A Brave New World Ch. 06

To anyone interested, the science that is presented in this chapter is more or less accurate. Any deviations from reality was intentional for the purposes of the fiction story so feel free to message me if you are interested

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Istvan groaned in stiff pain as he laid down the quill, rubbing his eyes and stretching his shoulders. He had lost track of time and looked down ruefully at the up to date volumes of his known infusions.

He doubted very much that it would be useful to anyone other than he, at least at this stage. If the community did survive, perhaps children produced would be interested in the rare trade.

Stowing the book on a shelf, as well as the tome on botany of the area, he made his way outside, taking in what was now a mid-afternoon sunshine and watching the new villagers make their way about the village square. Everyone seemed hesitant and yet curious. He wondered when the newness of this new place would wear off. For now, however, it was a welcomed change to the world he had been born; a world utterly savaged by demons.

Only after several minutes of absent people watching did Istvan realize that Albus and Robin were having a rather serious conversation.

"Tell me again," Robin said in a serious and hushed tone. "What exactly happened."

"I went to bring them some of the bread as a peace offering and to see about the holy book. The woman was clearly upset regarding something which had transpired earlier in the morning, but I found her attending to the priest, who has taken to illness. He had not used his prayers to heal himself at all and this illness appears to be worsening. The woman had made a tea of aspen shoots and claimed it helped to dull his pain and lower his fever. She refused to give me the book, but the sickly cleric argued on my behalf and she begrudgingly gave me what she calls a missal. According to the cleric, it is the book by which the ceremonies are conducted and it contains all of the quotations of scripture from the holy book, divided into three years worth of weekly services."

Robin paused and frowned. "Why has he not healed himself?" He asked seriously.

"I inquired. He did not know what I was speaking of and answered that he is unable to heal."

Robin's eyes widened. "Only neutral or evil clerics cannot heal," the younger man thought out loud. "Speak nothing of this to anyone until we have thoroughly examined this missal of theirs. There is no need to cause any more concern than is needed."

Albus nodded solemnly and clutched the missal tighter. Istvan knew that there was no way the man would let anyone damage the book and something told Istvan there was more to the story. Albus offered Istvan a concerned look as he entered the library. "My friend, do you have a moment? There is an urgent matter we must discuss," he said seriously.

"What is wrong, Albus?" Istvan replied, obviously concerned, but stepping out of the way and closing the door to the library as the older man stepped inside.

Albus frowned slightly and pushed door shut. He shook his head slightly and sighed a little. "I went to speak with the Three, to bring them bread as a guise to make peace. There are many issues that resulted from this, some of which are of direct interest to yourself, however, I shall start from the beginning."

"Lady Madeline was indeed quite frightened by your use of magic before her. She was hesitant to open the door for me when I arrived, but she did so, as apparently the bread was needed by them. I was not at all prepared for the condition of the cleric nor the state of this cabin, which I shall detail for you later. He is quite ill but I would have assumed he would have prayed to his god to heal him. He had not done this."

"Lady Madeline's anxiety was compounded by this. She does seem to be of a kind heart and she has done a great deal toward tending to the man's injuries. She has concocted a tincture made of aspen shoots as a means to dull his pain and reduce his fever. When I inquired, she claimed that the pulp extracted from the bark has alchemical properties that are known to her people; something she called Salicylic Acid? This concerned me, that she would use Acid as a means of curing, when we Arcane know it to be destructive, rather than restorative, but this alone is not the whole of the issue."

"The main of it is this: it is common knowledge that all goodly priests have been blessed with the graces to request healing power. I naturally asked the man why he has not asked for his God's blessing of health. He told me that both he and Madeline have prayed for his health, but his answer seemed as though he did not understand my question. I inquired about an instant healing and he smiled and assured me that such a thing was magic and therefore not real."

