Dusts of Avalon - Beastwithin.org

VII. L A K“But as a physical force, no.” Dr. Grovepath said. “Even here, we have seenmany things. But are any of these things in direct violations of the laws of thenature as we know them? e only mysterious piece of puzzle I have is how theNew Avalon appeared on the orbit, but I'm sure there's some sort of a reasonableexplanation for that…”“Ah!” Merlin said. “I see you are a gentleman and a solar, Grovepath, withsome aention to detail in how things are in the present, rather than how youimagine things were in the past.”“Oh, I try to be a solar, that mu is true. If you want my gentlemanlymanners tested, perhaps I should point out that you show too mu disdain formy friend, lieutenant Daleworth. True, she is a soldier, but education is the foundationof our society. I am fairly sure she can at least follow some of the details.Am I right, lieutenant?”Daleworth smiled at Dr. Grovepath. Was Merlin just being generally loathsome,or trying to rile Dr. Grovepath into defending her honour somehow, assome sort of a test of aracter? Dr. Grovepath's response surprised her a littlebit. is was not exactly a show of great ivarly of ages gone by that Merlinprobably expected, but he was absolutely right anyway. “Well, I've followed yourhigh-flying discussions fairly well so far”, Daleworth said to Merlin. “I promisenot to ask stupid questions. If something remains unclear, I'll just take a lookat Dr. Grovepath's report. If he has to write in small enough words that GeneralFyrehart understands what he's saying, then I have no problems reading thateither.”“Interesting enough, I'm sure”, Merlin said, then turned to Dr. Grovepath.“But even if you are a solar, I still face a few smaller conundrums. You are aneducated man — a man educated on mainery, no less — who knows nothing ofhow this mainery operates. is, in my mind, is almost the same as meeting asimpleton who knows nothing of how this mainery operates.”“at's not true at all”, Dr. Grovepath said. “It is easier to tea an educatedman than to tea a complete layman.”“But it still is a needless bore, nonetheless”, Merlin said.“I have deducted how some of your mainery works, all by myself”, Dr. Grovepathsaid. “e Knights are just mobile armours, operated through hydraulics orvariable-tensile string bundles. e tenology appears very similar to our own.e drop pods, or the Steeds as you call them, are just roet pods — quite similarto what we would build.”“I see. And I suppose you are quite correct. But in effect, you are saying youalready know the principles on how the Knights work, and now want to knowhow they really work?”“True.”“But is that not also a meaningless quest, fool?” Merlin asked. “Why study