Chapter 23

I am almost sorry that Danny must leave. I have come to like him well in the days he has been here. And I think he feels so about me as well. Before he leaves he reaches out again with his hand to touch mine, and when I extend mine to him he grips it as before and then pulls me to him for an embrace as a brother. He clasps my shoulder as he says his farewell.

Afterwards Linda and I spend our time together as before, and she teaches me again. At first it is still language, but as time passes she goes on to other things and I learn more of the strangeness that is the place where I have come.

In the time when I live before all things may be had by work. Food, clothing, dwellings, all may be found in the world around or made from things that are found there.

Here it is the same some ways, but very different and more complicated.

A thing called money now is at the heart of almost everything. When people work today it is generally for the purpose of receiving this money from others, not for bringing food to the hearth or building the house or other things for themselves. Instead, the money is exchanged with others for these things, and it is by this means that people make their lives.

In one way this is familiar to me. Among my people one named Akkuda is the best knap­per of flint. Akkuda does not himself hunt, his time is given to his craft. He makes the spearheads that are on my spears and the spears of most others. But when I succeed in a hunt, a portion of my share must go to Akkuda; and some of the furs and skins and things of the hearth also are given to Akkuda for his work.

When I tell this to Linda she says some of this is so today. Sometimes people trade with one another in such a way still, she calls it “barter,” though most exchanges are with money. Also she says that if one is skilled in a craft that is needed, in the way that Akkuda was, one receives greater money than ­others who lack such skills. And she says that there are also other ways to acquire money even without work.

All things in this time are owned, are the possessions of this one or that one. Even the land itself is apportioned out, and all things on that portion; one may not hunt, or take wood, or do other such things without permission of the owner.

And this ownership is transferred from one to another in different ways. Land may be traded for money; or, if it is not traded, it is passed from one to another by death, as from fathers to sons; or by gift; or in many other ways. And money is passed in such ways also.

Yet when I ask her what is this money and how does it take its value, what she shows me are but pieces of paper. To me paper is a wondrous thing, we had not such among my people, but I see that it is common here, so I do not understand how it becomes of such value.

Linda says it is not the thing itself that has value, but that it is a symbol of value. All agree that this piece of paper with these markings on it has a particular value, and that some other piece of paper with other markings is valued more or less, and therefore it is so.

That people may make such agreement and hold hard to it seems to me a wonderful thing. I do not understand how people who may hold to such an agreement without fail may at the same time be so stupid as to do the thing that she calls war, and other killings, and very much else that I see on teevee and that she tells me.

She explains that the one who sought to take the car from her did so because of money. If that one had succeeded he would have exchanged the car with another for money, and would have used the money he acquired from the exchange to get for himself other things. She speaks of things called “drugs,” which I do not understand, and “alcohol,” which I think is the strong drink she gave me. I know there are those, a few, who give themselves over to this drink; they will use it whenever they can, even to taking from others.

But they must take it, and not some symbol that they may later exchange for it. I see how the symbol may make things easier in this world that has so many more people than when I live before. But in this way I do not think is entirely good.

And as I learn more of money another thing comes to my mind, and that troubles me greatly.