The Philosophy of Espionage
Sunset, seventy-second day of summer, forty-first Turn, Tenth Pass.
Great Hall, Ista Hold.
With a dome-shaped ceiling reaching up almost beyond the light cast by numerous glows surrounding the hall, this room can be none other than the Hold's great hall. The floor is solid grey stone, slightly worn from the hundreds of Turns of use it's been through. Four `tapestries' hang around the hall at seemingly random intervals, coloring the otherwise dull hall. An assortment of tables and chairs and couches are strewn about the hall for any who wish to take a rest during their labors, but mostly people are using the great hall as a center for moving to other places. Archways and doors lead everywhere, but the most dominant doors are the great double doors to the east, leading out to the courtyard.
Tony turns and looks at the door.
Tony says, "Hello."
Majori emerges from the Harper Hall's main entrance, and finds herself face to face
with Tony. "Hello, Master Tony." She quickly glances round the Hall. She might even
appear a trifle shifty.
Tony says, "Hello Majori, what brings you to the great hall."
Majori obviously has to stop and talk, so she does. "Well, I was just going out for
some air." She smiles at the Master, though she does shoot another glance across the
Hall.
Tony says, "Is there some where you need to be, or do you want to walk with a Master
and bare your dreams ?"
Majori can't help a smile. "Bare my dreams? That sounds... romantic." She hastily
adds, "In the literary sense, I mean! No, I don't have to be anywhere."
Tony says, "so shall we go and sit on the beach, and you can tell me whats not on your
mind"
Majori laughs. "There's a lot /not/ on my mind. But yes, the beach, by all means."
She starts to move off in that direction.
They move to:
Main Beach
This long stretch of white sandy beach stands pristine among the beaches around Ista Island. The sand stretches off into the distance on either side of you, disappearing into the horizon. Several large uprooted trees dot the beach where they were most likely felled in a big storm. They look as if they'd make great benches, for people or firelizards alike. To the east, the crystal blue waters of the Hold cove roll up in gentle waves onto the beach, hissing softly as they ebb and flow. To the south, Ista Hold juts out of the cliff. Just west of here, a low bluff leads up to the grassy field that serves as the Hold's main gather grounds.
Tony sits on a rocky outcrop.
Majori perches on the rocks alongside Tony.
Tony remembers many memories from long ago.
Majori seems entirely happy to get Tony talking. "It's really interesting to hear
about things that happened in the past - like that story you told us about hiding
things in the Mug."
Tony says, "yes, there are many memories here too. I remember seeing many boats come
and go, and beach parties, and the songs of lovers written in the sand,and the storm
clouds of heart break, raining on the shore."
Majori gives a curious frown. "How did - maybe you aren't allowed to say. But are you
able to tell me how you got to be a spy for the Harpers? That must be a story!"
Tony says, "I believe i just sort of fell into it, i guess have a face that is simple
and plain, has much advantage." Tony says, "So why are you so interested in spying ?"
Majori ponders that. "Well, it sounds... useful. And you have to be able to talk to
people, and find things out, and I think I might be good at that. I'm not really
wonderful at music."
Tony says, "Hmm, you are still so young child. A very good skill is acting, listening
and observing. You need to be able to remember not only what you see but also what you
feel"
"I'm... um, seventeen Turns," Majori protests. "And I guess you have to start
somewhere." The last thing Tony said evokes a frown. "What you feel?"
Tony says, "yes what you feel can some times be the most important of all"
Tony says, "if you walk down the stalls of a gather, feeling happy and safe and then
all of a sudden, you sense fear or strange, that is important."
Majori seems puzzled by that. "How's that? I would have thought what you saw, and
heard would be more important. You know, facts?"
Tony says, "And what do you think gives you the ability to recall the facts?"
Tony says, "And isn't what you feel also a fact?"
Majori isn't getting this. "I suppose... recalling the facts, that's memory, and we
practise that. And I suppose what I feel is a fact, but it's a fact about me. I could
be... oh, scared of the dark, say, but it doesn't mean there's anything lurking in the
tunnel." She looks expectantly at the Master, apparently wanting a comment.
Tony says, "But you know you are scared of the dark, so then you know to also say
that," Tony says, "but you are not a recorder of facts, your not a scroll, you are a recorder
of life."
Majori is thinking hard. "So... how I feel affects how I see things? Is that what you
mean?"
Dennell walks onto the beach from the Hold. His eyes settle on Majori for a moment,
but he doesn't approach. Instead, he sits inconspicuously on the sand, some way away.
Tony says, "yes that is it, but how you feel also adds value to the information"
Majori is frowning again. "Adds value? How? I mean, could you give me an example?"
Tony says, "Hmm, still not getting it. How far have you travelled, girl? Can you
remember a major event in your life ?"
Majori know the answer to that one! "From Tillek, I'm from a fishing hold. And I
guess the major event in my life was coming here."
Tony says, "Well what about the in the Flying Mug that night? Do you remember when we
un-hid the scroll?"
Dennell stares out to sea, glancing only occasionally at the two Harpers.
Tony says, "Do you remember the facts, and the feelings?"
Majori nods. "Yes, that was amazing. To think it had been there all those years. I
can remember you telling Ylisa to put her hand in the wall, and she pulled out the
scroll, and you got into a discussion about it - that was exciting. Only I didn't get
all you were talking about, because I didn't know the story. And I had to go while you
were still talking."
Tony says, "Now look at what you just said. You talked about the scroll and the hole in
the wall and Ylisa. These are the facts. But you said 'Excitement' and these are the
emotions. Can you see that it takes both sides to understand the event or to get the
story?"
Majori nods slowly. "Yes, I see that. And not understanding what she was saying about
... about it maybe being the original manuscript, I think it was, is that an emotion?
It's still my emotion, though. I guess I could use it in telling the story; it matters
because I /know/ I didn't understand, so my account of what happened might be wrong..."
Tony says, "Perhaps your full account might be not as perfect as others, but you still
have much to contribute. You need to ponder such thngs if you want to be a spy."
Tony says, "I will give you another example. Not that long ago there was a harper
journeyman..."
The conversation continues for a while, drifting on to other things.
Logfile from Majori.
