This web page presents, for your enjoyment, an exciting story about a harrowing adventure in a land beyond imagining. But there's more to it than just the story. The story begins in English, but scattered throughout the text of the story you will find brief descriptions of mutations to the language of the story. After each mutation is explained it will be put to immediate use in the story itself. Each mutation is a small change but by the time you reach the end of the story you will be reading an entirely different language from English. You will be reading Mutlak, the secret language of the Mutants. If you'd like a preview of what Mutlak looks like, take a look at the last part of the final chapter of the story.[link not available yet] Or browse a few other exciting stories translated entirely into Mutlak.[link not available yet]

Never before has it been so effortless to learn a new language. So without further ado, let's present the first mutation, and jump right into chapter one of the story.

      Mutation One

      The first mutation involves a few simple rules about the spelling of consonants.
      In Mutlak words are spelled a little differently from English. Here are the
      Mutlak equivalents of a few consonants.
      

      PH -> F    QU -> KW    X -> KS or KZ
      

      When 'C' sounds like 'K' it is replaced by 'K'.   (comment -> komment)
      When 'C' sounds like 'S' it is replaced by 'S'.   (cynic -> synik)
      When 'C' sounds like 'SH' it is replaced by 'SH'. (comercial -> komershial)
      When 'S' sounds like 'Z' it is replaced by 'Z'.   (friends -> friendz)
      When 'S' sounds like the 'S' in "measure" it is replaced by 'ZH'.

      Ekzamplez: physics  -> fiziks      quick   -> kwik      consent -> konsent
                 circle   ->  sirkle     cookies -> kookiez   wise    -> wize
                 treasure -> treazhure   was     -> waz       is      -> is

      Notise that double 'KK' reduses to a single 'K'.

      

Chapter One

It must have been a little after three o'klok in the afternoon that it happened--the afternoon of June 3rd, 1916. It seemz inkredible that all that I have passed through--all thoze weird and terrifying eksperiensez--should have been enkompassed within so short a span az three brief months. Rather might I have eksperiensed a kozmik sykle, with all its changez and evolutionz for that which I have seen with my own eyez in this brief interval of time--thingz that no other mortal eye had seen before, glimpsez of a world past, a world dead, a world so long dead that even in the lowest Kambrian stratum no trase of it remains. Fuzed with the melting inner krust, it haz passed forever beyond the ken of man other than in that lost poket of the earth whither fate haz borne me and where my doom iz sealed. I am here and here must remain.

After reading this far, my interest, which already had been stimulated by the finding of the manuskript, waz approaching the boiling-point. I had kome to Greenland for the summer, on the advise of my fyzishian, and waz slowly being bored to ekstinktion, az I had thoughtlessly neglekted to bring suffishient reading-matter. Being an indifferent fisherman, my enthuziazm for this form of sport soon waned; yet in the absense of other formz of rekreation I waz now risking my life in an entirely inadekwate boat off Kape Farewell at the southernmost ekstremity of Greenland.

Greenland! Az a deskriptive appellation, it iz a sorry joke--but my story haz nothing to do with Greenland, nothing to do with me; so I shall get through with the one and the other az rapidly az possible.

The inadekwate boat finally arrived at a prekarious landing, the nativez, waist-deep in the surf, assisting. I waz karried ashore, and while the evening meal waz being prepared, I wandered to and fro along the roky, shattered shore. Bits of surf-harried beach klove the worn granite, or whatever the roks of Kape Farewell may be kompozed of, and az I followed the ebbing tide down one of theze soft stretchez, I saw the thing. Were one to bump into a Bengal tiger in the ravine behind the Bimini Baths, one kould be no more surprized than waz I to see a perfektly good kwart thermos bottle turning and twisting in the surf of Kape Farewell at the southern ekstremity of Greenland. I reskued it, but I waz soaked above the kneez doing it; and then I sat down in the sand and opened it, and in the long twilight read the manuskript, neatly written and tightly folded, which waz its kontents.

You have read the opening paragraf, and if you are an imaginative idiot like myself, you will want to read the rest of it; so I shall give it to you here, omitting kwotation marks--which are diffikult of remembranse. In two minutes you will forget me.

