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

[ 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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

[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...]