Brazva dawns rainy. Okonko spends most of his day immersed in tedious and endless paperwork. His fist hurts from writing, stamping and punching papers. In a moment of reverie, he wonders, "What's Johan doing? We know each other so little, but I really think we'd be friends! I hope we can meet again in the future!", he smiles to himself.
However, the tranquility of his work is interrupted by screams from the other room. He runs over to encounter three angry humans and four Tokoloshes*, also angry. A Unit Paladin is trying to control the situation, but his efforts are futile. Everyone screams and complains to each other, pointing fingers and handing offenses.
Okonko notices two large sealed chests that the visitors have brought with them. Inflating his chest, he interrupts the discussion with a whistle. Then he smiles:
_ Good afternoon! I'm Okonko. Can I help you?
Instantly, everyone starts talking again. Cacophony prevents any words from being discerned. Okonko whistles again. Frowning to impose some respect, he says:
_ I can't understand if you don't explain! Please, you start. _ He points to one of the men.
_ Right! Here's the deal: The seven of us are partners in a store, but the boss, a Tokoloshe too, died yesterday of a heart disease. Then, he left these two chests full of Croix coins. One has our dividends and the other is the inheritance for his family. The problem is that the old man wrote the values in a language that no one knows!
_ And we also don't know for sure how much it was for each one of us. _ Another human completes the statement.
_ We've to follow the union's rules, boy. _ One of the Fabulares interrupts _We're heads of the distributors, so each one has to receive a part of the dividends. Then, we've to share the total with our managers, that are 10. Then, they'll share with the 12 employees they coordinate. Everything bureaucracy...
_ Then, the total will be divided among the 7; this value will be divided by 11 and then that fraction will be divided by 13. Is that it? _ Okonko asks, approaching the chests.
_ Yeah! The problem, really, is that these humans want to choose one of the chests and share from it, without knowing the total!! _ Another of the Fabulares exclaims.
_ It's better than having to count each coin! My lifespan is too short to waste on it! _ One of the men replies _ Must be a Tokoloshe to have such stupid ideas!
The discussion soon resurfaces. Okonko thinks and does some scribbling on paper. Finally, after a few moments, he says:
_ I know what to do! _ Everyone turns to him _ I also don't know the symbols on these labels, but I managed to find the pattern we need.
Everyone stares at one another, confused. Finally, Okonko explains:
_ 7, 11 and 13 are prime numbers, so necessarily the total value of Croix has to be a multiple of the three at the same time to be "dividable". Multiplying them gives 1001. Any 3-digit number multiplied by 1001 will give a number that is itself twice... _ Nobody seems to understand _ For example, 539 multiplied by 1001 will give 539,539. This works for any 3-digit number and will always give a 6-digit number, just like the ones on the labels of the chests. _ He points to one of them _ See? This one has the pattern, but the other doesn't. This must be the right chest.
Everyone is amazed at the conclusion and agrees with the boy's logic. Without hesitation, the seven begin to share their coins right there, so that District members are witnesses that no one was stealing. The Paladin who wasn't able to solve the problem approaches Okonko and says:
_ That was impressive, Oko. You're brilliant!
_ Thanks! I'm very good at finding patterns! I like to create hypotheses to justify apparently unrelated things, and sometimes this results in some really cool discoveries! _ He exclaims, excited.
The colleague narrows his deeply black eyes, discreetly. His smile looks drier.
_ Is that it? That's nice. I'm glad you have fun with these things. _ He moves away _ This type of problem isn't for me...!
He leaves to the room next. Okonko turns to the workers who are already close to finishing their division. Happily, one of the Tokoloshes puts his small arm around Okonko's neck and says:
_ Thanks for the work, boy! You from the Ecclesia are very dedicated, huh? _ He hits the boy on the head a few times _ Too bad the salary isn't that good!
_ Ah, I don't earn in 1 month what you're profiting from just this chest, but it isn't that bad either! Our salary's pretty good!
_ Really? There's a boy from here who lives close to my home, in pretty croocked little house! I see him leaving in the morning from time to time. He moved there over a month ago, I guess.
Okonko feels something strange with that sentence. He has the feeling that he heard something very similar not long ago... Without much expectation, he asks:
_ Is it on 13th Street?
_ That's right! So you know him! _ The Tokoloshe smiles and walks away when his colleagues call him _ Say hello to him! Thanks again, boy!
Okonko says goodbye, but his smile falls apart. "How strange...", he thinks. "Something doesn't fit right. The Sphinx said that a woman lived in the house on 13th Street alone, didn't she? Does one of my colleagues live with her? Or maybe it's not the same house". His rigid expression soon vanishes, being replaced once again by the naive aspect he usually has on his face. "I just have to ask!", he concludes.
In the late afternoon, Okonko walks back to his home. His parents are waiting for him for the delicious dinner they serve every night... However, this time, he isn't as happy as usual. When he asked his veterans who was the newest in the Unit, they all said, unanimously, that it was he himself. When he asked about addresses, no one mentioned a place even near 13th Street.
_ Ah, how weird. _ He grumbles to himself _ I can't stop thinking about it! Such stupidity! _ He shakes his head.
However, for some reason, he remembers a conversation, months before, with his roommate in Meigdan... "Instinct".
_ That's true. Johan said something about following our "instincts", right? Maybe this is what he meant...? _ He pauses _ Ahhh, I won't be able to sleep well today!
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Author's notes:
*Tokoloshe: Creature based on Zulu mythology (Southern Africa). They are rational creatures with the appearance of an "elf" or "dwarf", with pointed ears. They have several magical abilities, such as invisibility and water manipulation. Most are famous for their tendency to play tricks and do mischievous deeds, which does not differ them from most human beings.
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Three Spheres
FantasyAmadeo is 20 years old young man, with a sword attached to his waist and an insatiable desire for freedom... The burden of his title, and the weight of his cape don't let him forget such destiny that he never chose. However, what he doesn't know is...
