The Budding Metalinguist

V

Lillian knocked hesitantly on the door of Professor Kern's office. Immediately, it swung open and she stepped inside. Cautiously, she looked around the office, trying to pinpoint the source of whatever had swung the door open.

She glanced behind her and noticed Kern standing behind the door. He gestured invitingly toward the mirror.

"Can I ask something?" Lillian ventured.

He nodded in assent.

"Why do you have to teach me in there?"

"When I was teaching you about the Alin Gap, it made sense to be there. For this lesson, there's a more practical reason: if we go there, Galena's eye will not twitch."

Lillian's expression became more thoughtful. "But why-"

He interrupted her. "Today I will answer that question." Again, he gestured toward the mirror.

Lillian stepped forward and reached through the surface of the mirror. Without hesitation, she stepped in.

When she emerged in the arena, Lillian walked habitually to the center and sat down, crossing her legs. Moments later, Kern emerged from the mirror and followed, sitting a few feet away.

"'More than just thaumaturgy'," Lillian prompted.

Kern gave a small laugh. "Precisely. Almost everyone in the entire world can use thaumaturgy. However, there are only a very select few who can use metalanguage."

"Metalanguage." Lillian repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Kern shifted his position, extending his legs. "In some ways, metalanguage is like thaumaturgy. It allows you to do many of the same things which can be accomplished using thaumaturgy- transfiguration, illusionistics, telekinesis- as well as a wide variety of other things. However, metalanguage doesn't use up your energy, it's almost completely untraceable, and the way that you use it feels very different from thaumaturgy."

"Like Fifth Wheel," Lillian noted. The professor looked confused, so she explained. "Some of the people at the DIAO think you're using a fifth branch of thaumaturgy independent from barriers."

"I guess it's a bit similar. But metalanguage and thaumaturgy are definitely not the same thing."

Lillian nodded, trying to follow along.

"I mentioned that metalanguage is almost completely untraceable. When your eye twitches, it's often a sign that someone is using metalanguage, but it's impossible to determine who is using it, where they are using it, or what is being accomplished."

"So when my eye twitches, it's-" Lillian began.

"Me," he interrupted. "Almost every time. I know you and the woman from the DIAO keep track of when your eyes twitch. If you compared that to a timeline of when I've used metalanguage, they'll match up."

"Why Galena?"

Kern sighed. For a moment, he didn't look like he was going to answer, but then he seemed to change his mind. "Because of her mother."

"Her mother can do metalanguage?" Lillian jumped in before he could elaborate.

He was silent for a moment, calculating. "Yes. Ashley is a metalinguist and an old friend of mine."

Lillian nodded. She had a number of other questions, not the least of which was where Ashley had been for the last two weeks, but she let them drop so she could listen to what Kern had to say.

"Metalanguage is structured in terms of Ideas."

Lillian stared. "I'm sorry?"

"The basic types of actions you can accomplish with metalanguage are called Ideas." When Lillian nodded in understanding, he continued. "Unlike with thaumaturgy, where you focus on an object and then what you want to do with it, with metalanguage you need to focus on the Idea and then what you want to perform it on."