My home iz in Santa Monika. I am, or waz, junior member of my father'z firm. We are ship-builderz. Of resent yearz we have speshialized on submarinez, which we have built for Germany, England, Franse and the United States. I know a sub az a mother knowz her baby'z fase, and have kommanded a skore of them on their trial runz. Yet my inklinationz were all toward aviation. I graduated under Curtiss, and after a long siege with my father obtained hiz permission to try for the Lafayette Escadrille. Az a stepping-stone I obtained an appointment in the Amerikan ambulanse servise and waz on my way to Franse when three shrill whistlez altered, in az many sekondz, my entire skheme of life.

      Mutation Two

      Notise that proper names of people and organizations are not translated.
      Geografikal names are translated, however.

      This next mutation will take a little getting used to, so the reading selektion
      iz a bit longer to give you more praktise.

      Notise that the letter 'X' iz no longer used. There's no point in letting
      a perfektly good letter go to waste so we will replase 'TH' with 'X'. Just
      remember to pronounse 'X' like 'TH'. (Mutlak spelling doesn't distinguish 
      between the voised and unvoised 'TH'.) 

      In those rare kases where 'TH' soundz like a regular 'T' (thyme) 
      just replase it with 'T'.

      Notise also that the letter 'C' iz only used in the 'CH' kombination. From
      now on we will simply drop the 'H' and spell 'CH' the Mutlak way, az simply
      'C'. Just remember that the Mutlak 'C' iz pronounsed 'CH'.


      Ekzamplez: The child with the most charms on his bracelet is in charge.
                 Xe cild wix xe most carmz on hiz braslet iz in carge.

                 Thirty-three thorns I chilled with chocolate covered cherries.
                 Xirty-xree xornz I cilled wix cokolate kovered cerriez.

      

I waz sitting on dek wix some of xe fellowz who were going into xe Amerikan ambulanse servise wix me, my Airedale, Krown Prinse Nobbler, asleep at my feet, when xe first blast of xe whistle shattered xe pease and sekurity of xe ship. Ever sinse entering xe U-boat zone we had been on xe lookout for periskopes, and cildren xat we were, bemoaning xe unkind fate xat waz to see us safely into Franse on xe morrow wixout a glimpse of xe dread marauderz. We were young; we kraved xrillz, and God knowz we got xem xat day; yet by komparison wix xat xrough whic I have sinse passed xey were az tame az a Punch-and-Judy show.

I shall never forget xe ashy fases of xe passengerz az xey stampeded for xeir life-belts, xough xere waz no panik. Nobz roze wix a low growl. I roze, also, and over xe ship's side, I saw not two hundred yardz distant xe periskope of a submarine, while rasing toward xe liner xe wake of a torpedo waz distinktly vizible. We were aboard an Amerikan ship--whic, of kourse, waz not armed. We were entirely defenseless; yet wixout warning, we were being torpedoed.

I stood rigid, spellbound, watcing xe white wake of xe torpedo. It struk us on xe starboard side almost amidships. Xe vessel roked az xough xe sea beneax it had been uptorn by a mighty volkano. We were xrown to xe deks, bruized and stunned, and xen above xe ship, karrying wix it fragments of steel and wood and dismembered human bodiez, roze a kolumn of water hundredz of feet into xe air.

Xe silense whic followed xe detonation of xe eksploding torpedo waz almost equally horrifying. It lasted for perhaps two sekondz, to be followed by xe skreamz and moanz of xe wounded, xe kursing of xe men and xe hoarse kommandz of xe ship's offiserz. Xey were splendid--xey and xeir krew. Never before had I been so proud of my nationality az I waz xat moment. In all xe kaos whic followed xe torpedoing of xe liner no offiser or member of xe krew lost hiz head or showed in xe slightest any degree of panik or fear.

