Daniel dropped his bowl. And didn't even notice. He and everyone else were staring at the four people that had just materialized by them, but Jack was the only one that was smiling. The others were too surprised to. (And Teal'c rarely smiled, anyways, and definitely didn't do it when people snuck up on him)
"Y'soa." Jack set his bowl down on the ground in front of him, and stood up, lifting a hand in greeting. As he tried to remember the phrase the man had used in greeting. "Um... Kique?"
Not only did Y'soa smile, but the three men behind him smiled as well.
"Kique, Ja-ack. Kique, Ja-fer."
The black lab looked up from his breakfast of stew when he heard his name, and wagged his tail in greeting before turning back to what he was doing. The floating hand people were nothing new to him. This stew was! He did keep an ear open, though, just in case Jack wanted something from him.
One of the other men with Y'soa said something to him, and pointed at Jaffer, smiling. Y'soa nodded in satisfaction, and looked at Jack, again, although he also looked at the other members of SG-1 as well.
"I'gnstrat, Ja-ack?"
O'Neill turned to Daniel, hoping he knew what was being said. Daniel shrugged; he didn't have a clue.
"No idea, Jack." He said, apologetically. "It doesn't even sound a little like Mayan."
Y'soa didn't seem offended. In fact, he seemed to understand that the others didn't know what he was saying. He pointedly looked at Sam, and pointed to himself.
"Y'soa."
"That's his name, Sam." Jack supplied.
Carter nodded, and pointed at herself.
"Sam."
"Sa-aam?"
"Sah."
They all looked at Jack, who shrugged.
"That means yes."
"Sah," Sam said, nodding. "Sam."
"Sa-aam."
"Close enough."
Y'soa looked at Teal'c, questioningly, and the Jaffa gave a slight bow.
"I am Teal'c."
There was a pause. This name was much longer.
"Ey-aam Teelk?"
The Jaffa shook his head, realizing his mistake. He pointed at himself.
"Teal'c."
"Tee-alk?"
"Sah." Teal'c answered, bowing slightly again.
"Tee-alk." Y'soa turned and looked at the men with him, and they nodded, all of them practicing the unfamiliar word.
"Sa-aam. Tee-alk."
Y'soa looked at Daniel, who had also stood up.
"Daniel." He said it slowly, since he knew there were more syllables in his name than the others.
"Duh..."
"Aniel..."
"Da-anil?"
Close enough. Daniel nodded.
"Sah."
The men nodded.
Jack looked at them, with the same expectant look that Y'soa had given Carter, and they understood it was their turn to introduce themselves. All of them were of a same type. All were wiry, brown people, with narrow, friendly faces and huge grins when they smiled. They were all dressed the same, as well. Cloth skirts similar to Y'soa's, and no shirts. They didn't have a sash like Y'soa did, which lead Jack to believe his earlier assessment that the sash was some kind of indicator of rank was probably a correct one. But it was obvious they were unaffected by the chilly temperature or the sprinkling rain.
"Plas." The man behind Y'soa said, pointing at himself.
SG-1 repeated it, but it was a pretty easy name to pronounce, and they did so reasonably well.
Plas nodded, pleased with their pronunciation of his name.
"Sah."
Jack looked at the next man, who held up his hand and pointed to himself.
"Ikj'ara."
Yeah, that was a bit more complicated. Daniel repeated it perfectly, because he had a flair for languages and words and how they sounded. The others tripped over it, causing the men to smile, and Ikj'ara to repeat his name for them a few more time to help them. Eventually they got it, though, and the man nodded.
"Sah."
Hoping for another easy name, Jack looked at the last man he didn't know, and the man pointed at himself.
"Jolu."
Thank God.
"Jolu." That was easy enough, too. Jack and the others repeated it a few times, to make sure they had it right and the man nodded, grinning ear to ear.
"Sah."
Introductions out of the way, Y'soa pointed at the pan of stew that was still warming to one side of the fire.
"Je'ldifidic?"
Jack looked over at Daniel again, but received a blank look.
"It's good, Y'soa," Jack said, smiling. "Thank you."
Y'soa didn't understand anything but the smile, but he smiled in return. He'd asked if they wanted more, but they didn't understand him any more than he understood them.
Daniel stepped forward; looking directly at Y'soa, then knelt on the ground and drew a symbol. One of the ones he'd translated over from Mayan.
"Thank you." He said, as he drew it.
Y'soa and the other men watched, and then looked at Daniel, surprised.
"D'se!"
"D'se?" Daniel asked.
"D'se!"
Y'soa pointed at the picture.
"D'se."
"D'se is thank you?"
"D'se, Da-anil." Y'soa nodded. "Sah."
Jack pointed at the stew pot.
"D'se, Y'soa."
S'terk, Ja-ack."
There were smiles all around. They'd made progress! Sort of.
"So, we know yes. Thank you, and you're welcome." Jack said.
