struck lucky here. So far, apart from the word 'Maker' used as an exclamation I've come across nothing that indicates religion at all. That doesn't mean there is none, of course, but it might mean that these people are fairly laid back about the whole thing. I can certainly hope so.

"I find that hard to understand, Mistress," Gerdas said, shaking his head. "The truth is the truth, surely. Once demonstrated it should be accepted by all. However," his tone changed, "so far I've actually heard nothing new this morning. Is there something you might tell me which would confirm your story? Some small, innocent thing, perhaps?"

Garia smiled. "Certainly, Master Gerdas. After all, that's the purpose of this meeting, isn't it? Now, what I need is something to write on, to draw diagrams."

Keren rummaged through the drawers and cupboards in a sideboard and found some small sheets of parchment together with some reed pens and bottles of ink. Garia looked at these for a while before shaking her head.

"Given what I did the other day in Morlan's study," she said to him, "I don't think I want to try and do the same thing using those, do I? It would only be a waste of parchment and I'd cover everyone and everything with ink."

Gerdas raised his eyebrows. "You are not familiar with pen and ink, Mistress? Can you not write, then?"

"Oh, yes, Master, I can write all right but we don't use pens like that and loose ink back home, we have other methods." She turned to Keren. "Highness, do you think we could go and use Morlan's study? I can use the blackboard in there if we do."

Keren briefly considered before agreeing. "I shouldn't think he'll mind given the circumstances. Gerdas, do you know if Morlan would object to us using his study? Have you been inside it?"

Gerdas nodded. "I have, but never when Morlan was absent, of course. You're assuming that he will come back eventually, I take it?"

Keren shrugged. "If he does he'll have many questions to answer. In the meantime, I think we can go and use the study ourselves. We'll try not to disturb anything in there."

"Actually," Garia said, "it might be useful in any case. I want to see if he took any of my belongings with him."

"You brought belongings with you?" a startled Gerdas asked. "From the other world, you mean?"

"Not much but, yes, I did. The clothing I wore would not have been appropriate wear for me here, so the palace has fitted me out with more suitable attire."

"How so, Mistress? Is the clothing on your own world that much different than our own, then?"

"Gerdas, on my world I wasn't even a mistress. I was a boy like the Prince here."

Gerdas gaped like a fish.

"And no," she continued, "the clothing on my world is nothing like that worn here. Men's or women's." She looked at the expression on Gerdas's face. "And now you're wondering if I'm completely mad, whether this whole business is a complete waste of your time. I can assure you I'm not and it isn't, and if we go to Morlan's quarters I shall convince you that I am telling the truth."

"Believe her, Gerdas," Keren said. "The King, Queen and I do. The Ascendancy of Yod certainly do."

Keren led them through the palace to Morlan's quarters. A word was needed to Morlan's manservant but the presence of the Prince was sufficient to reassure the man. As they entered Morlan's study Gerdas immediately walked up to the blackboard where the most recent of Garia's explanations was still displayed.

"This is not Morlan's hand, certainly," he said. "You drew this, Mistress?"

"I did," she replied. "I was explaining rainfall."

The rest of the morning was taken up partly repeating the session Garia had had with Morlan and partly with more astronomically related items. Gerdas was surprised but not completely so when Garia told him that the stars were also suns like Anmar's own and that the planets were worlds like Anmar itself. It seemed that some of his astronomer colleagues has suspected as much but had no method of proving or disproving their theories. He was surprised to find out how big the sun was and therefore just how far away even the closest stars must be.

Garia sketched out for him Newton's laws of motion and the gravity formula. She showed him that if he treated all orbits as ellipses rather than circles the calculations came out more accurate. There was also a discussion about telescopes and what might be seen through them, and the nature of the light that came from stars of different colors. After a while Morlan's manservant came to find them to tell them that lunch would shortly be announced.

"Before we go," Garia said, "let's have a look at my things. They should be on the desk over by the window."

The clothes were still there and Gerdas took a close interest in them, especially her shoes. They could not find her watch or wallet, though.

"He could easily have concealed those small items under his clothes," Keren mused. "I wonder if we'll ever see them again?"

"I'm not really too bothered about the wallet," Garia said. "The money is just a curiosity here, after all. The watch is a different matter, it could have told me how long the day here is compared to Earth's. Without a watch there is absolutely no way I know to compare them."

She turned to go, but then inspiration struck her and she turned back.

"I can do one thing, though," she said. "Highness, I'm assuming you have an accurate measure in the palace, a rod or stick of a Stride in length?"

"Yes, of course we do, we keep several," a puzzled Keren replied. "But, there is nothing of your own you can compare it with, surely? After all, even your own body is different here, isn't it?"

"But there is! I know exactly how long the inside leg of these jeans are, thirty-two inches. I measured them when I got them home after buying them to make sure they were the right length. With those and a standard measure from here I can work out what your distances mean in my own terms."

Gerdas looked interested. "How will that help you, Mistress?"

"It will enable me to visualize lengths, volumes and distances," she replied. "That way, whatever I learn of Palarand and Anmar will make more sense to me. After lunch?"

"Yes," Keren said. "I'll ask the tax office if I can borrow a standard measure for the afternoon."

~o~O~o~

"Sire," Gerdas began, "I am extremely pleased to have been given the privilege of talking with Mistress Garia here. Just the few small matters we discussed this morning will mean the beginning of a new era for Astronomy on Anmar. I'm sure that her knowledge will benefit Palarand in many other ways too."

"That may be so, Gerdas," Robanar replied, "but we must tread carefully and cautiously all the while. Mistress Garia has indicated that if her knowledge is used thoughtlessly then there are serious dangers which may beset us, and I'm not just talking about the personal danger she faced the other night. Sit, sit. Leave this discussion, that is for another, more private time, I think. Our lunch awaits. What of the stars, Gerdas? Are there any late adjustments we must make to the calendar?"

Keren showed Garia to her seat, explaining, "Master Gerdas is part of a whole community of astronomers who live all over Alaesia. Of course, we don't know much about what happens right over the other side but I know Gerdas manages the occasional letter with them even so. What they all do is take sightings of the moons, planets and stars in order to keep our calendar straight. When they all agree we update the calendars so that all countries use the same days, weeks, months and years."

"You'll have to explain that a little more, Highness," she said as Kenila pulled out her chair for her. "A week is a week, surely?"

"It's complicated. A week is seven days which is the time Annis takes to go round once and return to any chosen starting point. The problem is, it doesn't take exactly seven days so every so often an extra 'holiday' day is declared in order to correct the discrepancy. The same thing with a month, Kalikan takes thirty-one days and a bit. When the bits add up to a whole day then another holiday is declared, and so on. That happens about every year and a half. There's also an adjustment made so that the year always begins on the shortest day. That happens about every six years or so. Didn't you tell Morlan that your own year was adjusted that way?"

"It is, but we use a standard formula to do it, rather than occasional adjustments like you do. I shall have to find out how your days, months and years are named or numbered, won't I?"

"Of course." Keren smiled. "I shall be honored to instruct you in such matters." Beyond Keren Terys pursed her lips but said nothing.

