The Lord of Benevolence
As told by Morisato Keiichi

Chapter 4 - Hitomi

I took Lord on a brief tour of Earth. First we visited some places of unspoiled natural beauty. They still exist, though you've to go to out of the way places like Peru or Tibet to find them. Then, for contrast, I took him to a particularly noxious waste dumpsite in New Jersey.

Lord was disturbed. "Who's responsible for this mess?" he asked. I looked at him without replying. He understood. "When I find the demon who caused this, I'm going to..."

I interrupted him with, "Control yourself, Lord. He was just doing what a demon was supposed to do. After they get reeducated problems like this one will go away. Humans do a good job of fouling their own nest when they become too numerous, but they need demonic help to mess up a place this badly. I already have a project established to ease population pressure, so there won't be many more sites like this one." It was a sign of how far he had come that he was now upset by something that he formerly would have praised.

We visited city centers, suburbs, slums, shantytowns, and rural areas. Lord had seen all these places before, but now he was seeing them from a new perspective. The variety of experiences and environments on Earth was much greater than either Heaven or Hell allowed. I explained that I wanted to preserve as much diversity as I could while reducing the amount of useless misery. There would always be pain and hardship on Earth, but they'd serve to lead people to improve their lives.

Thirteen weeks after I had originally rescued the Lord I released him. We had my typical end of term session, a brief review followed by a question and answer period. There was no further need for me to tell him what to do. I could trust him to do the right thing of his own free will.

Belldandy invited Lord to a post-graduation celebration, and he accepted. By now there was no doubt that we were going to become good friends. Lord was a little envious of my family life. His previous lifestyle had no room for love, family, or even close friends, and now he was keenly aware of how alone he was. I thought this problem could be solved in a couple of years.

"Right now you have me, Megumi, and Mara, Lord," I pointed out, "There are three more former demons, and Kami-sama too as possible friends."

Urd said, "What about us? Don't we count for anything?"

She was obviously bothered by my omission. I made a mental note of her agitation and apologized to the Norns. I said, "Except for Kami-sama, all of my real friends are in this room. I have difficulty making friends among the gods and demons because I tend to overwhelm them. I used to worry about not being respected by the Megami, but now my problem is too much respect. Lord, in some sense you and I need each other."

After dinner Lord discussed his ideas for reforming the remaining demons. "One problem I'll have is locating them all. Once word gets around most of them are going to hide. A few may try to kill themselves. I don't expect a rebellion, it wouldn't have worked before and certainly won't work now."

I replied, "That's what happened to Mara. As soon as they saw that resistance was futile, the demons shunned her completely. I have already added a tracer to the power coming from the Demonic Source. Any demons who really want to hide will have to forego all use of magic power, or else we'll be able to locate them." By now I had reduced the destructive component of the demonic power flow to half of its original value.

Lord responded, "You've anticipated me again. You don't leave much to chance, do you?"

Skuld pointed out, "He lives with the Goddess of the Future, and he's a quick learner. But Kei-sama, you've got to remember that you're not infallible."

How true. "Point taken," I said.

Lord said, "I think my sales pitch will be 'If you can't lick them, join them.' Obviously the demons can't continue as they are. The gods are now much too effective to permit nastiness as usual. Reformation may seem distasteful, but the alternatives are even worse. A number of demons are loyal enough to follow me anywhere, even to Asgard. When the other demons see how much more satisfied they are, converting the rest should get easier. I won't force anybody to reform; it won't work."

I agreed. "If you need our help, you've got it. But remember, this is your project, not ours. You get to design the future of the demons; no one else could do it as well."

Lord continued, "We'll remain in Hell for a while, at least for the comfort of familiarity. Sensei, can you set up a temporary school in Hell?"

"Yes, of course. But I want no more than six concurrent sessions. I'd like to have a little time for myself and my family." I could dream, couldn't I?

Lord didn't think that would be a problem. "It might take a while to reform the first two-dozen demons, so you'll have a slow start. After that, who knows?"

We offered Lord a room for the night, and he accepted. He had no address in Asgard, and wasn't ready to return to Hell just yet. I took the opportunity to be alone with him for a few minutes and set a privacy spell.

