Aymara can be used as an intermediate language for simultaneously translating English into several other languages.”
“Six languages only,” the pope said. “But you’ve apparently unlocked a more universal application.”
“The only secret to my system is the rigid, logical structure of Aymara itself,” she said, her confidence returning in force. “It’s ideal for transformation into computer algorithm. Its syntactical rules can be spelled out in the kind of algebraic shorthand that computers understand.”
“I find this all quite fascinating,” he told her. “As close to hearing the whisperings of God as man may likely get in this life. Whyever did you give it up?”
“I still make a contribution now and then, Your Holiness.”
“Indeed, you are quite the freelancer. Not only are you Mother Earth and an official goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, but I see you worked on the Latinatis Nova et Vetera,” he said, referring to the Vatican’s “new look” Latin dictionary designed by traditionalists to catapult the ancient tongue of Virgil into the new millennium.
“That’s right, Your Holiness.”
“So we have you to thank for coining the Latin terms for disco and cover girl — caberna discothecaria and terioris paginae puello.”
“Don’t forget pilamalleus super glaciem.”
The pope had to pause to make the mental translation. “Ice hockey?”
“Very good, Your Holiness.”
The pope smiled in spite of himself before growing very serious. “And what do you call a man like Doctor Yeats?”
“A sordidissimi hominess,” she said, not skipping a beat. “One of the dregs of society.”
The pope nodded sadly. “Is this man the reason why you chose to suppress your gifts, leave the Church, and run off to become Mother Earth?”
“Conrad had nothing to do with my decision to devote my energies to protecting the environment,” she said, sounding more defensive than she intended.
The pope nodded. “But you met him while working with the Aymara tribe in Bolivia, shortly before you left the Church. What do you know about him?”
She paused. There was so much she could say. But she would stick with the essentials. “He’s a thief and a liar and the greatest, most dangerous archaeologist I’ve ever met.”
“Dangerous?”
“He has no respect for antiquity,” she said. “He believes the information gleaned from a discovery is more important than the discovery itself. Consequently, in his haste to uncover a virgin find he will often destroy the integrity of the site, future generations be damned.”
The pope nodded. “That would explain why the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has forbidden him from ever setting foot in Luxor again.”
“Actually, the council’s director general lost some money to Conrad in a card game when they were consulting on the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas,” Serena said. “The way I heard it was that he paid Conrad off with a Nineteenth Dynasty statuette and that Conrad’s been trying to unload it on the black market ever since. He needs the money, badly I understand, in order to keep going. It would make a wonderful addition to our collection here if you’re interested.”
The pope frowned to show he did not appreciate her dry sense of humor. “And I take it the story is the same in Bolivia, where Doctor Yeats was barred a year after your encounter with him?”
Serena shrugged. “Let’s just say that he found a certain generalissimo ’s daughter to be more interesting than the ruins.”
“Do I detect a note of jealousy?”
Serena laughed. “There will always be another woman for a schemer like Conrad. The treasures of antiquity, on the other hand, belong to all of us.”
“I’m getting a clear picture. Whatever did you see in him, Sister Serghetti, if I may ask?”
“He’s the most honest soul I’ve ever met.”
“You said he was a liar.”
“That’s part of his honesty. What does he have to do with all
“Six languages only,” the pope said. “But you’ve apparently unlocked a more universal application.”
“The only secret to my system is the rigid, logical structure of Aymara itself,” she said, her confidence returning in force. “It’s ideal for transformation into computer algorithm. Its syntactical rules can be spelled out in the kind of algebraic shorthand that computers understand.”
“I find this all quite fascinating,” he told her. “As close to hearing the whisperings of God as man may likely get in this life. Whyever did you give it up?”
“I still make a contribution now and then, Your Holiness.”
“Indeed, you are quite the freelancer. Not only are you Mother Earth and an official goodwill ambassador for the United Nations, but I see you worked on the Latinatis Nova et Vetera,” he said, referring to the Vatican’s “new look” Latin dictionary designed by traditionalists to catapult the ancient tongue of Virgil into the new millennium.
“That’s right, Your Holiness.”
“So we have you to thank for coining the Latin terms for disco and cover girl — caberna discothecaria and terioris paginae puello.”
“Don’t forget pilamalleus super glaciem.”
The pope had to pause to make the mental translation. “Ice hockey?”
“Very good, Your Holiness.”
The pope smiled in spite of himself before growing very serious. “And what do you call a man like Doctor Yeats?”
“A sordidissimi hominess,” she said, not skipping a beat. “One of the dregs of society.”
The pope nodded sadly. “Is this man the reason why you chose to suppress your gifts, leave the Church, and run off to become Mother Earth?”
“Conrad had nothing to do with my decision to devote my energies to protecting the environment,” she said, sounding more defensive than she intended.
The pope nodded. “But you met him while working with the Aymara tribe in Bolivia, shortly before you left the Church. What do you know about him?”
She paused. There was so much she could say. But she would stick with the essentials. “He’s a thief and a liar and the greatest, most dangerous archaeologist I’ve ever met.”
“Dangerous?”
“He has no respect for antiquity,” she said. “He believes the information gleaned from a discovery is more important than the discovery itself. Consequently, in his haste to uncover a virgin find he will often destroy the integrity of the site, future generations be damned.”
The pope nodded. “That would explain why the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has forbidden him from ever setting foot in Luxor again.”
“Actually, the council’s director general lost some money to Conrad in a card game when they were consulting on the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas,” Serena said. “The way I heard it was that he paid Conrad off with a Nineteenth Dynasty statuette and that Conrad’s been trying to unload it on the black market ever since. He needs the money, badly I understand, in order to keep going. It would make a wonderful addition to our collection here if you’re interested.”
The pope frowned to show he did not appreciate her dry sense of humor. “And I take it the story is the same in Bolivia, where Doctor Yeats was barred a year after your encounter with him?”
Serena shrugged. “Let’s just say that he found a certain generalissimo ’s daughter to be more interesting than the ruins.”
“Do I detect a note of jealousy?”
Serena laughed. “There will always be another woman for a schemer like Conrad. The treasures of antiquity, on the other hand, belong to all of us.”
“I’m getting a clear picture. Whatever did you see in him, Sister Serghetti, if I may ask?”
“He’s the most honest soul I’ve ever met.”
“You said he was a liar.”
“That’s part of his honesty. What does he have to do with all
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