The main course of the three was a cold dish of sliced meat and some strange vegetables in a dark sauce. The cold meal was perfectly suited to a hot summer's day. Some of the ingredients Garia recognized from previous meals but others were new. Everything she ate tasted fine to her palate for which she was thankful. Something she wasn't thankful for was the awkward manner in which her knife and spoon had to be manipulated to get anything actually into her mouth. A small, round vegetable the size and color of a radish slipped from under her spoon and skidded off her plate in a trail of sauce, across the tablecloth to land in the lap of Captain Bleskin.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Captain," a mortified Garia told him. "I didn't mean to, obviously. It's just this sauce makes everything so slippery."

"No trouble, my dear," Bleskin lifted his napkin from his lap, complete with offending vegetable, and handed it to a waiting servant for disposal. "I sometimes have the same trouble myself. Although, of course," he smiled at Garia, "I usually take care to aim at junior officers." There was a chuckle from Robanar.

Garia felt her annoyance at the awkward eating implements begin to rise but she managed to hold herself in check. She held up her spoon so that the King and Queen could see it.

"Your Majesties," she began, "may I ask who provides your eating tools?"

"Why, we have metalsmiths in the city who supply the palace, dear," Terys replied. "Why? Is there something wrong with your spoon? I can have a servant replace it if so."

"No, there's nothing wrong with it as such," Garia said. "I have a much better idea, though, and I would like to try it out, please. That means getting your metalsmiths to make me an eating tool of a different design."

"This would be something from your own world, wouldn't it?" Robanar asked. "Are there any problems likely to be caused by using this new device?"

All the other diners at the table stopped eating and looked at Garia. She looked up and down the table and flushed at being the center of attention.

"No, Sire, none at all. It might just make your mealtimes easier, is all."

"We shall speak to the Chamberlain after the meal," Terys decided. "You can inspect all the other cutlery that the kitchen uses, see if there is anything similar that might be useful, make some arrangements. Then," she leaned over the table to make sure she caught Garia's eye, "we shall go to the household chambers and take our afternoon rest."

"As you command, Ma'am."

After the meal most people went off for their afternoon siesta. Captain Bleskin went back to trying to figure out who the intruders were and how they might have gotten in or out of the palace, if indeed they had done so. Terys, Garia and the Chamberlain Kendar followed the serving staff into a part of the palace that housed the great kitchens which kept everybody fed. Here Garia was shown drawers, trays and racks of kitchen and table tools of all kinds and sizes, but there wasn't a single fork in evidence anywhere. She put a question to one of the Master Cooks standing nervously in front of the small party.

"Master, how do you slice meat from a joint, may I ask? I see that you must use a knife, how do you hold the joint steady while you carve?"

"Mistress," the man answered carefully, "we use holding pins. Let me find one for you."

He walked off and returned with a strange device consisting of a wooden handle with a spike sticking out of the end. A disk of metal prevented the spike from going all the way in. Garia could see how it worked. It's like a ski pole without the pole, she thought. Okay, maybe it's time for forks to be introduced to Anmar. She turned to the puzzled man.

"Thank you, Master. The situation appears much as I thought. I don't think we need cause disruption in your kitchen any longer." She turned to the Queen. "Your Majesty, there is nothing suitable here. Perhaps I could talk to this metalsmith you mentioned."

"Certainly, my dear. Kendar, ask Master Parrel to come to the palace tomorrow morning to see me, would you? Tell him I wish to commission, hmm, something new from him."

"As you command, Your Highness."

"And now," she continued, "It is time for our rest."

~o~O~o~

When Garia opened her eyes it was mid-afternoon, maybe four by Earth reckoning. She raised her head and saw that the Queen, Keren and the Queen's two maids were still all asleep, although she knew that it wouldn't be long before they all woke up. She had discovered that her own sitting room had a door onto the balcony and so she was lying in her own recliner a short distance from those the others were using. Looking beyond the other recliners in her line of vision she noticed two Guardsmen sitting at the very end of the balcony, both attentive with weapons to hand. It seemed that, although unobtrusive, Robanar was taking the security of his family very seriously indeed, and that family now included Garia.

She stood and then stretched, working her arms and legs to take the stiffness out, then entered her sitting room to look for something to drink. A jug of water was on a side table with some goblets, the water was warm but in a world with no refrigeration that was to be expected. She went back out onto the balcony and looked the other way, discovering that another pair of Guardsmen sat at the other end as well. She walked towards them and they both automatically stood.

"No, don't bother getting up on my account," she said. Neither man listened to her, they were too well trained. "I just wondered if this was a normal duty for you."

"Mistress, normally there's a single man at each end," the older of the pair said. "Since the other night the Captain has been more cautious and sent four for this duty."

"Oh. You look familiar, somehow," she said to him. "Are you one of those that follows the Prince and me when we walk about the palace?"

He nodded. "Aye, Mistress. I'm sorry, we try not to get in your way, but we have to be near enough to help if there's trouble, you must understand that."

She smiled at him. "You don't have to apologize for doing your job. After the other night I'm glad to have people like you around to look after me."

The younger Guardsman could not have been much older than Garia. He swallowed, then ventured to speak.

"Mistress, that was a brave thing you did the other night. Are the women all like you where you come from?"

"Not at all. I would like to think that most would try and look after themselves a little better than the women I've met so far in Palarand, but then my world is so different than yours that they have to. We're a little more independent, say."

"As you say, Mistress." He looked at the decking, and then at Garia again. "Mistress, we've been hearing all kinds of rumors about you. All kinds of crazy things."

"I would treat all such rumors as fantasy if I were you. I imagine that one day the story of where I come from will be common knowledge here but for now, it's best that we keep things to ourselves. After all, it was probably those rumors which sent those men to my bedchamber." She took pity on the young man. "Look, as far as you and the other Guardsmen are concerned, I'm just a young woman who's come here by accident, don't know how I got here, don't know how to get home. I can speak the language but that's all. I know next to nothing about Palarand, Alaesia or Anmar. The King has offered me a home until such time I might be able to find my way back, which probably means never. Other than that, I'm just a normal person."

"Are you high-born, Mistress?" the older one asked.

"No. We don't have such distinctions where I come from, not like that." Garia could see them having difficulty with that concept but decided not to elaborate. "My Dad is a... merchant, if that makes my status any clearer."

"Thank you, Mistress."

The two men suddenly stood straighter and Garia turned to find the Queen bearing down on her.

"Garia? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you. I was just curious, is all."

Terys nodded to the two men then said, "Very well, then. Do you want to come into the sitting-room? Kenila is brewing up some afternoon pel."

Garia correctly interpreted this as a direct command and followed Terys back into their sitting room. They sat down facing one another and the Queen spoke.

"That's not really a good idea, you know. You're a young woman and those are Palace Guardsmen, who knows what could happen. You should have a chaperone with you at all times when you are talking to men you don't know. And sometimes when they are men you do know. I don't know what it's like on your own world, but here it isn't seemly for a woman to talk to men that way, not unless she's one of the unsavory kind."

"A prostitute, you mean?"

Terys responded to Garia's involuntary reply with a look of distaste. "You know about those, do you?" When Garia nodded she continued, "Everyone in Palarand recognizes that they have an important function to perform but nobody speaks about them in polite company. Can you remember that, dear? I wouldn't like you to cause another fuss like your remark to Morlan did the other day."

"Uh, I understand, Ma'am. But... those Guardsmen, it was an innocent question or two, that's all. I think they were more frightened of me than anything."

