Many [accidental voice]

[count_to_two]

[Detritus is out stomping through the woods, his massive crossbow resting over one shoulder. Something seems to be puzzling him. (Granted, many things puzzle Detritus, particularly when the weather's warm. He's a little slow on the uptake.) He's talking mostly to himself, and hasn't noticed that the crow is recording.]So... you go off in one

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[askthelookout]

[Sing-song]

See the Turtle of enormous girth, on his back he holds the earth, his thoughts are slow but always kind, he holds us all within his mind...

... To which turtle do you refer, sai Detritus?

[count_to_two]

[pause as he sorts through this]

...Dat one dat you just said, I t'ink.

[askthelookout]

Maturin? [Blink] I thought we weren't from the same world, sai Detritus.

[count_to_two]

Er... where I come from der turtle is called A'Tuin. But der last fellow I talked to says this place hasn't got one at all.

[askthelookout]

Is your A'Tuin a Guardian, or does he just actually hold up the world?

[count_to_two]

I t'ink how it works is he carries der elephants an' they carry der world. Dunno if he guards too.

[askthelookout]

Elephants? There are elephants now?

[count_to_two]

Yeah. Dere's A'Tuin, an' then many -- er, four -- big ol' elephants on his back, an' then the Disc on top'f dem. I think dat's how it works. Your world don't have dem?

[askthelookout]

Uh... no.

Our Turtle guards the Beam. Maturin on one end, Shardik on the other. No elephants.

[count_to_two]

Oh. Huh.

...What's der Beam?

[askthelookout]

[Exaggerated sigh]

The Beam, sai Detritus, is one of six - or twelve, depends how you look at it, 'cause they all cross in the middle, you kennit? - that hold up the Dark Tower. The Dark Tower is the lynchpin of reality.

...

It's complicated.

[count_to_two]

[Pause. ...Nope, totally over his head.]

...Oh. Right. Okay.

[askthelookout]

Don't worry, sai, you don't have to understand it. I don't.

[count_to_two]

Oh.

[frowns] ...Kinda hard to balance a world right on der shell, though, right? I thought dey needed der elephants to help keep 'em steady.

[askthelookout]

[Patiently]

Our turtle doesn't balance the world on his back. He looks after the Beam.

[count_to_two]

...Oh, yeah. Right. Der Beam. Right.