Foreigner Read online

  fish-lizard: ichthyosaur. [1]

  Forgool (Dak-Forgool): (7095-7126) eminent geologist from Pack Vando, expert in erosion, assigned to the Geological Survey, but died of fever before taking his post; Wab-Babnol joined the Survey in his place. [2]

  Foss: assistant to imperial hunt leader Lub-Galpook. [2]

  Fra’toolar: a province in southwest Land where the alien ark was unearthed. Provincial color: dark blue. [1]

  gabo: a type of nut, with three seeds within. [1]

  gadkortakdt: the point in a game of lastoontal in which neither player can force a win. [1]

  Galadoreter: ill-fated sailing ship; blown out to sea by a storm, unable to land for dekadays. With no way to release the territorial instinct, the crew fought until everyone aboard was dead. The ship blew back to shore near the mining town of Parnood. [1]

  galamaja: a type of tree with pale wood. [1]

  Galat-jaroob: Quintaglio term meaning “the Face of God.” [3]

  Galpook (Lub-Galpook): (7110- ) a female Quintaglio, one of Sal-Afsan’s children. Succeeds Jal-Tetex as imperial hunt leader. [1]

  Gampar (Nor-Gampar): (7090-7110) a male mate aboard the Dasheter who went into dagamant and was killed by Sal-Afsan. [1]

  Ganloor (Len-Ganloor): (7079-7126) female governor of Edz’toolar, sister of Len-Lends, killed in a hunting accident. She was succeeded by Dy-Rodlox. [2]

  gaolok: sap used to waterproof ship hulls. [1]

  Garios (Den-Garios): a member of the exodus project staff who mated with Wab-Novato in 7112, producing a daughter, Bos-Karshirl. [3]

  Garsub (Jal-Garsub): the middle-aged female hunt leader of Pack Tablo in Edz’toolar. [2]

  Gatabor: a hunter who belongs to Pack Derrilo in Fra’toolar. [2]

  Gathgol (Var-Gathgol): Capital City’s undertaker, a male who assists Sal-Afsan in investigating the murder of Afsan’s daughter, Haldan. [2]

  Gefpel: the seventh planet of the Quintaglio sun, small and rocky. [1]

  Gelbo: Wab-Novato’s home Pack, in western Jam’toolar. [1]

  Geological Survey of Land: project to provide a complete inventory of natural resources that might be of use to the exodus. Proposed by Wab-Novato, authorized in 7111 by Dy-Dybo, and directed first by Irb-Falpom and later by Kee-Toroca. [2]

  Gerthalk: “Gerthalk the Miracle Worker,” an ancient healer. [1]

  glowgrub: beetle larva capable of bioluminescence. [1]

  glyph: Quintaglio written character; “stone-glyphs” are an ancient writing form. When a word is to be emphasized, its constituent glyphs are written facing to the left rather than the right. [1]

  God: the deity of the Quintaglio people, personified as a giant armless female Quintaglio. [1]

  Godglow: light visible on the horizon before one actually sights the Face of God. [1]

  God’s eyes: shadows cast on the Face of God’s cloud tops by its coterie of moons. [1]

  Gork: Sal-Afsan’s large pet monitor lizard. [2]

  government, Quintaglio: the Emperor or Empress is the head of state and governor of Capital province; each of the seven other provinces has its own governor. The principal branches of Quintaglio government are the church, civil works, the exodus, interprovincial trade, the judiciary, portents and omens, and tithing. [1]

  Gray Orb: one of the Face of God’s fourteen moons. [2]

  Greeblo: (7057- ) an elderly female member of the Geological Survey of Land. [2]

  groundfruit: the succulent fruit of a low-growing plant. [1]

  Guardian: one of the Face of God’s fourteen moons. [2]

  guards, imperial: security officers charged with protecting members of The Family. [1]

  guvdok stone: torus-shaped stone carved with one’s professional credentials and award citations. [1]

  Hadzig (Irb-Hadzig): a member of the Dasheter crew, swallowed by Kal-ta-goot. [1]

  hahat dan: standard abbreviation of the Quintaglio phrase “hahator pas da dan,” meaning “permission to enter my territory is granted.” [1]

  Hahat Golarda: an ancient scroll written by Dasan that apportioned provincial territories. [3]

  Haktood (Len-Haktood): (7080- ) the governor of Arj’toolar at the time Sal-Afsan left there. [1]

  halbataja: a tree whose leaves are used for medicinal purposes. [1]

  Haldan: (7110-7126) a female Quintaglio, one of Sal-Afsan’s children. She was a naturalist who studied animal populations. Murdered. [1]

  Hall of Stone Eggs: a corridor in the old palace in Capital City lined with cut geodes. [1]