"That's fine, dear. Just remember that it might not be so innocent next time and act accordingly."

"Yes, Ma'am."

After taking afternoon pel Keren appeared bearing an official Stride measure. This was a length of rectangular cross-section brass which had been inscribed with appropriate subdivisions and stamped as a legal standard measure. It was the first time Garia had seen the Royal Arms of Palarand up close, a disc with a wavy line across it, a strange animal either side and a crown on top.

"This the kind of thing you meant, Garia?"

"Oh, yes, I think that will do just fine. Ma'am, is it all right if we go? I must do some measuring in Morlan's study."

"What are you two up to now? What are you doing in there?"

Keren explained how they had spent the morning and how Garia had an idea for comparing dimensions with Earthly ones. Terys's eyes started to glaze over at the explanation and she waved them away. Keren led the way back to Morlan's quarters where they discovered Gerdas waiting for them.

"Master Gerdas."

"Mistress Garia. Well, knowing what you were about to attempt, I couldn't miss the opportunity to watch you make calculations in your own numbers. I trust I was correct in this assumption? Do you mind me observing?"

"Not at all, Master. Now, I'm going to need some help from you both, since I don't understand your numbering system, so I can't read this measure."

By dint of some counting and adding up on her fingers, she worked out the length of the trouser leg as a proportion of a Stride and started making calculations on the blackboard. Gerdas was fascinated by her rapid scribbling. When she had finished she frowned at the result.

Damn. I had hoped that a Stride was going to be close to a yard, which would have meant that a Foot would be almost the same as an Earth foot and so on. They must have taken big steps in these parts when they defined the Stride. This thing is just short of thirty-nine inches. Hmm. Those jeans have been washed a couple times, now I think about it. Did they stretch or did they shrink?

She sighed. Oh, well, at least I have another option, although the all-American in me wishes it were otherwise. I will have to assume that a Stride is almost a Meter. I can live with that. It means a Mark is just under a kilometer or so. It will do. If I need miles I can just use the five-eighths rule. I can use metric tons as well for weights but I really don't get kilograms like I do pounds. Oh, well, I couldn't expect it to come out a perfect match, could I?

"Mistress? You look disappointed."

"Hm? Oh, it's not really compatible with the measures I'm used to at home but there's a different set I can use. I'll get by. It'll only be until I get used to the measures you use here, anyway."

"These calculations of yours," Gerdas said. "They mean absolutely nothing to me at all. Might I ask you to explain them, Mistress?"

"Why, certainly, Master Gerdas."

She started to explain but found that it was first necessary to write down the digits and show how they were used to do positional arithmetic. In the course of this explanation she discovered that in the Valley they used a system derived from the ancient Chivan method which functioned somewhat similarly to Roman Numerals. This used a mixture of letters and special symbols and went up to eighty before repeating. Needless to say Gerdas was ecstatic to find another system which was so much simpler.

"Mistress, may I write these symbols of yours down and use them myself? In working out the positions of moons, planets and stars there are many calculations and your own methods will make my work so much simpler."

"Um."

It's here. This is the first real decision I have to make. Introducing forks is almost nothing compared to this. This will change a world.

"Um," she said again. "Master Gerdas, what you ask is simple, but it may have far-reaching consequences for the whole of Alaesia." She gave Keren a significant look. "I think it's time we had that long talk with the King and Queen. We need Gerdas as well."

"I agree," Keren said. "I want to learn these symbols as well. If you're figuring out the taxes, or supplying the palace, or administering the Palace Guard, these are going to make a lot of difference. Maker, almost any activity I can think of will benefit. I can see why you need to talk to Father and Mother."

Gerdas had gone pale at the Prince's words. He found a seat and sat down, pulling a cloth from his waist pouch to wipe the dampness from his forehead.

"I hadn't realized," he said. "I understood that Mistress Garia had come from another world, but I hadn't thought through the implications of the knowledge she brings. Maker! No wonder someone tried to kidnap her!" He looked at Keren. "Highness, we most certainly do need to discuss these things." He turned to Garia. "Mistress, I assume that the knowledge you have may contain bad as well as good?"

She nodded. "Yes, Master Gerdas. The problem is, of course, that it's not immediately obvious which category some knowledge falls into."

"Yes, I can see that. Maker!" He put his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands.

"That's that," Keren said. Garia looked at him questioningly. "I don't think we ought to proceed much further here till we work out how to handle the knowledge you bring. I don't think I'd realized either just what a difficult task you have in front of you. Let's all go back to your sitting room, maybe we can work on that problem in the time we have left before we eat. Master Gerdas, your opinion will be invaluable."

Gerdas looked up. "Yes, Highness, of course. No wonder His Majesty was so anxious to find someone to deputize for Morlan until he is found again." He stood, addressing Garia. "Mistress, may I assume that you have told Master Morlan more than you have told me so far?"

"Yes, although not in such detail," she replied. "We didn't do so much astronomy either but we covered a number of other subjects. It was necessary to do that to convince him I wasn't making it all up. To start with, he just thought me a silly little girl who couldn't even read or write."

Gerdas nodded. "That sounds like Morlan. He's not quite the most difficult of the Questors in Palarand but his position as Head of the Society sometimes makes him unpleasant to deal with. I wonder what's happened to him?"

The three made their way through the palace back to Garia's sitting room.

"I need more information," Gerdas began. Keren raised an eyebrow and Garia gave him a wry grin. He continued, "what I mean is, because I don't yet know your history, Mistress, I am unable to understand what kind of knowledge you might possess. In your world, what are you? Are you a young person much as we see you here?"

"As far as I can make out, I'm exactly the same age I was before I came here," she replied. "Although finding that out was complicated to start with because my world has a shorter year. That's not the whole story, though, because where I come from all children attend school until about the age of... seventeen here, I guess. I have a year left of school at home. If you think of me as being the same age as Keren, I mean the Prince here, you won't be far wrong. Don't forget I was a boy before I came, although girls get the same schooling boys do, so I guess I was about the same size as him as well."

"This is going to take some sorting out," Gerdas muttered. "Boys, girls, different year lengths, still at school!"

"I think the best idea is going to be that I tell everyone my story once, after the evening meal," Garia said. "Otherwise I'm going to get hoarse repeating the same thing over and over. I've told the King some things, I've told the Queen other things, it's all getting complicated."

"We'll do that," Keren said. "I have an idea, too, that I'll put to Father. We have special scribes within the palace who can write down as fast as a person speaks. I'll ask him if we can find one who is reliable and able to keep his mouth shut. That way, whenever you tell us something, we'll have a record of it and you won't have to keep repeating yourself."

"An excellent idea!" Gerdas said.

At that moment Kenila came into the sitting room and curtseyed.

"Highness, Master, Mistress, the evening meal will soon be served. The mistress needs to change her gown."

"Of course," Keren said. "Here, Gerdas, let me take you back to your own chamber, we'll both need to freshen up. By your leave, Mistress."

~o~O~o~

During the course of the meal a Guardsman hurried into the dining room and saluted as he leaned over beside the King. A hurried discussion was held, Robanar's face changing from interested to surprised to grim. He gave some instructions to the man who promptly withdrew. Terys tried to question Robanar about the message but he just shook his head. The rest of the meal was conducted in a more somber manner than it had begun with.