I sent::Lord, I didn't realize the implications until tonight, but you and I must be related by marriage. My wife Urd is your child, so you may be my father-in-law.::

Lord corrected me. ::I'm her mother, so I'm your mother-in-law. Only mortals worry about details like that.::

The gender issue didn't bother me; I had already contemplated bearing a child myself. I considered the implications of this revelation. ::I'm confused. I thought Hild was Urd's mother.::

Lord explained::Hild adopted Urd at an early age. I was too busy to care for her properly.::

::After all the jokes, I really do have the mother-in-law from Hell!::

We both burst out laughing. Our mutual bond was now unbreakable.

I sent::Kami-sama is Urd's father, and you're her mother. If you don't mind my asking, how did that happen?:: I was understandably curious.

Lord looked wistful. ::A long time ago he and I were lovers. We had a lot in common, and we were happy together.:: His mood turned bitter. ::We were both too ambitious for our own good. Our ambitions collided, and we had a falling out. I set out to destroy all that he had made as a means of seeking revenge. After a few eons, I even began to enjoy destroying things.:: His mental voice became sad. ::In hindsight, I think I made the wrong choice. We've both changed as we grown older--I don't know if we can ever again be as close as we used to be.::

That was a shock. ::Thanks, Lord. That explains a great deal that I didn't understand before.:: I was trying to imagine how much misery had resulted from a lover's quarrel.

Lord sent::Your privacy spell indicates that someone doesn't know that I'm Urd's mother.::

::Megumi doesn't know, and wouldn't care. All three of the Norns know, but Urd prefers not to remember it. The Ultimate Program of Destruction incident didn't show her in a very good light. As Goddess of the Past, she's the one person who cannot forget it, and it still bothers her. I hope to ease her pain someday, but I can't figure out how.::

Two days later Lord returned openly to Hell. If you want the details of what he did or said, ask him yourself. I waited three weeks before he called to announce that my first class of twenty reformed demons was waiting for me. I was back in the tutoring business!

The material that I taught was similar to what I had given to the Megami, but adapted to the special needs of demons. They didn't need to be encouraged to be playful, spontaneous, or creative. The demons did need practice in self-control, and in constructive or helpful thinking. My homework assignments reflected this difference. Instead of asking for the most useless spell, I challenged them to devise the most beneficial spell, subject to certain constraints. One of my assignments could only be completed by a group of demons working cooperatively together because they were accustomed to working alone. I actually had fewer problems with the demons than I had had with the gods. I knew they had much of value to contribute once they got over their adversarial mind set.

At the end of the trimester I expanded my usual brief review to include the homework problems that I had given to the Megami. One student asked, "Sensei, how come they get the fun assignments?"

"I try to give each class what they need the most. Believe it or not, the gods needed to be reminded how to have fun and be playful. Those problems weren't easy for them. In contrast, the gods would have found your assignments easy."

There was a murmur of amazement. "They needed to be reminded how to have fun? What's wrong with them?"

"It's a cultural problem," I replied, "I've worked hard to open them up and make them more spontaneous. I hope that when gods and demons can work together cooperatively each side will learn from the other. Everyone will benefit."

One of the demons nodded. "It might work. Not long ago the idea of the two sides working together was unthinkable, but now it seems almost inevitable."

I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction when I heard that.

Two months into my third trimester in Hell, our alarm spell signaled. Hitomi's parents were considering sending him to a cram school. We really weren't expecting it yet; the boy was only eight years old. After a brief conference we realized that we still had no idea about how to handle an eight-year-old potential Megami.

That weekend, during our regular visit, we explained the situation to our parents. Megumi said, "Mom, when you next visit Nabuko, could you make inquiries about how Hitomi is doing? If she mentions cram school it would give us the perfect cover story."

Takano agreed. It wasn't a very good plan, but it was the best that we had come up with.

Ten days later I phoned Hitomi's mother. She answered "Moshi, moshi."

"Mrs. Miyazaki, this is Morisato Keiichi."

