From: justinf@cco.caltech.edu (Justin Fang) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [Kal & Co] Meran speaks Date: 5 Mar 1993 05:31:04 GMT Message-ID: Meran stopped nibbling on a piece of what Kevin had identified as "pizza". "Actually, Kevin, what you have learned may be more useful that you think. Often a different perspective can help solve a problem..." He stared up at the stars, his expression became distant, and his voice changed, as if he were reciting from memory. "At their most basic, what we call "science" or "magic" are just ways of looking at the universe, and interpreting what you see in a manner that allows you to manipulate the universe. If you look at the world in a logical, rational, way, and try to deduce principles from repeatable observations, then what you do is usually called "science". If, on the other hand, you use intuition, trying to *feel* the universe and *convince* it to change, then what you do tends to be called "magic". Of course, these definitions are simplifications since the differences between science and magic are rarely so clear-cut. You should not get the impression that the two are always diametrically opposed -- sometimes they are one and the same. In fact, this entire approach is itself a way of looking at the universe that has proven useful..." Abruptly, he came out of his reverie. "Sorry, I was lecturing. Bad habit I picked up. Anyway, as long as we're doing introductions, I'll follow along. I come from another world, one... fairly far from here, although now that I know the way the trip would be quicker. I do a little of everything, more or less. Well, often less. I've picked up a lot in my travels -- spent most of my life wandering around the universe, looking for new people to meet, new sights to see, new things to do..." He grew reflective again. "After all, what is the purpose of life? To see, to hear, to feel, to do, to *live*... to wax philosophical for no reason at all." He laughed, whimsically. "Sorry, I'm doing it again. Lecturing, that is. Anyway, about the amulet, E'Karam's probably right, it could have another purpose. Here, let me take a closer look." Kal handed it over. Holding the amulet in his cupped hands and closed his eyes, concentrating. After a minute, he stopped and handed it back. "Nothing unusual, though that just means it's not blatantly cursed or anything like that. Detecting something subtle would take a full analysis, and that would take a longer time, better conditions, and maybe more skill." "And about those," he gestured at the barrels, "although we have effective ways of dealing with such stuff on my world, I'm afraid they won't be much help here... the usual approach is to dump it into a sphere of annihilation or gate it into the sun..." Justin Fang (justinf@cco.caltech.edu) This space intentionally left blank.