Mother of Lies (58 page)
Authors: Dave Duncan
Where water goes, so goes air. The maximum topographical variation on Earth, from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, is 12.4 miles (20 km). By coincidence, the deviation of the terrestrial geoid from a perfect sphere is of similar magnitude—ice floes at the terrestrial north pole are 13 miles (21 km) closer to the center of the planet than a surfer at the equator. The mean radius of the Earth is 3,966 miles (6,378 km).
On a polyhedral Dodec the ocean bed at the midpoint of each Face would be 3,600 miles (5,800km) from the center. Sea level would depend on how much water the planet had, how much was tied up in ice caps, and how equitably it was distributed between the twelve faces, but if Dodec had about the same amount of water as the earth, the ocean would dome up roughly 50 miles (80 km) deep at the center and be 1,200 miles (1,900 km) across. Nardalborg Pass would then lie 600 miles (960 km) above sea level, and each vertex would be 350 miles (560 km) higher yet. Breathing would certainly be a problem.
Even if the planetary mass and volume were the same as the Earth’s, nowhere on the surface of Dodec would gravity be as strong. This conclusion is counterintuitive, but a sphere is the most stable shape simply because it maximizes gravitational force at its surface. Lesser surface gravity would produce a lesser density gradient in the atmosphere. Furthermore, those enormous vertex “mountains” would produce complex gravity fields of their own, dragging some air away from a purely spherical shape. Even so, holding your breath long enough to cross the Nardalborg Pass would not be advisable.
I hope such technical quibbles did not spoil your visit.
Table of Contents
Part IIIDARK NIGHTANDDARKER DAWN
Part VITHE DOGEIS DEAD,LONG LIVETHE DOGE!