The Glaciermen #12: Lexicon

Early access prepublication manuscripts of "The Glaciermen"

Hello Dear Readers,

And you truly are that, dear to me (at least in some abstract way that’s not weird). You like this story enough to dedicate your valuable time and attention read it. That’s a real gift to me. I sincerely appreciate it, and it’s a strong motivator for me to keep at it. You’ve invested in this story, and I don’t plan on leaving you out to dry the way Netflix does when it cancels a good show for no reason.

Sometimes this writing process feels like pulling a mostly-melted plastic bag through the pointy-star-hole-thing that comes in a Clorox wipes container lid to tear the perforations on each sheet, then collecting the stretchy wisps of plastic and weaving them into something legible. Let that image sink in—a stringy, frustrating process. But to me, and because of you, it is a worthwhile endeavor.

So, this one’s for you, dear reader…

(Link to previous segment if you missed it, and a link to the beginning, if you’re new).

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Lexicon

Lee awoke. He was laying flat on his back, and thick animal skins were piled on top of him. Pain lingered in his body, but only as a dull throb rather than the all-encompassing agony that lingered in his memory of the feverish journey away from the pit. Then Lee remembered a documentary his grandmother had shown him about Mount Everest where one of the subjects lost his toes to frostbite. Lee wiggled his toes and let out a sigh of relief—they were still there.

The boy surveyed his surroundings. He was in a small chamber, dimly lit by a flickering orange flame. It came from a simple lamp comprised of a half-moon shaped stone filled with oil. The wick was simply a clump of moss partially dipped into the edge of the oil. The walls of the chamber were hung with the leathery hides of unknown creatures, and various baskets, jugs, and containers dangled in nets suspended from the ceiling. And for the first time since boarding the plane back in Chicago so long ago, the floor was not comprised of ice, but rather was a surface of smooth stone.

Just as Lee was about to sit up, one of the skins on the wall flapped to the side, revealing a hidden entryway. Aguta stood holding the skin aside for a moment when he saw that the boy was awake. Lee finally had a chance to look closely at the man.

He had an imposing face, with strong jowls, wide cheekbones, a proud nose, and a powerful brow. There were a few sparse whiskers on his face, implying that he had little need to shave but did so anyway. A short forehead was dominated by permanent wrinkles between his eyebrows, making him look as though he was perpetually irked by something. Combined with low set ears and a shaven head, his visage came across as decidedly bottom-heavy.

The bald man was still clad in just a loincloth and moccasins, but his skin was free of the blue coating, appearing a warm bronze in the lamplight. The scars were clearly visible, crisscrossing his entire torso, but this time Lee was able to discern there was a pattern to their swirling intricacies. 

Aguta had a ceramic jug nestled under one arm, and proceeded into the room to squat next to the prone boy. Lee started to ask a question, but Aguta put a finger over his mouth and shook his head.

Lee tried to speak anyway, but his voice merely came out in a hoarse, dry rasp instead of any coherent words. The stimulation to his throat triggered a fit of violent coughing, which racked his entire body for an agonizing half-minute. When he finally settled, Aguta rolled his eyes at the boy and sighed. Lee meekly nodded, understanding that Aguta’s silencing instruction was intended to help, and did not attempt to speak again. I must be sick, Lee thought.

Setting the jug down, Aguta inspected Lee’s body, poking here, prodding there, gauging the various grunts and gasps of pain from the boy, causing only one short fit of coughing. Lee would have protested, but did not want to trigger another coughing fit, submitting to the uncomfortable examination. He found himself incredibly exhausted at the end of it, despite having done nothing more than lay still. I must be really sick, Lee thought. 

Aguta retrieved an earthenware cup from one of the hanging baskets and filled it with steaming liquid from the jug he had brought in with him. The smell of it was unfamiliar to Lee, but he began salivating as soon as the scent entered his nostrils. With great effort, Lee shifted until he was propped on his elbow and could drink without spilling onto himself. 

“Imerpoq,” Aguta said, miming with the cup toward his mouth.

Drink, Lee thought, gently whispering the new word before accepting the cup and putting it to his lips. The hot fluid was a hearty broth of some kind, and the warming sensation as Lee swallowed a sip was nearly euphoric. He finished the cup and gestured for more.

Aguta refilled the cup, then pointed to the jug and named it with a word. With his throat comforted by the broth, Lee was able to speak without coughing and repeated the word. They continued in this manner for a time, Aguta pointing to something and naming it while Lee repeated the words and sipped at the broth. After finishing several cups of broth and learning at least a few new words, Lee quickly grew tired and was soon unable to keep his eyes open. Aguta saw his fatigue and took the cup, pulling the animal skins up over the boy as he drifted off into sleep.

