Fraggit,’ and Jemmy collapsed again, beating his fists on the table.
It has to DO with Solstices.
Well, if you’ve gone back to abac ii and slide-rules, why not a sun-dial
clock?” Clisser asked facetiously.
Jemmy sat up again, even straighter. Not a sun-dial,’ he said slowly,
but a cosmic clock – a star dial like . . . stone stone SOMETHING
Stonehenge?” What was that?” A prehistoric structure back on Earth.
Sallisha can tell you more about it if you’d care to ask her,’ Clisser
said slyly and was rewarded by Jemmy’s rude dismissal of the suggestion.
It turned out to be rather an astonishing calendar since it accurately
predicted eclipses as well as verifying Solstices dawn Clisser stopped,
looking wide-eyed at Jemmy whose mouth had dropped open to form a
soundless 0′ as what he said astounded them both.
Only that was a stone circle . . . on a plain . . . Clisser
stammered, gesturing dolmens and cross-beams. Muttering Under his
breath, he strode across to the shelves, trying to find the text he
wanted. We must have copied it. We had to have copied it .
Not necessarily since you’ve been on these relevant only historical
entries,’ Jemmy contradicted him. I remember accessing it once. It’s
only that we’ll have to adapt it to fit our needs, which is framing the
Red Planet when the conjunct io is right.” He was scrabbling amongst the
litter on his desk for a clean sheet of paper and a pencil.
The first three he found were either stubs or broken. That’s another
thing we’ve got to re-invent . . . fountain pens.
Fountain pens?” Clisser echoed. Never heard of fountain pens.” I’ll
do them tomorrow. Leave me to work this out but,’ and Jemmy paused long
enough to grin diabolically up at Clisser’s befuddlement, I think I’ll
have something by Turn’s End. Maybe even a model… but only if you
leave now.” Clisser left, closing the door quietly behind him and
pausing a moment.
I do believe I’ve been kicked out of my own office,’ he said, pivoting
to regard the door. His name, which had recently been repainted, was
cent red in the upper panel.
Hmm.” He turned the sign hung there on a nail to DO NOT DISTURB’ and
walked away whistling the chorus from the Duty Song’ He’d catch
Sallisha before she climbed up the stairs to his office. That would
please her. Well, it might.
He hurried down the steps and met her coming in the door.
I’m not late,’ she said, at her most caustic, her arm tightening
convulsively on the bulging notebook she carried.
He was in for it.
I didn’t say you were. Let’s take the more comfortable option of the
teachers’ lounge.
My conclusions are not something you’ll wish to discuss in public,’ she
said, recoiling. She might be one of his best teachers though the
rumour was that children learned their lessons to get out of her
clutches – but her attitude towards him, and his proposed revitalization
programme, was totally hostile.
Clisser smiled as graciously as he could. It’s empty right now and will
be for at least two hours.
She sniffed but, when he courteously gestured for her to precede him,
she tramped on in an implacable fashion. Like a Morinst to his Clisser
shuddered and hurriedly followed her.
The lounge was empty, a good fire crackling on the hearth.
The klah pitcher rested on the warmer and there were, for a change,
clean cups. He wondered if Bethany had done the housekeeping.
The sweetener jar was even full. Yes, it would have been Bethany,
trying to ease this interview.
As he closed the door, he also turned the DO NOT DISTURB’ sign around
and flipped the catch. Sallisha had seated herself in the least
comfortable chair – the woman positively enjoyed being martyred. She
still held the notebook, like a precious artifact, across her chest.
You can riot exclude Greek history from study,’ she said, aggressively
launching into an obviously prepared speech.
They’ve got to understand where our form of government came from to
appreciate what they have. You have to include Sallisha, the
precedents can be covered in the outline, but not the entire culture,’