"The woman frowned deeply at this and it was clear to me that she did not share your experience with the cleric, likely for the better given their peculiar response to it. The man continued, however, and thanked me for bringing them the bread. His illness is quite severe, Istvan, and I believe he knows this but he attempts to hide it from Lady Madeline and John. The gratitude he showed me for a simple loaf of bread... He asked me to offer his apologies for offending the others such that they felt no option but to handle him harshly and he wishes to seek reconciliation with haste."

"Here in lies the conflict, Istvan, as an evil man would not seek to reconcile with those who so clearly had wronged him. This man wanted to extend forgiveness and was true to the concept! Lady Madeline requested that we leave Antonio to his rest and so I used the opportunity to broach the issue of your shared conflict. Her opinion was this: She does not deny that she cannot explain what you did and that fact is not what upset her so. Rather, it was the similarity that the demons too used magic and so it caused her mind to jump to a connection."

"It was then that she said something rather enlightened. She told me that "Correlation does not imply causation." It was a remarkably insightful phrase and it was that manner of thinking which kept her from reacting to you in a more harsh manner. It shall be the route toward healing and understanding. She admitted to me that she did not get the idea that you too were a demon, which she calls an alien, but that given how oddly we all behave, and yes, she believes us to be the odd ones, she did not know what to think."

Albus cocked his eyebrow as if the next statement caused him humor. "She urged me to be cautious in the event that you are an alien in disguise. Of course I did not reveal that a wizard is capable of quite an amount of magic and that an Artificer did not stir a deep concern within me." He smiled a bit at Istvan then, as if the jab was meant as a point of humor, not an insult.

"I spoke on your behalf, friend. I assured her that you were not of such ilk and that in your lands and perhaps in others too, the gods have seen fit to bless some with an ability that is similar to that which her aliens employed. I parlayed your confusion and disappointment in the result of the conversation as well as your concern for the well being of The Three. It was then that Madeline grew silent. I could see that she has very little trust for any of us here, the one called John included. In fact, she seems to fear him more so than the fear your display elicited. She would not elaborate on this so I hope to learn more."

"Thus, I offered to share some of my knowledge with her in hopes of gaining more of her trust. Tonight, once the sun has set, she has agreed to sit and learn of the stars via instruction of the night sky. She has asked me to give you this, and I believe it is a form of an apology on her part, for her reaction, though I would not expect trust from her, if I were you. She has many more drawings begun, Istvan. I believe that perhaps she is some manner of Artificer as well, though not one of magic, as she is so predisposed. She also asked that I give Robin a message: if there is a doctor, which I take to mean a healer of noble origin, among the people, she is willing to pay whatever price to have them tend to Anthony, including any of her amazing machines."

"I passed this message to Robin as per her request and I believe the young cleric is there at their cabin now. It is a most curious state of things, Istvan. And," the old man raise his eyebrows approvingly, "you certainly did not understate the intricacy of their crafts. I have never before seen such a collection of items as I did in that cabin. I scarcely would know how to use the majority, and yet Dr. Madeline seemed as though the items were sparse and of poor quality!"

"As for your personal reconciliation, the Lady has agreed to continue her studies here in the library. It is my understanding that she requires a means of escaping John, though this is merely the assumptions of an old man, not her words. She knows you will be present here on occasion and I have assured her that you shall not cast your magics before her. If you can agree to this, then I believe a peace has been made. I too shall refrain from casting until such a time comes when she is properly acclimated to the art and no longer fears it so."

"Now, in the meantime, I shall summon an unseen servant to begin writing the translation of these missals. My sense is that there will be no evil found in them. If their cleric is any indication of the faith, it will be rooted deeply in forgiveness."

"This is much information," he admitted. "What thoughts have you?"

"I admit Albus, this scenario, a world of only goodly folk, is not as I would have thought it would be. There is much that seems to border into the gray area, if not even worse. I do not only speak of the strange languages of the three shunned ones," he told the man, clearly confused by how people were acting towards one another.

"That the priest does not heal himself... that he requires destructive energy to heal... I must say that the notion intrigues and concerns me simultaneously. Perhaps I will inquire of Doctor Parker when she returns to the library. I saw her harvesting the branches but I did not think of it at the time."

