The Iron Man [Serial]

Language Lessons

Alpha forbid the crew to speak to me in English. I could use my first language all I liked, but they were not to speak it to me until we reached our next port, which was possibly in thalathat, tres, tría, or yerek', asabi', setmanes, evdomádes, or shabat'-- if I were even hearing the words correctly. I took this to mean precisely more than a fortnight and less than a month, or maybe trois semaines.

My crewmates could speak my tongue to each other. This was occasionally the case. Dolores understood commands Garin or Alpha gave in Arabic, but was unable to reply in another language they understood. Garin and Alpha shared knowledge of at least two other languages, and yet I heard them break into argument in English more than once, complaining to each other about accent and word choice between dialects.

I was still expected to follow instructions and learn the ropes, as it were. Murphy was assigned to show me around the Narcís and teach me how to use equipment safely and correctly, including the actual ropes. For a while, Murphy seemed irritated enough with Alpha's demand that he decided not to speak to me at all. This meant he took every possible opportunity to show me what was expected by putting himself close and guiding my hands with his own.

I permitted this behavior for the most part. I would have thought something wrong if Murphy were not being forward. I could not grant him unchecked license, but from me he expected and looked for this, I am certain.

I had lessons with Alpha several hours a day, during which he spoke some English, to explain mathematics, history, or philosophy.

I protested the need to learn more of math. What did I need in life that I had not learned from from being at my mother's side as she managed a household or running a shop on my own for three years? The first time someone had tried one of those, "But, wait, now I have exact change," scams on me-- and all the first times others had tried their variations --I had learned. Rent gets paid. Water utility absolutely gets paid. The chemists and the smiths who supply what the laundrodeon needs get paid. If the register is short, I do not eat as well.

Alpha listened to me explain this, looking at me as if-- it seemed he had never wanted for a material thing. "We'll come back to it later," he said.

Lessons continued with history-- particularly of Modern Egypt and the Great War --some geography-- Alpha was especially interested in what I knew of the America's --and philosophy. We started with the Classical Greek philosophers. Alpha seemed not to wish to wait for me to be able to read these texts myself, and so we sat in the parlor side-by-side, so that I might see the book, and he read aloud each passage in Greek before translating.

The words, even in English, seemed all Greek to me at first. Gradually, even a few Greek words made sense, and I understood these philosophers had been real men who put time and effort into pondering the nature of life and had then made speeches or letters telling others how to live.

"Does 'philosophy' mean 'friendly wisdom'?" I asked Alpha.

"Those are proverbs. Philosophy comes from words meaning 'love of wisdom'."

"But aren't your..." I wasn't sure I knew how to say the word correctly, "your 'philos' your friends?"

"Those are your 'fílous', today."

"Ha- yes, like your fellows," I said.

Alpha sighed and closed his book. "I do not think that English word has a Greek root. Your 'philo-' prefix indicates a kind of love."

"So your fílous are like lovers?"

Alpha laughed, "Julien, I would not have thought you to be so forward as to ask me a personal question." He was mocking me, I knew.

"I should like to know if I can call someone my fellow or not."

He side-eyed me. "I think you would know, Julien, but I'll not tell you my thoughts on the matter until you write an essay. Write for me an essay on the many types of love." He meant this as punishment, perhaps, or lesson. I wasn't keen to compose an essay in any language, but I took the assignment seriously.

It took me three days. Trois jours. I asked my crewmates what they knew about love. Garin refused to answer and glared at me from the helm controls. I asked Sina. She laughed and said I could help do wash, even though it was her turn. Dolores spoke to me of estima, passió, amor, amistat, afició, and química-- I was fairly certain the last meant chemistry. She gestured to the furnace and began to describe how the Narcís employed a chemical-fired furnace when submerged and how the reaction of three chemicals created steam for the engine and produced oxygen for the air that we needed to breathe. Sometimes, she said-- and I realized I understood most of what she said --we could love someone so much it felt like we needed them like oxygen.

I asked Murphy what he thought as we were upon the fin confirming our vessel's position by the stars. He was still playing his gesture game, but he told me of love one feels when we look at the sky and pray, the love for one we hold hands with, the love in one's gut when we bite our lip and our heart thuds, the love for small people that make us smile, and the love when we salute the thing waving in air.

I wrote my essay and brought it to Alpha. He told me to read it aloud which I did. When I finished, he said, "You can use any word to say how you feel about someone, but they may not have the same word to describe how they feel for you."

Then he kissed my forehead.