The grownups are all very busy, but the children are all bored.
Bored or having nightmares. But Tasárinon was not on a ship and did not see the people dying and has only heard it thirdhand and can't exactly have nightmares about the look in his mother's eyes - well, he probably could, but he hasn't - so he's bored, and he is drawing on the floor. It is an absurdly intricate drawing. He has been embellishing it for three days.
"Would these be right? 'I see a child speaking Lagalann? I understand that the child is speaking Lagalann, when I don't understand Lagalann?' Who designed this alphabet?"
"Yes, those are right. I don't know who designed it, some demon I guess."
"Is it your native tongue? 'I see where Lagalann is spoken? I no see where Lagalann is spoken?""
"It's one of the more common demon languages. I don't see where Lagalann is spoken."
"I don't see where the child is? I don't understand what the demon understands? There are others? What are those?"
"Yes and yes. I don't have a complete list on hand, there's billions and billions of demons inventing languages willy-nilly," says Cam, "and I don't know of anyone who's put together a comprehensive list of what they all are."
He sets down the paper. "How do I get to where you're from? No one's put together a list? Are there lists of all the demons? Could you go 'language notes by this demon' for every demon on this list?"
"Only demons can be where I am from. I'm sure there are lists but I don't know where to find a comprehensive one, especially if you want conlangs or whatever. There is definitely not a complete census, and I think 'language notes' is not specific enough, I'd have to do 'complete works' and filter from there manually."
"How do I become a demon, then? 'dictionary'? 'file'? 'computer'? 'hardware'?"
His sons are quietly giggling.
"I cannot give you reliable information on how to become a demon, because the only procedure besides 'be a demon to begin with' is 'summon something, die, happen to become a demon instead of an angel or a fairy' and I don't know how it interacts with your universe of origin, species, backups, or anything else that may be operative. Dictionary file computer hardware."
"Then I'll have to find another way to get to where demons live," he says, "I'm sure there is one. This is a book about computers spoken in Lagalann?"
"This is a book about computers written in Lagalann. This is a book about computers written in Quenya. This is a book about computers spoken for a child who cannot read. I have enough Lagalann vocabulary to start on the book about computers?"
"Well, you could try, it does have plenty of diagrams, but I don't think we've covered most of the words in it."
"'interrupt'?"
"I can interrupt you while you read of Moringotho, I read of computers in Lagalann, question vocabulary."
"If you would speak in Lagalann I would learn 'faster'. And I'll do that."
"Sure but if I speak in Lagalann I'll have to retrace half what I say to fill you in. Word you're looking for is 'faster'."
"I learn faster than demons, you don't have to retrace half what you say to fill I in."
"I'll read and you can fill me in when I don't understand vocabulary. And read about Moringotho. 'the war'?"
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