"Marharbal?" Lex sounded out again, sighing. The Master Assassin let out a noise of utter frustration. He'd been going about this for two hours and had made no progress whatsoever with the Novice. Saying something rapidly that Lex couldn't hope to catch, he stood and stormed away, waving his one arm in the air.
Jameel lifted a brow as he watched the other man go by, shouting about incompetant Novices. He looked into the library at the pale boy, who had his fists clenched into his hair.
"Marhalba...Marharba...Maharbal..." the boy was muttering, face pinched and strained.
"Marhaba." He looked up at the man as the Red Owl sat across from him. The boy frowned, brows furrowed, as he opened his mouth. Jameel pressed it shut gently and pointed to his own lips, saying the word with great care once again: "Marhaba."
"Marhar...Marharbal...Marharba..." Lex moaned and buried his face in his hands. He looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Marhaba."
"Mar...Marhaba."
"Zain." The hand thumped against his back. "Zain!"
"Z-Zain?"
"Zain." Jameel nodded. "Good. Zain."
"Zain." The boy smiled.
X x X
Desmond stopped as he saw Lex watching some of the older Novices and Journeymen in the training ring, looking from him to them.
"What're you doing?"
"Trying to figure out what they're saying."
"Well, why not go talk to them?"
"I dunno what to say to 'em."
"Okay, here's something you can say: Ana aneek amouk."
"What's that mean?"
"Pleased to meet you."
"Um...okay. I'll try it." Sliding down from his perch, Lex made his way over to the group. The older men stopped and looked at the pale boy as he came up to them, face stark white against the gray robes.
"Na'am?" one man finally asked.
"Marhaba."
"Marhaba."
"Ana aneek amouk."
Jameel looked over at the small gray shape that edged into the library, head bowed. When boots came into Lex's line of sight, he lifted his head to reveal a nice smattering of bruises on his face.
"What has happened this time?"
"Des."
"And you said?"
"Ana aneek amouk."
Sighing, Jameel shook his head and pressed a finger to Lex's chest.
"Ahbal."
"Ana ahbal?"
"Aywah."
"Ana assif."
"I see you've had plenty of practice what that phrase today."
X x X
"Jarra." Lex sighed and ran his hand through his hair as Jameel repeated the word, holding up the item. "Jarra."
"Yeah, it's a jar. Okay. I get it." Jameel shook his head and set the jar aside. The boy refused to say the whole word. The Red Owl thought for a moment, then left and returned a few minutes later with a small basket of fruits.
"These are goods from the market," he explained, holding one up. "Limun." Lex frowned at it.
"You mean you've had lemons this whole time, man?"
"No, limun."
"Yeah, lemon. Lemon." Lex pointed ot the yellow fruit. "Lemon." He pointed to the green one. "Lime."
"Lim."
"Yeah, lime. Lemon lime. Like Sprite."
"Sprite? Sprites? The...the pari?"
"No, Sprite. The soda."
"Suwwada?"
"No, soda. Soda. The drink. It fizzes." Jameel shook his head again, rubbing his brow. The boy's homeland must be full of madman if he insists that he's able to drink glass-makers' salt... He picked up the orange fruit from the basket and said softly to the boy, "Naranj."
"Yes, I know that! It's a ******** orange, Jameel, I know that!"
X x X
"Dude."
"Daud?"
"No, say it with me now. Duuuude."
"Dude...what?"
"Yeah, dude."
"What does it mean?"
"Dude means...dude. It's just...dude. It...it refers to somebody."
"Who?"
"Anybody."
"Male or female?"
"Either."
"That makes no sense."
"No, it makes perfect sense." The two looked at each other before Jameel snorted and Lex found himself chuckling.
