Chương 63: 041 – Right and Honorable

The alien—the Kaydekeen—presented them with the gifts that they had mentioned, withdrawing small metal boxes from her container and presenting them to Tiikasia… although it was Ahgido who received them, because there was still the non-impossible chance this was a human. Personally, Tiikasia doubted it. There were far too few mispronunciations of the emphasis-on-the-wrong-vowel sort for them to be human. Humans were almost maliciously insistent on such things.

The Kaydekeen were only ever thankful for being corrected, and would quickly integrate the proper pronunciation into their speech… when they could. There were just some sounds they did not seem physiologically equipped to try to recreate, though they did their best. What resulted was almost charmingly juvenile, and Tiikasia was doing his best to remind himself this was an adult of a difference species, and would not appreciate being told how cute it sounded when it spoke. The height wasn't helping."

These are victuals most sweet and filling, the flesh soft and plump, the seeds warm and soggy,"they said with the confident cheerfulness of someone who thought they were saying the right thing." With certainty we speak that these sustenance gifts should harm not, but nothing is absolutely certain. Grant these victuals trials to prove their worth that they bear not harm for your meat."

Despite it all, communication happened, though the need to speak like either an old monster from two generations ago or an actor in a historical production occasionally filled him with the desire to laugh at random moments. Somehow he managed to keep his composure as he accepted the small containers of food. The Kaydekeen had done their best to make them large, but each metal boxes could rest on the flat of his hand." We heartily beg forgiveness for the diminutiveness of our hats—gifts!

"Nakkizu Water From The Sky hastily corrected." Your historical documents we have perused over the passing of the ages, yet we have still greatly mistaken your stature. This one dearly hopes that the measure suffices to sate your hunger after it has passed your trials of purity. The nectar of the fruit of lead and the oil-cooked notgrain are sweet, as is the flesh of the gnugrind."

Even with the archaic language, unusual word choices and alien body language, it seemed clear to him that the Kaydekeen was trying to make them feel welcome in the manner of its people. Food offerings as a gesture of welcome were historically traditional with many species on other planets, and even among the free peoples, it had arisen as a greeting stemming from the days when they had fought to free themselves of the demons who had made them.

Even in unfamiliar form, the gesture of offering food was unmistakable, and the fact that they were being encouraged to test the food first showed an additional layer of care that this welcome not hurt them.

"We receive your gifts—" don't say hats, don't say hats, don't say hats…

"—gladly with great thanks and joy." Tiikasia had hurriedly given orders to let them reciprocate, and even now he was counting the fingers for someone to show up with something they could offer in return. He was tempted to open them up and take a piece right there—many cultures who practice food sharing consider the actual partaking of the food to be an important part of the exchange—but best not to give Ahgido reason to spontaneously molt from distress.

"We are most curious of these 'historical documents' of which you speak. To what do you refer?" If he understood the following explanation correctly, the Kaydekeen had been monitoring the Free Peoples' domestic entertainment and news transmissions—and he'd nearly had a laughing fit as he recognized the science fiction story cliché—to study their culture and language, which was probably why their understanding of the latter seemed outdated, given their distance from the Free Worlds.

That also explained why they had paraphrased Seeking To The Stars. It was and still is a popular subject of adaptation, even if the aliens it presented were completely fictional. Still, it spoke of both very sensitive methods to be able to detect signals over more than seventy dhivedpresta away, and very capable computers to be able to decipher and possibly even reconstruct those signals over those distances.

And if they were capable of doing that, then they had no doubt been able to detect the signals from all the fourteen other known intelligent species, and possibly an unknown number of still-undiscovered species! Would it be rude to ask about the latter? Any hint, any idea, of where else there might be new intelligent life and previously unmet civilizations where none of the free people have gone before… or worse, where the demons already hide themselves, their old evils remade anew…

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Tiikasia made himself relax, glad he hadn't bared his teeth. If they'd studied the Free People's media as much as they'd claimed, then they would probably understand that the gesture was not a threat display but rather a symptom of stress, but he also didn't want their visitor to think he was distressed by their presence.