And so it went for the next several weeks as Lee recovered. The visits followed the same pattern, with Aguta bringing something to eat and teaching him a few words before departing again. The food was mostly broth at first, but soon Aguta began bringing bits of dried meat and a few mushrooms for Lee to eat. Occasionally, when Lee was particularly exhausted, Aguta gave him another pinch of the stimulating, fibrous herb. 

The boy was slowly regaining his strength, making up for the punishment his body had endured while overcoming the illness that had taken up residence in his lungs. Lee was quick to learn, as well, and was swiftly arriving at a basic proficiency in the language—which Aguta called Kalaallisut—enough for the most simple of communication. They soon ran out of things to name within the chamber, so Aguta began bringing a piece of slate and a sliver of charcoal with him, using a combination of gestures and basic images to help expand Lee’s growing vocabulary. 

When it came to the names of animals, however, Lee was never really sure which was which, as Aguta’s charcoal drawing abilities were limited. He still could not tell if the bald man was sketching a walrus or a seal, and all four-legged creatures looked nearly identical, with the exception of things with antlers.

For the first two weeks, Lee spent most of his time asleep. For the most part the sleep was peacefully absent of any dreams, but as his body recovered, dreams returned. More often than not they were nightmares, filled with shapeshifting horrors and awful torture, his time within the glacier ample fuel for such dark episodes.

His waking hours were easily filled to capacity with the simple acts of eating, learning new words, and basic bodily processes. During the third week, he was finally able to stay awake for more than a few hours, which soon became a source of consternation. He was bored during the times when Aguta was absent, and began looking forward to his visits as the highlight of this days. Oftentimes he was sad, missing his mother or Sandy. There were times he wanted to continue speaking to Aguta after his lessons, but the man would simply shake his head and leave the chamber, remaining frustratingly mysterious.

After four weeks, he was strong enough to begin walking again, albeit slowly at first, and quickly grew restless in the cramped confines of the chamber. There was also the issue of his missing clothing—he had been unable to find anything except the pair of pants he had been wearing when he left the pit, so he involuntarily joined Aguta in his shirtless fashion choice.

Regardless, he was determined to make the bald man have a real conversation with him, and if Lee got lucky, maybe even convince Aguta to let him out to stretch his legs for once. The next time Aguta entered the chamber, Lee was waiting on his pile of skins, mentally rehearsing the conversation so he wouldn’t mess up the words and sound less convincing.

“Let me go out,” he said, slowly and carefully annunciating each word in Kalaallisut. 

Aguta merely shook his head. Lee folded his arms.

“You only teach me words,” he continued, “I want to see.”

The bald man wrinkled his brow, lips pressed together in a bothered frown. It had become the regular expression he used with the boy.

“Not ready.”

“But I am… good now,” Lee pleaded, searching for the right word, “One look, please.”

“No, you are not ready. It is not safe.” Aguta said, setting down a cup of broth and a clay platter with scraps of smoked meat. He sat down on the floor and reached for the slate and charcoal.

“It is time for your lesson.”

“I do not want a lesson. I want to go out,” Lee said, obstinate.

“Very well, no lesson. A hard head is not ready to learn. I will return tomorrow.”

Aguta rose and turned to leave the chamber.

“Wait,” Lee whined, “Let me—”

Without warning, Aguta’s hand shot out and smacked Lee across the side of the head. Lee stumbled backward to sit forcefully onto his bed, shocked by the blow.

“You are dead without me!” Aguta snarled, his stoic aspect gone for a moment before he recovered it again, adding calmly, “No meat today. That is today’s lesson.”

With that, Aguta retrieved the plate of smoked meat and left the chamber. Lee was left blinking on the bed. Emotions began welling up from his chest. At first he felt like crying, and a few warm tears welled up to moisten his eyes, but then his hurt turned to indignation. How could Aguta not understand? Lee had been trapped in this stupid chamber for a month now. He just wanted to see outside the room. He let out a grown through clenched teeth. 

What’s the big deal? Lee asked himself. It’s not like I’m gonna run away. I just want to get out of this stupid room, can’t he see that? Why’s he got to go smacking me around?

Lee paced around the room, which itself added to his frustration, as the space was barely large enough for a few steps before he had to turn around. He kicked his feet at nothing and let out another grown.

I did fine on my own before he showed up, Lee thought, What does he think, telling me what to do like I’m just some dumb kid. I survived when everyone else didn’t. That counts for something. I don’t need to prove myself to him. All he does is leave me here all alone by myself.

Lee paused midstep. He’s gone all day anyway… he’d never know. 

A smile formed on his lips as he began to formulate his plan. He perked up his ears and could hear the muffled sounds of Aguta doing whatever stupid thing he did on the other side of the flap. All Lee had to do now was wait.

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