While we were attempting to lower boats, xe submarine emerged and trained gunz on us. Xe offiser in kommand ordered us to lower our flag, but xis xe kaptain of xe liner refuzed to do. Xe ship waz listing frightfully to starboard, rendering xe port boats useless, while half xe starboard boats had been demolished by xe eksplozhion. Even while xe passengerz were krowding xe starboard rail and skrambling into xe few boats left to us, xe submarine kommensed shelling xe ship. I saw one shell burst in a group of women and cildren, and xen I turned my head and kovered my eyez.

When I looked again to horror waz added cagrin, for wix xe emerging of xe U-boat I had rekognized her az a produkt of our own shipyard. I knew her to a rivet. I had superintended her konstruktion. I had sat in xat very konning-tower and direkted xe efforts of xe sweating krew below when first her prow klove xe sunny summer waterz of xe Pasifik; and now xis kreature of my brain and hand had turned Frankenstein, bent upon pursuing me to my deax.

      Mutation Xree

      Only two more rulez and we'll be just about done wix xe Mutlak konsonants.

      'G' iz always pronounsed like it iz in "garden" and never like it iz in "giant",
      so whenever you kome akross a 'G' that soundz like the 'J' in "judge" or
      the 'G' in "giant" replase it with 'J'.
     
      Xe 'W' in Mutak iz a vowel and not a konsonant. We will learn more about
      how to use it in a later mutation, but for now just remember that the Mutlak
      'W' is never followed by an 'H', or an 'R', so when you see one of xose
      kombinations, xrow away the 'H' in 'WH' or the 'W' in 'WR'.

      (One eksepshun: English "who" -> "hw")

      Ekzamplez: The great golden giant jumped with pleasure.
                 Xe great golden jiant jumped wix pleazhure.

                 Which writ did the Giant want while writing wrong words?
                 Wic rit did xe Jiant want wile riting rong wordz?


      

A sekond shell eksploded upon xe dek. One of xe lifeboats, frightfully overkrowded, swung at a danjerous angle from its davits. A fragment of xe shell shattered xe bow takle, and I saw xe women and cildren and xe men vomited into xe sea beneax, wile xe boat dangled stern up for a moment from its single davit, and at last wix inkreasing momentum dived into xe midst of xe struggling viktimz skreaming upon xe fase of xe waterz.

Now I saw men spring to xe rail and leap into xe oshean. Xe dek waz tilting to an impossible angle. Nobz brased himself wix all four feet to keep from slipping into xe scupperz and looked up into my fase wix a kwestioning wine. I stooped and stroked hiz head.

"Kome on, boy!" I kried, and running to xe side of xe ship, dived head foremost over xe rail. Wen I kame up, xe first xing I saw waz Nobz swimming about in a bewildered sort of way a few yardz from me. At sight of me hiz earz went flat, and hiz lips parted in a karakteristik grin.

Xe submarine waz wixdrawing toward xe norx, but all xe time it waz shelling xe open boats, xree of xem, loaded to xe gunnelz wix survivorz. Fortunately xe small boats prezented a raxer poor target, wic, kombined wix xe bad marksmanship of xe Jermanz prezerved xeir okupants from harm; and after a few minutes a blotch of smoke appeared upon xe eastern horizon and xe U-boat submerjed and disappeared.

All xe time xe lifeboats had been pulling away from the danjer of the sinking liner, and now, xough I yelled at xe top of my lungz, xey eixer did not hear my appealz for help or else did not dare return to sukor me. Nobz and I had gained some little distanse from the ship wen it rolled kompletely over and sank. We were kaught in the suktion only enough to be drawn bakward a few yardz, neither of us being karried beneath xe surfase. I glansed hurriedly about for somexing to wich to kling. My eyez were direkted toward the point at wich xe liner had disappeared wen there kame from the depths of the oshean the muffled reverberation of an eksplozhion, and almost simultaneously a geyzer of water in wich were shattered lifeboats, human bodiez, steam, koal, oil, and the flotsam of a liner'z deck leaped high above the surface of the sea--a watery column momentarily marking the grave of another ship in xis greatest semetery of the seaz.

      Mutation Four

      'Y' and 'W' are vowelz in Mutlak.

