- 13 - A wafting east breeze breaks on the Fifth's dawn.

[toobravehearted]

[ The Doctor is on the landing of the first floor today, forearms leaning on the stone wall that overlooks onto the lobby below. In his hands he has a Chinese text, the pages yellowed and ancient, the glue for its binding brittle and giving off a vague scent of age whenever a page is carefully turned. He was reading the text earlier; now, he's just looking down into Cair Paradisa, pensive and allowing his mind to wander, thinking of people that come and go, round and round. Life is a wheel and Paradisa is not much different. Although, granted, the Doctor thinks it's a Ferris wheel sometimes, which in of itself could be rather apt, a Ferris wheel in a twisted fairground.

Presently he takes his journal from his pocket and props it up and open on the wall.]

"As evening clouds withdraw, a clear cool air floods in. The jade wheel passes silently across the Silver River. This life, this night, has rarely been kind. Where will we see this moon next year?"

Good Morning, Paradisa. It's the Doctor here of the fawn coat kind, starting your day with a piece of poetry passed to me from a-- A good man and friend. Now, I'm sure someone will be curious enough to want to know what it means. It's about the value you place on time spent with family, or with friends; I'm sure many can agree that ultimately, you choose your family for yourself. Here perhaps, that rings just as true.

While there can be plenty more said on the matter of friends lost, I will refrain from that. I do have a question however, if you will permit me to ask and be so direct. What have you lost?

The castle takes its price and I'm... Well, I can only apologise for my curiosity. There are a few of you that I have asked already, and if there is any offence taken I am very sorry. You have the choice not to answer.

[ The Doctor sighs and then straightens up, choosing to lean his hip against the wall and pick up his journal as he does so. ]

On a lighter note. While we have poetry, why not a riddle as well to get us going this morning? No cheating now by stopping by the library for this one. The aim of this is to think, and that's the most important thing you should be doing. Besides, this is one of my favourites, how could I not share?

John gave his brother James a box: About it there were many locks.
James woke and said it gave him pain; So gave it back to John again.
The box was not with lid supplied; Yet caused two lids to open wide:
And all these locks had never a key. What kind of box, then, could it be?

Comments

[workaphilic]

[Idly, like he's just flipping through:]

Punched him, so his brother punched him back.

[toobravehearted]

[Humpfh.]

Hello, Sherlock. Not nearly a challenge for you, I see?

[workaphilic]

You tried. [He tries to stay flippant, but there's a smile in his voice. Self-satisfied, of course.] It's not the worst I've ever heard.

[toobravehearted]

[Of course. He's mildly flippant, more amused than not.] Oh, not the worst ever heard, that's good at least.

Try another with me, Sherlock? A philosophical problem, perhaps?

[workaphilic]

[A hum.]

Only if it's interesting. Never liked philosophy, not enough to offer.

[toobravehearted]

Oh, you've been looking at the wrong type of philosophy, then.

[He thinks for a moment and then smiles. Let's continue on a theme. There's a strong possibility that Sherlock may know it, but it's a harder question all the same.]

Achilles challenges a tortoise to a race. So confident is he that he will win, he even offers to give the tortoise a head start. The tortoise however, through discourse, proves to Achilles that he himself would win the race and Achilles would forever be behind him. How did the tortoise so flummox the light of foot Achilles?

[workaphilic]

[He doesn't. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't like philosophy, and he very rarely lends brain space to things he doesn't like.

He's quiet for a moment, listening. Then, lazily:]

Achilles is a moron?

[toobravehearted]

[He nods, opens his mouth, takes a deep breath to speak-- and is suitably derailed by Sherlock as the words sink in.] Ah, what?

[Ffff. Humour, sense of.] That's an interesting answer. You're also correct, in a sense. The tortoise argued the deduction and logic of infinite regression, and Achilles was fooled into forever eating the tortoise's dust.

Well, supposedly. It made for an interesting night with Charlie and a practical example of the same with a bottle of whiskey anway.

[workaphilic]

[He makes an amused sound.]

So, essentially, the answer to your philosophical problem is that philosophy is pointless in the real world?

[toobravehearted]

[He laughs, amused also.]

No. Philosophy is a construct to make us think, to see our worlds in something other than black or white. A good deal of philosophy has its basis in science or in numbers also, like this particular problem. The tale was written by a famous logician from a philosophers musings; many have tried to prove that infinite regression does or does not exist.

I wonder what the philosophers and logicians would make of where we are currently.

[workaphilic]

I don't need the help.

[On thinking, that is. He's not easily swayed, still thinks philosophy is a crutch for boring people, but he at least respects Five enough not to harsh his mellow.]

They'd have a field day, I'd assume. All their musings, suddenly relevant.

[Okay but he can't just not get some of his shots in.]

[toobravehearted]

Oh, I think you do just fine in thinking outside of the box as evidenced with our friends John and James.

[Returning volley, incoming.] Some perhaps. There are still yet stranger things than are dreamt of in their philosophy.

[workaphilic]

Everyone would do as well as me if they bothered to think every once in a while.

[A beat.]

Well. Not as well as me. But better than asking whether I can reach a door in a finite amount of time or not.

[toobravehearted]

[Another interpretation of the paradox. Well done, Sherlock. The Doctor smiles to himself.] That they would, people could learn a lot from you and I'd almost even go as far to say that you're the most intelligent person in the castle.

[Almost...]

[workaphilic]

[That gets an amused scoff.]

Only almost?

[toobravehearted]

[There is humour in his voice, but it's not without the confidence of his own ability.]

Isn't it obvious? I'm here.

[workaphilic]

Clearly you need to get to know me better, then.

[toobravehearted]

I certainly intend to and I never miss an opportunity to teach.

[workaphilic]

I always miss opportunities to teach, so I'm afraid you'll be out of luck.

[AGGRESSIVE EGOS GO.]

[toobravehearted]

[Ego yes, aggressive, no, not today. It's just been so long since he's had a verbal sparring partner.]

Just as well I know rather a lot.

[workaphilic]

We'll see, won't we?