  Hall of Worship: a Quintaglio church. Major services are held every fifth even-day. On odd-days, daytenths are marked by the appropriate number of drumrolls; on even-days, by the appropriate number of bells. [1]

  halpataars: Quintaglio term meaning “bloodpriest.” [1]

  Halporn: a port city in Fra’toolar province near the Jam’toolar border. [1]

  haltardark: a liquid used to clean lenses; deadly poison (symbolized by a drop shape with the outline of an animal lying on its side); Drawtood commits suicide by drinking this. [2]

  Haltang: a male, third of seven apprentices to Tak-Saleed. [1]

  hamadaja: a type of tree, its leaves are the favorite fodder of thunderbeasts. [1]

  hamrak: a philosophic discipline concerned with morals and ethics; one of Nov-Dynax’s professions. [2]

  Hapurd (Bal-Hapurd): an old member of the palace staff. [1]

  Harnal (Pas-Harnal): a metallurgist who lives in Capital City. [2]

  Helbark: (7110-7110) a male Quintaglio, one of Sal-Afsan’s children; he died of fever shortly after hatching. [1]

  henkar: a plant producing yellow melons that thunderbeasts like to eat. [3]

  Hoad-Malat: a past imperial hunt leader. [1]

  Honlab (Len-Honlab): the stubborn governor of Chu’toolar. [3]

  Hoog: one of the original five hunters, patron of butchers. Associated with the color yellow. [1]

  Hoont’mar mountain chain: a chain of mountains on the border between Chu’toolar and Mar’toolar. [3]

  Horbo, Pack: one of three Packs in Fra’toolar that periodically occupy stone buildings near the edge of the cliff exposing the Bookmark layer. [2]

  hornface: ceratopsian dinosaur; herbivorous. Often domesticated and used in caravans. “Triple hornface” refers to the genus Triceratops. [1]

  hornface, bossnosed: pachyrhinosaur ceratopsian dinosaur; herbivorous. [1]

  Howlee, Tower of: a mythical tower to the stars, twenty-five kilopaces tall, with a base fifty paces wide, told of in the fiftieth sacred scroll. [3]

  Hunter: a constellation named in honor of Lubal: during the Larskian era, it was known as the Prophet in honor of Larsk. [1]

  Hunter’s Shrine: a structure made of the bones of previous hunt leaders built atop a giant rock pile near Capital City. According to legend, each of the original five hunters had brought one stone to this pile for every successful kill throughout their lives. [1]

  hunting spirit: a Lubalite term for “soul.” [1]

  hunt leader: leader of a Pack’s hunting parties; almost always a female who is in perpetual heat. [1]

  imperial jack: a breed of wingfinger, flocks of which fly in a distinctive three-pronged formation. [3]

  Inlee (Vek-Inlee): an ancient female maritime explorer. She was the first to sight the north polar cap, but mistook it for the icy shore of the River. [1]

  Irb-Falpom: one of the five Quintaglio gliders used in the battle against the Others. [3]

  Jal-Tetex: one of the five Quintaglio gliders used in the battle against the Others. [3]

  Jam’toolar: a province in northwest Land. Provincial color: gold. [1]

  Jawn: an Other who teaches Kee-Toroca their language. [3]

  jerboksaja: a type of tree with branches that trail into the wind. [1]

  Jidha: (7112- ) a member of Capital Pack, creche-mate of Bos-Karshirl. [3]

  Jijak: (plural, Jijaki) extinct beings evolved from transplanted Opabinia, with six legs, five phos
phorescent eyes each on a short stalk, plus a long flexible trunk ending in a pair of cup-shaped manipulators. The first intelligent form to emerge in this universe, used by The Watcher to transplant life from the Crucible. [2]

  Jodor (Fas-Jodor): (7079- ) the hunt leader of Pack Derrilo. [2]

  Jostark: one of the five original male mates; the first crafter, mated to Katoon. [2]

  Jostark’s Day: a holiday, celebrated with a parade, in honor of craftspeople. [2]

  Jostor: a famous musician who was a creche-mate of Sal-Afsan. [3]

  Julor (Cat-Julor): a creche mother from Pack Carno who knew Sal-Afsan. [1]

  kadapaja: a type of tree; its wood is used in fires because of its even flames and slow consumption. [1]

  Kaden (Lub-Kaden): female, a hunt leader from Pack Gelbo. She was deceased by 7131. [1]

  kalahatch: a traditional call to the hunt. [2]

  Kal-ta-goot: a giant plesiosaur (aquatic reptile) that twice did battle with the Dasheter. The first time, in 7109, it chomped off Captain Var-Keenir’s tail; the second time, in 7110, it was slain by Sal-Afsan. [1]