~o~O~o~

"During the evening meal I received grave news," Robanar said to the company. This consisted of himself, Terys, Keren, Garia, Gerdas and Bleskin, all seated in the downstairs parlor. Servants had been dismissed.

"A body has been found," the King continued, "three Marks south of South Slip on the highway north. A Valley messenger on his way north spotted the body lying in full view by the side of the road. Naturally he couldn't stop, but he informed the detachment at the ferry guard post and they sent out a party to retrieve the body. Bearing in mind the description we sent out this morning they seem to think it might be that of Morlan."

"Oh, no!" Terys gasped. "It couldn't be, surely? The poor man!"

Robanar shrugged. "We won't know until the body gets back here. They are packing it in straw and a little ice which remained in their stocks and are sending it back here by wagon at first light tomorrow morning. It should get here by lunchtime or a little after."

"Were there signs of injury on the body, Father?" Keren asked.

"A thin blade - likely a longish knife - right through the left chest," Robanar replied heavily. "We'll have to examine the body to determine if it went in from the front or the back but I don't think that's really important." He sighed. "Apparently, the description we sent fitted that of the victim quite closely. We will have to assume, at least until there's evidence to the contrary, that Morlan is dead."

"Excuse my ignorance," Garia said, "but what is the likelihood of this being someone else's body? I mean, I suppose, how often does this sort of thing happen in Palarand?"

Keren replied. "Not that often, fortunately, Mistress. Central Palarand - that's the part of the Valley where we are - is about half the total for the whole country, but that's because most of the population lives in the city here. We get between one and two suspicious deaths a week, I suppose. Most of those are among the townspeople, drunken squabbles, domestic fights and the like. Most nobles travel with armed retainers and that means they are generally safe from cut-throats and such people. Of course, up in the mountains, where you were found, for example, it can be a lot worse, with armed bands roaming about, but even up there very few actual deaths occur these days."

"Oh. Thank you, Highness." I was very lucky, then, to be found by Tanon and Merina.

"So," said Terys, "do you want to discuss this now, dear, or continue as Keren originally proposed? I don't see we can actually do very much until tomorrow."

Robanar sighed again. "No. As you say, we shan't be able to do much about the body till it arrives here and the healers examine it. Mistress Garia has a bigger problem and it's already here, not on a wagon at South Slip. Keren? If you would take the lead on this one, you've been closer to the mistress than any of us since she's come to Palarand."

"Aye, Father." He thought for a moment then said, "Mistress Garia presents many problems to Palarand, Alaesia and possibly all Anmar. She comes from somewhere else entirely, and the society which she comes from is completely different than our own, so different in fact that we have difficulty comprehending much of what she tells us."

Keren was speaking initially for Bleskin's benefit, as he had not been fully aware of Garia's origins and nature. The surprise was evident on the captain's face.

Keren continued. "What is clear is that she comes from a society much further advanced than any we know about on Alaesia. Even though she is just a young person, and she brings with her essentially no possessions that might be of use to us, what she remembers is enough to promise huge changes here if we decide to make use of them. This in itself is the first danger. Almost anything she tells us is going to lead to changes in the lives of everyone, changes that might not be for the good."

"Like that eating implement she wants us to try," remarked Terys.

"Exactly," Keren agreed. "But I don't think that is going to do much more than possibly make eating meals easier. On the other hand, this afternoon Garia demonstrated to Gerdas and myself her system of numbers, and it was immediately evident that it was so much better than what we use now that we both wanted to learn her new system straight away. Both of us."

Keren looked at his father. "Father, if we switch to her numbering system I can guarantee that it will reduce the time taken to sort out the taxes by half at the very least. The potential is enormous. On the other hand adopting such a system could cause problems we can't even guess at yet. She has also discussed astronomical matters with Master Gerdas here and if he uses her numbering system as well, I can't imagine what changes it will make to his profession."

"A golden age, Highness," Gerdas said. "We will increase our knowledge of the heavens tenfold at the very least. Especially if we start using telescopes properly."

Bleskin started. "Telescopes? She has, beg pardon Mistress, Mistress Garia has discussed telescopes with you?"

"She talks of telescopes strides wide, made from mirrors," Gerdas replied. "I don't think we can quite manage anything like that yet, but since I now know that such things are possible my fellow Questors and I can make plans for the future."

"And therein lies the next danger," Keren concluded. "The mere fact that Mistress Garia says that something is possible, even if she can't describe it or its construction, would be enough to cause changes to our way of life. While I have no doubt that there are things she could tell us which can only improve life here, there will be things which are bad and there are things which may be either. Or, indeed, both."

"I also have talked with Garia," Terys said. "While mostly we talked about her family, she also told me about, um, what her world uses instead of healers. I didn't understand very much of what she told me, but I did understand that they had a well-organized system for identifying and treating diseases, for preventing diseases in the first place, for treating accidental injuries and for extending life. Those are all things that I would ask that we must have for Palarand. Just preventing unnecessary deaths in childhood would be its own reward."

"True," Garia confirmed. "Our modern medical methods have saved countless lives and I would be glad to add what knowledge I have to what your healers already know."

"There is another factor I haven't yet mentioned," Keren resumed. "That is the fact that someone tried to abduct Mistress Garia the night before last and that means that other people know of her existence and that she has new knowledge. She represents a treasure-house to any other country and some would go to great lengths to obtain her. That being the case, we are obliged to keep her safe in Palarand. Should we therefore try to keep her and her knowledge secret?"

"Mistress," Robanar said to Garia. "I don't want you to get the idea that we want to keep you prisoner here. We merely wish to keep you safe. If you, at any time, want to leave us, then we will release you to go wherever you wish. At the moment I would advise against that as you know little about Palarand or even Alaesia to make any such decisions. But I gave you a promise, that we would not detain you against your own desires, and I repeat that promise here."

"Thank you, Sire," she replied. To Keren she said, "Highness, I don't think that you can keep much of what I tell you secret. It doesn't work that way. If you start using my numbering system it is more than likely that everyone in Alaesia will be using it within a year. If you start using forks here then, since the King and Queen will use them, they will become fashionable and everyone will start using them as well. Similarly, if I tell things to your healers the knowledge will spread, and that can only be a good thing if it means more lives are saved."

She turned to Bleskin. "Captain, I understand what an advantage telescopes must give to your troops when your enemy doesn't have them. The problem is that you can only really keep such secrets in time of war, and, believe me, my world has known countless wars so I know what I am talking about. In peace time, though, the knowledge will inevitably leak out. Telescopes are going to be too useful to keep them a secret very long."

"How so, Mistress? I can perhaps understand Gerdas's interest, but who else might use such things?"

"Every single sea-captain, for one thing," she replied. "To be able to study a dangerous coast from a safe distance, to be able to identify a hostile ship when you are still far enough away to make your escape. Or how about long-distance communications? When I was coming here with Tanon's caravan we stopped at a place at the top of a cliff."

Bleskin nodded. "The Lookout."

"There was a man there looking down at the Valley when I went there. Was he posted there to look for signals?"

"I understand your point, Mistress. We have long agonized over giving them a telescope but because the secret would be lost, we just have to find someone with sharp eyes."