"It's a start." Daniel replied. He thought about the other symbols he knew well enough to draw without his notes – there were precious few – and erased the thank you one and replaced it with another one. "Y'soa?"
The men all looked to see what he'd drawn, and they nodded.
"Sah. Todt."
"Daniel?"
He turned and looked up at Jack from where he was kneeling.
"I asked him if they were friends, Jack."
"Don't we already know they're friendly?"
"It's not quite the same. They could be friendly because they fear us, or because they want us to know they're as advanced as we are, or just because it's a custom to help people who are strangers. This way we know that we can be friends."
Daniel was grinning ear to ear. He'd been so disappointed every time he'd heard Jack telling them about meeting the floating hands people, but this time he was getting his chance to meet them, too!
A rumble of thunder drew everyone's attention up to the sky, which was darkening again. Obviously, the rain wasn't finished with them.
"Ja-ack." Y'soa drew O'Neill's attention back to himself, and the smaller man smiled and gave him a slight bow. "La'sre thrid al lo'lotuinatio ol al'imimp."
It was mumbo jumbo to Jack, and he didn't bother looking at Daniel since he knew the archeologist was just going to shrug again. Jack gave Y'soa a helpless look, and the man smiled, knowing what was wrong. He knelt near Daniel, and drew a couple of symbols in the dirt there.
"Dr'iserf al lidut, Ja-ack." He said, standing up. "Fri'klop jun'ish."
O'Neill had heard the first phrase before. Y'soa had said it before he'd vanished the last time, which mean it was probably good-bye. He didn't have a clue on the other one, though. He looked at Daniel, who was looking at the symbols.
"I need my notes..."
"Fr'iklop." The four men held their hands up, smiled – maybe a little more brightly at Sam – and then turned away from the fire. Just as they left the protection of the canopy, the rain started falling hard once more, and the four of them vanished. Obviously they could handle the rain just fine.
"Did you see that?!"
Jack shook his head. He'd seen it before.
"Yes, Daniel. Neat trick, huh?"
He looked out at the rain, then up at the canopy. It was waterproof. Nothing was dripping down on them. It'd be safe to bring out the firewood, at least.
"I need to get my notes..." Daniel said, excitedly, looking at the two symbols in the dirt. "Don't mess those up."
"Okay."
Like he was going to. He had no intention of doing anything but finishing his breakfast, and then maybe going back to bed if the rain wasn't going to let up. He looked down at his bowl and frowned. Then looked over at Daniel's. Both of them were empty, and very clean. Jack looked over at Jaffer, who was stretched out near the fire, a very satisfied look in his expression.
Damn.
"Y'soa." Jack set his bowl down on the ground in front of him, and stood up, lifting a hand in greeting. As he tried to remember the phrase the man had used in greeting. "Um... Kique?"
Not only did Y'soa smile, but the three men behind him smiled as well.
"Kique, Ja-ack. Kique, Ja-fer."
The black lab looked up from his breakfast of stew when he heard his name, and wagged his tail in greeting before turning back to what he was doing. The floating hand people were nothing new to him. This stew was! He did keep an ear open, though, just in case Jack wanted something from him.
One of the other men with Y'soa said something to him, and pointed at Jaffer, smiling. Y'soa nodded in satisfaction, and looked at Jack, again, although he also looked at the other members of SG-1 as well.
"I'gnstrat, Ja-ack?"
O'Neill turned to Daniel, hoping he knew what was being said. Daniel shrugged; he didn't have a clue.
"No idea, Jack." He said, apologetically. "It doesn't even sound a little like Mayan."
Y'soa didn't seem offended. In fact, he seemed to understand that the others didn't know what he was saying. He pointedly looked at Sam, and pointed to himself.
"Y'soa."
"That's his name, Sam." Jack supplied.
Carter nodded, and pointed at herself.
"Sam."
"Sa-aam?"
"Sah."
They all looked at Jack, who shrugged.
"That means yes."
"Sah," Sam said, nodding. "Sam."
"Sa-aam."
"Close enough."
Y'soa looked at Teal'c, questioningly, and the Jaffa gave a slight bow.
"I am Teal'c."
There was a pause. This name was much longer.
"Ey-aam Teelk?"
The Jaffa shook his head, realizing his mistake. He pointed at himself.
"Teal'c."
"Tee-alk?"
"Sah." Teal'c answered, bowing slightly again.
"Tee-alk." Y'soa turned and looked at the men with him, and they nodded, all of them practicing the unfamiliar word.
"Sa-aam. Tee-alk."
Y'soa looked at Daniel, who had also stood up.
"Daniel." He said it slowly, since he knew there were more syllables in his name than the others.
"Duh..."
"Aniel..."
"Da-anil?"
Close enough. Daniel nodded.
"Sah."
The men nodded.
