Wazoon Two Step It was time to face the music. Whatever that meant. Music goes into the ear and does not land upon oneâs face. It should be time to listen to the music. Or was it time to face the sheet music? No, that does not make sense. With a piece of Earthclanâs anachronistic wood pulped paper in front of oneâs face, there can be no direct eye to eye communication. Therefore protocols cannot be initiated, much less compromised. Besides, I canât read those strange Earthclan markings that denote sounds by pitch and duration. They are not in Anglic. Even most things that are written in Anglic are still difficult to understand. I have to be prepared for what I know is coming. That I understand. Not this incomprehensible âfaceâ phrase that is supposed to mean the same thing. What I do not understand I can always circumvent. I can use the same solution that has worked so often before. Iâll pay someone for a clarification that I _can_ understand.
* * * Mywie'arin, the Synthian Ambassador, was sitting in her newly acquired office trying to think only in Earthclan terms. Perhaps the exclusive use of Anglic could help to explain all of this diplomatic shuffling. Every time these sept of Earth changed the count to their own reckoning of years, they held a party. Their years had nothing whatsoever to do with Galactic Standard T-years, but they celebrated their ending just the same. This time the party was being held in the city of Washington D.C., the ending to the name making no sense as the cityâs electricity ran the same way it did anywhere else. The city was on the same continental landmass as The Library and all of the main Galactic Embassies--it was just inconveniently on the opposite side. Maybe it was a scam to get Earthclan more hard Galactic currency by creating a need. It would increase the frequency of some ers use of sub-orbital taxicabs. Sheâd have to look into that. Mywie'arin didnât know of an exact Anglic phrase, but in her own language she knew that no good scam should go unplagiarized. At least all of the furnishings came from Synthian sources and were tr ansported here by Synthian ships. Mywie'arin was known for buying explanations when the entries in her Anglic dictionary did nothing what so ever towards explaining that which was not understandable. She also was known for buying bad jokes. But the term âbadâ was never used in her presence. She thought that they were as good as anything joke told to her by a human, dolphin, or chimpanzee. Mywieâarin was also known for taking long odds, and the long odds she took actually had a better payoff rate than the jokes she purchased. But she didn't acknowledge this fact. Not to anyone but herself, that is. Even then she was always ready and willing to take a recount of the tally. She hit the intercom button. âAll right, send them in.â It was a mixed party of Humans and Thennanin, and, oh yes, âahemâ one other sept that entered her office. It was an ab hoc committee--but she was saving that pun for later use. It had cost her too much to squander it needlessly. The standard formal greetings were given in Anglic to Ambassador Cray and his small entourage, then a more formal language, Galactic Six, was used to address Ambassador Gortrum and Clan Thennanin. A few pleasantries were exchanged and then the Thenanin went to the meat of the matter. The meat of the matter--the biological induction of which Mywieâarin understood to be either more important or more pleasurable to the majority of humans than most of the other food types that they ingested. She also knew that the reference would be lost on many Galactics, though she didnât quite understand the corresponding phrase âKanten clude them allâ and figured that purchase to be a total write off. Write off in and of itself was also not quite understandable. Nothing new was being written when you wished to erase the designated superfluous text. âAmbassador Mywie'arin,â Thennanin Ambassador Gortrum intoned, âI have to ask you a few questions.â âPlease, let us use Terra Lingua,â she replied. âIt is Earthclan's planet after all. What is the phrase? âWhen in Rompus Room... ââ Many human hands went up to cover their mouths. No one in the Thennanin party made any sort of reaction at all. âSit, relax,â said Mywieâarin. âOr I will save you the trouble. I know your question. Bring the Olumimum over to face me.â She knew what was expected of her. She knew what was coming. But as instructed by her hired Tytlal coaches, she had to time this just right. With her right arm she started to go towards her stomach.... The human ambassador raised an eyebrow a bit and ever so slightly started to curl up one side of his mouth. When a Synthian scratches her stomach, it's a sign of nervousness. ......and Mywieâarin continued on to the left arm of the chair where she pushed a button. The special feature of her chair was now activated. âI saw this once in a Bugger Bunny cartoon.â The Synthian Ambassador used her left arm to pump a handle on the left side of her chair. It rose up on a central piston to bring her face to face with the taller, standing, Olumimum. Looking at the psy expert eye to eye, she said very plainly and distinctly, â I know the question you want to ask me.â Of all things Anglic, she had to get this exactly right. âI will attempt to spy tonight.â * * * Once outside of the Synthian Embassy and back onto the streets of Washington, the Terragen Official and the Thennanin Ambasador walked side by side. "A friendly invite by a friendly ambassador,â said human Cray. âA very friendly Synthian says that she will be spying at the party that sheâs to be hosting to celebrate both our New Year and Clan Thennaninâs arrival on Earth. Your Olumimum says that she is telling the truth. As guests of honor, the Thennanin have to show up. As it is our planet, representatives of Earthclan have to show up. âWe have to be polite, we have to be friendly, we have to make small talk, but we also have to watch our step. We can not say anything of importance that we donât want the Synthians to know about. We have to walk a fine line without letting anyone even know that the line even exists. âTonightâs going to be difficult. âMy we are in a lot of trouble.â "Yes, she is." said the Thennanin. The human missed a step. Did he just......no.....he couldn't have..... Could he? Vilyehm Teighlore -------------------------- The Kidding Stays in the Tytlal is due for critiquing via Critters by October 6th. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