"Keiichi? I've heard a lot about you. Your mother is very proud of you. Where are you calling from? I thought that you'd left Japan."

"I'm near my parent's house. I've been away for several years, but I'm back now for a while. I'd like to talk to you about tutoring your son, Hitomi."

"I'm sorry, Keiichi, but we really can't afford a private tutor."

"I understand. May I come over and talk anyway?"

A pause. "I imagine it will do no harm. How about tomorrow at two?"

"That will be fine. Thank you."

The next day I appeared at the address I had been given and checked the name by the doorbell. I rang and after a moment the door opened. Miyazaki Kimiko was tall and slender, nicely dressed, and obviously well educated.

She looked surprised. "Morisato? Come in." I followed her in and removed my shoes. She said, "I was expecting someone older. You look like you're still in your late teens."

I realized too late that I had forgotten some minor details. The immortals usually accepted my apparent youth without comment. I smiled and tried to recover with, "Yes, I hear that often. I'm actually 32 years old."

We made small talk, as is customary before getting down to business. I told her that I had followed my wife Belldandy to her homeland, a place so remote that most people had never even heard of it. We had stayed there for a half dozen years, then done some traveling, and now we were back in Japan for several more years.

Kimiko said, "It sounds as though you've been around the world a lot. I've heard that you're a tutor. What does Belldandy do? Do you have any children?"

"Belldandy answers the telephone at a help desk. She's very good at helping people with their problems. We've no children yet, but I expect that someday we will." Have you ever tried to mislead someone while telling the absolute truth? I was bending the truth as little as possible.

When it was time to get down to business, I began, "Although I've been a successful tutor for years, I can't give any references because all of my clients are far away. To get established in Japan I need two or three satisfied customers here who'll be willing to vouch for me. I'm willing to reduce my fee to no more than a cram school would charge for those first few clients. Do you think you'd be interested?"

Kimiko seemed to be intrigued but uncertain. "Isn't it risky to entrust my child to a tutor with no references?"

I nodded. "I understand that. Let me demonstrate my confidence by making this offer: If at any time in the first four months you aren't satisfied with the progress Hitomi is making, for any reason at all, I'll refund my entire fee in full. I can put that in writing if you'd like."

She was impressed by my offer. "Let me discuss this with my husband. How can I reach you?" I gave her a phone number, and suggested she call my parents if she couldn't reach me.

The next day I was invited to return in the evening to discuss the details with Miyazaki Kosuke, her husband. I had researched cram school fees and picked a figure that was neither too high nor too low. The money didn't matter to me; I had no need for it, but if I charged nothing it would look suspicious. Eventually, we agreed and I got the job. I'd work for two hours each day after school, starting the next day. I thanked them and left.

When I arrived the next day, Kimiko gave me a brief tour before introducing me to Hitomi. I noticed that Hitomi had a cel from "The Crimson Pig" on the wall of his room. His sister Natsumi had a cel of "Kiki" in her room. Both cels looked authentic. I was fascinated because I had practically worshipped Miyazaki Hayao when I was growing up. I turned to Kimiko, who anticipated my question.

"No," she said smiling, "Everyone asks that. There's no relationship that we know of, but we do seem to get preferential treatment when we ask for cels."

Hitomi and I liked each other right away. During our sessions together he was to address me as "Sensei." Kimiko would see to it that we weren't disturbed or interrupted. He was initially apprehensive about having to do more studying. After our first hour together his apprehension evaporated. When our first session ended he happily told his mother, "I wish my regular teacher was like Morisato-sensei. I learned so much, and it didn't feel like work at all."

Four months later Kimiko made a display of tearing up my fee refund offer. I was a success, or so I thought.

A little more than a year after I started tutoring Hitomi, I got a call from his mother. He had started a new year in school, and his new teacher wanted to talk to her after school. I was most definitely invited.

Mrs. Fujiwara turned out to be a pleasant, matronly woman. I could tell from her aura that she had a keen mind. After introductions were completed, Kimiko began, "Fujiwara-sensei, are you having a problem with Hitomi?"

