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k_a_webbLucille tried not to show how uncomfortable she was with the idea of anyone being able to travel from one world to another. She didn’t think it was fair that the Council had total control, but she knew that someone had to otherwise anyone could do anything. When it was the worlds choosing who could and couldn’t travel things were much better, even though the Council hadn’t felt that way, because then it was natural. The worlds could make mistakes and the power might change people, but at least then no one had control. It wasn’t as though it was possible to argue with one of the worlds that they should be a Walker.
The tattoos had been a good thing. They allowed more people the freedom to travel and without them there wouldn’t have been merchants selling items from other worlds in the markets. Lucille had always been fascinated by the markets, because each one was slightly different due to what the races of that world wanted. On Athare the market held a little bit of everything. It was the central world of the Web, the Council was there which meant that there was a mix of races who at least visited on a regular basis and wanted reminders of home, and it was where the first merchant had set up a stall to begin experimenting with what their customers wanted.
At the same time having the tattoos under the control of the Council was a problem. It meant that people imagined that the fae had total control over who got a permit, when it was actually fully under the control of a separate department. Neither the Walkers or the fae had total control over who went where, but no one wanted to believe that was the case. Often there would be a Walker employed to check on someone the department wasn’t sure of and there were a couple of fae who worked there on an every day basis. Lucille had known both of them since she was a child, because not all of the fae wanted to hide from the worlds they had created. They accepted responsibility for their selfish ancestors by living alongside the races who’d been created by them.
“If someone does work out how to duplicate the tattoos,” Lucille said, trying to work things through, “they will sell them at a lower price than the Council can afford to.”
“What would happen then?” Peric asked, passing her another nut. All of the ones he’d given her had been new to her, which was probably why he was offering them to her. “If what you’re speculating did happen who would be most affected?”
“The Moonjumpers would, for a start.” Lucille bit her lip. “We’re all paid a wage by the Council and the money for that has to come from somewhere. Without the income from people applying for permits and the tattoos there would be less Moonjumpers, which some people would probably think was a good thing. To them the created Moonjumpers don’t really do anything, but then they don’t know the difference between a true Moonjumper and someone who’s following the rules. If they did…” She shook her head. “The fae would do something to get rid of us, the same way they attempted to get rid of the natural Moonjumpers.”
“How much is your wage?” Bertram asked, fascination filling his voice once more.
“It hasn’t settled yet, because I’m still what they call a journeyman Moonjumper. When I was studying for my exams I was an apprentice and given an allowance rather than a wage, as well as a room within the apprentice’s lodge and three meals a day. Now I’m beginning to make my choices about which worlds I want to journey to on a permanent basis, so I’m paid for the time I spend on other worlds as well as given a small general wage. Once I’ve made my choices I’ll be an adept Moonjumper, which will increase my wage because I’ll be paid in a different way.” She took her purse out from where it was hidden, before tipping out the coins that filled it onto the table. “This was what I was paid before I left for Quiar, in the coin of this world. On every world it will be a little different, depending on what my Atharian money is worth at the converters.”
Bertram looked down at the coins, counted them carefully with his beak, and then looked at Lucille again. “It’s not as much as I thought it would be.”
“The Council has a lot of Moonjumpers to pay.” Lucille put her coins back into her purse before hiding it. “Technically I should be paid more than someone like Kaito, due to the level at which I passed the exams, but I chose to waive that and take the income of a journeyman who had only passed their exams.”
“Why did you do that?” Sini asked.
“In part because my tattoos were all free and I know how much they would cost normally. I still don’t feel like I’ve paid the Council back for the tattoos, so I have a habit of leaving some of my wages, if I’m not travelling, in one of their collection boxes. I also want to feel like I’m just another Moonjumper. Maybe I did pass the exams at a different level to other people, but that doesn’t make me better than them. It just means I’m good at exams.” Lucille sighed. “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been so good at the exams part, because it means I have a much harder choice than any of the other Moonjumpers and I know that I can’t chose all of the worlds I love.”
“The Council has collection boxes,” Peric said, sounding more judgemental than she was happy about, but she could understand why.
“They need collection boxes. If you take my first class there were thirty students. There were three other classes, exactly the same. Each of those classes had three teachers in, because we’d all chosen different worlds to start our studies. All of the students were given an allowance, a place to live, and three meals a day. The teachers were paid for their time. Six moons later we all took our first exams. Out of the 120 students that took the first exam over three quarters passed. Some of us went on to study more of the worlds while others chose to make their first world their only world. I wasn’t the only person to attempt the thirty-four. At the end, of the four classes who started learning with me, there were still five of us attempting to pass the final exam or exams. I was the only one who succeeded and I felt really bad for them, but it is one of the hardest things to do.” Lucille couldn’t help smiling at the look of surprise on Peric’s face. “Three moons after our classes started another four classes started, because people want to be Moonjumpers. Our classes were the best quarter of the year. It’s not usual for three quarters to pass the first exam and it’s not normal for five of us to be going for the full thirty-four. Kai started his classes three years after mine and by the time I was taking my final exam he’d done his four years as a journeyman. He’d actually chosen to extend his time to six years and was thinking about going back to study another world.”
