Chapter 240: Day 239

Day 239,

I think this new, more measured pace of transcription is working out for us.  Not feeling as worn down as the last time we worked on it for three days in a row.  Still taking a break day tomorrow.

Had a good talk with Cass last night.  Well, maybe “good” is an unfortunate word choice to describe a mutual admission of homesickness and concerns about worrying people left behind, but it was earnest and I suppose “earnest” is a good thing.  We both agreed that maybe this whole excursion has gone on a little too long, especially this book transcribing.  I seriously wasn’t expecting it to take this long.  

Cass jokingly (I hope) suggested that we just have Maiko drag Iole onto the floating island the next time it comes around and we finish the transcription back in the archive.  While I’ll admit, the imagery is more amusing than it ought to be, especially with Cass’s impressions of the two of them, but in truth I worry about what that would do to Iole after all her time here and exposure to that song.

Also, the floating island came by today (saw it off in the distance while taking a break for lunch), so that plan’s out anyway.  Hopefully we’ll be done and back home by the next time it comes around.

My mention of the song led to Cass mentioning that while it seemed fine at the time, the more she thought about it, the creepier it seemed.  Not as creepy as the metal pillar in the middle of the sea, but still not right.  Actually, the scary parts of the trip - like the big cat creatures and the Wandering God - were all scarier than she expected, but she was still glad to have seen them.

Shifting the focus away from the negatives of the trip, I asked her what she did like about these past few weeks.

Spending those couple of days running around exploring the healing spring island had been the highlight for her.  She even pulled out her notebook and started enthusiastically showing me everything she’d written down about it.  She’d found the “library” here to be pretty neat too.  Jokes ensued about moving the archive out here and spending the next couple generations filling it.  Or finding things other than books to fill the shelves.  Taking turns listing increasingly unlikely things to use (gardening implements, children’s teeth, fish skeletons, etc.) went up until the point where Cass suggested converting the shelves to bunkbeds for all the archivists that you’d need for a library that size.  I can actually see myself doing that last one a little too easily.

But more than that, the thing that really got to Cass about this trip was just how much there is out here.  All the islands we stopped at.  All the ones we passed by.  So much she would have missed out on just staying home on the farm, as much as she loved that and her family too.

She went on like that for some time, getting into the specifics here and there.  Watching her excited like that, I was glad she’d come along.  I even felt a little bad that I had ever considered calling off the apprenticeship (valid as I still think my reasoning for that was).  It’s rare that she drops the smug-faced trying-too-hard-to-be-mature act and genuinely lights up like this.

When one’s own sense of wonder fades, sparks from another’s can help relight it.

Okay, no, that was just corny.

I made her the promise that I hope I can keep that next time she’ll be able to do more of that actual exploring and not be stuck with my invalid mess by the boats while Lin and Maiko scout.  And no more spending half the trip copying an entire book.  Although maybe something a little closer for our next outing.  Like the old castle.

She seemed to like that.

Speaking of Lin and Maiko, they’re still not back yet.  I’m not too worried about them though.  Magic bracelets and all that.  Honestly, I’m happy for them being able to spend all this time together on this trip.  Who knows when they’ll get the chance again once we get back?

 

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