"Yes." Garia paused to marshal her thoughts. "My real point is, though, that the secret - any secret - is going to come out eventually. Therefore I have to tell you all that there are some things which I don't want to tell you at all. The problem I have is, I don't know if I have the right to do that. I don't know if I'm supposed to do that."

She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. "What I mean is, I'm here, and changes are going to come to Anmar. Is this right? Is this the reason I've been sent here? If so, it would have been nice of someone to tell me. I really don't know. I can't get over the idea that I might be doing the wrong thing."

"Mistress," Robanar said. "I believe - and the Queen also believes - that you were sent here for a reason, even if we don't yet know what that reason is. We understand your dilemma. I think that you should let us determine what might be right for Anmar and what might not. I shall make a proposal for you all to consider. Firstly, two councils, an inner and an outer council. The inner one should be just those in this room and maybe one or two others expert in their fields.

"I propose that you tell your story, as much of it as you feel able, to the Inner Council and let us decide, on the basis of what you tell us happened in your own world, what we ought to pass on to the Outer Council. If we decide that whatever you tell us would not be suitable for our society we would keep that entirely secret from everyone else, but it would be written down for scholars in a future more enlightened time to consider then. Anything we consider Palarand, Alaesia or indeed Anmar would benefit from, we would pass to the Outer Council whose job will be to ensure that the knowledge is made use of and not hoarded for gain.

"I fully agree with you about secrets, Mistress. Therefore we should make sure that there are none in this process except where we deem the knowledge too dangerous at the time. If there are good ideas, like your numbering system, then we should make sure those aren't restricted to a privileged few." He pulled a face. "If that means giving such wonders to the likes of Yod, so be it. We will at least have the satisfaction that the ideas come from Palarand, not their little bit of Valley mud. Any questions, suggestions?"

Keren spoke. "Father, I think we'll need some Quick Scribes," he said. "One of the problems we've had so far is that poor Garia has to keep repeating her story for every new person she meets. It would be more sensible to write down everything she says and then it's all on record."

Robanar nodded. "Aye, I agree. I have noticed that Mistress Garia's voice is already becoming rough with the speaking she has done thus far. We'll have to find some reliable people, and to find somewhere secure to store the records." He turned to Garia. "What is your opinion of my idea, Mistress?"

"It sounds workable, Your Majesty," she replied slowly. "Can I think about it overnight, please?"

"Certainly! I suggest we all do that, and tomorrow as well. We'll reconvene here tomorrow evening after the evening meal - assuming nothing happens in the mean time - and formalize the arrangement, if that's agreeable to all of you?"

"Sire."

~o~O~o~

"Jenet!"

"Good evening, Mistress. I thought I'd move in this evening, to be ready in the morning. The healers have agreed that I can return to work."

"You are feeling better, now?"

"Yes, Mistress. Mistress Margra said that the drug was a known herb, I shouldn't have any after-effects that haven't already occurred."

"Wait, you said you were moving in."

"Yes, Mistress. These suites have a room for the servants to sleep in. It's over here."

Jenet led the way to a narrow door beside the fireplace and opened it. Inside was a small room with a bed either side, a small locker at the far end of each under a hanging rail. Jenet's few clothes were on the rail and on top of one of the lockers.

"This is ridiculous! This room is smaller than my dressing room! There's not even a window!"

"That's all right, Mistress. It's really only used when we sleep at night. Remember, I should always be in your presence, so I don't need that big a room to keep my things in."

"I suppose. It just doesn't seem that fair, is all. I get all these rooms and you end up with something little bigger than a closet."

"Remember that this was Princess Elizet's suite, Mistress. She needed all these rooms, especially once she had reached ten winters and grew from girl to woman. It doesn't worry me, Mistress. That's just the way things are in the palace."

"As you say, Jenet."

"Now, Mistress, shall I help you with that gown? Perhaps you can tell me what's been happening today."

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Comments

Numbering Systems

Penny:
I have thoroughly enjoyed this chapter and the chance for Garia to begin the disclosure of information was so well handled. On the numbering system...when I was in school (more than 50 years ago) we learned that it was composed of Arabic numerals. Just recently, the concept of Zero has turned up in a hill-country Hindu temple that pre-dates Arabic numerals by at least 500 years. So this numbering system we use is now starting to be referred to as Hindu-Arabic. Neat, eh! So much to learn, so little time!

Arabic numbers

Of course, the irony is that modern numbers in Arabic bear little resemblance to what western countries call 'Arabic' numbers.

Still so much better to use than the Roman sort, of course. That's the main point, whatever the glyphs actually look like.

Thank you for reading and commenting!

Penny

Knowledge

As a physics teacher I have the same problem that Garia has every single time that I teach balistics and, when you teach a student the Laws of Newton you are teaching balistics. Specially if you apply them to orbits.
Any improvement in mathematics can be used to make new weapons.
Any new ideas, like that of a society without classes may change the world in crazy ways.
A fork can be used as an element in mechanics. It certainly can be used to make fishing more efective.
What I tell myself when I am teaching balistics, nuclear physics or whatever is that knowledge is a tool. The person that learns uses it for good or evil but the tool itself is not to blame.
Besides, I do believe that a society with more knowledge is a better society, not that it is a perfect society but better than it was in the midle ages.
I would not teach gunpowder to them (even though it has, perhaps, more peacifull applications in roads and tunels than applications for war) but I would not hesitate about teaching them to make an air baloon (yes, bombardment, but also better maps, transportation and an important change in the way of seeing the world) or to use pipes or to calculate the trajectory of projectiles (prefer catapults hiting where they were supposed to instead of hiting civilians).
If you teach about diseases they can use the old trick of droping an infected piece of cloth in their enemy water reservoir.
If you teach about pregnancy they may use it to kill the infant in the womb.
I do not need to describe all the evil uses of fire.
If you teach how to make better and cheaper steel (try mixing coal with iron, I do not know how to solve all problems, but any of us could show the way) it will save milions of lifes when used to make houses or brace tunels, but will also be used in war.
You have to believe that knowledge, in the end, does more good than bad. Just look at our modern societies and compare the quality of life even of our poor with that of the people in midle ages.
And, nowadays, in the society of knowledge, we do not burn people for witchcraft or hang a monkey thinking that he is french (happened in England once).

Knowledge

I mostly agree with your comments. Practically anything you can think of can be used for good or ill, and that is one of the dilemmas Garia has to deal with.

One thing you have to remember is that nowadays we don't do certain unpleasant things to people. But, the society Garia is now in isn't nowadays, it's about 300 years ago.

Thank you for your comment,

Penny

Well everything can be used

Well everything can be used as knowledge and humanity will make wars as long as it will gain them something.

She can give them war-mashines too. At worst the wars will end faster.

Thank you for writing,
Beyogi

Units

Hello Penny!

I really enjoyed this chapter and looking for another too. But that joke about units? Well, I certainly can´t understand why people (mostly english speaking) are still using that old complicated system of imperial units, when metric system is so much easier to understand (every weight, lenght unit can be multiplied or divided by ten) and is used almost by all countries on the world (expect USA, Burma and Liberia according to en.wiki)
It sometimes really tiring having to remember inch as 2,54cm or feet as 30,48cm and pound as 0,45kg. So if I asume that stride is really 39" than it is really almost 1m, well 0,99m or 99 centimeters.
And the fork - that will be really interesting becouse same shape as fork also have pitchfork (little revolution in much throwing) and trident.
And I imagine the fun when she will compare alphabetic systems. I am just curious what type they´re using, kanji or hiragana like? Then it would be enormous improvement, especialy eradicating dia and trigraphs.