A long silence followed what Lucille had said and she took the time to look at the other things Meriwether had laid out for them. Breakfast on Quiar was one of the things she’d found hardest to get used to, because of the vegetarian aspect. There had been times when she’d found herself wishing for bacon and eggs or a nice sausage sandwich, but they weren’t things she’d find on the breakfast table at the Sleeping Chimera. As a substitute she normally chose the pastries, which were always wonderful, and she looked for one that might have some of the nuts she’d been nibbling on in.
“I never realised how little we knew about the Council Moonjumpers,” Peric said finally, passing Lucille one of the pastries. “That one has pine nuts in it. I’d also recommend that one.” He pointed at one that was full of a fruit that Lucille didn’t recognise. “I know we’re not really connected to the rest of the Web, but…” He shook his head. “Maybe you should write a book – the Truth About Being A Moonjumper – and publish it here.”
Lucille thought about Peric’s suggestion for a moment before nodding. “That’s a really good idea.”
“Thank you.” Peric smiled. “How many Moonjumpers are there now?”
“In active service or in general?”
“What’s the difference?”
“The Council does more than just control the Moonjumpers, Peric. The teachers are an example, but they do have to spend a certain amount of time in active service before they can become a teacher. Then there are mentors, the librarians, the historians, and a number of other jobs a Moonjumper can chose to do after they’ve completed their time as a journeyman.”
“Both, then.”
“In active service there are nearly three hundred Moonjumpers. I have no idea how many of them are true Moonjumpers and how many of them are Council, but from what I know I’d say at least a quarter are connected to one or more worlds. The total number in close to a thousand.”
Peric’s mouth dropped open. “A thousand?”
“There are thirty-four worlds, unless you count each of the Gaeloms separately which takes the total up to forty-six. Plus there’s the hidden places and I’m certain a couple of the Knirochian Moonjumpers can travel to the sibling worlds, but they won’t admit that to anyone.”
“What are the hidden places?”
“Let’s say you have a magical ability you haven’t been permitted to use, because people think it’s dangerous, but now it appears to be the only way to save your race. When the Blue family were given the freedom to make worlds they went a little overboard. It was the first time any of them been allowed to do something more than build a city in a box, which is what started the whole thing, and so when they had a chance to build whole worlds they experimented as much as they could. It was likely they’d never be able to again.” Lucille shrugged. “The Blue, Yellow, and Green families were the three who chose not to hide away in settlements so they didn’t have to deal with the races they created, although I’m sure some did go with the other families, because they were the ones who did the majority of the work.” She shook her head when she realised she hadn’t answered the question, again, but it had been so long since she’d had a chance to use the knowledge she’d learnt that sometimes she went off on tangents. “The hidden places were the way the majority of the world builders made secondary worlds, for want of a better phrase, instead of following the example of Emrys who was the creator of Gaelom.”
“Wasn’t it Emrys who created Quiar?”
“It was, which is why I’m certain there’s a reason Emrys made Gaelom the way he did. Unfortunately he disappeared not long after the last world was placed on the web and he was never seen again, but it was planned because he took all of his journals with him.”
“Included in your book should also be some basic history of the fae,” Sini said, smiling. “Honestly, Lucille, our knowledge is limited compared to what you know, so it would be easier than I want it to be to sit here listening to you for the rest of the day.”
Both Peric and Bertram nodded. “Unfortunately we have a job to do,” Bertram replied, the disappointment filling his voice. “You are going to come back after we’re found out who’s the leader of the charm ring, right?”
“I promise you all I will be back. Quiar is my world.” Lucille ran a hand through her hair. “I couldn’t stay away if I wanted to.”
Telling them that there had been a time when she had thought of avoiding Quiar seemed pointless. It had been months before, during her first couple of visits, when she hadn’t wanted to be a true Walker. Lucille nibbled on one of her pastries as she remembered exactly how Quiar had felt about that and in the end the world had invaded her dreams for a long conversation about choices and responsibilities. Her choice to learn how to be a Walker, her acceptance of the tattoo of Quiar, and stepping onto the world itself had all led to the point where she could be one of the true Walkers who looked after Quiar and the races she cared about.
“That’s good.” Bertram’s words pulled her attention back to the room and the pastry she was still nibbling on. “Having someone like you here… it’s going to change the world.”
Peric laughed and shook his head. “I’m not certain even Lucille has the ability to change the whole world, but she’ll definitely change Larnach.”
Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.
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Date: 2013-04-04 11:55 pm (UTC)That should say "choose" above.
>>“Maybe you should write a book – the Truth About Being A Moonjumper – and publish it here.”<<
Peric is brilliant -- although I'd suggest a pseudonym and a faked publication date for safety's sake.
>>Lucille nibbled on one of her pastries as she remembered exactly how Quiar had felt about that and in the end the world had invaded her dreams for a long conversation about choices and responsibilities.<<
Awesome! I just have to say again, I love your sentient worlds.