Part 1:
The physical manifestation of the letter R sat on Rick’s couch.
Drinking a glass of water.
And politely chatting with us!
First things first: he was extremely handsome.
All cleaned up, almost like a male model.
Soft hair. Perfect teeth.
His plum sweater and blue pants seemed pressed and spotless.
His brown shoes looked new and shiny.
Drinking a glass of water.
And politely chatting with us!
First things first: he was extremely handsome.
All cleaned up, almost like a male model.
Soft hair. Perfect teeth.
His plum sweater and blue pants seemed pressed and spotless.
His brown shoes looked new and shiny.
“I’ve passed to the Material Plane before, yes. But with more time to prepare. This one was rough.”
“You’re ... from the Alphabet?” Rick asked. “The ones who make all the words.”
“Words are born in the collective human experience."
“Sure."
“We construct the form, design the spelling and express them into language.”
“You must be a good speller. Can you spell … ptomaine?”
“P-T-O-M-A-I-N-E.”
“Onomatopoeia.”
“O-N-O-M-A-T-O-P-O-E-I-A.”
“Let me try one," Dale said. “Do ... porcupine!"
“P-O-R-C-U-P-I-N-E."
“No q?” Dale asked.
“He's right," I whispered.
“You’re ... from the Alphabet?” Rick asked. “The ones who make all the words.”
“Words are born in the collective human experience."
“Sure."
“We construct the form, design the spelling and express them into language.”
“You must be a good speller. Can you spell … ptomaine?”
“P-T-O-M-A-I-N-E.”
“Onomatopoeia.”
“O-N-O-M-A-T-O-P-O-E-I-A.”
“Let me try one," Dale said. “Do ... porcupine!"
“P-O-R-C-U-P-I-N-E."
“No q?” Dale asked.
“He's right," I whispered.
“That first word you mentioned. Ptomaine? One of P’s best. Starting silent in front of T? Only P could pull off such a feat.
P also has silent starts with N, in pneumonia, and S, in psalm.
And look at exempt and polyp. What other consonants can fit between M and T? And stand alone after a Y? Amazing."
Our visitor spoke of the Alphabet like it actually was his life.
That really got our attention.
It flowed out of him.
It rushed out of him, with passion!
As real as the sound and spray of a waterfall.
P also has silent starts with N, in pneumonia, and S, in psalm.
And look at exempt and polyp. What other consonants can fit between M and T? And stand alone after a Y? Amazing."
Our visitor spoke of the Alphabet like it actually was his life.
That really got our attention.
It flowed out of him.
It rushed out of him, with passion!
As real as the sound and spray of a waterfall.
“I never expected others on my journey. First was Semi-Colon.
‘I’m obsolete,’ he told me. ‘Hardly anyone uses me. And when they do, it's often incorrect. Time for a new future.’
I invited him along in an instant.”
“I think I’d like to meet him,” Dale said.
“J and K were different. They come to me for help. In love!
You might as well have told me that the Fifth Exalted Mandate - (I before E, except after C) - had been repealed.
K does have good qualities, I suppose. Perhaps he's not the hard consonant jerk that I thought.
J always struck me as full of potential. But happy to stay in the background. Now she displays new purpose. It's nice to see.”
The conviction in his voice, the details. They helped us accept he might really be a letter.
What he told us next moved us fully on his side.
Few things are as compelling as someone with a dream.
And a dream, we learned, sat at the heart of the story.
He’d left the Alphabet in hopes of joining a different group.
The letter R wished to become a color.
‘I’m obsolete,’ he told me. ‘Hardly anyone uses me. And when they do, it's often incorrect. Time for a new future.’
I invited him along in an instant.”
“I think I’d like to meet him,” Dale said.
“J and K were different. They come to me for help. In love!
You might as well have told me that the Fifth Exalted Mandate - (I before E, except after C) - had been repealed.
K does have good qualities, I suppose. Perhaps he's not the hard consonant jerk that I thought.
J always struck me as full of potential. But happy to stay in the background. Now she displays new purpose. It's nice to see.”
The conviction in his voice, the details. They helped us accept he might really be a letter.
What he told us next moved us fully on his side.
Few things are as compelling as someone with a dream.
And a dream, we learned, sat at the heart of the story.
He’d left the Alphabet in hopes of joining a different group.
The letter R wished to become a color.
“All the main ones are set, of course,” he said. “Secondaries too, and even the ones beyond. But there are always new colors to be seen. Anything is possible.”
“You’ll be a completely new color?”
“I’m imagining a mixture of Red, Yellow Ochre, and Battleship Gray, with a hint of Tyrian Purple. Bright, bold, yet with depth. I’d call myself Rhovenza.”
“Rhovenza,” I repeated, trying to imagine it.
“While I describe it as a mix, that is not quite correct. Every color is its own unique tone."
“Did you have to apply or something?” Dale asked.
“Color is a secret society. Much is unknown."
“Have you been there?"
“I visited once, by accident. A kaleidoscope of possibility, without the limits of spelling and grammar. It frightened me. Now I only hope they grant me entry.”
“You don’t even know? What if they won’t accept you?”
“My plan is not without risk. But a dream is a dream. It’s a smart name at least, right? Rhovenza?”
“Sounds good to me,” Rick said.
“Better than Periwinkle,” Dale added.
“Yet there are other matters to finish. I must go back and rescue my friends. Would you consider joining me? Aiding our cause?”
“What? How can we do that?”
“I shall project my essence back to the Symbolic Topograph. I can bring you three with me.”
“Is there oxygen in your world?”
“No need. Just as I transformed to human form, you all should become abstract shapes.”
It was a once in a lifetime trip. How could we refuse?
Rick nodded yes. Dale too.
And just like that, we were going to visit the Alphabet.
“You’ll be a completely new color?”
“I’m imagining a mixture of Red, Yellow Ochre, and Battleship Gray, with a hint of Tyrian Purple. Bright, bold, yet with depth. I’d call myself Rhovenza.”
“Rhovenza,” I repeated, trying to imagine it.
“While I describe it as a mix, that is not quite correct. Every color is its own unique tone."
“Did you have to apply or something?” Dale asked.
“Color is a secret society. Much is unknown."
“Have you been there?"
“I visited once, by accident. A kaleidoscope of possibility, without the limits of spelling and grammar. It frightened me. Now I only hope they grant me entry.”
“You don’t even know? What if they won’t accept you?”
“My plan is not without risk. But a dream is a dream. It’s a smart name at least, right? Rhovenza?”
“Sounds good to me,” Rick said.
“Better than Periwinkle,” Dale added.
“Yet there are other matters to finish. I must go back and rescue my friends. Would you consider joining me? Aiding our cause?”
“What? How can we do that?”
“I shall project my essence back to the Symbolic Topograph. I can bring you three with me.”
“Is there oxygen in your world?”
“No need. Just as I transformed to human form, you all should become abstract shapes.”
It was a once in a lifetime trip. How could we refuse?
Rick nodded yes. Dale too.
And just like that, we were going to visit the Alphabet.