      'Y' iz alwayz pronounsed like it iz in "easy". In fakt, xat word is spelled
      "yzy" in Mutlak.

      'W' is alwayz pronounsed like xe 'OO' in "ooze". Don't konfyuz xis sound
      with the 'U' in "mule", which is spelled 'YU'.

      Most importantly, wenever xyz two soundz okur, the final silent 'E' is dropped
      sinse it iz no longer nyded.

      Ekzamplez: these  -> xyz    shoes  -> shwz      crew  -> krw      cheet -> cyt
                 freeze -> fryz   please -> plyz      threw -> xrw      movie -> mwvy
                 mule   -> myul   mutate -> myutate   bijou -> byzhw    music -> myuzik
                 easy   -> yzy    soon   -> swn       Winnie the Pooh -> Winy xe Pw

      Don't forget xat "my" and "by" are pronounsed "me" and "be" in Mutlak.
      (English "my" and "by" will by spelled "miy" and "biy" az will by syn in the nekst mutation.)


      

Wen xe turbyulent waterz had somewat subsided and xe sy had sysed to spyu up rekaje, I ventyured to swim bak in searc of somexing substantial enough to support miy weight and xat of Nobz az well. I had gotten well over xe arya of xe wrek wen not a half-dozen yardz ahead of my a lifeboat shot bow foremost out of xe ocean almost its entire lengx to flop down upon its kyl wix a mighty splash. It must have been karryd far below, held to its moxer ship biy a single rope wix finally parted to xe enormous strain put upon it. In no oxer way kan I akount for its having lyped so far out of xe water--a benefisent sirkumstanse to wic I doubtless owe miy life, and xat of anoxer far dyrer to my xan miy own. I say benefisent sirkumstanse yven in xe fase of xe fakt xat a fate far more hidyous konfronts us xan xat wic wy eskaped xat day; for bykauze of xat sirkumstanse I have met her wom oxerwize I never should have known; I have met and loved her. At least I have had xat great happyness in life; nor kan Caspak, wix all her horrorz, expunje xat wic haz been.

So for xe xousandx time I xank xe stranje fate wic sent xat lifeboat hurtling upward from xe gryn pit of destruktion to wic it had been dragged--sent it far up above xe surfase, emptying its water az it roze above xe wavez, and dropping it upon xe surfase of xe sy, bwyant and safe.

It did not take my long to clamber over its side and drag Nobz in to komparative safety, and xen I glanced around upon xe syn of deax and desolation wic surrounded us. Xe sy waz littered wix wrekaje among wic floated xe pitiful formz of women and cildren, bwyed up biy xeir yuseless lifebelts. Some were torn and mangled; oxerz lay rolling kwietly to xe motion of xe sy, xeir kountenansez kompozed and pyseful; oxerz were set in hidyous linez of agony or horror. Klose to xe boat's side floated xe figure of a girl. Her fase waz turned upward, held above xe surfase biy her life-belt, and waz framed in a floating mass of dark and waving hair. She waz very byutiful. I had never looked upon suc perfekt fyturez, suc a divine molding which waz at xe same time human--intensely human. It waz a fase filled wix karakter and strengx and femininity--xe fase of one who waz kryated to love and to be loved. Xe cyks were flushed to xe hyu of life and healx and vitality, and yet she lay xere upon xe bwzom of xe sy, dead. I felt somexing rize in miy xroat az I looked down upon xat radyant vizhion, and I swore xat I should live to avenje her murder.

And xen I let miy eyz drop onse more to xe face upon xe water, and wat I saw nearly tumbled my backward into xe sy, for xe eyz in xe dead fase had opened; xe lips had parted; and one hand waz raized toward my in a myut appyl for swkor. She lived! She waz not dead! I lyned over xe boat's side and drw her kwikly in to xe komparative safety wic God had given my. I remwved her life-belt and miy soggy coat and made a pillow for her head. I cafed her handz and armz and fyt. I worked over her for an hour, and at last I waz rewarded biy a dyp sigh, and again xoze great eyz opened and looked into mine.

      Myutation Five

      Mutlak haz no silent 'E' to make vowelz long so wy nyd to look at xe oxer
      xry long vowelz in Mutlak.