Robin

Units, imperial or otherwise

Cue long, argumentative thread...

I learnt Imperial units in school because that's what was happening when I grew up. I also learnt metric at the same time in science classes so I am quite familiar with that as well. (Not to mention Pounds, Shillings and Pence.)

What I am familiar with is the old-style English measurements for day-to-day use. Partly this is memory and habit, partly because everything around me is measured in those units. I guess the same situation exists in the US. We're gradually changing, partly by stealth, but I don't have to like it. Get off my lawn!

The units used in the US are different to those used in the UK, despite what those over in the New World think. Our pints have 20 fluid ounces, yours have 16, which means that your gallon is a lot smaller than ours (which is why your fuel sounds so much cheaper than ours as well).

We measure body weights in stones and pounds, not just pounds. Saying someone weighs 200 pounds just sounds gross. They weigh newborn babies in kilos here but always have to also convert to pounds and ounces because the mothers insist on it.

Despite that I'm quite happy using metric tons and using kilometres for astronomical measurements, even though I won't use them for travel purposes here.

I should point out that my use of any of these standards in my story has no connection with the above digression. What transpires is just the way the story has fallen out so far. I'm not grinding any axes here.

Penny

PS Forks are known in the Valley, but only as agricultural implements. I made a comment about language scripts in the last chapter.

Unit systems

Imperial units were perfectly logical when first devised. Admittedly, the relationship between them was fairly complex, but the base units themselves were generally grounded in reality.

A barleycorn was originally the length of the average dried grain of barley, an inch the width of the average thumb, a foot the length of the average foot (measured while wearing footwear - hence why it's slightly longer than most feet), a fathom the average distance between a pair of outstretched arms, a mile the distance travelled in 1,000 paces and so on.

However, as the modern day inch and foot are significantly longer than their respective body parts, it's unclear whether the inch was derived from the foot (in English, inch derives from 'one twelfth', while in other languages it derives from 'thumb') or vice versa - or even if the inch was derived from the barleycorn (3 barleycorns = 1 inch - incidentally, although you may not have heard of barleycorns, they're still used [sort of] as the basis for shoe sizes).

Obviously over time, the measurements got standardised to avoid discrepancies in measurement (or dishonest merchants!), but even today in the absence of any proper measuring instruments you can take a guesstimate of the length of an object by body parts. Unfortunately, although the relationship between different metric units is far easier to understand, if you're trying to measure something without the aid of a measuring instrument, it's a bit more tricky - unless you use the metric equivalents of old imperial units...

-oOo-

Regarding the situation with Garia and knowledge, it sounds as though the monarchy have set up a sensible system. As long as the inner circle is completely trustworthy, the idea of an advisory council makes sense. In any case, the outer circle should be charged with ensuring that information / ideas that are 'safe' for release are disseminated into the public domain, so accessible by all. Ideally, there should be nominated representatives of as many territories as possible either on the outer circle or close to it, both to speed up the dissemination of information / ideas and to maintain some kind of transparency, so only the most sceptical nations would query whether Parlaland is hoarding any information / ideas to themselves.

 

Bike Resources

There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

I realize that this is many

I realize that this is many years later, but I thought I'd point out that the 'complicated' Imperial system is, basically, made from fractions. it dates back thousands of years (the linear system), and is all base 12 or base 16. Why? Because people think in fractions, not decimals. (half of this, a quarter of that, one eighth of another ) It's also easier to divide 12 than 10. (10 - 1,2,5,10. 12 - 1,2,3,4,6,12)

That's it. I mean, just try to do 'one third' via decimal - without running out of 'after the decimal point' :) What decimals are good for is for _machines_.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Fractions

Perhaps our age is showing. We understand them but many modern people don't.

I am tired of the number of times I read or hear "xxx is 100 times smaller...". My brain does a "Huh?" since "100 times" to me is a multiplication not a divide operation. Why can't these people just say "1/100th" or "one hundredth" if that is what they mean?

Probable cause: Being taught decimals and not understanding fractions at all. I once read someone saying "two times smaller" when they meant "half"...

Penny

it's weird that people would

it's weird that people would do that. I mean, fractions come naturally, but decimals don't. you can fold things in "two" - and you have two halves. Fold again, and you have quarters. Then eighths, sixteenths, and 32nds, and you've now reached the limit of most inch divisions :) Get an engineering ruler, and it goes to 64ths. I'd bet that they're _using_ fractions, but just aren't using the names, because it's frowned upon by most francophiles. (No, I'm not a huge fan of the metric system. It has huge problems of its own, the largest being that where the Imperial wasn't designed for machines, the metric system wasn't designed for people. It wouldn't bother me so much except that people don't want to admit it.)

I will say that my daughter has been exposed to fractions, and she's only 8. She'll be starting into 3rd grade in a couple of weeks.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Metric

was also designed for physics and chemistry, hence why everything is based on the volume, and mass of water. As a result, provided pure water, you can determine a base for all the metric units, which is incredibly useful for scientific standards.

uhh.. .bluntly, it was made

uhh.. .bluntly, it was made because Napoleon hated the English. It's not directly based on the volume and mass of water. It's all based on a single linear measurement, the 'metre', which is an invented measurement intended to be some division of the circumference of the earth - which of course they got wrong. (they were close, however, which is amazing considering the tools they had). They'd have been JUST as useful if they'd used a YARD or FOOT to start with, which everyone already knew how to use. Think of it - they could have had a metric foot, using 10 metric inches, or if they used the inch as their base, they could have had a metric foot that was made up of 10 standard inches. There were lots of things they could have done - but they were 1) French scientists, and 2) Napoleon couldn't stand the English, and thought that the Imperial system was English. (which is stupid, as it's more Roman than English, and just as French as it was English - but nobody really claimed that Napoleon was dealing with a full deck.)


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Knowledge

Ballistics, numbering systems, hot air balloons, telescopes, oh my! If Garia subscribed to Captain Kirk's prime directive, her only option would be to commit suicide. However, since she is going to be giving all the useful (and some not useful) knowledge she possesses, I hope she knows about 'fractional distillation'. Not only is it useful in making fuel, it can also be used to make good moonshine. Nothing quite like good (as opposed to bad!) moonshine...

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue

Not just fuel

I wouldn't be thinking fuel, in any case. That would probably imply the Internal Combustion Engine, and there's going to be a long path before they can get to one of those.

I also haven't yet decided whether or not they can distil for booze. That might make my life easier in a couple chapters time ;) No, my main thought on alcohol is for disinfectant of wounds and surfaces. I'm sure you get the picture immediately.

Penny

Distillation

courtesy of Wikipedia:

Clear evidence of the distillation of alcohol comes from the School of Salerno in the 12th century. Fractional distillation was developed by Tadeo Alderotti in the 13th century. In 1500, German alchemist Hieronymus Braunschweig published Liber de arte destillandi (The Book of the Art of Distillation) the first book solely dedicated to the subject of distillation, followed in 1512 by a much expanded version.

