"The Temple rituals are conducted
in an even older form of their language than most remembered--a
proto-language that was kept alive only by the priest caste, because the
machine had been set to respond to that language."
"But aren't primitive languages usually composed of simple, basic words
and concepts? How well could they communicate in such a language?"
"Not very well," Rynason said. "Which would explain why the machine
seemed to make mistakes--clumsiness of language. So the Outsiders,
maybe, left the machine when they pulled out, but they set it to respond
to the Hirlaji language because our horsefaced friends were beginning to
build a civilization of their own and the Outsiders thought they'd leave
them some guidance...." He stopped for a moment, remembering that first
linkage with Horng, and Tebron's memories. "The Hirlaji called them the
Old Ones," he said.
"And that order to Tebron ... about the other race that they would meet
someday. That was based on Outsiders observations."
"I wonder when the Outsiders were on Earth," Rynason said.
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