"Please don't alarm yourself," Fujiwara replied, "Hitomi is a model student. He's bright, polite, attentive, and he never makes any trouble. However, I sensed that he was bored. Hitomi is so academically advanced that I don't know what to do for him. He seems to know all the material I'm supposed to teach him, and much more besides. I spoke with him after class, and he told me that his tutor Morisato-sensei had already taught him everything. I thought I just had to meet his tutor. Morisato-sensei, just what have you been teaching Hitomi?"

It seemed like a fair question. "First, I taught him everything he was supposed to learn in this school; that took nearly six months. Then I taught him all the other Kanji..."

"All of them?" interrupted Kimiko, who was understandably surprised.

I answered, "Nearly all. I've omitted any that haven't been used in the last 100 years, because I saw no need to go into archaic forms yet."

Mrs. Fujiwara muttered, "I don't know anybody who knows all the Kanji."

I continued, "Next, I taught him English, or rather the American Dialect. Currently, I'm teaching him Mandarin. We've covered nearly 6,000 Chinese Hanzi."

Kimiko asked, "Why Chinese?"

"Hitomi asked for it. He may have a Chinese manga or some other reason. I was planning to do French or Russian next. I want to cover foreign languages now because he'll soon be too old to learn them without an accent." Actually, he was already too old to learn languages without an accent, but I was willing to extend the window of opportunity a little if it was in a good cause.

It was only then that I noticed the expressions on the women's faces. I asked, "Is there a problem? Was that too much? Wasn't I holding back enough?"

In perfect unison the two women exclaimed, "You were holding back?"

"Yes, of course," I replied mildly, "Hitomi is only nine years old. I didn't want to rush him or pressure him. I go nearly twice as fast with my mature students."

I realized again that I wasn't being careful enough in dealing with mortals. I had been in Asgard only a few years, but I had gotten used to dealing with gods and demons. I had visited my parents every weekend, so I thought I was still in touch with mortals. In my innermost heart I still thought of myself as mortal, so I hadn't anticipated the need to be cautious.

After a long pause Fujiwara-sensei turned to Kimiko and asked, "Where on Earth did you find him?"

Kimiko said, "I think he found me. His mother is a good friend of my mother." Turning toward me, she continued, "I knew you were doing a good job, but I had no idea..."

Mrs. Fujiwara asked me, "Morisato-sensei, what will you be teaching him next?"

"I'd like to cover all the languages that have a substantial body of literature, but I could drop some of them if he shows no interest. After that we'll be doing subjects not normally covered in schools, things like art, astronomy, anatomy, ballet, computer subjects, metalworking, musical instrument playing, sculpture, archeology, zoology, and things like that. I won't know for sure until I see where his interests and abilities lie. It may be easier to list what I won't be teaching. I don't want to cover material that's not suitable for a prepubescent child until he comes of age. I'm uncomfortable teaching religion, and I don't want to teach anything that would seem like magic. However, if he asks me questions in those areas, I'll try to answer appropriately."

Fujiwara-sensei looked amazed. "You can teach all those subjects? Morisato-sensei, do you know everything?"

I laughed and replied, "No, I don't know everything. But nobody seems to believe me when I say that. If I did know everything, I wouldn't be able to learn anything, and I enjoy learning as much as I enjoy teaching."

She was obviously bewildered. "How is it possible to teach so much so quickly?"

"Suppose I was trying to teach the concept 'this brick is heavy.' I could say 'this brick is heavy,' or I could say 'this brick weighs 7 kilograms,' or I could put it on a scale and say 'look how heavy this brick is,' or I could toss it and say 'catch,' or I could ask him to pick up the brick, or... Well, you get the idea. I've developed the ability to sense, for each individual student and idea, the one best way to present a concept so that it's most easily understood and remembered. That's why I have to teach one-on-one, or in small groups. Whatever works best for one pupil is probably not the best for the next pupil."

In halting Russian, Kimiko asked, "Kak vashe zdarovia?"

"Ochen horosho," I replied fluently, and continued for a few more seconds.

Kimiko looked bemused. "Maybe he really does know everything."

