Universal Language Read Online Free PDF

7
    Â 
    When a voice roused Jalila, whispering close to her ear, she had a hard time waking up. Her exhausted slumber was so deep, she couldn't force herself to crawl back to consciousness.
    When hands gently shook her by the shoulders, she finally came around. Her eyes popped open, and she was greeted by the blurry sight of a Vox she didn't know, staring her in the face.
    Instinctively, Jalila swung up an arm to bat the creature away, but the white-furred Vox quickly darted out of reach. Jalila jerked to a sitting position and scooted back over the bedding away from the unexpected visitor. She pushed her black hair behind her ears and stared at him, blinking her brown eyes hard to clear her vision.
    The Vox calmly raised its arms, suggesting peaceful intent. Jalila watched, eyes wide, for the creature's next move.
    The Vox placed its hands on its chest and bowed its head. " I am Folcrum ," he whispered. " I will not hurt you. " The voice was cracked with age.
    Glancing in the direction of the other Vox in the chamber, Jalila saw they were still curled together in a sleeping heap. As she returned her attention to Folcrum, she caught sight of a nearby pile of weapons and wondered if she ought to make a grab for one of them.
    " I am a Lexicon ," said Folcrum. " A keeper of language. I keep it all up here ." Folcrum tapped his head. " Every word , every meaning , every rule. All here. "
    Folcrum moved forward, and Jalila twitched, thinking about getting a gun or waking the others. Folcrum was only shifting off his knees, though, and settled back to sit on the floor.
    " When someone is searching for a word ," said Folcrum, " they come to a Lexicon . When there is a question about the language , a Lexicon answers it.
    " Without us , the language of the world would be in chaos. People would have no set rules or definitions to guide them. Miscommunication and misunderstanding would run rampant. "
    As Jalila listened, she realized for the first time that she had been missing something. In all the hours she'd spent on Vox, she hadn't seen a single sign, inscription, electronic readout, or printed page. She hadn't seen so much as a single character representing a unit of Vox speech.
    Jalila had been too busy and distracted to notice until now, but it jived with what the Lexicon was telling her. If, as he claimed, walking dictionaries were needed to keep track of words and linguistic rules, it followed that the Vox lacked something that was found on most worlds where the inhabitants communicated verbally: a written language.
    " Lexicons are not always popular ," said Folcrum. " We are the enemy of those who would twist language for their own purposes.
    " Like them. " Folcrum nodded in the direction of the sleeping Free Speakers. " A discredited language is not their chief concern. "
    Jalila glanced at the nearby weapons. The truth of Folcrum's words was obvious.
    " We Lexicons have always remained neutral in matters of conflict ," said Folcrum, " but not this time. This is a matter of life and death for us. That is why I ' m asking if you ' ll come with me. We need your help. "
    Jalila looked at him, wondering what exactly he had planned for her...and if it could be any worse than what the Free Speakers had in mind. She suspected that once again she faced a choice between the frying pan and the fire.
    " What must you do to change a language? " said Folcrum. " To make the kind of sweeping change they want? " He gestured toward the Free Speakers.
    " Out with the old. " Folcrum slashed his hand through the air. " The old Lexicons .
    " When minor changes are made , we are revised. When bigger changes are made , we are ... retired. Our minds cannot be extensively rewritten.
    " But to replace an entire language? Every word and rule? Drastic measures are needed. So , out with the old. " Folcrum drew a single clawed finger across his throat. " Make way for new Lexicons to serve the new language. Don ' t give the people a chance to fall back on