The dream was waiting for Sean. That was how it felt. One minute he was thinking on what Carver might have in store the next day. The next he was seated in class. Geography. Sean recognized the chip in the edge of his desktop. It was one of his favorite classes, that and French. Both held the promise of distant lands and endless adventure.
Except Carver was standing at the front of the class. “Ready to begin?”
Sean looked around. “Where’s Dillon?”
“He was invited. He did not come.”
Invited. For some reason, the word caused Sean to feel a rush of very real fear. The vision wavered, and Carver almost vanished. He heard the man say, “Hold fast.”
He did, but only to say, “I won’t go without him.”
Carver frowned, but he did not say what momentarily stained his features. Instead, he said, “This is an optional course.”
“Dillon won’t fail for not showing up?”
“Correct. There will be opportunities offered you both as you proceed. Chances to grow in optional directions.”
Sean stretched out legs he knew actually weren’t there. But it didn’t matter, as logic had no place in a dream where he was talking to a man who held the mythical future in the palm of a hand he no longer had. “So let’s get started.”
Carver pointed at the blank blackboard. “Pay careful attention.”
And then the instructor vanished. Not even a poof. Like he had never been there. Which was good for a laugh, since Sean wasn’t actually there either.
As soon as it started, Sean was locked in. The blackboard melted like a movie screen coming to life. The background was blue like the sky at dawn. The letters were gold. They swam into view, and as they appeared a woman chanted in a language that was not spoken but rather sung. Her voice sounded almost regal, a remarkable mix of age and timeless wisdom and music. Sean could not see her, and did not care.
Eventually she asked him, “Would you like to speak with me?”
“Sing,” Sean corrected. “Sing with you. And the answer is most definitely yes.”
He spoke the words in the language he had heard the movers use. A language that carried a promise to go farther and faster than he had ever thought possible. And he was not just speaking the words as they appeared on the blackboard that was no longer there. He was joining. As he spoke, he realized here was the secret of this race, a unique component of their culture. Speaker and listener not only communicated words but also shared a hint of the underlying emotions. Sean and his instructor sang back and forth, and in doing so, shared the moment.
It wasn’t possible to weep in his sleep. Even so, Sean knew that was what he wanted. The experience of learning this language called Serenese was that intensely beautiful.