"There's one way to find out," observed Mrs. Fujiwara. Turning to me, she asked, "Sensei, how old am I?"

I grinned and replied, "Forty years, ten months, eight days, and..."

She held up a hand and said, "That's enough, Morisato-sama."

I noted the honorific, but said nothing. For the next few minutes she asked questions of increasing difficulty, and I answered every one. Finally, she asked the toughest question she could think of.

"What was Fermat's original proof of his famous Last Theorem?"

I laughed and said, "It's been a while since anybody asked me that one." I closed my eyes for a second, as if trying to remember something. Then I grabbed a pad and a pen and filled two thirds of the paper with writing. It was mostly algebra, but there were a few explanatory remarks also. I gave her the paper.

"This is in French," she exclaimed.

"Did you expect Pierre de Fermat to write in Japanese?" I replied.

Fujiwara-sensei said, "I will show this to my husband. He's a math professor at the university."

"That's going to be quite a scene," I thought to myself. I was enjoying showing off, although I suspected that it wasn't a good idea.

Mrs. Fujiwara asked, "Morisato-sensei, how did you manage to learn so much at such an early age?"

"Using a similar technique, I sense the best way to teach myself. I'm able to learn new material very quickly, so I can teach tomorrow something that I don't know today. I've had some very unusual educational experiences. Let me add that I'm 33 years old, and have been tutoring for about seven years."

"You certainly don't look that old," she observed.

I said, "I've been hearing that often recently. The truth is I look like this because I forgot to grow older."

In unison, the women exclaimed, "You forgot?"

"Is there an echo in here?" I asked rhetorically. I looked upward as if imploring heaven for forgiveness, and concluded with, "I make one little mistake and everybody gets on my case."

"I wish I had a memory like that," muttered Kimiko.

"This has been an extraordinary meeting, but it hasn't solved my original problem. What can I do for Hitomi? I certainly can't compete with Morisato-sama," asked Fujiwara.

"It's I who can't compete with you, Fujiwara-sensei," I said. "I can't do what you do every day. I'm a tutor, not a teacher. I prefer to work one-on-one. The largest group I can handle is four at once, and to do that many I need my students be closely matched in ability and experience. You routinely handle classes larger than I can. As for Hitomi, don't you have any books in a library? Why not let him read in class, as long as he can do it discreetly?"

"I guess I could do that," Mrs. Fujiwara said. "It's a little unusual, but this whole situation is unusual. Thank you both for coming. This has been a day to remember." The meeting was over.

As we were returning to her home, Kimiko appeared to be in a mild state of shock. "Morisato-sama, I knew you were good, but I had no idea that you were the best tutor in the world."

"Please call me -sensei, not -sama. I don't claim to be the best tutor in the world; I think that's a meaningless concept. What are you going to do, gather all the tutors in the world and evaluate them in some way? It makes no sense. Some will excel in mathematics, others will be better in language arts. Tutors can't be ranked, so there can't really be a world's best." I sighed. "It does seem to be my destiny, even if it makes no sense."

"Destiny?" asked Kimiko, intrigued.

"Years ago I consulted a fortune teller about a personal matter. She called herself 'Skuld, the Goddess of the Future.' She correctly answered my original question, but then she became very deferential and told me I was destined to become the best tutor in the world. I thought that was a ridiculous notion. I was an engineering student, interested in cars and motorcycles and things that go fast. Teaching was the last thing I expected to be doing. I forgot about it. A few days later I had the opportunity to tutor my sister and her friend. I enjoyed it so much that I never went back to engineering. It's funny the way things work out sometimes."

"I see," Kimiko said. After a short pause she added, "With a talent like yours you should be able to command a much higher fee than you're charging us."

"I suppose so, but don't worry. I've never concerned myself with the size of my fee. I enjoy working with Hitomi, and he likes studying with me. Doing good work is my greatest reward." I thought I had patched things up reasonably well.

Three days later Kimiko got a call from Professor Fujiwara. He was anxious to talk with me. I called the professor and made an appointment for the following afternoon. I found the Professor's office without difficulty. He was a short man, about my height, with prematurely gray hair, a bushy mustache, and a friendly manner.