"We hope you will pardon us. We are explorers, here to learn of all the wonders and secrets of this existence above the Void. Our questions are many for you are strangers to us, and your lands unknown, so if we verge upon rudeness, inform us, and we will apologize with all haste."" Fear not, for your hearts are understood to us," Water From The Sky said." Understood to us the wish to see the beauty in everything, to go where no one was gone before boldly.

Ask freely and of your own will, sating your thirstful curiosity."

"Shall we rest our feet?" Tiikasia said as the warriors who'd been sent out to bring back seats returned. Fortunately, the diversity of forms among the free peoples meant that there was a seat stored in a corner that would fit their visitor… or possibly visitors. They still weren't clear about that." I accept most gladly, Ohmadia of the Dhekhajhyde, your gracious soup bowl." Their visitor paused." I beg the pardon of my gracious host, I believe not did I spake correctly. Soup bowl… no… open door…

no, that is 'door'… Ah, hospitably! I accept most gladly your gracious hospitably!" Well, close enough. The two of them sat opposite each other, the alien leaning forward towards him as Tiikasia carefully balanced his weight to let the rear of his thorax rest on the ground.

"As we begin, we would ask the true name of your star and your home, that they may be given full honor in time and memory,"" Our beautiful shining Star, Dancer is her name, in ode to beloved memory of long-passed days. As to home, I must beg thee for clarity. Do you refer to the breeding camp where I was removed from the bottle?" He managed not to react to hearing the alien say the word town.

Each syllable had been spoken distinctly and so the two parts of the word hadn't blended together, making him unable to not hear them.

"It's pronounced 'town'," he corrected gently.

"The word is spoken quickly so the syllables all blend together."

"Oh! My thanks for the correction. Breeding camp… breading camp… breedingcamp… town… town… Is that correct?" Tiikasia clicked his fingers twice in acknowledgement, then realized what he'd just down.

"Yes, it is correct," he said.

"But I ask not for the name of the place of your birth, but rather the world we approach. To it have we bestowed the name Ricurap the Third, for we knew not what name it possessed."" My understanding grows with your teachings! This one hats utmost gratitude! As to the understanding that Ohmadia asks for, the name of that world in the freespeech deciphers is 'Dreams Distressing And Frightening'." The alien's head tilted to the side."

Another way it might be spoken is 'Sleeping Terror Of The Soul As Unstoppable Monsters Arise From Memory.' "

"…The name of your world is 'Nightmare'?" Tiikasia said once he remembered to stop interpreting the alien's words too literally because the form of freespeech they there were using was 'needlessly elaborate archaic historical drama'.

"… This one believes so?"

"While we are grateful for the translation," and they were, it would make labeling and speaking of the planet much easier, "we wish to honor the name of the world itself, not merely its meaning. Unless there is some reason the name cannot be spoken?" The Primurfoh never spoke the name of their world, passing it only in writing and punishing anyone fool enough to speak it aloud.

That the name was depicted in a seemingly untranslatable scribble probably helped, written in characters not used anywhere else in the primufoh's language, presumably so that no one could sound out each part individually to speak the forbidden name." There is not such leash. The name is right and honorable, shared by a great hero of times passed, bestowed upon the world in memory and remembrance.

They were a shining, stalwart soul who stood against those who would come from the stars bearing the leash of conquest and triumphed time and again to ensure his world remained free to be the masters of their own soul."

"A great honor for such a warrior," Tiikasia said. History or myth, it sounded interesting, especially since it would show what qualities the Kaydekeen considered heroic and thus worthy admiration and praise." The name of this great hero, and the world that honors him forever more, is Nightmare," Water From The Sky said, and while he could not yet decipher the tone of their words, the slow and measure pace her speech had taken as the sentence continued implied solemnity or careful consideration.

Just as when they spoke freespeech, each syllable is sounded out clearly, distinctly, as if removing the parts of a treasure from a case so they could be slotted together to form a weapon. He was in the middle of clicking his claws in acknowledgement when he realized that last word was in human speech.