      Xe long 'A' sound az in "rain", "sane", "cradle" and "weigh" iz ritten 'AE'
      in Mutlak. ("raen", "saen", "kraedl", and "wae")

      Xe long 'I' sound az in "write", "sight", and "byte" iz ritten 'IY' in Mutlak.
      ("riyt", "siyt", and "biyt")

      Xe long 'O' sound as in "mole", "oak", "toe" and "float" iz ritten 'O' in
      Mutlak.  ("mol", "ok", "to", and "flot")

      As wix myutation four, diskard the silent 'E' when replasing xyz vowel soundz.

      Kaution: Don't konfyuz "to" (English "toe") and "tw" (English "to").

      Ekzamplez: The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.
                 Xe raen in Spaen fallz maenly in xe plaen.

                 The sane writer will go to a show right away.
                 Xe saen riyter will go tw a sho riyt awae.

                 In frozen poker the ace of ice is only used once.
                 In frozen poker xe aes uv iys iz only yuzd wuns.


      

At xat iy wuz awl embaeresment. Iy hav never ben a laedyz' man; at Leland-Stanford iy wuz xe butt uv xe klass bykuz uv miy hopless imbesility in xe presens uv a pretty girl; but xe men liyked my, neverxeless. Iy wuz rubbing wun uv hir handz wen shy openid hir iyz, and iy draapped it az xo it wir a red-haat rivet. Xoz iyz took my in sloly frum hed tu foot; xen xae wandirid sloly around xe horiyzun marked biy xe riyzing and fawlling gunnelz uv xe liyfbot. Xae looked at Naabs and softened, and xen kaem bak tu my filled wix kwuestioning.

"Iy--iy--" iy stammered, mwving awae and stumbling ovir xe nekst xwart. Xe vizhion smiyled wanly.

"Iy-iy, sir!" shy rypliyd faently, and agen hir lips drwped, and hir lawng lashez swept xe firm, faer tekstyur uv hir skin.

"Iy hop xat yw aar fyling better," iy fiynily manajed tu sae.

"Dw yw no," shy said aftir a moment uv siylens, "iy hav ben awaek for a lawng tiym! But iy did naat daer open miy iyz. Iy xought iy must by ded, and iy wuz afraed tu look, for fyr xat iy shood sy naaxing but blakness about my. Iy am afraed tu diy! Tell my wat hapinid aftir xe ship went daun. Iy remember awl xat hapinid bifor--o, but iy wish xat iy miyt forgit it!" A saab brok hir voise. "Xe bysts!" shy went aan aftir a moment. "And tu xink xat iy wuz tu hav maerryd wun uv xem--a lyutenant in xe Jerman naevy."

Prezently shy rezumed az xo shy had naat sysed spyking. "Iy went daun and daun and daun. Iy xought iy shood never sys tu sink. Iy felt no partikyular distress until iy suddenly started upward at evir-inkrysing velaasity; xen miy lungz symed about tu birst, and iy must hav lawst konshiousness, for iy remember naaxing mor until iy openid miy iyz aftir listening tu a torrent uv invektive agenst Jerminy and Jermanz. Tell my, plyz, awl xat hapinid aftir xe ship sank."

Iy told hir, xen, az well az iy kood, awl xat iy had syn--xe subamaryn sheling xe open bots and awl xe rest uv it. Shy xought it marvelous xat wy shood hav ben spaered in so praavidential a manner, and iy had a pretty spych upon miy tung'z end, but laked xe nerve tu deliver it. Naabs had kum ovir and nozed hiz muzzle intw hir lap, and shy stroked hiz ugly faes, and at last shy lyned ovir and poot hir cyk agenst hiz forhead. Iy hav awlwaez admiyred Naabs; but xis wuz xe first tiym xat it had evir okurred tu my xat iy miyt wish tu by Naabs. Iy wundered hau hy wood taek it, for hy iz az unyuzed tu wimin az iy. But hy took tu it az a duk taeks tu wawtir. Wat iy lak uv bying a laedyz' man, Naabs sertenly maeks up for az a laedyz' dawg. Xe old skalawag just klozed hiz iyz and poot aan wun uv xe sawftest "shugar-woodn't-melt-in-miy-mauth" ekspreshionz yw evir saw and stood xaer taeking it and asking for mor. It maed my jelous.

