Odnośniki
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
contained sounds that both the Wota'shaimg and the Shluwg could pronounce, and vocabulary items
which the two tribes had agreed to accept, though the agreement was apparently entirely unconscious.
The structure of the pidgin tended more toward that of the Wota'shaimg, since they were the dominant
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
tribe. But it was considerably simplified, and before a year was up, its structure had been determined.
Von Billmann was ecstatic at being present at the birth of a new language. He recorded it as it developed
and, in fact, since he knew more about pidgins and synthetic and artificial languages than anybody in this
or any other time, he played a big part in the development of this one. He knew what the ideal language
should be, and he used his influence to shape the pidgin.
'If the two tribes stay together,' he said, 'they may abandon their own language and substitute the
pidgin. That would be the most economical and logical course.'
Though the two tribes were of somewhat different physical type, and their way of looking at the
universe differed greatly in many respects, they shared many similar customs. Their attitudes toward
marriage and their sexual habits were near identical, their methods of hunting were identical, and their
governmental systems were much alike. They ate practically the same foods; the tabus of each were few,
and neither objected to the other tribe eating its tabu animal
Then Tkant, the big man whom Gribardsun had defeated in the snow arena, decided that he could
provide for two families. So he asked for, and got, Neliska, Dubhab's daughter, as his second wife.
Gribardsun, as her protector, gave her away. He had one less obligation, though Neliska had asked him,
before she accepted Tkant, if he intended to marry her. Gribardsun hesitated and then said that he
thought it best if she married Tkant.
Laminak, Neliska's sister, was happy at this decision. She had just gone through her rites of passage
and so was, theoretically, eligible at the age of twelve for marriage. In practice, the young females did not
marry until they were fourteen; some not until they were sixteen. Most of the early married did not bear
children until they were eighteen or even older. This was not because of any method of birth control; the
women did not become fertile until relatively late.
On the other hand, some of the tribes along the coast had many females who bore children at the age
of twelve. The rate of death at childbirth was higher for both infant and mother in these tribes.
The two tribes walked eastward, encountering peoples who either fled or were easily awed by the
display of Very lights or a few shots fired over their heads. No lives were lost on either side in these
encounters, and after Gribardsun shot a rhinoceros or two or some wild cattle for the natives, a peaceful
if sometimes uneasy relationship was established.
About the middle of January, the group arrived in what would be, someday, Tunisia. Actually, they
were in an area that would be underwater off the Tunisian coast in the modern age, but the scientists
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
made a number of treks from their base camp into the interior. Here the snows lay not too deeply on the
winter grass and on top of the many trees. A broad river wound through the land and poured down into
the Mediterranean. Gribardsun followed its course for two hundred miles before reluctantly turning back.
'I get the same joy from seeing the vast herds of many different types of animals and the great
predators that feed on them as Robert does when he finds a new language,' he said to Rachel. 'This is the
way a world should be. Few human beings, many animals, plenty of water and grass. I would like this
even better if there were many more trees, but I know that these do exist further south. The air is pure,
and nature works unhindered by man.'
'I long for the day when I can return home,' she said. 'But you sound as if you dread it.'
'Far from it,' he said. 'I look forward with joy to the day that the vessel returns.'
That was only one of the many puzzling statements he made. Rachel did not ask him what he meant.
By now she knew that he just would not reply.
After a month and a half at their Tunisian camp, Gribardsun gave the word to march again. They set
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plblacksoulman.xlx.pl
|
