(Untitled)

[permanent_blur]

*has been playing with kites, of late -- curio renewed his interest in them, and sometimes things stick in his mind instead of slipping away, things like the names of apples and the buttons in his collection and the question of whether or not turtles have collapsible spines. a kite is something he can do, something he can make, and he likes making

Comments

[fatherof4or5]

Dr. Hoenikker, vaguely recognizing Ros but being much more interested in the concept of flying without a machine (something in his face lights up a bit at that; It's probably around his chin), says rather abruptly to Ros, "How much do you weigh?"

[permanent_blur]

he looks puzzled at that, but he looks puzzled at most things. "weigh ... ?"

[fatherof4or5]

"Yes." Maybe another approach? "What is your mass? In pounds, preferably."

[permanent_blur]

"i don't know -- i don't know if i've ever checked. i forget things about myself, sometimes. is it easy to find out?"

[fatherof4or5]

"It's very easy if you've got a scale. Have you got a scale?"

[permanent_blur]

"not with me, though -- is it the sort of thing people carry about?"

[fatherof4or5]

"I've got a very small one, for weighing very small things." He does! He pulls a little bronzeish classical scale out of his pocket; he has the old style because he always forgets to replace the batteries. "You wouldn't fit on it."

[permanent_blur]

regarding the thing with great interest, he says, "i suppose it would be a bit difficult, wouldn't it?"

[fatherof4or5]

"You wouldn't nearly fit. Neither would any of those kites, but they depend more on the wind than on their own weight in the end."

[permanent_blur]

"like boats -- !"

[fatherof4or5]

Without (evidently) missing a beat, "No, most boats wouldn't fit on the scale either."

[permanent_blur]

ros nods, serious. "or a sea for them to sail in."

[fatherof4or5]

"I wonder if I could build a scale large enough to weigh the ocean..." He probably won't be getting back to the kites now.

[permanent_blur]

"and then you could use it," he chimes in eagerly, "use it for ... science."

[fatherof4or5]

"If we could weigh the ocean, perhaps we could then weigh space! The weight of the void would be a fascinating number."

[permanent_blur]

"oh, yes," he agrees, because ros does like to agree, "it must be very large. or very small, or -- neither one at all."