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PAUL:

Nah what?

MICHAEL:

Nahuatl.

PAUL:

I've never heard of it.

MICHAEL:

Not surprising. It's the language of the Toltecs. They're the ones who overran the Mayan civilization in the later 10th century.

PAUL:

Toltecs? Aren't they extinct?

MICHAEL:

Actually, yes.

PAUL:

That girl is speaking an extinct language?

MICHAEL:

Several of the more isolated tribes still incorporate some of the Nahuatl vocabulary in their speech. But nothing like this. I've seen Nahuatl written in some of the old texts in the archives in Mexico City, but this is the first time I've actually heard it spoken with all the syntax and everything. It's really quite a beautiful language. If that's what it is.

PAUL:

But you were able to understand her?

MICHAEL:

Roughly. Like I said, I'm not an expert and she rambled a bit. Her name is Isabel. She comes from an isolated village high in the mountains. Her village is protected, I think the word is, by a local...

(pauses, searches for the right word)

Lord, or baron, something like that.

PAUL:

A lord? In Mexico? I've never heard of such a thing. Could she have meant Don?

MICHAEL:

No. Not a Don. That term came much later. From the Spanish. I'm just not familiar enough with the vocabulary to be precise. It was a Nahuatl word. I'll check with a friend of mine. He knows more about the ancient dialects than I do. Anyway, in exchange for protecting the villagers, and I'm not sure about that word either, this baron or lord seems to... um... require a maiden be provided for him. It gets a little sketchy after that but I guess Isabel was chosen to be the next offering and fled the village.

PAUL:

Chosen by whom? The villagers or the baron?

MICHAEL:

(shrugs)

I couldn't tell, precisely. Translation is a funny thing. Especially when you deal with a language that is supposed to be extinct. Words usually have several meanings. Getting the right one is just guess work much of the time. I suggested maybe this would be a fine life for a young girl, you know, arranged marriages are still fairly common in Latin-American countries. And she would be getting a husband of some wealth and power.

(He lowers his voice and his expression grows puzzled as he looks in the direction of her room)

I couldn't really understand her answer, but the girl is definitely terrified of something. I can only guess it is this baron or whatever he is.

PAUL:

Well, at least she is safe from him here.

MICHAEL:

Yes. That's good. But what will happen to her now?

PAUL:

I don't know. She has to recover first. Then I guess we'll see.

MICHAEL:

Keep me informed of her progress. I'd really like to talk with her again. When she's... better, more coherent.

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