I swear I'm trying to get back to my longfic
“Why…do you talk…like that?”
The Chamberlain drew themselves up with a little hmm? of mock-puzzlement. “Don’t know what you mean,” they said loftily. “Talk like what? Chamberlain only speaks as duty demands. Why does Wanderer talk as does?”
UrGoh gave a little smile. “Not…my turn,” they reminded the Skeksis. “But if you must know…I talk slowly…that I may speak less foolishness.”
“A wise notion,” returned SkekSil, the dullest glimmer of tooth now showing beneath the tiniest curl of lip. The Wanderer pretended not to see it.
“The Seeker,” they said, “believes your speech is a mask…to lull the unwary.”
The glimmer widened. “Ridiculous,” was the zestful reply.
“I agree. You…do not merely play…a part.”
“Of course not.”
“There is more to it…than that.” UrGoh paused. “You don’t think…in Gelfling…do you?”
The hunched creature sat up nearly straight at that. “What? No!—that is—no idea…what you are talking about? Speak foolishness, indeed. Wanderer has no reason to think this!”
“You would have me… believe otherwise?” The Wanderer tilted their long nose and gave it a knowing tap. “You must do better. It is still your turn. Perhaps...Podling…is what runs…through your head, then... as we converse. Or…perhaps…Nurling?”
Insult followed by injury stung SkekSil into biting back, “Skeksis! Think in Skeksis tongue. As is only proper.”
“Ah yes,” said UrGoh with a nod. “The Seeker has told me of the Skeksis-speech. They say…it has little use…beyond curses…and rites of challenge—”
“So-called ‘Seeker’ lies to you,” SkekSil hissed, brushing at their robe and then running dark talons through the feathers just behind their ear. “In more than this I think, hmmmmMMMMMmmmmm?”
The Wanderer paused again to see if any more bird-racket was forthcoming, and when the answer seemed to be no, they finished:
“You still think…in UrSkek…do you not?”
