Chapter 17: Knowledge
The next few days went by without much excitement, with the routine of lessons with Sapphire, Apuma, and the kids took up most of the day. The mornings he had begun spending preparing for the lessons, attempting to read a few books Apuma had lent him, it wasn’t of much use yet though since the alphabets were completely different, and he didn’t understand anything really.
Hence he had elected to start going through his own books instead, for the time being at least, to see if he could find something useful. He hadn’t read most of them so he figured he might as well get familiar. When he had been walking back to the dormitory, Sapphire had caught him. She had asked to see it and he obliged her, she then promptly asked where he had that gotten book from? He answered he had brought it, and when he made it clear he had quite a few books she had told him to wait there, leaving in a hurry.
So there he was standing in a corridor with a book while she hobbled off on her crutches to go somewhere? Why was she even up this early, nobody else was? And why was his book such a big deal? Oh yeah, he hadn't mentioned he brought books with him... Well in that case chances were good she was going to get Apuma, this could be fun.
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Sapphire had managed to catch Tom in the early morning hours even if he had been nowhere near the kitchens. 'No matter' she thought this was much better Tom had been carrying a book claiming to have retrieved it from his pile of stuff. She had questioned him on what kind of book he had, and he had answered that it was farming? 'Strange choice for morning reading' she thought, but no matter. She had asked to see the book, it was all written in the same strange script she had seen him write before. The pages too were impossibly thin and so pure white and shiny. And there were beautiful drawings that looked just like the real thing, she couldn't even begin to comprehend how one would paint something like that.
Sapphire had asked if he had more books and he answered yes, around 30! Tom's Draconic had reached a point where she believed that number. So she had gone to get Apuma as quickly as possible. She had tried to do it quietly so as not to wake Nunuke. The plan had immediately failed when Apuma heard why he should get up. If the loud exclamations of “What!” and “Are you sure!” didn’t do the trick him jumping on the bed at conformation definitely did.
“What in the god's names do you think you are doing?” It had come from the other part of the bed from a very tired and annoyed sounding Nunuke.
“He brought books! My dear, he brought books from another world! I must see them quickly now Sapphire, where do you say he is now?”
“Geez go look at your books then, just don’t wake me up before breakfast again understood?
“Yes yes, I have work to do, see you sweetheart” Nunuk had answered in a sort of indignant “harumph” and rolled over on her other side.
Tom had been patiently waiting for them and had led them to the greeting hall where his stuff was being stored for the moment. He had made his way to the big chest Sapphire had been laying on and opened it. Inside was a lot of things Sapphire had no clue what was, a lot of black strings, weird boxes, and other shapes made from stranger materials, and what was very clearly a small library of books. All made like the one he was carrying. Tom had taken one of the books and handed it to Apuma
“English” Tom had gone handing it over
“Ohh my god Sapphire you weren't joking, look at the pages so thin and delicate!”
“I think that is a book on his language, he said English that is what it’s called, or maybe he’s just saying it’s in English not sure.”
“Well that will surely be handy, look at that drawing, so life-like”
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“You should see the one he was holding that was even crazier. It looked like the real thing rather than a painting or drawing” Sapphire gestured at the book Tom had been carrying, he handed it over. Sapphire delicately found a page showing a plant or some kind of flower “Look you almost can't tell”
“Incredible, how would you make that?”
“picture” Tom had gone in English, beginning to ruffle through the big box bringing out a weird looking small box “I take you, picture” Tom stepped back a bit and there was a flash of light. Apuma who was busy with the books gave a flinch, Sapphire too was startled by the flash of light. Tom just laughed a bit and walked back to them.
“See, you” he held up the little box, and on the backside was now a perfect painting of Sapphire and Apuma from a moment ago.
“How, is that not magic, come on Tom it must be” Sapphire did her best to sound skeptical, but even if it was magic it was still amazing. The pictures as he called them in the books were actually real things then, huh. must have been a lot of work judging by the size of the book.
“No magic” Tom insisted
“I, I... I don’t even know where to start,” Apuma admitted.
“English” Tom repeated pointing at the book in Apumas hands, “I teach when say good. You too?” he said looking to Sapphire
“Yes, YES, of course, besides you have already started with me.” Sapphire had never learned another language before. But one had to be the first, and she might just end up as one of the only people in the world who knew it, that was quite something. Apuma wasn’t just for show, knowledge was power after all.
“Thank you, Tom. That is very generous of you, I humbly accept. Might I ask, how is this made?” Apuma held up the book and pointed to the pages.
“Yes?” Tom had gone looking at Apuma,
“Yes Tom, accept teach” Apuma realizing he had overreached Tom’s limited understanding. "How made” he went, holding up the book.
“Printing Machine. Big thing of metal and tricky” Tom was clearly trying his best but the fact that their language probably didn’t have words for half of what he was talking about didn’t help the poor guy.
“Right… I'm not sure I understand” Apuma had to admit
“Hmmm... show” Tom had started looking through the books again.
Sapphire had set the book down and started turning pages, looking at the pretty pictures, when she stopped on one of a weird big green and yellow thing. It almost reminded her of Toms quad bike but it was massive, and pulling something large and metal. It was plowing!
“Tom, what that!?” she exclaimed pointing at the picture
“Tractor” Tom had answers after taking a quiet look “pull things. See, farmer” he pointed to a big glass box on the back of the beast, and sure enough there was a human sitting in there.
“Apuma that thing is scary! Look, it's pulling so many plows, at once and it's huge. It must be as strong as a dragon if not stronger! And they are using it for farming!? and look at the glass so pretty, and... round?”
“Tom Tractor normal?” Apuma had asked
“Yes yes have thousands” he answered nonchalantly
This time it was Sapphire's turn to go unsteady on her feet.
“Thousands?” she asked seeking to clarify
“Yes, in Denmark. In world, Millions” Tom seemed perfectly serious of a little nonchalant about the fact Sapphire thought.
Now she just sat down looking into the distance. Contemplating how much farming an army of dragons thousands-strong could manage,
“Tom, how many people home?”
Tom pondered it for a moment, seemingly not knowing the number in draconic or perhaps he was unsure. In the end, he just wrote down a long series of zeros with a seven at the front. and went “in-world” and did a hand gesture as if to indicate thereabouts.
“Ohhh my Goods! Apuma what is that”
“Seven billion.”
“Tom how many in Denmark?”
Tom wrote down a smaller number.
“Five and a half million” Apuma had gone sounding very somber.
That was insane. How could there be so many people!? The capital was home to a hundred thousand maybe two hundred at most. They had done some questioning, to try and find out more. Tom claimed there were cities with over 10 million people in them and some with near 30 million. that was likely more people in one place than Sapphire believed existed in total!
“Tom. What kind of army?”
Tom had frowned at the question but still obliged
“In world millions, many machines too”
Sapphire was just staring into the distance, well at least he hadn’t answered billions, to be honest millions was low compared to the number of people he had been talking about, it was still more than anything Sapphire even heard fairytales of, it was insane. She was imagining ranks upon ranks of soldiers stretching as far as the eye could see.
“Can they come here?” she had let out deep in contemplation
“No, don’t worry” Tom had answered matter of factly
“Well, that is something at least.” Apuma was standing stiff trying to process what he had just heard, and Sapphire was just looking into the middle distance. They would have to tell Nunuk about this. Tom seemed a little sad and confused by the response, but it looked like he was adding up the pieces as well.