38 stories of the temple of the heavenly war - 1 (1/2)

Pratt had taken over the kitchen. No one was surprised. In fact, Jessie and her team were actually pleased. Ashu and Arav had shared responsibility of the kitchen, and while they were adequate, they were quite far from good. Pratt, on the hand, was exceedingly good.

After lunch, we gathered at our table, as Jessie and her team huddled at their bigger table. Neither paying attention to the other, at least seemingly. Jerry gave us a free hand, as he joined Jessie's table.

At our table, the discussion began with Sasha's code and Catarina's vector tracing and rendering. The twins and I were clear. But there was also Lulu among us. For her sake, we started with a brief description of both and our intended goal.

”So,” Pratt concluded, ”our initial approach is two pronged.”

Dia continued like she shared a mind with Pratt.

”One, we need a stronger program which is capable of reducing the manual effort from vector tracing and rendering, and also handle the redrawing capability of Sasha's code.”

”Two,” Pratt continued, ”we get started deciphering the other half of the runes on the walls. So, we turn back to our strength.”

”And we need to find someone who can write the code for us.”

Lulu was stunned. I enjoyed seeing it. I could see myself in her face, and it was hilarious.

”Are they for real?” She asked.

”Oh yes,” I answered. ”They're just getting started too.”

”They're like,” she said.

”Twins,” we said together, and burst out laughing.

The twins looked at us wearing the same expression we wore when looking at them. Lulu and I were tickled, and laughed harder. Somehow, that tickled the twins, and they burst out laughing too.

We were noisy, but the other table paid us no attention.

After having our full, we turned back to the table. To the drawings of the two temples, and the temple of the heavenly war floating over the table, created by Sasha's code.

”The code's covered,” Lulu said.

I understood immediately. In fact, it was on my mind too. The twins didn't. Lulu explained in her style.

”A few days. You'll understand.”

The twins were already afflicted by Lulu. They nodded, and threw the worry out of their head.

Pratt pulled up the wall that was more complete than the others, zoomed in on the runes, and detailed the progress thus far.

”We know about the long arc. We also know that the Faery runes are a mixture of long arc, which is elemental, and another, which seems to be some form of ancient pictorial. Let me explain, for the sake of Dean and Lulu.”

Dia took over, before he could.

”Essentially, pictorial runes follow the idea of talking through pictures. Which essentially means that the central idea is presented directly in and through the pictures. While reading, it's as if we're reading a series of pictures telling a story, like reading a movie. This was the rule, the syntax, for the vast majority of pictorial runes. There were a few exceptions. These runes were pictorial, but the underlying rule they followed, the syntax they were written with, was very different. They were nothing like the other pictorial runes.”

”So, these had to be classified differently. Like a subset, which was actually a different set. They were called ancient pictorial.”

”Because these were all observed in civilisations very ancient.”

”It was as if at some point much after these ancient civilisations ended, the understanding of people evolved at a fundamental level, changing the pictorial to the more common form. The other half of the Faery runes seem to be in the form of ancient pictorial.”

”The challenge was that we had to first decipher the underlying rule, understand the syntax, before we are able to decipher the runes. The difficulty was multiplied by the fact that we hadn't completely deciphered the long arc either. Until now.”

”So, all the teams around here, and elsewhere, must have received the deciphered long arc. They must all be getting started with the ancient pictorial. It's a race. Shall we participate?”

”I'm in.”

Lulu was faster than even Dia, which was surprising to the twins. Not so much to me. Lulu was fiercely competitive. Especially when it involved me, even as an uninterested party. She felt it her responsibility to bear the interest for me too.

I shrugged, expressing my opinion.

”That's a yes then,” Dia summarised. ”I think we need a shout.”

”Jerry,” the twins and Lulu screamed together.

Looking at the three grinning at him, Jerry knew it was important. He rushed over immediately. Lulu was first again, explaining our intent to participate in the race to deciphering the ancient pictorial.

”I'm sure the other table is in too,” Dia added at the end. ”What about you?”

”What about him?” Lulu asked, confused.

Sometimes, Lulu was really slow.

”He's gotta decide who he wants to team up with,” Pratt explained patiently.

”Us. Or them,” Dia completed.