Letter to Henry: The Shape of the World

Dear Henry,

I believe I owe you an explanation.

It has been months since I departed Koperdam, and I suspect that by now you have wondered whether I had simply decided to disappear into the wilderness. In truth, I have been doing precisely that, though perhaps on a somewhat larger scale than either of us anticipated.

I have seen more in these past months than I could have imagined when I first set out.

I have crossed vast seas and unfamiliar lands, documenting coastlines, mountains, forests, deserts, and settlements. I have encountered multiple civilizations and countries, each with their own customs, beliefs, and ways of life. I could hardly fit everything I have learned into a single letter, so I shall instead tell you of the places that left the greatest impression upon me.

Among the first were the Kuri//aes, whose hospitality allowed me to recover after weeks at sea. Their pastoral way of life, reverence for cattle, and ability to survive within such an unforgiving environment left a lasting impression upon me.

Further north, I reached Serrano, a land unlike anything I had previously encountered. There, I found settlements governed without a central authority, held together instead by reputation, custom, and the unwritten Frontier Code. I spent time among its people and learned that freedom does not necessarily mean the absence of order.

From there I continued into Kheta-Kedet, where I encountered an entirely different civilization. Its people, customs, and devotion to their gods were unlike anything I had seen before. I even had the opportunity to speak with their Queen, Kheta-Semet herself. She was remarkably composed and thoughtful, and her appearance was equally striking. It was difficult not to wonder how such a civilization had flourished within such a harsh environment.

Then came Coronado, where I encountered yet another society shaped by independence. I spent time in one of their saloons speaking with locals and learning about their history before eventually meeting Stella Heartwood. Each place seemed to challenge something I thought I understood about civilization.

And then, further south, I found another unfamiliar land.

There I encountered a small village whose people had been suffering from an illness caused, or at least seemingly connected, to a strange species of fungi. I spent weeks studying the organisms and attempting to create a temporary medicine for them.

I believe I succeeded.

Whether the treatment will last, I cannot say. I intend to continue my research once I return and have access to the proper equipment. There is still much about these organisms that I do not understand.

There was also another matter I made certain to record throughout my journey.

Coordinates.

Every country I entered was carefully marked. I recorded the positions of their settlements, coastlines, borders, notable landmarks, and the territories I was able to identify. Where borders were unclear, I noted them as such rather than pretending certainty where none existed.

The same applies to the seas and unexplored regions. Whenever possible, I recorded my position and direction of travel, allowing the routes between territories to be reconstructed from my notes.

The map I am sending you is therefore not a finished political map. It is a rough geographical survey, assembled from months of observation and countless measurements.

I leave the refinement to you.

With these coordinates and my observations, you should be able to reconstruct the geography far more accurately than I ever could while travelling. Once the information has been organized, I believe we will finally have something worthy of being called a map of the world.

But Henry, the map is finished.

Every coastline I encountered has been recorded. Every mountain range, river, desert, forest, settlement, and sea that I could reach has been placed upon it.

I have spent only a few months away from Koperdam, less than a year, and somehow, in that time, I have mapped the globe.

I am sending the completed map with this letter.

I hardly know what to think when I look at it.

For months, the world existed to me only as scattered pieces: a coastline here, a mountain there, an unfamiliar settlement somewhere beyond the horizon. Now, for the first time, I can see how all of those pieces fit together.

And yet, strangely enough, the finished map has not made the world feel smaller.

It has made it feel larger.

There are still countless places I have not visited. Countless peoples whose languages I cannot speak. Countless questions that remain unanswered.

But for the first time, we have a foundation upon which we can begin.

I am returning to Koperdam now.

There is much to discuss, much to document, and even more to build.

And I suspect you are going to have quite a lot to say about this map.

Tot snel, Henry. Ik heb je veel te vertellen.

— Percival van der Berg

Translation Notes

Tot snel, Henry. Ik heb je veel te vertellen.

See you soon, Henry. I have much to tell you.