The Scholar 1

The Scholar was an interesting in both persona and anima.

He was tall, not thin, but still seemed lacking in body mass, and yet he still seemed fairly strong. His eyes did not match in color, but it wasn't the irises that differed, Diana couldn't quite get a handle on what color exactly his pupils were, in the time it took for her to register that this was indeed the case the hues had changed into three distinct hues between green and purple.

His chest seemed too small for his body and his forelegs were far too short in relation to his total leg length. Long ears, curling upward from about middle in a manner that represented a bull's horns. Diana couldn't tell from his unkempt hair if he was balding or if that was his natural hairline. Physically, the only things about him that gave her a sense of normality were his arms and hands.

"Wuai helo theyr!"

Broken English, sure, but his lips matched the sounds she heard. It was a welcome change in the storm of differences she had been faced with.

"I don't believe we have met. I take it you are the Scholar?"

He pulled out a small booklet from his sleeve, and began to rapidly rifle through its pages long enough for Diana to wonder how he had done that.

"No wi havv naught. It is my grate plezure to introdooce myselph."

A dictionary, or some sort of thesaurus. That was evidently the identity of that book.

"As much as I am flattered that you would resort to using our language for my comfort, it is currently not my priority to help you understand it. I would have no qualms about such an arrangement in the future, and it pleases me that there is someone her who can at least understand the more complex elements of our language, but there are things that I need your assistance in understanding. An incomplete lexicon will not assist me in that endeavor."

Once again the Scholar turned his nose to his book, rapidly flipping pages to and fro.

"My apologies for that my lady, and I ask that you excuse my overenthusiasm. I am simply extremely curious about how your people managed to communicate without the assistance of Split. If it would not be too much to ask, could you please define two of those words you used near the end. I believe they sounded like 'leckshikan' and 'endebbor'?"

Diana giggled a bit at the suddenness of the change between his extremely silly accent when speaking English and his supremely proper use of language when speaking how he would normally.

"I can to at least that much. The first of those words is 'Lexicon', spelled L-E-X-I-C-O-N, and refers to the vocabulary of a person, culture, or branch of knowledge. In the context I used it, I was referring to your own knowledge of English."

"Fascinating! A word to describe a knowledge of words!"

"We have a few that refer to such a thing. The second word, 'Endeavor', spelled E-N-D-E-A-V-O-R, can have a few different meanings depending on its use, but the most common use as a noun refers to and earnest attempt at reaching a goal."

"So your final sentence was an implication that my lack of knowledge of your more complex words will hinder your earnest attempts to achieve your goals. Is that correct?"

Diana gave a nod of affirmation. In spite of how strange he looked to the eye, Diana felt she quite liked speaking with him. He was enthusiastic, friendly. He was a proverbial breath of fresh air for someone who had been stifled by serious conversations with serious people for far too long.

"For that I must apologize, and I will hold off on my attempts at practicing my English," Diana noticed that 'English' was actually a word he spoke, "for as long as it will be a hindrance to your goals. If I may be so bold as to ask, could you please not hold back on the more complicated or niche words that you know of? I may require you explain them, but it would be more beneficial for both parties if I understand that you have a more detailed and complex definition of some things."

He was truly interested in learning English. If Diana had not the confidence in his ability to understand the words she would eventually have to use, then she would not have agreed.

"That sounds reasonable. In that case, I would like to get something from our ship that will help you immensely."

"Immenzli?"

"To a great degree. Would you be willing to stay here and watch over both Donovan and the Dog while I go get it?"

The Scholar straightened up and gave what she assumed was a salute. "It is the duty I was assigned my lady!"

"Thank you Scholar, I will be back shortly."

Diana got up from her seat and traced her steps back onto the deck. She hadn't noticed it before, but the Noah was being suspended in the air by a pair of branches from the Oberlux. She knew that the ship was extremely heavy, There was more metal, ceramic, rubber, and silicon by volume in her structure than open space.

Those fairly thin branches had to be EXTREMELY sturdy to accomplish such a feat.

As if on que, the elevator descended, reaching the bottom just as she approached. Her ascent was fairly swift.

"What is the tool you wanted to give to the Scholar?"

"I brought a few extra tablets along in preparation of such a communication hurdle. Would you be able to reprogram one to limit its functionality to just being a dictionary? I don't think we have to worry about hacking."

"I had come to the same conclusion, Diana. Which dictionary should I upload?"

"Pax Universalis. With it's picture references and simple descriptions should be the most suited for his level of understanding."

"Very well. Plug it into the dock."