Slow to Understand

May 21, 2025

I became more and more confused as we continued on the tour. Benedicta stayed at my side, following immediately behind me, the entire time. She didn’t say much, but what she did say was in Dwarf. Eventually, it was time for me to take them back to their parents’ quarters, and for me to go back home. I asked at the registration office where they had been put and took them there.

Renatus opened the door to his ‘home’ and walked in. I paused outside, but Benedicta pushed me forward from behind (not that she ‘pushed’ me in, you understand. I went once she pushed me. Dwarves are hard to push.). Her parents were alone, and turned to look at us. Something was going on, something I really didn’t understand.

Renatus walked over to his Father, and then crouched at his feet. “I have told Heinrich the name of my oldest Sister. She spoke of what she does not yet understand. And I have told her that he will teach it to her.”

There was a long pause. Then Quirinus said to me, ///Wait here/// and stalked out of the room.

The room seemed incredibly small with Renatus’ family in it, although it had been built specifically for Spearmen. Unlike the rooms for Dwarves, Spearmen had been given one large room. No bed nooks had been carved into the walls; instead there was straw cast all over the ground on one side of the room. An extremely large table took up most of the middle of the room.

Renatus seemed nervous, and kept up a running series of questions; wanting to know about my life since we had left his outpost, and even before. Even the Mother seemed interested, especially with details such as Gertrude’s betrothal to Nhomhisosh. In fact I was in the middle of that story (and doing a particularly good job telling it, if I do say so myself) when Quirinus came back. I stopped my story, as all eyes had turned toward him. He looked at me.

“I have… explained… to your parents,” he said to me in Farmer. “They understand the importance of her offense, and your Father has agreed with the punishment she has been given.”

This explained precisely nothing to me, but he went on. “You may go back to your house now.”

I got up, disappointed. I hoped I would be able to finish my story another time. As I walked to the door I noticed that Benedicta was following me, still at my shoulder. What on earth was going on?

She didn’t stop at the door either, but followed me down the hall. I was confused, but pleased, at least someone would hear the end of my story. I hate stopping stories in the middle.

I walked slowly enough so that I was able to finish my story, and knocked on our door. Dwarves always knock on doors. Mother came to the door and let us in.

When we were both in I began, “This is…” but she interrupted me…

“Quirinus’ Daughter, his eldest Daughter.”

Father was sitting at the table, and had risen when we came in.

“Welcome to our house.”

She stared at him, almost angrily, and replied, “Obedient I am, but not yet understanding.”

He seemed to expect this reply and answered almost ritually, “Understanding will come to those who obey.”

Her anger didn’t seem to lessen, but she seemed to relax a trifle.

“I don’t understand either,” I put in.

Father rounded on me, “Your job is not to understand, but to learn, and to lead. While she is in our house, you must tell her what to do. One day she will understand what she needs to know.”

Even Father’s actions were mysterious to me, but his instructions were clear enough. So for the rest of the evening I wandered around my own house with a Spear girl at my shoulder, except when I specifically gave her instructions to do otherwise. When it came time for us to go to our rooms, and I headed off to my room, she started to follow.

“No, you cannot come to my room with me. You must go and sleep with Heidi. She will tell you what to do.”

Benedicta seemed extremely angry, but Heidi was thrilled, dancing from toe to toe. Unlike boys, girls didn’t often do sleepovers. The two of them went off toward her room, but Mother interrupted.

“Heidi, you must tell Benedicta everything she must do. She does not know our ways. You must-- Oh, bother, just a minute, I will come with you.” And she walked downstairs with them. I looked at Father for an explanation, but he went on with his carving and ignored me.

Breakfast the next day and Benedicta was still there. It was very awkward. I had learned that I could not call her Benedicta though. Every time I started to, she hissed out something over my words. It must be some Spearman custom. I knew very little about Spearmen.

So I was stuck saying, ‘you’ every time I talked to her, which she didn’t seem to mind, but I found terribly awkward. The others struggled as well, until Mother came up with a happy solution, and began referring to her as, ‘bethQuirinus’ after the Farmer custom. It was kind of unwieldy, but it was better than ‘you’. She answered to it willingly enough.

When I got up to go to work, I knew that I had to do something with bethQuirinus. It absolutely wouldn’t work for her to go with me. It wouldn’t be bad when I was excavating, she would be very helpful carrying blocks; but she couldn’t help with scouting. She wouldn’t fit for one thing, and it would be dramatically unsafe. Dwarves are excellent climbers. I knew nothing about Spear girls. Girls couldn’t scout with us anyway, it would be immodest.

“bethQuirinus. Where I go this morning, you cannot come. I want you to stay here and obey Heidi.”

I could have had her obey Mother. That probably would have made her feel better. But if this was some sort of punishment, then my job wasn’t to make it easier. I could see by her face that it hadn’t. Even Heidi looked a bit taken aback. But no one argued, and I left for work.

—

Island People

Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.

The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:

The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid

The Bobtails and the Cousins

The Bobtails go to France

and

No Ordinary School

As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.

Arthur also has a substack, and a website. On the substack you can listen to some of his published books. Free.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von