Read Online Star Ship on Saddle Mountain by Richard Ackley - Free Book Online Page B

tier, he heard a noise—over in the direction of the
cylinder compartment, where the aliens had gone. Something had just
fallen, making a noisy clatter on the stairway inside the cylinder.
For some moments there was dead silence. Then he saw the panel open
slowly. There, standing alone, was an alien.
His first doubts passed quickly as Charlie stared
back at the slim figure in the doorway, an alien somewhat smaller
than the others. This one was no bigger or taller than he was,
Charlie quickly observed, and he seemed much younger than the
others. But as Charlie looked at the young alien, wondering what he
wanted, the fellow smiled a little. Then the mild impulse he had
heard before came to Charlie.
"I am Dondee. I am the Primate's son," Charlie
interpreted the mild-mannered mental impulse. The young alien
walked toward him. "I talked with you, last night."
"I—I’m sure glad to meet you. Dondee—that's your
name?"
    "Yes," came the eager impulse,
somewhat bolder now. "I remembered what you said about wanting to
meet me. I wanted to see you too. What is your name?"
"I’m Charles Holt, Dondee. Just Charlie is okay.
Slang for Charles! Everybody calls me that."
"If you recall, Charles, I cannot use slang in the
Interplanetary tongue. At least, not in routine conversation. You
of course can say it, since you make sound with your voice as well
as send the impulse with your mental gland waves. You remember I
told you I couldn't?"
"Sure," Charlie said with a quick grin, "I remember
now."
"I like the proper name of Charles very much."
"Okay," Charlie said, "shake!"
    The alien boy looked at his
outstretched hand, frowning a little. Then he smiled happily.
"Oh—it, it's one of your world's customs!" and Dondee took the offered
hand and shook hands vigorously.
"Now we're friends officially!"
"In my world," said Dondee, "it is the polite
custom to greet a stranger by holding his face between your hands
for a little time, as you give your first thoughts of greeting." He
demonstrated.
    "It sure is different from our world,
here," Charlie said, a little uncomfortably, "and sort of—well,
more personal."
"Your world's shaking of hands, Charles, that is a
fine custom."
"Can't you talk with your mouth, Dondee? I mean,
make a sound when you send the wave impulse out?"
"Oh, some people can. But usually, we prefer the
higher form of speech. Speaking in the more physical language is a
thing most of our world has grown away from, Charles. You see, we
can talk for days on the higher mental level, while those who would
use the purely physical sound voice should tire very easily in a
far shorter time."
"Did your world ever talk with mouths,
Dondee?"
"Oh yes. It was our most ancient form of
communication. But as we became more civilized, we also became lazy
and took advantage of the higher and easier means of exchanging
thought. You see, Charles, civilization has faults, too! But we did
use the more primitive way of speaking, far back in our
history."
"I don't see anything so primitive about talking
with your mouth. Making sound and all. What's the matter with using
just plain words?"
    "They are too difficult to speak,
Charles, to interchange among the many world islands, on which
there are still dozens more variations among languages. That is why the
Barrier World, my Saturn, does like most of the other more
civilized worlds. It is not conformity for conformity's sake,
Charles, but for reasons of convenient exchange of thought for
broader knowledge, that we use the Interplanetary
tongue."
    "But I still like to hear myself,
when I talk," Charlie said with a grin, "even if I can understand your
telepathy. Besides, it's kind of hard to do."
"You only need practice, Charles," came the quick
response. "Also, Charles, your own physical tongue could never
possibly form the words in the high speed exchange that the mental
language does."
"One thing I like about it, Dondee. You can laugh
or just keep your mouth shut, and still talk fast! It makes it
pretty