“Of course we are equals, in my mind and thoughts, according to my own people’s beliefs. But if we were to use your people’s beliefs, then my clan is so much greater than yours as to be utterly absurd. I, however, would be considered a rather average clansman amongst my people, so I don’t know how that would relate. But, if I chose to take on clan leadership when I am older,” Joe trailed off, shrugging in thought before continuing, “You know what, I’m still not sure how all that would work. I don’t know you and your people enough.”
“How… large… is your clan’s city?”
“My clan’s city?” Joe asked, smiling, “Honestly, I don’t know how many cities my clan has.”
“Cities?” Gwenvair held her breath in, trying to stifle the sudden pit that formed in her stomach. Joe hadn’t been looking at her when he’d answered the question, and by the time he glanced back, she’d schooled her face enough to pretend she’d asked a question instead of gasping in fearful shock. Her mother had done little better to hide her own shock.
Joe glanced down at her and shrugged, “Uh… well, like I said, I have no idea, but tens of thousands would be likely? Many of them would be very small, some only like… a thousand people? But I think there’s gotta be maybe a hundred... or even hundreds with greater than a hundred thousand people. For a million people or more… I don’t think there are many. I believe we have two or three cities with ten million people. Honestly, I don’t know how many cities my clan has but I’m pretty sure that our population is around three hundred and fifty million people. Our clan is not very large as our population is very small for a clan, but it has a very large area of land it is the wealthiest on our plane compared to others. I’m not sure…”
Gwenvair found her mind unable to keep up with the Eccentrics description of his clan anymore, her mind staggered by the implications of his clan and that he was from another plane. Usually, being from another plane offered significant opportunities for the small clans on this plane to capture incoming members for their own clan, but the Eccentric’s staggering power gave pause to any clan who wished to usurp him into their clan. And why does he speak of his clan… how… three hundred… million.. how… that… how can there be so many people on one plane… yet… they are the smallest clan on the plane! So… are there…. Eight hundred.. nine hundred million! Even a billion? Her mind whirled though thousands of different implications, unable to grasp the numbers.
Joe spoke some more, but she was unable to meaningfully follow with his conversation until he stopped speaking and she had to drag her mind back to remember what he’d said. Years of practice conversing at boring functions proved useful and she was able to drag back from memory the last of what he said, which almost sent her reeling with the implications once again before she forced herself back to the conversation, grasping on the first thing that came to mind.
“You believe your clan is… small?”
Joe laughed, shaking his head, “Well, in population, yes. In land, no. There are two clans on my plane with almost two billion people… about five… maybe six… times my clan’s population.”
The numbers staggered Gwenvair, her mother actually stopping in place as she looked at the Eccentric. Gwenvair staggered to a stop a step after her mother, looking up at him. The Eccentric had taken another step or two before he stopped and turned back, looking at them. He smiled seeing their disbelief then shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
“Yeah. They’re much bigger than my clan.”
Gwenvair’s reply was blurted out quickly, “Your clans are on a single plane!?”
Joe smiled but seemed confused, “Yes.”
“Three clans on one plane?”
Joe shook his head, “My plane has around two or three hundred clans, I think.”
The number shocked both of them again, as they were unable to respond, their minds lost to the absurdity of the numbers and desperately attempting to remember such a plane as any plane described would be known easily throughout all planes. While it was true that the Aelthron Cradle was quite… behind in news and information and had almost no eccentrics or visitors, such a cradle… her mind shivered at the thought. Despite his description, she could think of no plane as described and began to question him when her mother interrupted.
“How many are on your plane?”
Joe glanced at them before shrugging, “Uh… Last I learned it was something around eight billion people.”
This time, everyone in their group staggered even though no one was moving anymore, the guards, her mother, and her all staring at him in shock, but he simply looked on with a smile before shrugging.
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“It seems shocking, I know, but it isn’t very surprising or unusual. When your people have learned of medicine and more advanced tools, your planes growth will be as shocking if not more so.”
Her mother began breathing a bit heavily at Joe’s description and Gwenvair found herself imagining such a thing, although she found herself unable to fathom such numbers. Both had ceased speaking and the Eccentric proved kind enough to allow them their moment before her mother began walking again, dragging the rest along with her before continuing the conversation with the Eccentric in her stead.
“This is why you spoke of how the power of a leader is in their people.”
“One reason, although only the smallest. There are many others. But ever greater populations greatly increases the chances of geniuses appearing. In their genius, they bring about great changes for those willing to see those changes implemented.”
Her mother nodded slightly, “I understand a bit more now.”
