[The puffin chucks the paper-wrapped package in the air at the same time that Amy moves to take it, and so -- perhaps thanks to the nature of her luck, or maybe she's having good luck for once?? -- the whole thing loosens and drops down onto the ledge with a clatter. At least it didn't fall off the cliff...!
Instead, the strange little device rolls over the paper a few times, a light blinking on it -- there's a singular BEBEEEEEEP and then a mechanical voice says: RECALIBRATING............ PLEASE STAND BY. SCANNING EXTANT TEXT.
A little laser light beams over the paper, and the mechanical voice continues reading out the following..... in quacks:
Chronicle LXXII.A
I’ve still not been able to directly observe the transference of souls, but the movements of magic in the soil and around the animals of the community – and particularly the avian species – seem to bear out my hypothesis so far. The next step will be to create a way to listen in on the communications of those species; are there those of them that have more sophisticated systems of communication than we might suspect, only in bird language? I cannot speak to the villagers about this; they would think it the ramblings of a senile old man, though they trust me on most other things. Perhaps it is indeed the mad scientist in me, or perhaps it is the sane scientist that conceals his findings in times like these.
Chronicle LXXII.F
The trials for creating the bird translator are going well, though the materials are hard to come by out here – it chagrins me to say that it cannot be created entirely with magic nor with the usual fruits of the harvest, but must also rely on modern technology (or as modern as we get out here). The next step will be calibrating the device: the best way to optimize a language device, magical or technological, has always been to have it record and interact with actual conversation, so I think a trip down to the pier is in order...
Once this exchange is complete, and they've gotten ahold of all their goodies, the puffins waddle back into their burrows and continue chattering to themselves -- or perhaps it's just that you can no longer understand them, because the device has stopped translating puffinspeak. Maybe it's time to use it for other things.]
no subject
Instead, the strange little device rolls over the paper a few times, a light blinking on it -- there's a singular BEBEEEEEEP and then a mechanical voice says: RECALIBRATING............ PLEASE STAND BY. SCANNING EXTANT TEXT.
A little laser light beams over the paper, and the mechanical voice continues reading out the following..... in quacks:
Chronicle LXXII.A
I’ve still not been able to directly observe the transference of souls, but the movements of magic in the soil and around the animals of the community – and particularly the avian species – seem to bear out my hypothesis so far. The next step will be to create a way to listen in on the communications of those species; are there those of them that have more sophisticated systems of communication than we might suspect, only in bird language? I cannot speak to the villagers about this; they would think it the ramblings of a senile old man, though they trust me on most other things. Perhaps it is indeed the mad scientist in me, or perhaps it is the sane scientist that conceals his findings in times like these.
Chronicle LXXII.F
The trials for creating the bird translator are going well, though the materials are hard to come by out here – it chagrins me to say that it cannot be created entirely with magic nor with the usual fruits of the harvest, but must also rely on modern technology (or as modern as we get out here). The next step will be calibrating the device: the best way to optimize a language device, magical or technological, has always been to have it record and interact with actual conversation, so I think a trip down to the pier is in order...
Once this exchange is complete, and they've gotten ahold of all their goodies, the puffins waddle back into their burrows and continue chattering to themselves -- or perhaps it's just that you can no longer understand them, because the device has stopped translating puffinspeak. Maybe it's time to use it for other things.]