i_speak_softly | Forty-Seventh Theory [Voice]

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Forty-Seventh Theory [Voice]

Filtered to Doc McCoy || Unhackable

Um. About my brother's cat.

[Once that unpleasantness is over, Don will go sit up on the roof for a few hours, in the rain and in view of the river, meditating. He made contact with Sona last week at the hot springs, and is now trying to learn what she has to teach.]

[Later, inside, he'll open his journal and put a question to the village at large.]

Filtered from Shredder and Karai || Unhackable

I've heard some people are trying to build ships. Are any of them likely to be seaworthy by the end of the summer?

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[They walk, they talk, they do any number of amazing things.]

Donatello. Just Donatello.

[And hey, they have names. Fancy, foreign ones. See, Archie can handle Kurt. At least Kurt is human-shaped. He could handle talking to Robert in this form because Robert was human deep down. But after six months of seeing these guys, here and there, he's still not sure what to say to them. Do they have interests? They don't wear clothes, so how civilized is their society? The wonderful 18th-century British thinking that would make him sound like a colossal jerk if spoken out loud is actually little more than a way to determine what is proper around this creature. But all comes out is the following:]

That's...very lovely, yes.

[Acting normal usually works well on both sides.]

Most people call me Don. What about you?

[When he acts normal, people often think he's either quaint or flirting, thanks to time differences. Give him credit: he's done well the last six months, adjusting, for a guy whose "weirdest place he's ever been to" before coming here was probably Samana Bay.]

...

.....

[Oh. He asked a question. What does he do?]

Erm.

[Is it safe to answer? Is the creature of human intelligence and disposition or is it going to fly into a rage and seek him out for revenge if some part of his name happens to be a deadly insult on his homeworld? He considers this for a moment, suppresses a chuckle, and coughs.]

Kennedy.

[Oh, like the president. Though it's just as likely this Kennedy is from a world with a totally different system of government.]

Nice to meet you, Kennedy.

You sound like you know a lot about boats.

Mister Kennedy, actually. Beg pardon. I'm in the navy. The--Royal Navy. In-in...my world.

[Ah, so it's a king. Or a queen. Don guesses it could be a queen.]

Are you familiar with diving bells, Mr. Kennedy?

[Hesitation. The term is familiarish, like he should know, but maybe he's thinking of something else.]

I'm afraid not.

They're big and heavy and meant to be used from a ship. Hence my question.

I see. Depending on how large and heavy they are, a boat might not be your best hope.

[He frowns.] But all the diagrams show them on boats...

It would depend on your boat, and how big your...your large, heavy thing is.

[That would get a snicker in any gunroom.]

Edited 2011-07-18 00:14 (UTC)

[The joke goes right over Don's head.]

I would guess about five-hundred pounds, and big enough for two people to stand in, if they're good friends.

Over the side of a boat with no cargo?

... Sorry?

[He slows down a tad.] How are you lowering it into the water?

[This is firmer ground.]

A winch. If no one has one yet, I'll build one.

When you lower it into the water on one side, you will have to balance the other side if it's a small boat.

[Does he really have to say this? Really?]

[He's used to working on solid ground okay.]

That's why I need to know how big the boats are.

[Mr. Kennedy will now see sketches and numbers appearing in the margins, as Don works out weight ratios.]

[Five hundred pounds with two people in.] Where would you secure the rig so it doesn't rip anything out?

[The arithmetic ends with a scribble.]

And this is why I need someone who understands boats.

Edited 2011-07-18 16:50 (UTC)

[A slight sigh.]

A schooner would be large enough for you, but I don't think anyone has anything of that size. Probably Jack Sparrow's Joanna Joyce would be the closest.

He's telling me about it. [Pause.] He's telling me lies about it, at least.

He's only trying to see what he can get away with.

I don't think it's very funny.

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