Jack looked at them, with the same expectant look that Y'soa had given Carter, and they understood it was their turn to introduce themselves. All of them were of a same type. All were wiry, brown people, with narrow, friendly faces and huge grins when they smiled. They were all dressed the same, as well. Cloth skirts similar to Y'soa's, and no shirts. They didn't have a sash like Y'soa did, which lead Jack to believe his earlier assessment that the sash was some kind of indicator of rank was probably a correct one. But it was obvious they were unaffected by the chilly temperature or the sprinkling rain.
"Plas." The man behind Y'soa said, pointing at himself.
SG-1 repeated it, but it was a pretty easy name to pronounce, and they did so reasonably well.
Plas nodded, pleased with their pronunciation of his name.
"Sah."
Jack looked at the next man, who held up his hand and pointed to himself.
"Ikj'ara."
Yeah, that was a bit more complicated. Daniel repeated it perfectly, because he had a flair for languages and words and how they sounded. The others tripped over it, causing the men to smile, and Ikj'ara to repeat his name for them a few more time to help them. Eventually they got it, though, and the man nodded.
"Sah."
Hoping for another easy name, Jack looked at the last man he didn't know, and the man pointed at himself.
"Jolu."
Thank God.
"Jolu." That was easy enough, too. Jack and the others repeated it a few times, to make sure they had it right and the man nodded, grinning ear to ear.
"Sah."
Introductions out of the way, Y'soa pointed at the pan of stew that was still warming to one side of the fire.
"Je'ldifidic?"
Jack looked over at Daniel again, but received a blank look.
"It's good, Y'soa," Jack said, smiling. "Thank you."
Y'soa didn't understand anything but the smile, but he smiled in return. He'd asked if they wanted more, but they didn't understand him any more than he understood them.
Daniel stepped forward; looking directly at Y'soa, then knelt on the ground and drew a symbol. One of the ones he'd translated over from Mayan.
"Thank you." He said, as he drew it.
Y'soa and the other men watched, and then looked at Daniel, surprised.
"D'se!"
"D'se?" Daniel asked.
"D'se!"
Y'soa pointed at the picture.
"D'se."
"D'se is thank you?"
"D'se, Da-anil." Y'soa nodded. "Sah."
Jack pointed at the stew pot.
"D'se, Y'soa."
S'terk, Ja-ack."
There were smiles all around. They'd made progress! Sort of.
"So, we know yes. Thank you, and you're welcome." Jack said.
"It's a start." Daniel replied. He thought about the other symbols he knew well enough to draw without his notes – there were precious few – and erased the thank you one and replaced it with another one. "Y'soa?"
The men all looked to see what he'd drawn, and they nodded.
"Sah. Todt."
"Daniel?"
He turned and looked up at Jack from where he was kneeling.
"I asked him if they were friends, Jack."
"Don't we already know they're friendly?"
"It's not quite the same. They could be friendly because they fear us, or because they want us to know they're as advanced as we are, or just because it's a custom to help people who are strangers. This way we know that we can be friends."
Daniel was grinning ear to ear. He'd been so disappointed every time he'd heard Jack telling them about meeting the floating hands people, but this time he was getting his chance to meet them, too!
A rumble of thunder drew everyone's attention up to the sky, which was darkening again. Obviously, the rain wasn't finished with them.
"Ja-ack." Y'soa drew O'Neill's attention back to himself, and the smaller man smiled and gave him a slight bow. "La'sre thrid al lo'lotuinatio ol al'imimp."
It was mumbo jumbo to Jack, and he didn't bother looking at Daniel since he knew the archeologist was just going to shrug again. Jack gave Y'soa a helpless look, and the man smiled, knowing what was wrong. He knelt near Daniel, and drew a couple of symbols in the dirt there.
"Dr'iserf al lidut, Ja-ack." He said, standing up. "Fri'klop jun'ish."
O'Neill had heard the first phrase before. Y'soa had said it before he'd vanished the last time, which mean it was probably good-bye. He didn't have a clue on the other one, though. He looked at Daniel, who was looking at the symbols.
"I need my notes..."
"Fr'iklop." The four men held their hands up, smiled – maybe a little more brightly at Sam – and then turned away from the fire. Just as they left the protection of the canopy, the rain started falling hard once more, and the four of them vanished. Obviously they could handle the rain just fine.
"Did you see that?!"
Jack shook his head. He'd seen it before.
"Yes, Daniel. Neat trick, huh?"
He looked out at the rain, then up at the canopy. It was waterproof. Nothing was dripping down on them. It'd be safe to bring out the firewood, at least.
"I need to get my notes..." Daniel said, excitedly, looking at the two symbols in the dirt. "Don't mess those up."
"Okay."
Like he was going to. He had no intention of doing anything but finishing his breakfast, and then maybe going back to bed if the rain wasn't going to let up. He looked down at his bowl and frowned. Then looked over at Daniel's. Both of them were empty, and very clean. Jack looked over at Jaffer, who was stretched out near the fire, a very satisfied look in his expression.
Damn.