I abandoned the effort of speech decades ago. It hurts. It is exhausting. It is frustrating. I can whistle for attention, grunt out a yell for alarm, and pantomiming gets me the rest of the way. Drawing a sketch in the dirt has served me well many a time. I believe Rhyme liked my doodle…

But it does get tiring when they don’t understand. When I have to wait for a friend to translate, or when they simply don’t realize I am there, waiting for their attention.

To be able to speak again. It is something I haven’t thought of since my early years, but the curiosity of the Doctor and Tinkerer has brought the idea back into my head. Can’t say I’d go with cutting my throat open again for some unknown person’s bits to be put in to replace mine. A contraption though, I can’t see how it’d hurt, and Graham seems especially excited about the concept.

Caterina, Neccio, Embla, and Oddny. They have been good companions. Caterina and Neccio all the way from home, and Embla and Oddny from this chilled north. I suppose, if this thing works out, I’d want it most of all just to say their names.