"I admit still, I am relieved that Madeline may allow forgiveness for my mistake. This diagram is amazing and I will begin at one to see if I can fashion one for myself. The work is so finely detailed, I admit it is a daunting task; but now I have a start," he added with a thrilled smile. Apparently the gift from the woman was very well received.

"This world... all the great sages of Flanaess have oft said that the truest battles are not between good and evil, but rather, a battle for chaos or order. This land is good, yes, but some see the manifestation of goodness differently than others. For my part, community cannot thrive in chaos. Without community, one cannot have learning of a true and deep manner. We humans simply are not smart enough as individuals. We must pool our knowledge to a collective."

Albus smiled. "Listen to me, an old man telling a lecture," he remarked with a chuckle. "And I lecture a follower of Rao on the tenets of community! How foolish I must seem. Nevertheless, the sages' wisdom seems to ring true here. Our battle is mis-focussed at the moment. In truth it will be one for order, not one for goodness."

He looked at the piece of paper that Madeline had drawn for Istvan. "The rivots are rather small," he commented. "Even a gnome cannot craft such small things. And yet, this blade is but a small wonder when compared to the bracelet she wears. At first I thought it jewelry but alas it is something far more. There is a small needle which ticks along in a circle, and two other needles which move at differing paces. She noted that I took interest and explained it's function. She called it a "watch" and says that it's intent is to keep time. Can you imagine, Istvan?! A machine which measures time so accurately?"

Albus shrugged slightly. "I wish she hadn't torn this page from the book. I shall encourage her to keep all of the drawings as a collection in the future."

Istvan frowned. "How could she be so smart as to create such a technical drawing and yet so resistant to the truth of magic around her?" He contemplated in frustration.

Albus merely chuckled in reply. "Perhaps you could inquire of her yourself. As I said, this evening I have arranged to meet with her to instruct her in Astronomy. You are more than welcome to attend, for it is here that I shall approach the issue of magic, after I have found the limit of her intellect." Albus seemed to think a few hours would be sufficient here. "With us both working in unison, correcting this ignorance should be a facile feat. If she still refuses, well, then we shall pity her ignorance, but it shan't limit our learning of her strange devices."

Istvan listened and contemplated Albus's strategy. Something in the corner of his mind told him this plan was about to horribly backfire, but he didn't argue. The truth was, he was far too intrigued about Madeline's technology to abandon the discourse now. Albus's god would be thoroughly pleased by this, he was sure.

"If the knife device she provided is something mundane that she thought nothing of, I am sure her other items are even more amazing. I admit that I would love to be able to study them. If they do not believe in mana, then I must find out what powers their artifacts. Perhaps their God empowers them through relics and not through his priests." he offered sagely, trying to regain his former composure and ability to think logically.

"I will come with you, to study the stars and see if the woman has a mind at all. She did not seem dense to me, or at least uneducated. Besides, I suspect she may have come to a postulation regarding the state of this place, and I am quite curious to see if she reveals it this eve," he added with a tone of agreement. He very much wished to stay in the older man's good opinion.

After several hours, night had fallen and Albus alerted Istvan that they ought leave soon.

By the time that they made it out to the field, Madeline was already there, wrapped in a blanket as she sat on the ground with her knees tucked into her chest. Her hair was shorter than most of the other women there, and reminded Istvan of a style that a man on his world might wear. Still, it seemed attractive enough on her and she had swept the shoulder length mass off to one side. She was already staring up at the sky, apparently mapping what she saw in a notebook. The poor girl's hand was still covered in ink from using the quill.

Naturally, Istvan avoided thinking of these observations, having already embarrassed himself earlier that morning, but he couldn't help but to picture her as he had seen her the night before and the way the moon and stars danced on her skin... he was thankful that his trousers hid his reaction. Albus's reaction was very different and entirely directed at the ink covered hand. He smiled in the sort of way a teacher does when a young student tries at something mundane and makes mistakes. The smile was for the effort.

She looked over to Albus as he arrived but she did not offer a smile.

