Page 2 of Legends and Longing

Historic texts had described stern humans who were very quiet when they had to interact with our people. This did not match those stories. These moved in odd ways, made many sounds, and they were loud.

Well, most were loud but several voices were quieter than the others and sounded like what I would’ve expected to hear anywhere on this side of the gate. One was closer to what I would have described as pleasant, with a soothing tone, but the louder voices quickly drowned it out.

“Does anyone else think they speak faster than we do?”

“How does their volume affect their language?”

“Does pitch change the meaning of a word?”

Several of the linguists made logical points, forcing the rest of us to ignore the visual distractions in front of us. They did speak faster than our people here, so I gave him my approval as I did my best to sort through their individual sounds. The words were meaningless to me but I could differentiate many them.

“Yes. The way they say words all sound slightly different, as well.”

Several of what I assumed were words seemed to be repeating but each individual sounded more unique than I would have expected. My response had the people of Earth focusing on us again, their tones and sounds changing again to indicate something.

But what?

Could their tones and pitches change the meaning of their words?

This was not the same style of language we had begun cataloging before the gate had closed.

We tried to be patient but the male standing beside Toman said something that had the people of Earth waving their heads back and forth and changing their facial expressions. Every movement they made was exaggerated and unexpected.

“What are they doing?”

My question to Toman had every person of Earth finally going still and responding with widening eyes that probably gave some other signal I was supposed to understand.

Toman gave me his focus and indicated confusion.

“I will need a more detailed question. They are doing a lot.”

He was frustrating but correct.

“Yes.”

They were doing much, so I paused and studied our visitors with their round features and wide eyes.

“Why are their faces so…so full of expressions?”

I wasn’t sure that was the right way to ask the question but it seemed like a reasonable starting point since it was the most shocking. Toman did not seem to agree but he quickly explained.

“They would call it being animated. The native people of Earth use facial expressions to communicate more effectively. It is unfamiliar at first, but our people there became used to it living so closely with them.”

Animated?

They had a specific word for their quickly changing facial expressions?

“It is integral to their communication, but they do understand we are not used to behaving in that way.”

Toman made it sound logical but the others around me were buzzing with questions as they started debating the new information. Discussing theoretical topics was not the best way to use my time, however, so I stayed focused on Toman and the people of Earth.

Something about the conversation or our behavior triggered more talking from them until the male beside Toman stood straighter as he spoke. Whatever he said had everyone else giving him their attention as if he were someone in charge.

As we watched their new movements, I tried to process what Toman had said.

“How completely did they integrate themselves into Earth society?”

Our past experts had decided that isolation would have been the most logical course of action for our people trapped on Earth. That did not seem to be the case and we may have misunderstood Toman’s original report from the other side of the portal.