felt calm and content with these people who treated him, a complete stranger, so well. He decided to make a video report log before he went to sleep.
* * *
Before Taerg went to sleep that night, he made another entry in his log:
I have gained another friend. This strange person from far away has told me many strange things about his people. He is so frail, weak and sickly. I thought it would be very difficult to learn his words, but he has taught me well. He is a very smart individual. I now understand some of what he says when he talks into that small box every night. Tomorrow, I will ask him why he points into the sky when he talks of his people from his home land. My uncle seems to like him. He has asked me to learn more about him and his ways. He also reminds me to write everything down in my daily log. He explained to me the importance of keeping records once again. He says this is how we learn and grow as a people. I would like to do this anyway, because I sense that my new friend knows many things that we do not know. Sometimes he appears to be frustrated and then chooses words that are simpler for me. So, I intend to show him that I am capable of learning everything he can teach me.
When Taerg awoke the next morning, Victor was already up and around talking to the villagers. After a quick breakfast he asked Victor if he could teach him more about his people. However, Victor said he wanted to teach him about what his people had learned about the sun, the moon and the stars. Taerg did not know why Victor wanted to do this, but he patiently agreed.
“First,” said Victor, “what shape do you believe your sun has?”
“It is round.”
“Round like this or round like this?” Victor was holding a plate in one hand and a child’s play ball in the other.
Taerg hesitated and started to point to the plate. Victor shook his head seriously and dropped the plate. The ball remained in his hand. He held it out to Taerg. Taerg took it in his hand and shielding his eyes with the other he looked up at the sun. “How do you know this?”
“My people are great learners and have discovered many things. Your moon is round like this play ball too. When you look at the moon tonight will it look the same as it did yesterday night?”
“No, it will look different.”
“Let me show you why.” Victor took the ball from Taerg’s hand. Using one of the village writing instruments he started drawing the shapes of continents and oceans on it. Then he held it up before Taerg and he said, “Yesterday night.” Then he rotated it some more and said, “Tonight.” He then rotated it some more and said, “Tomorrow night.”
Taerg took the play ball in his hand and also rotated it. He said, “Victoor, you have explained the five faces of Nevah. A very old story we sometimes tell our children before they sleep.”
“Would you like to know more?”
Taerg eagerly nodded his head and so, it went on from there. He was a good student and gradually he realized that Victor was not from his planet at all. After three weeks Taerg had learned much of the basic knowledge concerning his solar system but was now asking questions concerning stars and planets elsewhere. Victor noticed the people of the village looking at them strangely when they were talking about these facts. Perhaps someday, Taerg would teach these things to them.
“You keep calling the planet you are from Homeworld,” he said one day, “but surely you have a real name for it, like we have for ours.”
“I know you are named after your planet. Paradise is a very fine name for a planet. I can’t think of a name better than the name of your planet. The name of our overcrowded planet is Kastat . It is from an ancient expression we no longer use, meaning to throw seed on the soil. Signifying the start of the planting season. It is supposed to be a celebration of new beginnings.”
“That sounds like a good