Arithmetic Progression at Cuivienen by Himring

Arithmetic Progression at Cuivienen

‘There are 144 of us. You could also say one gross,’ said Imin.

He was really very disappointed that they had not discovered another sixty newly awakened elves to add to his Minyar. But if he had to make do with just his first choice of twelve, then he would at least show off his mathematical skills and demonstrate to everyone that he could add 96 and 48 together.

His words echoed in the starlit darkness on the fair shore of Cuivienen. Tata looked bland and benign, while Tatie wore the hint of a mutinous frown. Enel smiled politely, very much aware that he had come off best with his choice of seventy-two, while Enelye seemed to be wishing she was somewhere else.

It was Iminye, who broke the general embarrassed silence.

‘Imin, my dear’ she said gently, ‘I’m afraid that is a little vulgar.’

Chapter End Notes

The tale of the first six elves (Cuivienyarna, in: The War of the Jewels, HoME vol. XI) is said to be an elvish fable connected to teaching how to do elvish arithmetic. I admit it took me a while to work out again what was going on with the numbers in that story. But (except for the original six) they show an arithmetic progression with the common difference of 12 (and the total of the different groups of newly awakened elves adds up to 144).

ETA: It is actually an accident that the word count of the ficlet is also 144 on this site (on AO3 it is 145)!