Anneza had been unaware she was watched by satellite, and was also unaware she was watched by someone else.
Mercury, or Hermes, watched Anneza leave its orbit.
Hermes, god of, among other things, language.
I hear your pleading, Anneza. Consider yourself lucky that I know one who may help.
After some sightseeing at DC, Lucas and Cass went to celebrate at a local restaurant.
"Huh." - Said a currently anime-rendered Lucas - "Must be one of those people with a change that's easy to conceal. Kinda looks like Hermes, too, innit?" - Said Lucas, upon seeing a waiter.
Said waiter walked up to the couple and smiled congenially as he changed into an anime version due to Cass's aura.
"Dr Pepper for you and, for you, miss, may I suggest some Cabernet? It is highly recommended, Dionysus said it's the best..."
"Wha..." - Said Cass - "What are you doing here, Hermes?"
"Ah, no wonder he looked so much like him. But I still insist there is a resemblance." - Said Lucas, smirking as she quoted Groucho Marx - "Did you want to add catering to your portfolio or was there something you wanted to tell us?"
"A request, really. The pleading of a certain alien girl reached my ears, and, well, I am the one that gave man language. However, I cannot give it back to her myself."
"So, she lost her ability to talk?" - Said Lucas.
"Close. She can only speak, read or understand an alien language." - Said Hermes - "We would need someone to study the structure of her language and teach her English based on it."
"I'm no philologist and I suck at teaching. Surely you know someone better?" - Said Lucas.
"Given that, indeed, you are not a phiolologist or a teacher, yes, thousands upon thousands. However, I cannot have someone with whom I would not normally interact help. And I do believe you are up to the task." - Said Hermes.
"And, well, who is she and where do I find her?" - Said Lucas.
"She's from Lakepoint, actually. She has been going by the name of Anneza Karaz. You, Cass, might know her as Anderson Collins." - Said Hermes.
"Wait. The Anderson Collins? The one that got a hitman to expose his employee to the Sun so as to maintain a racist policy towards the changed in his TV station?" - Said Cass.
"Is that so?" - Said Lucas - "Hermes, I hope you do not take it personally, but, unless there's something more to it, I am, to quote Barbossa, disinclined to acquiesce to your request..."
"I wouldn't take it personally. However, there is, yes, more to it. She does regret her past self quite a bit. And after owing you for saving the world, I would most certainly not have you do this for free." - Said Hermes - "I am, after all, the god of commerce. So I will give you some information. An upstart mining company in Minas Gerais will receive in two days a huge contract. They will need a fast translator that can allow them to understand said contract, they will ask for the help of the first one that so much as glances their way, and they will be desperate enough that your price is their price, even if it is, say, one real per word. And here is both her address and the company's one..."
Hermes smiled lightly and handed Lucas a piece of paper from his notepad.
Lucas looked at it.
"Hermes, this is her address in Lakepoint in normal language and... Some code under 'Mining company'... Why is it in code?" - Said Lucas, looking at the note written in an alphabet that seemed made of triangles, dots and squares placed in orderly ways.
"Why, Lucas" - Said Hermes, smiling as if he were an educational program presenter - "Because Anneza's language, like all other languages, is a code."
"You do, of course, realize that I'd have accepted to help anyways now that you told me she regretted it?" - Said Lucas - "There's no need to press it, y'know."
"But what fun would it be without some... translating... to do?" - Said Hermes, smirking - "Now, Miss, I will return post-haste with your Dr Pepper and her wine. I recommend the clam chowder, by the way. Don't order the tuna, they freeze it. Defrosted tuna is no good."
Hermes left to get the orders Lucas and Cass hadn't placed.
Lucas smirked.
"Y'know, Jon De Lancie has nothing on this guy..."
"True." - Said Cass, giggling.