Albus moved over to join her. "Ah, so you wish to learn about the stars," he said in a rather grandiose tone that instantly caused Istvan to drop his head into his hand. It was hauty and patronizing and the Madeline he had experienced would make Albus the fool for his efforts. "You've requested the best, my dear. I was once the supreme instructor for Astrology. As a younger man, of course."

"Uh... yeah... s-sure..." Madeline answered with a mild frown in her brows. If Istvan had to guess, Maddy was humoring Albus, and, judging by her response, this was a rare thing and indicated some level of respect for the man. "I was wondering if you could tell me the names of these constellations, actually," She said, her tone sounding more receptive to the potential for instruction. "I'm from the Northern Hemisphere; these constellations here aren't familiar to me."

The answer caused a mild recoil of surprise out of Albus for a variety of reasons, but his head shifted upward and he took in the sky, suddenly frowning deeply. "Well of course I-" he stopped as he saw the sky. "Hmmmm..." Something confused the man and it caused Madeline's expression to grow both critical and pensive.

"Dr. Parker, you say that you are from the Northern Hemisphere," he said. "What importance does your country have on the patterns of the stars?" Albus asked curiously.

This caused both of Maddy's eyebrows to raise, as if that was not the response she had been expecting. "Oh... uhm... Actually, the Northern Hemisphere refers to my geographical location on the planet," she explained in a respectful tone. "But it is important because the view of the stars is different from the top of the planet than it is from the bottom, so... people in the Southern Hemisphere will have different constellations than the Northern Hemisphere... So... you're probably from the northern hemisphere then? Since you don't recognize these stars either?"

Albus frowned deeply at this response. He too had not been expecting something like what she said. "I... a hemisphere?" He finally asked.

Understanding swept Madeline's face. "Oh." She let out, letting her own realization sink in. "Uhm... I... I uhm... I'll try to explain that later," she stammered as she shuffled through her pages. Madeline found a blank one and ripped it out of the book (causing Albus to wince in an intellectual pain) and hand it toward Albus. "Could you please draw what your stars are supposed to look like?" She asked rather sweetly. She was genuinely interested in what Albus thought the stars were supposed to look like, but something told Istvan it was more as an equal than a pupil, as Albus had intended. "This time of year, I mean."

Albus's expression changed completely. It was becoming apparent to him that Madeline did not need instruction on Astrology, from him anyway. His plan was quickly unraveling. Humbled, the older man took his seat on the grass next to her and began sketching the patterns of the constellations while Madeline went back to her own drawings, looking up mildly cautiously at Istvan. The distrust was apparent, but at least she wasn't running away screaming or trying to claw his eyes out.

Istvan was not as surprised as Albus when the woman displayed quite an understanding of Astronomy, more so than most people would have in any case. He had noted a level of education in her speech and manners from before.

Their attention to the stars drew his there as well and he looked up critically, trying to note any familiar patterns. He had not expected to find any and was not disappointed when he didn't. The woman's request for Albus to draw what he was expecting to see did cause him to regard her. Ever since Albus's comment about keen minds learning about the truth; that this was not their respective home worlds, Istvan had be curiously pondering how one might accomplish that. John's previous statement had suggested that Madeline had done just that using the stars. Only now was he starting to see how she had pieced it together.

"Yes, that is a good idea. If we draw constellations from our own homelands, we might be able to draw some conclusions as to where our homelands relate to one another. If they do relate at all, that is," he related quietly, worried he would offend the woman again quite by accident.

Madeline watched him with a cocked eyebrow, not taking her eyes off of him as she ripped out another page to hand to him. "By all means, draw your own," she replied.

The trio worked quietly for a while until Albus finally announced he was finished.

"Excellent," Madeline muttered dryly and before the man could say anything else, she handed him a piece of tissue paper with dots all over it. "Lay this over yours. It's the night sky of North America without the constellations drawn. Should be the same for Europe and Asia, give or take in latitude. You'll probably have to move it around, but... well, you know what to do."