"Morisato-sensei, I'm glad you could come. You made a very favorable impression on my wife. I want to ask you about that document you gave her. It's really amazing."

I smiled at him. "What do you want to know?"

"It looks absolutely authentic. It's in Fermat's own handwriting and notation. The mathematical ideas are novel and powerful. Yet, the document is obviously a fake. It's written in ballpoint ink on modern paper. Where did you get if from?"

"It's not exactly a fake. It's a reproduction from memory of an authentic original document. I consider it a copy. Pierre was reluctant to release it because it contains a flawed argument. Your wife asked for his 'original proof,' so that's what I gave her. Would you like to see his corrected proof?"

Fujiwara nodded eagerly. "Yes, of course I would."

I took a fresh piece of paper and covered the front and one third of the back with algebraic notation. The professor grabbed a loose-leaf binder and compared what I had written with several of its pages. I noticed that he was looking at photocopies of old documents.

He exclaimed, "This is in Fermat's handwriting too, yet I watched you write it yourself. That's remarkable." He was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"I've a photographic memory," I explained, "The original document is sequestered where no copying machines or cameras are allowed." This was perfectly true--you can't take pictures in the afterlife. Fermat had completed this proof four years after he died.

The professor was ecstatic. He said, "This proof will revitalize the study of diophantine equations. I've never seen anything like it."

When he calmed down, I asked, "As long as I'm here, are there any other areas you'd like my help on?"

He looked up and said, "Well, I'm having a problem in transfinite calculus."

I thought, "I've spent several years contemplating infinity, or rather eternity." Aloud, I said, "Let me see it, Professor." I spent nearly two hours tutoring him on various aspects of advanced mathematics.

As our time together was nearly over, Professor Fujiwara said, "It will take a while to fully develop the insights you've given me. I'd like to give you credit when I publish."

"That's not important to me, but if you're giving credit be sure you give it to Fermat where appropriate. He did the work, all I did was check it for correctness."

"All you did was check it for correctness... I see. Would you consider a career in mathematics? You could be the greatest mathematician since Gauss."

"Thanks, Professor, I'll tell Karl you said that. He'll be flattered. I don't do mathematics; I only teach it."

Fujiwara looked puzzled. "What's the difference?"

"Doing stuff is work; teaching stuff is fun. Besides, I like my job the way it is."

"Just what is your job, Morisato-sensei? Surely you don't limit yourself to tutoring young boys," he asked.

I had no need to dissemble, so I answered truthfully, "I tutor all the gods in Heaven, all the demons in Hell, and selected mortals on Earth."

The professor looked stunned, but he believed me. It was the simplest possible explanation for my remarkable abilities. He sat down and shook his head. "I see. That explains everything. You really are on first-name terms with Pierre de Fermat and Karl Freidrich Gauss. I suppose I should be honored that you spent this time with me. Are you a god?"

I laughed. "Of course not, Professor. If I were a god, I'd have to tutor myself. I'm sure you can see the logical contradiction there. I'm not a demon for the same reason, and I'm no longer mortal, so I must be something else. I'm a Paradox, and when I get undressed I become a naked singularity."

Fujiwara chuckled. "I've never met a talking Paradox before."

I said, "Now there's a price that comes with this disclosure. If you ever try to tell someone that I'm not entirely human you'll find that you've forgotten this entire meeting. You may safely confirm what others know or suspect. I prefer to keep my true nature secret, or a lot of folks would get upset."

Professor Fujiwara understood. He asked, "How can I get in touch with you?"

"Your best bet might be to send me e-mail at senseiasgard. My wife is the Goddess of Computing, and she insisted that I have an e-mail address."

"Is that dot com or dot edu?"

"No dots, Professor. It's magic, not technology. Your DNS will never see it."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I really don't know whether we'll ever meet again. I go wherever I'm needed most. Alive or dead, animal, mineral or vegetable, divine or profane, it makes no difference to me. If trees ever develop an urgent need for tutoring I could be branching out."

The professor winced at the image. We said our farewells, and I left, without bothering to open the door.