July
Part 15
by kebzero
AC 207, 15/07
Memoirs of a Warrior
I feel like I am finally making some headway.
Heero has conceded that he might sign up in an advisory or R&D position once he finishes college - provided there are any vacancies, that is. Of course there are. The biggest problem would be to convince the brass to let him simply be a researcher. No doubt they want him as an instructor for new cadets. I have yet to determine whether he still considers his fists and feet 'weapons', and if martial arts in a sparring fashion would be beyond his personal pseudo-religious doctrine.
Trowa has asked about the pay and possibilities for advancement. I think he might even consider active field duty. His inquiries took me by surprise - I thought he was content at that circus of his. I wanted to ask, but to take the chance seemed foolhardy. For once, one of them shows some interest, and I am not about to smother that with curiosity.
I called Sally and asked her to send me some recruitment pamphlets and give me the number of the human resources department. This is an opportunity the Preventers should not miss, even if I have to ruffle some feathers within the agency to make this happen.
Duo overheard Trowa and I talking, and he too wanted to know what the pay might be. However, he made it clear he could not be a full-time agent. Not in it for the cause, but in it for the money, I suppose that about sums Maxwell up.
Sally asked if I was having a good time. I did not bother to lie - I would much rather be back with her, preparing for the next assignment. She told me that things are quiet, that apparently even evil took a holiday this summer, and then she had the audacity to laugh. If I did not know her as well as I do, I might have taken her for a far lighter fighter than I know her to be.
That said, I have found some pastimes to keep myself content. Quatre has a very rich library on the premises. What baffled me was how every single one looked as if it had been read - and not just once. Given the size, that would have been a monumental effort. However, Rashid, who showed me the vast room in the first place, informed me that this was used as sort of a public library for the Maganacs, not just the private book collection of the wealthy.
I came across a shelf of books that were out of the Dewey decimal system, and asked about them. Apparently, that shelf was the true personal library of the Winner family - and it featured a most eclectic mix of titles. Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith. The Art of War, Sun Tzu. The Illiad, Homer. Tactics from Clausewitz, Jomini, Napoleon, philosophy from Aristoteles to Kant - and then we get to the true fiction literature - some contemporary, but others hundreds of years old. 1984, 20.000 leagues under the sea, Tom Sawyer, Wuthering Heights and several titles that were unknown to me. Those, too, had been read more than once - and Rashid told me that these copies had only been read by Quatre.
I am starting to think Quatre is the only one who can rival me in reading. Duo would have us beat in comics, and Heero will undoubtedly take the lead with fact literature after his tour with college, but I cannot imagine any of them picking up anything Mark Twain wrote. I think I will point Duo in the direction of that particular one. For someone so proud of his imaginary heritage, he should certainly expand his knowledge of it beyond mere sentiment.
The library has indeed been a boon. For the last couple of days, I have found several books that have been out of print for decades - A Detailed History of China, 1850 - 2050 was particularly intriguing. So much went wrong near the end, as L5 got built. In some ways, L5 is an orbiting tombstone of the China of old - but as has always been in China, one Mandate of Heaven replaces the next. Even now, there are some who claim the new Earth Sphere government is the next Imperial rule, made divine by the gods.
Aside from the books, I could also tell Sally that I had had some inspirational chess matches with Heero. We seem to have a similar grasp of the game. Playing against Quatre is something you only do when you need to be humbled. After three straight - and quick - defeats in a 'best of five' set, my desire to face him across a chessboard has significantly diminished.
Trowa challenged me to a game this morning. I believe I will take him up on that. Perhaps we can discuss his potential future with the Preventers as we play. He has not yet taken part in our informal duels, so I do not yet know his proficiency at chess.
One more enigma to uncover before the day ends.
'I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.'
- Chang Wufei
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