Horace was very happy.
He genuinely wanted to hum a tune to let his feelings out.
The reason was simple:
Communication between the Fingers was the Lands Between's version of radio waves.
Although he did not understand exactly how it worked, nor did he want to investigate how those fingers transmitted signals, the facts were right before him: these Fingers could communicate over immense distances, with almost no delay.
From now on, as long as he stationed a Finger Reader Crone at every important outpost, he could make phone calls!
Horace stood outside Manus Metyr Cathedral, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from rising.
Just think about it.
Previously, delivering an urgent order required sending a messenger galloping off on horseback, taking several days at best and half a month at worst.
If there were storms, beast attacks, or bandits blocking the road, even whether the messenger could deliver the letter alive was in question.
And now?
He only had to say something to the Two Fingers in Leyndell, and the Two Fingers in Limgrave would receive it simultaneously.
Then, with a Finger Reader Crone to translate, the order would be passed down.
How many times more efficient was that?
Horace had not calculated it, but he knew that at least a third of those mountains of administrative work had to do with "delays in information transmission."
Things like waiting for reports from the front, pressing local authorities for replies, and confirming whether orders had arrived...
None of that would be a problem anymore.
Of course, that was only the first reason he was happy.
What really kept the corners of his mouth from coming down was the second reason:
Metyr, the "Mother of Fingers," daughter of the Greater Will, source of all Fingers, an ancient being who