Lauren--Part Nine

Splog # 37

Nine

   Lauren smiled at Splog and held out her hand to him. He smiled back and took her hand. Just as they were about to start descending, he turned to her and said,

   "You're not feeling it necessary to reach our destination excessively quickly, are you?"

   Lauren replied in the negative.

   "Well, that's pleasing to know. And so it would not perturb you if we proceeded at a leisurely pace?"

   Again Lauren replied in the negative.

   "Lovely, lovely," said Splog. "Well, shall we?"

   And Splog placed his right foot on to the first step leading downwards. Lauren did the same but, as she was about to place her left foot on the next step, she felt a slight tug on her arm. She turned to Splog just as he placed his left foot next to his right on the first step. Then he looked up (he had been watching his feet intently) and let out a breath and smiled.

   "We've begun," he said, almost to himself.

   And then he continued heading down the steps at a very slow rate of speed, planting both feet on each step and letting out a breath before attempting the next. Lauren found this slightly amusing and found that the easiest way to go down the steps, since he was holding her hand, was to match his movements and place both feet on each step before proceeding to the next. Though she didn't feel the need to take such deep breaths and let them out with so much energy.

   After about ten steps, Splog looked over to her and asked how she was holding out.

   "I'm alright," Lauren replied.

   "And the exertion isn't belaboring your person in an unpleasant fashion?"

   Lauren didn't feel as though she were exerting herself at all, but she didn't want Splog to feel that she was doing with ease what seemed quite difficult for him, so she replied,

   "I think I'll be able to make it ok."

   "Wonderful," said Splog. "My first glimpse of you proclaimed your steadfastness. I could tell you were, in the vernacular, a trooper. So, would you have the stamina to converse somewhat as we continue? We can commence slowly and you'll be sure to cease any vocal exertion should your respiration not be sufficient to your physical requirements."

   Splog had halted his descent to make this little speech and before resuming he waited for Lauren's answer. Lauren thought it might be interesting to talk to Splog and find out more about where she was, but she was afraid that if he stopped every time he had to say something that they would never reach the bottom. So she asked first if it wouldn't be too much trouble for him to converse and descend at the same time.

   "Nonsense!" Splog remarked vehemently. "I heartily enjoy a good conversation. And, as long as I maintain a suitable concentration on the task at hand, there'll be no difficulty at all. Not in the least."

   So Lauren told Splog that she would be very interested in knowing all about where she was, and the Fe-San. Splog hesitated a moment and then said,

   "My original intention was to let you begin with some description of yourself and any particulars you might wish to share until I attain my equilibrium. Er, reach my stride, don't you know? At which point we might commence a more reciprocal exchange of thoughts and ideas, not to mention plain old facts."

   Realizing that that might keep them going a little better, Lauren readily assented and Splog looked back to his feet and together they resumed their climb down.

   "Well," Lauren began, "My name is Lauren, as you already know. But you haven't told me yet how you happened to know it. I suppose you might have guessed it. Still, to guess someone's name on the first try, when you've only just met, seems a bit suspicious to me. But you can explain that to me when we get into our back and forth conversation."

   She thought for a moment. People usually asked your age and what grade you were in before anything else, so that gave her an idea of how to proceed.

   "I'm ten years old and I live on the top of a big hill with my mother and father and there's no one else for miles and miles around so I don't go to school but my father teaches me reading and writing and art and music and my mother teaches me arithmetic and geography and history and science and they both say that I'm very bright for my age and I think I might be because nothing I study seems very difficult but that might be because my parents each test me on what the other one teaches me and maybe they make it too easy 'cause they want me to get it right and I guess all parents want to think they're children are very smart so sometimes I just don't know if I am or not."

   She paused again to contemplate this question. She hadn't intended to say all that she had, but talking without expecting a response just led her to rambling almost as though she were thinking out loud. She was surprised when Splog broke into her thoughts by saying:

   "You sound like you're fairly smart" - breath - "to think all those thoughts about" - breath - "whether you're really smart or not."

 

   "Maybe," said Lauren. "We have a lot of books to read at home. And I have to look words up in the dictionary, because if I just ask what a word means, Mum and Dad say 'Why don't you look it up?'"