tomorrow, etiquette dictated he be there early to await Supreme Emperor Udo’s arrival. In a meeting with Panagiota’s lords, they waited for him.
Starling stopped when she ran out of breath. He watched her in silence for a moment. “Are you finished?”
She snapped one last thing then stalked toward the bedroom.
“Second,” he called after her.
She stopped but didn’t look at him.
“I cannot allow it when I cannot understand it. Your language and how it is written are unknown to me. Allowing such a correspondence would be reckless.”
“You don’t know how to quit, do you?” She swung back and faced him. “Fine! I’ll translate it for you.”
“And I should trust your translation when you’ve been so reluctant until now?”
Vieve said over Starling’s next words, “Might I make a suggestion that would hurry this along so Bekion can arrive on time for his meeting rather than late?”
Bekion waved her to proceed.
Starling crossed her arms but said nothing.
Vieve said, “The translation project would solve all problems. Starling could input her language into the database. Once finished, you could understand her letter and allow her to send it in good conscience.” She glanced at Starling then back at Bekion. “That is, if she is off punishment by then.”
He smiled when Starling grumbled what could only be an insult. “Your suggestion holds merit. Starling?”
His little pet rolled her eyes then asked in a gruff voice, “What do I have to do?”
“Vieve will explain it. I must depart.” He faced the doorway and found Rois and Nausic there. “Nausic, Starling is to remain in my chambers unless I summon her.”
Nausic nodded.
“Come, Rois.”
Bekion led the way to his audience chamber, where the conference would take place via several viewing monitors.
Rois chuckled.
Bekion asked, “What’s so amusing?”
“Are you sure you want to know what she said? That last tirade of hers sounded particularly harsh. I doubt you really need a translation to understand her meaning.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Whatever she writes to her parents wouldn’t matter.”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
“Then why press the issue?”
Bekion entered the audience chamber and closed Rois out of the room rather than answer the man’s question. He didn’t know the cause of his stubbornness over something so insignificant.
He did know he wouldn’t back down.
Chapter Six
Starling wanted to throw something at Bekion’s head as he left the room. There was nothing close at hand.
Vieve’s muffled laughter brought Starling’s attention back to the woman.
“Your expression is so cute. I can’t help but laugh.” Vieve chuckled more.
Starling was betting her attitude and words wouldn’t be so cute if she were the same height as the people around her. They should be insulted and offended. But getting upset about their reactions only served to raise her blood pressure.
She looked at the breakfast table. She was hungry thanks to her stomach’s refusal to digest the pelbuah soup but her appetite waned when she contemplated eating again. She hoped lunch turned out better.
She faced Vieve. “Tell me about this translation project. How do I get my language into the database?”
Vieve pulled out another tablet. She tapped it a few times, probably inputting information via some unseen keys, and then handed it to Starling. “This is the translation project. It was founded many generations ago when the Gorov Empire started expanding.”
Starling took the tablet and stared at the list of simple greetings.
“While the jehlvan language can be transmitted via the visor you encountered when you first entered the palace, it can only implant languages it knows. Whenever the empire happens upon a new language, we ask the peoples to input it into our database, thus increasing our knowledge.”
“Okay, so what do I do?”
Vieve pointed at the first phrase. “This is jehlvan .”
“I assumed.”
“Read the
Starling stopped when she ran out of breath. He watched her in silence for a moment. “Are you finished?”
She snapped one last thing then stalked toward the bedroom.
“Second,” he called after her.
She stopped but didn’t look at him.
“I cannot allow it when I cannot understand it. Your language and how it is written are unknown to me. Allowing such a correspondence would be reckless.”
“You don’t know how to quit, do you?” She swung back and faced him. “Fine! I’ll translate it for you.”
“And I should trust your translation when you’ve been so reluctant until now?”
Vieve said over Starling’s next words, “Might I make a suggestion that would hurry this along so Bekion can arrive on time for his meeting rather than late?”
Bekion waved her to proceed.
Starling crossed her arms but said nothing.
Vieve said, “The translation project would solve all problems. Starling could input her language into the database. Once finished, you could understand her letter and allow her to send it in good conscience.” She glanced at Starling then back at Bekion. “That is, if she is off punishment by then.”
He smiled when Starling grumbled what could only be an insult. “Your suggestion holds merit. Starling?”
His little pet rolled her eyes then asked in a gruff voice, “What do I have to do?”
“Vieve will explain it. I must depart.” He faced the doorway and found Rois and Nausic there. “Nausic, Starling is to remain in my chambers unless I summon her.”
Nausic nodded.
“Come, Rois.”
Bekion led the way to his audience chamber, where the conference would take place via several viewing monitors.
Rois chuckled.
Bekion asked, “What’s so amusing?”
“Are you sure you want to know what she said? That last tirade of hers sounded particularly harsh. I doubt you really need a translation to understand her meaning.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Whatever she writes to her parents wouldn’t matter.”
“No, it wouldn’t.”
“Then why press the issue?”
Bekion entered the audience chamber and closed Rois out of the room rather than answer the man’s question. He didn’t know the cause of his stubbornness over something so insignificant.
He did know he wouldn’t back down.
Chapter Six
Starling wanted to throw something at Bekion’s head as he left the room. There was nothing close at hand.
Vieve’s muffled laughter brought Starling’s attention back to the woman.
“Your expression is so cute. I can’t help but laugh.” Vieve chuckled more.
Starling was betting her attitude and words wouldn’t be so cute if she were the same height as the people around her. They should be insulted and offended. But getting upset about their reactions only served to raise her blood pressure.
She looked at the breakfast table. She was hungry thanks to her stomach’s refusal to digest the pelbuah soup but her appetite waned when she contemplated eating again. She hoped lunch turned out better.
She faced Vieve. “Tell me about this translation project. How do I get my language into the database?”
Vieve pulled out another tablet. She tapped it a few times, probably inputting information via some unseen keys, and then handed it to Starling. “This is the translation project. It was founded many generations ago when the Gorov Empire started expanding.”
Starling took the tablet and stared at the list of simple greetings.
“While the jehlvan language can be transmitted via the visor you encountered when you first entered the palace, it can only implant languages it knows. Whenever the empire happens upon a new language, we ask the peoples to input it into our database, thus increasing our knowledge.”
“Okay, so what do I do?”
Vieve pointed at the first phrase. “This is jehlvan .”
“I assumed.”
“Read the
Similar Books
