Rise of Glie Chapter 27
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Previous: Rise of Glie Chapter 26: The Engine
FHD Remix: The Rise of Glie
Chapter 27: Quest for the Blue Seed
Fushoku advances timidly through the Temple's garden, noting how fast the trees grow. They have grown tremendously since the last time he was in here, which was when he picked up his notebook last year.
His bells ring a little bit with each pace.
Two of the Toga in the Haibane Renmei, with their square masks and wooden wings, slowly wander through the garden, as though counting the leaves on the trees.
As soon as he catches sight of the Communicator, he starts to use his voice, but catches himself, and rings the bells on his wrists to get his attention.
Washi gets up from his desk with a box and approaches Fushoku without the aid of his cane. "Haibane Fushoku, have you seen the crows?" he asks.
Fushoku flaps his right wing.
"They bring us things that we've lost, or things that we need," he explains, "They can't carry much at once, so usually they bring things that are small. One looking out for you," Fushoku suddenly notes his presence in the tree next to Washi's desk, "brought a large thing in small pieces over many trips." Washi offers Fushoku a box, "It is something you've been asking for from everyone except me, which I find troubling since I'm the most likely person within this wall who would have such a thing, although I did not, until now."
Fushoku takes the box, which has his kanji names carefully engraved on the lid. He unties the string holding the lid, and slides it open. In it, he finds a paper, and pulling it out with his right hand, carefully unfolds the top flap of beautifully handwritten document. He gasps:
Effects of Delta Radiation on Semiconductor Electronics:
1. General Description 2. Atomic Transformations 3. Crystal Lattice Moderation Effect 4. Fab Protection Practices 5. Proposed Logic and Layout Techniques 6. Finished Package Strategies ....
"Certain chapters have been left out," Washi explains, "Since delta radiation never occurs within Glie any more. The wall has done a very good job of protecting us."
"Who wrote this?" Fushoku asks.
"Ssh," Washi says softly, "I have not given you permission to speak. I wrote what you are holding. The author, or authors, of the original material are not known to me. It was brought to me in tiny shreds that I had to reconstruct. I don't even know if they're from one document, or book, or might even be from different parts of the world. Everything you need, is in there," he points.
Fushoku bows, and then makes his exit.
Washi turns to the crow and signs, "Thank you. You should go now. I appreciate you showing yourself to him."
As the crow starts to fly away, the Communicator calls, "Wait. I have one question."
The crow comes back to land on Washi's desk and looks up at him with deep curiosity.
"Why do you want to help our worst enemy get their computing power back?" Washi asks cautiously, "It is safer for all of us if they do not have such capabilities."
The crow taps on a drawer in the desk's hutch. Somehow the crow knew where his original shreds were.
As soon as the drawer is open he jumps into it and starts digging through the chapter on "Atomic Transformations". He pulls up the one shred Washi left out of the document he gave Fushoku because it was the only shred that connected with nothing else to form an idea. On it was typed in English parts of two lines.
...carbon is unaffected ... proposed diamond cry-...
The crow taps the word "diamond" and then vigorously flaps his left wing, blowing shreds of the original documents all over the garden.
"They're planning to use artificial diamonds to create electronics that would be completely unaffected by delta radiation," the Communicator realizes.
The crow extends his right wing.
"Having us build silicon electronics for them can prevent that?" Washi asks.
The crow nods.
"Finally, I know why the Saviour sent us Fushoku," the Communicator sighs.
Fushoku decides to take the adventurous new road home to Stone Mill instead of the safer high road. At this time it is quite adventurous because the anticipated "catwalk" ledge does not yet exist. Stonecutters work on the face of the cliff above, what used to be flood mud securely cured into a single, gargantuan brick they are dicing much as he recalls the process in his dreams, of slicing up the gigantic silicon crystal into tiny chips. He borrows a harness, clips onto the rope wrapped around the "mountain" and crawls across the bare rock face. After that is the rope bridge, which consists of one rope overhead for your harness and hands, and another for your feet ... intermittently in Fushoku's case, with the waterfall in spitting distance and routinely spitting on the bridge and its occupants. On the other side, the soaking wet haibane unclips, crawls out of the harness, and decides not to do that again for at least another year.
Once back at Stone Mill, Crystal is there, tending little Kagami, as usual. Crystal says, "You're late, Master Fushoku," with a smile.
Kagami, who was bouncing around in the dandilion puffs, retreats to Crystal's side on seeing him. A haibane for a year now, her blonde hair has grown out quite beautifully, and she has also grown quite a bit taller. The pair of playful pigtails frames a timid smile.
Stanley and Keepsie come up to him.
"Uh oh," Fushoku says nervously. He and Bahitsu have just overhauled their fourth engine, and figure they have probably come to claim it like they did the first three, one of which runs faithfully in Jabez's woodworking shop, and the other two chug along at the edge of the shrinking lake, pumping it out. "Please let us keep this one," he begs, "At least until we've done the second wind generator."
"Sorry," Stanley says, "but the good news is that Jabez will be trading his old one in, and you get to keep that one."
Fushoku can tell there's more, and jealously clutches his little box with the folded up delta radiaton report.
"Feather Fushoku, on behalf of the community of Glie," Keepsie begins with a tear, "We seek your approval of the plans for a third haibane nest in the pending East District of the town of Glie, near the river, well downstream and not too far from the Great Gate."
"These are the plans for the four storey Wire Factory," Stanley says, "Please go over them and tell us what you think."
"Thank you," Fushoku says as he takes the building plans.
As the wet haibane turns to head to the bath, Stanley asks, "Did you ever get the information you needed about the radiation effects?"
"Oh," Fushoku says, "It's right here," holding up his little wooden box.
"I'm glad," Keepsie says, then they turn back to the human camp.
Kagami is back to stalking her dandilions.
Fushoku sees her behaviour as rather curious. She's apparently taken quite an interest in dandilions recently. He crouches and asks, "Whatcha doin', Kagami-san?"
"I'm trying to find a blue seed," she says. Apparently she's on a serious quest for one among the many thousands of tiny gray dandilion seeds in this single acre of unkempt lawn.
"Why blue?" he asks.
"'Cus they grow really big," she giggles, "The one in the room next to mine is already this big!" she holds her arms wide.
Fushoku is so shocked he has trouble keeping his feet, "How long ago did you find it, Kagami-san?"
"Last fall," she says.
It is August, Fushoku realizes. He rises to his full height and nervously squeaks, "Crystal."
"Yes, what's wrong?" she asks.
"Hurry back to Old Home and check the rooms on the floor Kagami sleeps for haibane cocoons," he says.
"Could they just sprout up anywhere?" Crystal asks in an exasperated tone, "How ever do we find them in such a huge place?" She hurries off.
Fushoku crouches again and says to the nervous little girl, "It's alright, you're going to have a new friend. It's real, right, not made-up?" he asks.
"Oh, yes," Kagami says, "In the room next to mine. It grew so big I had to move the bed out of its way."
"Please tell Crystal if you find any more," Fushoku says, "Now go show her this one, I'm sure she'll be amazed."
Kagami easily catches up with her on the way back to Old Home.
Someone touches Fushoku's shoulder and he jumps in startlement. He turns to see Aware standing there, wet. As Fushoku realizes that Aware's wet from his own jump, the elder haibane asks, "Boy or girl?"
"Boy, I hope," Bahitsu snorts from Stone Mill's entrance.
Next: Rise of Glie Chapter 28: Lady Number
