You've Come to the Right Place

Writers: Emma, Vix
Date Posted: 10th July 2007

Characters: Mahantan, Thanja
Description: Mahantan encounters Thanja when he visits the Harper Hall with a commission.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 4, day 27 of Turn 4

"Excuse me?" The dolphineer looked around uncertainly. He knew that the Harper Hall was now located within the confines of the Weyr and the room he had entered definitely had the trappings of a Harper room, yet the rocky walls still seemed more Weyrlike than Craft.

"Can I help you? Master..." The knots gave that much away, Dolphineer, and a senior one at that.

"Mahantan," he replied. He raised his hand, a paper clutched in it. "I was hoping I could talk to someone about this. . . or about something like it." He paused, realizing that he was not explaining well. "I need an artist, someone who can work on a picture, several copies of a picture?"

"Then you've come to the right place Master Mahantan." She rose to her feet and smiled, offering her hand. "I'm Thanja, Master Printer and Hallsecond."

"Ah, Master Thanja!" He took the proffered hand with relief. "I'm so glad to have found you." He glanced around. "I have to admit that I find the location of your Hall . . . unsettling. Not that I have anything against the Weyr, but the Halls that I have visited have been more traditional in nature."

"It was a bit of a surprise to us all to end up here. But we had to leave Emerald Falls, and before that Topaz Sea Hold," she shrugged. "You get used to it."

"I've been through one Hall change and prefer not to do it again, even to have a chance to get used to it." The dolphineer gave her a tired smile. "However, I shouldn't be wasting your time in small talk." He spread the paper he had brought with him in front of her. "I've need of more copies of this - but of a better version of this."

"Right," she studied the drawing before here, which was of a dolphin. "What needs changing on this?" It seemed right in the shape and form, but perhaps you needed to know dolphins to see the issue."

"It looks like a dolphin, but it's _not_ a dolphin," he told her. "There's just something wrong with it, the proportions are a little off. I need something that I can use with apprentices that will be accurate."

"I take it you have a correct diagram?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. That's part of my problem."

"I could have one of our Journeymen that deals in illustration come down and talk to you about it," she offered.

"That would be helpful," he agreed. "In addition, there is a companion illustration to this one, one that shows the internal organs of a dolphin, that has even worse perspective. That one could prove challenging - couldn't it?"

"I can ask Dulsina, she's not known for being squeamish about things if she'd be interested in looking into the commission."

"I definitely would be." He committed himself to this, though he had not checked with the Hallmaster as to funding it. This was too important to the education of the apprentices and if he had to spend his own marks, he would do so. "Once completed, would it be difficult to have copies made? There are benefits to having the apprentices draw their own version, but also to them having accurate renditions to study."

"As I said, you've come to the right place. Dulsina is talented in illustration, and then taking those illustrations and transferring them into a form that we can print from."

The dolphineer nodded. "I've never done anything like this before - do I make the arrangements with you or with the woman who will be doing the work?"

"I'll have her contact you within the sevenday."

"That would be fine. Thank you."

"You're welcome Master Mahantan."

With a quick bow of his head, the dolphineer headed for the door and back to the familiar environment of the sea.

Last updated on the July 11th 2007

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