"Yw sym faand uv dawgs," iy said.

"Iy am faand uv xis dawg," shy rypliyd.

Wexer shy ment anyxing persunal in xat repliy iy did naat no; but iy took it az persunal and it maed my fyl miyty good.

az wy drifted about upon xat vast ekspanse uv lonlyness it iz naat straenj xat wy shood kwikly bykum well akwaented. Kaanstantly wy skanned xe horiyzun for siynz uv smok, ventyuring guessez az tu aur cansez uv reskyu; but darkness settled, and xe blak riyt enveloped us wixaut evir xe siyt uv a spek upon xe waterz.

Wy wir xirsty, hungry, unkumfortable, and kold. Aur wet garments had driyd but lidl and iy knw xat xe girl must by in graev daenjer frum xe ekspozhwr tu a riyt uv kold and wet upon xe wawtir in an open bot, wixaut sufishent kloxing and no fwd. Iy had manajed tu bael awl xe wawtir out uv xe bot wix kupped handz, ending biy maapping xe balanse up wix miy handkerxyf--a slo and bak-braeking prosydyur; thus iy had maed a kumpaerativly driy plaes for xe girl tu liy daun lo in xe baattum uv xe bot, waer xe siydz wood protekt hir frum xe riyt wind, and wen at last shy did so, awlmost overkum az shy wuz biy wykness and fatyg, iy thrw miy wet cot ovir hir furxer tu xwart xe cill. But it wuz uv no avael; az iy sat wawcing hir, xe mwnliyt marking out xe graesful kurvz uv hir slender yung baady, iy saw hir shiver.

"Izn't xaer sumxing iy kan dw?" iy asked. "Yw kan't liy xaer cilled xrw awl riyt. Kan't yw sugjest sumxing?"

      Myutaeshin Siks - Ryvyu and vaul sumiry

      Yu mae hav notised a fw oxer caenjez xat snuk in.  Xe English word "body", for eksampl,
      waz ritten "baady".  Xis iz bykuz xe Mutlak 'O' iz alwaez a long 'O' wic iz not xe
      sound it haz in "body".

      Xe rymaening Mutlak vaul soundz ar summerized hyr.  Frum xis poynt aan, no mor silent
      'Es' will rymaen, and sins 'E' no longir haz xe pauer to canj a vaul to a long wun,
      vaulz no longer hav to by "insulaetid" frum 'E' with dubl konsonents.  Dubl Konsonants
      wil, xaerfor, naat by yuzed frum xis poynt aan.

      Xyz vaul saundz aar naat striktly fonetik, but only apraaksimit.  For ekzampl, xe "bio" 
      in "biology" and the "beyo" in "beyond" saund very difirent to aur yrz, but xoz tw
      saundz aar naat distinguishid in Mutlak.

             ----- Mutlak Vaul Soundz -----

      y -  ee/ea in eat beet, neat, treat (yt, byt, nyt, tryt) Don't xyt!
      w -  oo in ooze, shoe, blue (wz, shw, blw)
      yu - u in mule, mutation (myul, myutaeshun)
      ae - ai in rain, sane, weight (raen, saen, waet)
      iy - i in site, right, byte (siyt, riyt, biyt)
      o -  o in toe (o in on uses 'aa')
      a -  a in ash
      e -  e in bet, ai in again (bet, agen) and any generik un-stresid vaul befor 'N'
              eksept aftur 'T', 'K' or 'SH' waer 'U' iz yuzid.
      i -  i in bit, sit, knit (bit, sit, nit) and any generik un-stresid vaul befor 
              'D', 'M', or 'R', eksept aftur 'T', 'K' or 'SH' waer 'U' iz yuzid.
      oo - oo in book, look, could, would (book, look, cood, wood)
      u  - u in up, sudden, busted butter, aboard (up, sudin, bustid budir ubord)
      aw - aw in dawn 
      aa - ah in bah, o in on, bottom, body, bother (aan, baatim, baady, baaxir), a in father (faaxir)
      au - ou in house, outer, cow, chow (haus, autir, kau, cau)
      oy - oi/oy in boy, oil, boil (boy, oyl, boyl)
      ya - yo in beyond, and io in biology (byand, byalogy)


      

Shy shook hir hed. "Wy must grin and baer it," shy rypliyid aftir a moment.

