When Everard and Boierik have learned to converse in broken Cimbric, Anderson becomes able to render their conversations in English. Instead of "'...wir skallen gode gefreonds bin...,'" we read Boierik's words as:
"'...we will all be good friends.'" (7, p. 213)
However, Everard claims that, before demonstrating the scooter, he must say a spell. He then chants Temporal instructions to Van Sarawak. Everard and Boierik will disappear on the scooter. About one minute later, Everard will reappear and rescue Van Sarawak. This happens. Their captors, believing in spells, have no reason to suspect the purpose of Everard's chanting.
Similarly, in a James Blish juvenile novel, when Dr Langer and two cadets are among aliens who understand English, Langer chants the "Ritual of Farewell" first in Greek, then, when Cadet Stevens does not understand that, Latin. Cadet Loftus does not recognize Greek and recognizes but does not understand Latin. I am surprised that Stevens understands enough Latin to follow Langer's instructions. Knowledge of more languages would be so useful.
1 comment:
In THE SHIP THAT SAILED THE TIME STREAM, by G.C. Edmonson, at one point the captain of the time-lost ship pretends to cast a spell. He's really chanting to his CPO, Goreson:
"Goreson
Thou whoreson
Get the flare gun ready
On the count of three...
One! Two! Three!"
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