  Karshirl (Bos-Karshirl): (7112-7131) a female structural engineer from Capital City, assigned to the exodus project; daughter of Wab-Novato and Den-Garios, she was killed in a landquake. [3]

  katadu bench: bench on either side of the throne slab, used by imperial advisors. [1]

  Katood (Dath-Katood): an old male mate aboard the Dasheter. [1]

  Katoon: one of the original five hunters. Associated with the color green, [1]

  Katoon, Skull of: a constellation. [1]

  Keebark: a creche-mate of Sal-Afsan. [3]

  Keenir (Var-Keenir): (7047- ) captain of the Dasheter and influential Lubalite, he was a creche-mate of Tak-Saleed. [1]

  keetaja: a type of tree with golden wood. [1]

  Keladax: ancient male philosopher, known for the dictum “Nothing is anything unless it is something.” Also coined the saying “Time crawls for a child, walks for an adolescent, and runs for an adult,” and wrote a famous polemic on battles in which he observed that the most important thing you can have on your side is being right in the eyes of God. [1]

  Kelboon (Af-Kelboon): (7110- ) a male Quintaglio mathematician, one of Sal-Afsan’s children. [1]

  kev: an old Quintaglio word for “bright.” [3]

  Kevo: one of the original Fifty Packs. [3]

  Kevpel: the fourth planet of the Quintaglio sun, a ringed gas giant. [1]

  Kev’toolar: a province in southeast Land. Provincial color: light blue. [1]

  kiit: Jijaki term for the super-strong blue building material developed for their interstellar ramjets. [2]

  Kijititatak Gikta: a Jijaki children’s television program, featuring an animated character named Tilk. [2]

  kiloday: one thousand Quintaglio days (about one and a third Earth years). [1]

  kilopace: one thousand paces (about one kilometer). [1]

  Klimsan: “Klimsan the Scaly” (Sar-Klimsan), a previous imperial hunt leader; also “the smooth-skinned Klimsan,” another previous imperial hunt leader. [1]

  Kreeb River: a meandering river that forms part of the border between Arj’toolar and Fra’toolar; Pack Carno roams along its north shore. [1]

  Kroy: (7098-7128) female apprentice governor from Arj’toolar. [2]

  kurpa leather: fine leather taken from wingfinger bodies. [1]

  lancer: a wingfinger-derived reptile indigenous to the south pole with elongated fourth fingers that it uses for spearing fish. [2]

  Land: name given to the single continent of the Quintaglio home world, roughly oval in shape, measuring some 3,000 kilopaces from the harbor of Capital City to the westernmost tip of mainland Fra’toolar and 1,200 kilopaces from its northern edge to the Cape of Belbar in the south. [1]

  landquake: earthquake. [1]

  Landquake, Great: the larger of two landquakes to rock Capital City in kiloday 7110. [1]

  language, Other: in the language of the Others, successive degrees are shown by repetition. The introduction of the syllable “na” into the middle of a word signifies negation. Among the words Kee-Toroca learns are de-kat (fine), eb (plus), ga-san (sailing ship), gan-noth (explain), glees (interrogative for “how righteous is this?”), hak-al (bullet), hoos-ta (good), hoos-na-ta (bad), jar-dik (threat), joth-shal (trick), kas-tak (discharge a weapon), lees-tash (blind), lesh (face), rak-sa (father), sas (your), sek-tab (correct), sek-na-tab (incorrect), sil-don-kes-la (rowboat), tar (is), thash-rath (an epithet), and the numbers bal (one), lod (two), ker (three), and farg-sol (twelve). [3]

  language, Quintaglio: related nouns usually end in the same suffix, for example: -aja (most types of wood), -’mar (mountain chain), -o (Pack), -pel (planet), -staynt (type of building), -ter (proper name for a sailing ship), -tok (small town), -’toolar (province). [1]

  Laree (Dee-Laree): the officer in charge of palace accounts under Dy-Dybo. [3]

  Larsk: A sailor who came to be known as The Prophet. In kiloday 6959, he was the first Quintaglio to sight the Face of God. He returned to Land at what later became Capital City and established a religion and a dynasty based on worship of the Face. [1]

  Lastoon (Mek-Lastoon): ( -7126) the bloodpriest of Pack Tablo in Edz’toolar. [2]

  lastoontal: a strategic board game. [1]

  latark: Quintaglio term equivalent to “giddyup.” [1]

  Lee (Len-Lee): the governor of Kev’toolar. [3]

  Lends (Len-Lends): (7079-7110) Empress, the mother of Dy-Dybo; she was killed when a roof collapsed on her in the small landquake of 7110. [1]

  liar’s night: even-night. [2]

  liar’s tint: a reference to the color blue. [1]

  lifeboat: name given to the cabs traveling up and down the Jijaki tower. [3]

  limpid floater: jellyfish. [3]

