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finally be chosen by the people of earth from among its many?” “Not from any one existing language,” replied Neptune. “But they will frame a perfect one from three of them. The English for vastness, the Spanish for phonetic beauty, and the Italian for specific spelling. They who will fuse these three, with their three characteristic elements retained intact, will give the earth its great language. As you have already guessed, it is our language. Of course, you know we augment our word language with that of mathematics, and by means of these two you could converse with any intelligent life in the universe. You see, Adam, we come from these unities in the beginning, and to them we must return.” “I see it so clearly,” Adam said, in half reverie. “I think a good name for such a language would be ‘Sonado’” “Wonderful!” erupted Launie with glee. “You get the idea very rapidly, Adam. And remember, an earthman came upon the name by his own efforts; it was not from us. Speak to me fluently in Sonado, and Leo would relinquish his love for me, gladly making you a gift of me.” “I think Leo has an ironbound claim on thee,” Adam re- sponded, half in regret and half in jest. “It will be many years, Launie, before any of my people shall speak to yours in Sonado.” Orion sat more erect in his chair, inspired to a beaming smile. Gently he said to Adam, “Bon sonado, but e tem a mas.” Adam looked to Launie for an explanation. She shrugged her shoulders and said she did not know what it meant, but Saturn understood and enlightened Adam. “What Orion said is simply, ‘Well said, but it is time to eat’”. Adam marvelled, not only at Orion’s hasty creation, but at the facility with which Saturn quickly interpreted the sentence. He had to admit to himself there was a complete ease in the sentence, there was phonetic pleasantness, and it must be easy to spell, for he found himself remembering it completely. Rising from his chair, he said to the company, “Bon sonado, but e tem a mas.” 171 ADAM LEARNS ETERNITY