He listened, half sitting on the windowsill and looking at her profile while she spoke. Samuel studied the lines of it, its animation while she talked. Still, he was not sure if it was given to him to find his way around the sky like she did, but his dread eased, the more he allowed himself to be taken in by her perspective. If he was to find a gate into the realm of the stars, he thought that he knew where to direct his gaze.
When Themis placed her hand on his arm, he became aware that she had once again looked right through him. Not only had she seen where he had been residing within himself just moments ago, she had steered him away from there into someplace new. She had done it in a manner that had almost escaped his notice. Almost.
"It seems that you are changing my positioning, right where I had dug my heels in," he conceded and looked from her hand to her face and smiled. "Not many have been able to do that."
He had sometimes an obstinate pridefulness to contend with in himself; this was why he rejected subjects that did not give him tangible access to more power and instead suggested to step back and regard things in the immeasurable scope of their context. There were entire areas of life and study he had walled off and declared inaccessible or not worth his time for this very reason.
And now, without feeling bitter or defensive about it, Samuel arrived at the conclusion that he had been wrong in his judgment. Their experiment a month ago was fresh in his mind. He had been thinking about how what he had seen there of her abilities was connected to her field of study; he had indeed given it an almost excessive amount of thought.
"What you say about consistency and patterns is familiar to me from my work. Understanding the patterns and rules that govern the movement of the stars and by extension aspects of our life here on earth is essential to the understanding of closed systems. I think that not only do you understand these concepts in far more depth than me; I think it likely that you could reconstruct and adapt them in a way I likewise struggle to," he said.
Samuel was not sure yet that she got where he was headed. So he made it clear: "I have had it on my mind since our last meeting to propose something to you, Themis. A sort of academic exchange. We have not yet got into the construction of the circle you worked with; we merely used it. The former is a science of its own. One where I think you may soon become my teacher, instead of I yours. Although, I am of course willing to teach you anything you would like to know."
He paused, searching for a reaction on her face. Samuel felt confident that he had something of value on offer, but as always with her, he was not completely certain of the outcome of his queries.
When Themis placed her hand on his arm, he became aware that she had once again looked right through him. Not only had she seen where he had been residing within himself just moments ago, she had steered him away from there into someplace new. She had done it in a manner that had almost escaped his notice. Almost.
"It seems that you are changing my positioning, right where I had dug my heels in," he conceded and looked from her hand to her face and smiled. "Not many have been able to do that."
He had sometimes an obstinate pridefulness to contend with in himself; this was why he rejected subjects that did not give him tangible access to more power and instead suggested to step back and regard things in the immeasurable scope of their context. There were entire areas of life and study he had walled off and declared inaccessible or not worth his time for this very reason.
And now, without feeling bitter or defensive about it, Samuel arrived at the conclusion that he had been wrong in his judgment. Their experiment a month ago was fresh in his mind. He had been thinking about how what he had seen there of her abilities was connected to her field of study; he had indeed given it an almost excessive amount of thought.
"What you say about consistency and patterns is familiar to me from my work. Understanding the patterns and rules that govern the movement of the stars and by extension aspects of our life here on earth is essential to the understanding of closed systems. I think that not only do you understand these concepts in far more depth than me; I think it likely that you could reconstruct and adapt them in a way I likewise struggle to," he said.
Samuel was not sure yet that she got where he was headed. So he made it clear: "I have had it on my mind since our last meeting to propose something to you, Themis. A sort of academic exchange. We have not yet got into the construction of the circle you worked with; we merely used it. The former is a science of its own. One where I think you may soon become my teacher, instead of I yours. Although, I am of course willing to teach you anything you would like to know."
He paused, searching for a reaction on her face. Samuel felt confident that he had something of value on offer, but as always with her, he was not completely certain of the outcome of his queries.