So it's likely they do know how to distill alcohol, and the Questors may have experimented with distilling other liquids. However, you could easily limit the technology by having them only doing it on a small scale - not having the resources or knowledge to scale it up effectively. They may not be particularly efficient at separating the various distillates - just collecting all the distillates in one container.

 

Bike Resources

There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!

But then

The fork as an eating utensil goes back even further.

Like 2000BC or more.

Ah, but fuel isn't just used

Ah, but fuel isn't just used for infernal combustion engines...! It's also used for lighting and heating. And, sadly, for making fiery balls to throw in catapults. Works great for discouraging large concentrations of barbarian spear carriers. And if you have a couple of kegs of light oil that ignites easily, you can really discourage those pesky people knocking on your door!

Of course, medicinal alcohol is extremely handy. Depending on what type it is, methanol vs ethanol, it can be applied internally or externally. Dentistry used to use large quantities of good alcohol. First you get drunk, then the dentist (or blacksmith) uses the hammer and chisel, then you clean the wound with liberal applications of alcohol. Needn't spit unless you want to, and your head is going to hurt no matter what...

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue

skip combustion

In Garia´s place I´d skip the combustion and go right after elektro-engine. Much cleaner, much less smelly. And it needs only good accumulator, no oil sheiks. But as you´ve said, its bit early for either of them.

Robin

Thanks for this

I'm really enjoying it. The last line somehow makes me a little suspicious of Jenet! (I find it fascinating that Bev's Angry Mermaid crew are also just dealing with changes to a numbering system.) As for suggesting 'improvements' - running water, central heating ('ware smog!), maybe trig points for map accuracies, long-distance comms with lights/semaphore, do they already have efficient pumps? Irrigation/canalisation.? Gosh, it does go on and on doesn't it? Well done so far, and please keep it up! Thanks again. Julia

Pumps

The palace has running water, so by inference there must be some kind of pumping system. You'll find out how that works later. Central heating? In a rambling pile the size of the palace? Probably not, although it would be more practical for smaller dwellings. The bedrooms Garia has slept in all have fireplaces, make of that what you will.

Irrigation? Hmm. Palarand is in the Great Valley, which has the lower end of a monster river flowing through it. I suspect efficient drainage is going to be more of a concern.

Penny

Morality

frankly, I cannot see any ethical or moral issue to Garia disclosing everything she knows.
She's on the planet, she has no known means of escaping it and any improvements she can effect will mostly benefit the denizens of said planet. Why should she deny herself the opportunity to acquire or re-invent such technology through her own knowledge?

There's no moral question here at all for Garia. If there are any moral questions to be answered they must be answered by whosoever transfered her/him to this planet.

Go for it I say.

Beverly.

Growing old disgracefully.

bev_1.jpg

The moral issues I see

are ones involving large scale disruptions of the economy. Every time you introduce a technology that increases 'efficiency' you put people out of work.

Back when I started working in an underground mine my employer had 19,000 employees. We used picks and shovels, air powered drills and slushers, and took half a year to mine out a 'stope'. Today, that same employer has less than 4,000 employees, produces three times as much ore, and uses computerized machines that replace hundreds of men. In fact, for some jobs the operators don't even have to change out of street clothes because they operate the machines from a desk on surface. A 'longhole' drill can drill off an entire stope in less than a week while the operator runs it from a room located miles away. And the bonus for the employer is that that same operator can be running three different machines in three different mines at the same time. I've seen dozens of 'improvements' with regards to technology that increase productivity while decreasing the amount of labour needed. You end up needing one or two mechanics and electricians to repair the equipment and nobody to run it, because it's been computerized.
In many cases that's a good thing because the job was not fit for a dog to do, but at the same time... it was a job. Without jobs, how do you earn money to pay for basics like food and shelter???

Speaking as one of the little people, introducing technology has to be done carefully so it doesn't disrupt the economy, or 'the little people' are the ones that suffer.

Just my opinion...

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue

Exactly

Gary, while only being 17 and just an average school student, isn't a history professor by any means. But even he knows about the great disruption to society that happened when the Industrial Revolution took off. That's why Garia is trying to damp down the eagerness surrounding the potential advances that she can kick-start on Anmar.

More than that I probably shouldn't say.

Penny

Different view

"Every time you introduce a technology that increases 'efficiency' you put people out of work."

I see that differently. I'd say "Every time you introduce a technology that increases 'efficiency' you free people to do more usefull work."
In an inefficient society, a huge percentage of the people is needed to simply provide food for everyone. This means there's not many available to work on improvements to life for everyone. All extra available labor can be used to make other things go faster. With the improvements Garia will bring, there will be a shortage of people to implement them, not an unemployment issue.

Hugs,

Kimby

Hugs,

Kimby

umm

gunpowder for one :(

Yup.

That's going to be one of the most tricky decisions she'll ever have to make. On the one hand, warfare as we know it, on the other hand, the most efficient method of mining and tunneling in hard rock (pre advanced modern machinery, that is). Cue much burning of midnight oil.

Much water under the bridge before that decision, though.

Penny

Reading this great chapter, and the story itself,

I am reminded of the song by Coven (my favorite version) One Tin Soldier. Her knowledge is a the true treasure which she wants for peaceful purposes, while I gear the Valley people will want it for themselves and evil purposes :(. Sadly, human nature appears to be a constant across dimensions and distance
Hugs
Diana

Somewhere Else Entirely -10-

This story reminds me of a Star Trek novel : Pawns ans Symbols where a young Earth woman interacts with a Klingon society with results where she teaches them about human spirit and ears their respect, She learns about their society and culture as well. http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Pawns_and_Symbols

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Please, don't let her .....

.... convey the idea of concrete! Look at the messes made with concrete nowadays here on our mudball. Hmm...transport - improvements would require carrying more and quicker. Sounds like canals and barges, maybe powered by simple screws/propellers. Gear wheels would translate circlar movemnet to a drive shaft - so we get treadmills, horse/donkeys/oxen equivalents walking round in circles...... Talking of screws, the other sort springs to mind - no NOT those ones - the ones used for joining bits of wood/metal together, if they don't have forks, maybe they don't have screws (yet!). Oh wow, to paraphrase Hercule p - "you give me furiously to think"

Bless you for this wonderful tale!

Diana

"The Cost of Living Does Not Appear To Have Affected Its Popularity" -
in most, but not all, instances

"The Cost of Living Does Not Appear To Have Affected Its Popularity"in most, but not all, instances

Inventions we'd rather do without.

Diana, your comment reminded me of a bloke I used to regularly tramp with. For those who don't understand the verb, 'tramp,' it's a New Zealand colloquialism for bushwalking, rambling, or otherwise getting from A to B under your own steam in the wild, back country.

"Thank God," he used to say, "our ancestors didn't have chainsaws."

This was frequently said in the context of visiting kauri (agathis australis) trees. I suggest you look here so you can see some pictures of what I'm talking about.

Basically, the northern part of New Zealand used to have extensive tracts of kauri trees, most of which were felled in the 1800s for their timber. You can still find them occasionally in the bush, left standing because they were growing in awkward places that made them too difficult to fell. The other point is that if our ancestors had had chainsaws, they would have clear-felled most of the pockets of surviving bush that we frequently take for granted.

