"Sometimes it's magic. Sometimes it's followers with bows and clubs. We're expecting traders from Nanem later today, if you want to ask them questions. I suggest you not insult their god or talk about... anything I've said, none of it is safe."

"Making a house harder to damage's easy. Ish. And yeah, I'd like to talk to more'n you, no offense."

"I'm sure I would too. We should go down to the beach now."

She explains things about clams on the way. How to dig, how to pull them out of the sand, why low tide is the time to harvest them.

Blair's a quick learner and good with their hands, and picks it up relatively fast.

(This is not how to make best us of them, of their abilities, they should be making things, but whatever, that's how these people want them to earn their keep for the week.)

(It isn't.)

"Are you feeling more able to make decisions today?" Leora asks while they work.

"Still a bit hungover, but my head's clearer, yeah."

"Now that you've seen something of Acarthen, what are the top three things you prefer about your own home?"

"Uh. I don't reckon you mean stuff like 'everybody I know lives there.' Indoor plumbing, that's nice. Electricity. Probably germ theory? ...No, wait cars. Those're technologies, though, not magic."

"Technologies. So we don't need you to make them, just to teach us. Which of those things can we learn the fastest?"

"Germ theory? That doesn't require metal working. It's about not getting sick. I don't know many basic technologies, though, I'm lost on blacksmithing and shit."

"Well, tell us about germ theory, then. How do we avoid getting sick?"

"Okay, so, 'germs' are these tiny critters - like, real tiny, you cain't see 'em without fancy equipment - that live everywhere. Most've 'em are good or neutral. A coupla're bad, or cause trouble if they get where they don't belong, and specific types cause specific illnesses. But most die if they get real hot, like boiling water hot, so you can boil your drinking and cooking water. Running water and scrubbing'll also knock 'em off your hands, so like after this I'll wanna wash my hands in a stream or somesuch. Soap's good for washing with, if'n it's got lye it'll kill germs purt good, I dunno when that was invented but I know how to make a lye soap outta ash and fat."

"Hm. Surgical stuff should be cleaned in boiling water - anything that can survive being boiled, it's a good idea to treat it that way 'specially if there's an outbreak. Hell, prolly wouldn't hurt to stick anything you're using for a surgery straight in a fire for a spell, my ma did that with needles for lancing boils."

"And waste should be really, really far from your water source, 'specially human waste, waste's pretty heavy in bacteria, like latrines - I think in this sorta sandy soil two hundred feet's your best bet."

"What else... Oh, strong alcohol kills germs purt good, you can clean something with pure, clear alcohol and it'll be just about completely clean, or mix a bit in with water. And if you're taking care of someone real sick, wash your hands a lot, like after every time you touch them and when you leave, indoor plumbing helps an awful lot with that but you can probably manage without. Wounds should be run under water to wash out dirt and germs, any bandages should be cleaned in boiling water before and after being applied, and really dilute alcohol can be used to clean it but I seem to remember that's mostly for the skin around the wound, alcohol directly on a wound can slow down healing I think? But anything touching the wound should be super duper cleaned."

Pause. "I can write all that down with pictures, but I dunno y'all's writing system. ...If y'all have don't have one, writing's mighty useful, it's for keeping records with. And with writing I could record all the later technologies that're super useful so y'all might could get to them yourselves, like indoor plumbing."

"I've heard of writing. If you think it would be useful we can have Carel design a system for us and record what you've said. This germ theory sounds very useful if it's true. Carel! How long will that take?"

"I can have something by this afternoon if I'm not busy with clams."

"Do that, then. I'd also like to hear about electricity and indoor plumbing and cars."

They can explain in as much detail as they know - which is a lot about cars, they still drive their however-many-greats-grandfather's old Chevrolet roadster, and that involves a shitton of maintenance both magical and mundane - and more than a smidge about plumbing (how everything fits together, basics about pumps, don't use lead it's toxic, they kinda once helped someone install primitive plumbing off the grid but they were mostly following orders and not planning, etc.), but not much more about electricity than half-remembered high school physics classes.

"There's a lot more I know or half-know, I can spend a bit getting my thoughts all lined up in a row then recite it to whoever's writing?"

It's amazing what they can dredge up with a stern grandma lady facing them down and their next few meals on the line.

"If any of this is true I'm going to be very happy. How about you go find Carel and see if she's ready for you?"

"I ain't got a single idea how to prove it all, but my ATV's engine works like a car's? So once I get that running - and I'll need some supplies - I can show proof of concept."

"And we'll be able to tell if we get sick less often taking your advice. But I suppose that'll take longer than you mean to be here."

"Yeah, I'm heading out soon as I get some fuel brewed - do y'all have alcohol? It's a bad fuel plain, but I can coax it into working. Asking 'cause using some'a y'all's yeast'll prolly be easier than finding my own."

"We have that. We'll have more this evening. Does it matter what kind?"

"I need to make the alcohol myself. The yeast - uh, anything that'll make for a higher proof? I'm mostly trying for a clear alcohol. I'll also need to figure out a still I think, to get it potent enough to be much use."

"You'll want to see Athan about yeast, that's him over there." She points. He's just pulling up another clam and not making any pretense of not staring at Blair. He waves. "Do you drink the alcohol or put it in your engine?"

"It's for the engine. Alcohol burns, not as well as gas but better'n wood. The burning makes the engine go."

"And we need to work metal to make an engine like that. And for the wires for electricity. Can you tell us anything about that?"

"Uh. Getting fires hot enough is the problem - bellows? Do you guys have those? They blow more air at a fire. Also coal burns hotter than wood, I think, if you can find that, but there's steps, you need - easier metals before you get to big ones. Um. Either bronze is brass and tin or copper and tin or brass is copper and something, there's some mix of those elements and bronze makes a decent early metal."

"I know who would know and what it would cost to find out but it's not a price I can pay. ...What are the best ways you know of to feed more people off the same amount of land?"