The Eccentric nodded and said nothing, both her and her mother following suit and remaining silent until they arrived at their destination. The restaurant was a bit quaint for her taste, but she felt it would likely suit the Eccentric’s so had offered it. It also held a privacy array that would be much stronger than any privacy artifact and as this privacy array had been developed for her and her family specifically, she felt much more comfortable with their discussion if they were able to us the array.
When they arrived at their private room, the guards stood outside the door with much more aplomb and dignity, their upset over the Eccentrics rude displays to their leader seen in a much different light than originally. As they sat, mother wisely offered a peace branch to the Eccentric, calling the guards in before their meal began.
“Please, Joe, accept this as you have been quite cautious with your privacy, and I would offer this as thanks for your openness.” Her mother didn’t allow the Eccentric to reply at all, but turned to the guard’s abruptly.
“On your lives and your family’s lives, swear privacy of all spoken tonight about the Eccentric.”
The Eccentric tried to reject her mother’s offer but the guards immediately bowed and offered their vow, the light of the vow flashing brilliant on their chest and binding the guards’ lives to the Eccentric’s privacy. The action had been too quickly done, and the Eccentric finally lowered his hand.
“You didn’t have to do that!”
Her mother smiled and nodded, “No. But it is only polite to offer such.”
The Eccentric breathed deeply at that before nodding and smiling, “Then, I thank you.”
She grinned, “You are welcome.”
The Eccentric then grinned in reply, smirking a little, “But that does mean you have been spying on me!”
Mother’s eyes flashed open in surprise, a bit of fear spiking through her even as Gwenvair burst into laughter at Joe’s joke. Joe, however, noticed her mother’s fear and he slipped the smile from his face.
“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to make… cause you fear. I was just trying to make a joke.”
Her mother softened, staring at Joe with a bit of consternation before looking at her daughter who was laughing brightly. Gwenvair laughed even more when she saw her mother look at her and her mother relaxed a bit more before chuckling softly.
“Honestly, having a simple meal and a joke has been… a very rare luxury for me.”
The Eccentric smiled softly, a look of subtle pity that left both the women a bit speechless as he replied, “I know. I’m so sorry.”
They had nothing to reply to this, both actually subtly blushing as he seemed to truly understand. Her mother sighed and looked away, but Gwenvair smiled thankfully at Joe.
“Most do not understand,” Gwenvair replied.
The Eccentric shrugged, “To be honest, I’m not sure I understand as well. I am simply well rea… educated, so know of this aspect of high society life.”
“Still, to know of this, if I doubted you were a clan member before, you have removed doubt now.”
The Eccentric laughed and shook his head in rebuttal, “Like I said, my understanding of it is purely intellectual. I haven’t experienced it personally… mainly because I refuse to allow it to occur with me and my friends.”
Gwenvair raised an eyebrow at that, her thoughts rabbiting through the possibility where she did the same with her and her friends, but found the likelihood that such a thing could possibly occur so remote that the alienness of it left her lost, unable to experience it even in her fantasies. Gwenvair sighed.
“I’m uncertain I could do the same.”
The Eccentric shrugged, “It would be very difficult for you to do so. You have been trained from childhood against it. It would take… immense effort to break its control over you.”
Gwenvair blinked, “Control?”
The Eccentric laughed, “Everything we are taught ultimately becomes a leash of control over our actions and choices. It is why our parents train us young. If we have good parents, they will teach us wisely and well, separating that which is a choice from that which is not, then train us to resist that which should not be choices and then leave us free to make our own choices for that which is appropriately a choice, while also still giving us advice on those choices. Some things should be removed as a choice: beating others, belittling, lying, stealing, and cheating. These should not be easily chosen by us, and should result in a natural instant rejection for these actions. Others…” the Eccentric trailed off and shrugged.
Gwenvair listened but didn’t seem to truly understand, but saw her mother staring at him with considering eyes, “You are very … wise. How many children have you had?”
The Eccentric’s eyes widened in shock as he choked on the drink he was sipping at that moment. His coughing fit made it difficult for him to set his drink down, but he shook his head vigorously as he set it down. His coughing ended and he quickly denied having children, “I’m… I… I am… I’m… ” the Eccentric’s statement was interrupted again by another fit of coughing before he continued.
“I’m not a parent. I’m too young to have children.”
“You know so much about children.”
“My parents taught me well.”
“But you must be considering children if you have thought so carefully about them.”
The Eccentric shrugged, discomfort showing on his face, “I’m still a bit young, really, to have children. It is possible, of course, but I’m still in my education and should wait another year or two to marry. Granted, now that my plans are completely disrupted, there is little to interrupt or keep me from marriage, but… yeah… I’m still very young, according to my people.”