Penny, I look at some of the extensive discussions your tale has provoked, and I hope you feel proud. It's a fine story, and I'm grateful to you for sharing it with us. One mark of good stories (aside from leaving the reader wanting more) is that they do provoke thought and discussion, so I do hope you feel pleased with your accomplishment.

Pertinent Statements


Bike Resources

Resources

Gary is a modern chap with an appreciation of the issues that face a modern Earth, even if he doesn't necessarily agree with one side or the other. He will be aware of the resource exhaustion/conservation/overpopulation issues and will probably get to discuss these with the Inner Council as part of Garia's narrative history of Earth.

I'm probably not giving too much away by trailing that development.

Chainsaws? Hmm. They are probably a fair way off into Anmar's future. Actually, some of the more basic societies around our own planet manage deforestation without the need of chainsaws. Just slash and burn agriculture and/or firewood gathering in poor parts of the planet probably do as much damage as chainsaws ever did. I know Iron Age man chopped down all the forests in southern England 3,000 years ago with very basic metal tools.

Penny

Slash and burn

Penny, don't get me wrong. The early settlers in New Zealand did their best to clear the land, but its undulating nature meant that many pockets of bush, such as in gullies and valleys, survived.

I guess the point with the chainsaws is that while it might take a gang of six men all day to fell one kauri tree, one man with a chainsaw might have been able to fell twenty in that same time.

It's a fascinating discussion, and I'll be reading future installments of "Somewhere Else Entirely" with a great deal of interest.

Preserving Surroundings


Bike Resources

Concrete screws

I thought that might get your attention...

I agree that a lot of the concrete we have around us is poorly designed and built, but you have to remember two things: (i) that the use of concrete as a building material means not having to quarry limestone and cart multi-ton squared blocks of it from one side of a country to the other, you can just crush it up on site and send it in manageable sacks and (ii) it is moldable. Effectively it becomes 'plastic' stone. With the addition of steel reinforcement one can build structures the ancients could only dream of. (Hmm. Colosseum anyone?)

These people already have mills, either used to crush grains for flour or possibly to pump water for drainage, so gear mechanisms won't be unknown to them. Screws, well, they probably have the sort that blacksmiths used to make back then.

Thank you for liking my tale. It didn't half make me think, as well, and I'm still finding wrinkles which present further problems or opportunities. My big task now is probably to find a way to keep the original intent of this story without getting overwhelmed by the fun things one could do by way of upgrading this society.

Penny

Backyard Blacksmith Here...

Just want to throw in a bit of trivia...

When I was younger (long time ago) I worked with a blacksmith for six months while being trained to do 'hot work'. He showed me how to make a screw out of bar stock 'the old fashioned way'. Heat a rod, draw it out to a point with a hammer, heat again, clamp in a vise and twist. Works surprisingly well, but they are 'one of a kind'.

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue

Some formulas may not work

... if this is indeed in another universe. The 'universal' gravity formula's gravitational constant G is likely different and would have to be rediscovered all over again.

But I am glad they are starting to be more understanding of the ramifications of having Pandora in the palace.

Kim

It may be another universe

...but in parallel world sense. So this still can be earth, but earth with 3 moons and society which went another way. I think that is most probable version, because I can´t imagine what kind of device or accident could teleport Gary through space and time ? light years away from earth. So most likely this cause of Garys landing in Paraland is some sort of accident wíth device looking into parallel worlds. Which is more probable if Gary was attending university (college). And it would also explain switching the gender.

Robin

Universe

Much later, ladies.There's a whole philosophical discussion going to happen regarding just exactly where she is, but for now let's just say she's not even really sure that she's somewhere else entirely ;)

Of course, just currently she's suffering a veritable Perfect Storm of things happening so she's not even really got time to think properly. When she does one has to remember that a week ago (ish) she was just an average all-American teenage boy, so her starting point isn't going to be that great.

As for the actual mechanism that got him/her there, wherever (whenever?) that might be, <hand-wave>ignore the guy behind the curtain</hand-wave> - oops, I mean, it will be explained much later on.

Penny

Algebra, Trig, calculus oh my!

Mathematics, and he, she sounds a bright student, could have a huge impact.

Concrete.... the US built ships out of it in WWII.

And if they havee alchemy or early chemistry equiv to 300 years ago, the heck with gunpowder. Give me some concentrated sulfuic and nictric acid and a lab FAR away from everyone and almost anyone can make guncotton, nitroglycerine, nitrostarch -- assuming they don;t kill themselves in the process. And thus you can make dynamite, smokeless powder, plastic explosiives and so on.

Not much of a step beyond that is artifical dyes, asprin, plastics yada yada yada.

Turn coal into coke, find the right clay to make firebrick and crucibles and you have cast iron and crucible steel.

And even something good like reducing infant deaths could be bad if it leads to rapid population growth and the problems that entails.

Thought provoking tale.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

I am very much enjoying the

I am very much enjoying the development of this
story. Though a few years from new; I am sure that
this will become a well loved classic.

alissa

Thank you!

I know that you have started well behind my first readers, so you have a fair way to go yet. I can promise you it won't be a dull ride.

Fortunately the writing side is nearing the end, so there is, indeed, a light at the end of the tunnel.

Enjoy!

Penny

advancing their culture

i hope she can help them without doing much harm.

DogSig.png

Fork

I think they are going to like the fork, I hope her parents change their mind about Keren and her.

hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna

A remarkable young man?

Jamie Lee's picture

The Gary of Earth had to be a remarkable young man for him to end up on Anmar as Garia. Besides the knowledge she possesses, something not a lot of seventeen-year-old do possess, she has a compassion and moral compass that for some reason made her/him the right person for Anmar.

How much, and which, information should Garia give out is possibly one of the reasons she was brought to Anmar.

She has already witnessed first hand the ugliness that exists on Anmar, so giving certain information, either in detail or that something is possible, could lead to an imbalance within the society by those power hungry individuals--Garia met some of those folks.

How many people outside the palace are as open to new ideas as the major players within the palace? If Garia explained the gear or the pulley, how many would accept them as being useful? Might even the fork give some pause because they only want to use a spoon and knife? Garia's idea of given the kitchen large forks would make their tasks easier but would they agree?

Gerdas and Keren see a huge advantage in using the number system Garia showed them, but would those who use Anmar system daily? Would it become the metric/imperial argument all over again?

And should Garia tell them about the atom, knowledge which destroyed two cities during WWII? Knowledge about the atam and other particles have been used for good, but is Anmar ready for such information?

At some point those who brought Gary to Anmar as Garia will have to show themselves and explain the why of what they did. Or Anmar could follow the Earth's footsteps of being on the edge of eliminating all life on the planet.

Others have feelings too.

Decimal numbering

Would be revolutionary in a system that seems to (maybe) be base 80... I mean how cumbersome is that. She doesn't even have to be terribly well educated. About anyone from Earth (today) who popped up someplace at the very beginning of the industrial revolution (or a bit before) with an average high-school education would have a lot to contribute. I couldn't build a lot of stuff but probably could describe paper (revolutionary in its own way) and how to make it. So much of what we hold as common knowledge would be like having Leonardo Da Vinci land in their back yard.

After reading...

Aine Sabine's picture

Some of the comments, I realized I don't have anything insightful to say. Well, at least that hasn't been mentioned. So, I have really been enjoying this story. I am thankful that you shared it with us. Thank You!

Wil

Aine