  Lirpan (Nom-Lirpan): a senior palace advisor in Dy-Dybo’s administration, in charge of provincial relations. [2]

  Lizhok: a female, second of seven apprentices to Tak-Saleed. [3]

  Loodo: a Pack in southern Mar’toolar; Nav-Mokleb hatched there. [3]

  Lubal: largest of the original five hunters. Associated with the color red. She was gored by a hornface. As she lay dying, she prophesied the coming of The One. [1]

  Lubal, Temple of: an ancient temple in Capital province, located on the west side of the Ch’mar volcanoes; known for the Spires of the Original Five. It was mostly buried by lava in the eruptions of 7110. [1]

  Lubalite: an adherent of the Hunter’s religion, a worshiper of the original five hunters following the precepts outlined in the Edicts of Lubal. [1]

  Lub-Kaden: one of five Quintaglio gliders used in the battle against the Others. [3]

  madaja: a type of sacred tree, the wood of which is used for the floors of Halls of Worship. [1]

  Madool (Cat-Madool): a member of Pack Tablo in Edz’toolar. [2]

  makaloob root: holding one of these roots in the mouth can quell nausea. [1]

  Maliden (Mek-Maliden): (7047-7128) a male Quintaglio who served as imperial bloodpriest until his death. [2]

  maritime rookery: a breeding facility for homing wingfingers situated north of Capital City and run by Pos-Doblan. [3]

  Matark: Lubal’s hornface riding mount; also a constellation depicting same. [3]

  Mar’toolar: an almost completely landlocked province in central Land, known for its great plains. The only place on Land where agriculture is practiced extensively. Provincial color: pink. [1]

  Master of the Faith: the High Priest and spiritual advisor to the Emperor or Empress; presides over Capital City’s Hall of Worship. During Afsan’s lifetime, the Masters of the Faith were Det-Yenalb (up to 7110), Det-Bogkash (from 7110 to 7128), and Det-Edklark (beginning in 7128). [1]

  Mekt: one of the original five hunters; she was the first bloodpriest until she repudiated the job as inappropriate for a layer of eggs. Associated with the color purple. [1]

  Mekt, Cape of: in southern Fra’toolar, near the site of the spa
ce ark. [2]

  Mokleb (Nav-Mokleb): developer of “the talking cure”; a female psychologist from Pack Loodo in Mar’toolar who treated Sal-Afsan. [3]

  Mondark (Dar-Mondark): the palace healer. He treated Sal-Afsan in 7109 after Afsan had felled a great thunderbeast and again in 7130 when Afsan’s head was kicked by a hornface. [1]

  moons: the Face of God has fourteen natural satellites orbiting around it, including the Quintaglio world (the innermost moon), Big One (second closest to the Face), Sprinter, Swift Runner, Dancer, Gray Orb, the Guardian, and Slowpoke (the outermost moon). [1]

  Morb: ( -7131) the chief of security for the Others. [3]

  Nasfedeter: the sailing ship that in 7110 transported Dy-Dybo from Jam’toolar to Capital City to take the throne. [1]

  Nesster: (7098-7128) male, the apprentice governor of Mar’toolar. [2]

  newsrider: a Quintaglio who travels from Pack to Pack on a runningbeast, bringing news. [1]

  nictitating membrane: the semi-transparent inner Quintaglio eyelid. [1]

  Noltark (Pal-Noltark): a male painter whose book The Wingfingers of Land supposedly contains a painting of every species of wingfinger. [3]

  Novato (Wab-Novato): (7094- ) a female Quintaglio from Pack Gelbo who invented the far-seer in 7105 and became leader of the exodus project in 7110. [1]

  Nunard rift: part of the subduction zone between the two tectonic plates that form the continent of Land; an old royal marble quarry, known for pristine white stone, was located near it, but was closed after a series of landquakes. [1]

  odd-day: an odd-numbered day within a kiloday. [1]

  odd-night: the night of an odd-numbered day; most Quintaglios sleep on odd-nights. [1]

  One, The: prophesied by Lubal, a male Quintaglio who would be the greatest hunter of all time. The name “The One” is sometimes applied to Sal-Afsan. [1]

  Orange Wingfinger: an inn near Capital City’s docks, favored by discerning mariners. [1]

  original five hunters: Lubal, Mekt, Katoon, Hoog, and Belbar; according to the first sacred scroll, these five females were created from the fingers of the severed left hand of God. [1]

  original five mates: Varkev, the first explorer; Dargo, the original healer; Takood, the first scholar; Jostark, the craftsperson before all others; and Detoon the Righteous, the first priest. According to the first sacred scroll, these five males were created from the fingers of the severed right hand of God. [2]