Impossible Dreamers

Chapter 28 (degtwi-que): Pritch learns

More blank looks from the Grabblers.

'What do you mean by this word "paid"?' said Selentaya.

'Paid. Don't you have that word? Well, rewarded. How are people rewarded for the work they do?'

Piacho broke the silence. 'Ha! I suppose somebody who makes a cake immediately feels the pride of having made something good. Or even if the cake was not good, they would feel proud of their attempt. And others would feel grateful for the work that the person had put in. All are rewarded with pride. Does that answer your question?'

This was hopeless, Pritch thought. He sat looking at the pair, with his mouth open.

Selentaya seemed to take pity on Pritch in his confusion. 'Honoured Pritch,' she said, 'you must understand that in our land, nobody decides for others what they should do. Nobody tells anybody else that they should make a cake. Of course, the Counsel of the Wise makes a plan each year of the things that need doing, and every now and then people look at the plan to see if things are more or less going as they should, and whether there is anything that they can do to help things along. People try to keep to the plan, but it is no shame or dishonour if an individual decides they want to do something different. As long as there is no harm to others, everybody is free to use their time in the way that makes them feel happy. We find that mostly, when people are doing things that make them happy, they also bring happiness to others. Are things not the same with your people?'

There was something strange and beautiful in what the Grabblers were saying, but still it did not answer Pritch's question. He tried again.

'Well, yes. Or no, actually. Things aren't quite the same here. If everybody just did what they wanted ...' Pritch stopped. What would happen if everybody just did what they wanted? There was no point in thinking about it, because things could never be organised in such a way. Surely, nothing would get done. But that wasn't what Pritch was asking about. He started again.

'No, what I was asking about was how people get the money they need to buy things. Who pays them the money?'

The Grabblers looked blank once again. They looked at one another.

'We are sorry, Honoured Pritch', said Selentaya. 'There are many words which are the same in both our languages, but this word, "money", is one we do not have. What sort of stuff is this? Is it a sort of food? A plant? Something that you dig out of the ground?'

Pritch breathed in deeply. How could he explain what money is? Surely, everyone knew about money. How could a land exist without money? It was just something that you had to have to stay alive, like air or water or food. How could they not understand that?

'Money is ... money,' Pritch said. The Grabblers still looked blank. Pritch realised that this was not a good way of explaining. He started again.

'Money. You must have another word for it, I suppose. Coins. Notes. You give it to somebody else, and they give you the thing you want. That stuff.'

'A sort of ... gift?' Piacho said, uncertainly.

'An exchange of gifts?' Selentaya tried.

'No, not gifts. Not exactly. But you would need it to buy a gift.'

'Buy?' Piacho said.

'Buy, buy ...' Selentaya seemed to be trying to work out if she knew this word.

'Let me see if I understand,' Piacho said. 'If I want something, I don't just ask for it in your land. I have to have this thing called "money". Ha! Is that right?'

'Yes, yes,' Pritch said. They were beginning to get somewhere at last.

'So everybody must be given money, so that they can get the things they need, is that how it works?' Selentaya asked.