Naablir kaem and lae daun aan xe xwart besiyd my, hiz bak agenst miy leg, and iy sat staering in dum miziry at xe girl, noing in miy haart uv haarts xat shy miyt diy bifor morning kaem, for wat wix xe shaak and ekspozhwr, shy had awlredy gawn xrw enuf tu kil awlmost eny woomen. And az iy gaezid daun at hir, so smawl and delikut and helples, xaer wuz born sloly wixin miy brest a nw emoshun. It had never ben xaer bifor; nau it wil never sys tu by xaer. It maed my awlmost frantik in miy desiyr tu fiynd sum wae tu kyp waarm and kwling liyfblud in hir vaenz. Iy wuz kold miyself, xo iy had awlmost forgotun it until Naablir mwvid and iy felt a nw sensaeshun uv kold ulawng miy leg agenst wic hy had laen, and sudenly ryiliyzid xat in xat wun spaat iy had ben waarm. Liyk a graet liyt kaem xe understanding uv a mynz tu waarm xe girl. Imydyetly iy nelt besiyd hir tu poot miy skym intw praktis wen sudenly iy wuz ovirwelmid wix embaeresment. Wood shy permit it, yvin if iy kood mustur xe kerij tu sugjest it? Xen iy saw hir fraem kunvuls, shudiringly, hir musulz ryakting tu hir rapidly loering temperatyur, and kasting prwdiry tu xe winds, iy thrw miyself daun besiyd hir and took hir in miy aarmz, presing hir baady klos tu miyn.

Shy drw awae sudenly, voysing a lidl kriy uv friyt, and triyid tu push my frum hir.

"Forgiv my," iy manajed tu stamir. "It iz xe only wae. yw wil diy uv ekspozhwr if yw aar naat waarmid, and Naabs and iy aar xe only mynz wy kan kumand for firnishing waarmx." And iy held hir tiytly wiyl iy kawlid Naabs and baed him liy daun at hir bak. Xe girl didn't strugul eny mor wen shy lernid miy pirpus; but shy gaev tu or xry lidl gasps, and xen began tu kriy softly, baerying hir faes aan miy aarm, and thus shy fel uslyp.

      Myutaeshin Sevin - Verb Konjyugaeshun Part Wun and Forming Xe Negutiv

      Verbz in Mutlak aar awl regyulir verbs in xat xae awl konjyugaet in xe saem wae. Notis awlso
      xat xe verb rymaenz xe saem for awl persunz. "Iy run, yu run, hy run, shy run."
      Unuxir ekzampul iz "I am, you are, she is" wic in Mutlak bykumz "Iy by, yu by, shy by."

      Mutlak formz xe simpul past tens biy upending xe sufiks "-ID" to xe prezent tense form
      uv the verb.  In English wy hav "I run, he ran" but in Mutlak xis is riten "Iy run, hy runid."
      If xe verb endz in a vaul xe sufiks bykumz "-YID" az in "I did it" -> "Iy dwyid it" in Mutlak.
      Wy wil get intw mor dytaelz uv verb konjyugaeshun firxir aan, so xis wil do for nau.

      Negutiv staetments in Mutlak aar formid biy yuzing xe pryfiks "NA-" raxir xan xe English
      sufiks "-N'T".  Xe English wird "haven't" thus bykumz "nahav".

      Awlso, frasez using "do" az in "I do not have" or "I don't have" aar awlwaez tranzlaetid
      "Iy nahav", az aar frases liyk "I haven't got one." ("Iy nahav wun.")

      In xe past tens, az in xe English fraez "I didn't have one" xe verb iz poot in xe
      past tens wix xe standird Mutlak past tens sufiks "-ID", az in xe Mutlak "Iy nahavid wun".

      Ekzampulz:  isn't -> naby    can't -> nakan   won't -> nawil   didn't -> nadwyid


      

Captir Tw

Tword morning, iy must hav dozid, xo it symid tu my at xe tiym xat iy havid laeyid awaek for daez, insted uv aurz. Wen iy fiynily openid miy iyz, it byid daeliyt, and xe girl'z haer byid in miy faes, and shy byid brything normuly. Iy xankid Gaad for xat. Shy havid tirnid hir hed dwring xe riyt so xat az iy openid miy iyz iy syid hir faes naat an inc frum miyn, miy lips awlmost tucing hirz.

It byid Naabs hw fiynily awok hir. Hy getid up, strecid, tirnid araund a fyw tiymz and laeyid daun agen, and xe girl openid hiriyz and looked intw miyn. Hirz goyid very wiyd at first, and xen sloly kompryhenshun kumid tu hir, and shy smiylid.

"Yw hav ben very good tu my," shy saeyid, az iy helpid hir tu riyz, xo if xe trwx byid non iy byid mor in nyd uv asistens xan shy; xe sirkyulaeshun awl ulawng miy left siyd syming tu by paralyzid entiyrly. "Yw hav ben very good tu my." And xat byid xe only menshun shy evir maekid uv it; yet iy no xat shy byid xankful and xat only rezerv preventid hir frum refering tu wat, tu sae xe lyst, byid an embaerising sityuaeshun, hauevir unavoydabul.

Shortly aftir daeliyt wy syid smok aparently kuming straet tword us, and aftir a tiym wy maekid aut xe skwaat liynz uv a tug--wun uv xoz fyrlis eksponents uv England'z swpremicy uv xe sy xat toz saeling ships intw Frenc and English ports. Iy standid up aan a xwart and wayvid miy saagy cot ubuv miy hed. Naabs standid upon unuxir and baarkid. Xe girl sitid at miy fyt straening hir iyz tword xe dek uv xe aankuming bot.

"Xae sy us," shy saeyid at last. "Xaer iz a man ansiring yor signil." Shy byid riyt. A lump kumid intw miy throt--for hir saek raxir xan for miyn. Shy byid saevid, and nun tw swn. Shy kood nahav livid xrw unuxir niyt upon xe canul; shy miyt nahav livid xrw xe kuming dae.

Xe tug kumid klos besiyd us, and a man aan dek throyid us a rop. Wiling handz dragid us tu xe dek, Naabs skrambling nimbly ubord wixaut asistens. Xe ruf men byid jentul az muxirz wix xe girl. Pliying us box wix kwestshunz xae husulid hir tu xe kaptun'z kabun and my tu xe boylir-rwm. Xae telid xe girl tu taek awf hir wet kloxiz and thro xem autsiyd xe dor xat xae miyt by driyd, and xen tu slip intw xe kaptun'z bunk and git waarm. Xae dwyid nahav tu tel my tu strip aftir iy wuns getid intw xe waarmx uv xe boylir-rwm. In a jify, miy kloxiz hung abaut waer xae miyt driy most kwikly, and iy miyself byid absorbing, xrw eviry por, xe welkum hyt uv xe stiyfling kumpartment. Xae bringid us haat swp and kawfy, and xen xoz hw nabyid aan dwty sitid araund and helpid my dam xe Kiyzir and hiz brwd.

Az swn az aur kloxiz byid driy, xae bidid us daan xem, az xe cansiz byid awlwaez mor xan faer in xoz waterz xat wy shood run intw trubul wix xe enemy, az iy byid only tw well awaer. Wat wix xe waarmx and xe fyling uv saefty for xe girl, and xe naalij xat a litul rest and fwd wood kwikly ovirkum xe efekts uv hir ekspyryensiz uv xe past dizmul aurz, iy byid fyling mor kuntent xan iy havid ekspyryensid sins xoz xry wisul-blasts havid shatirid xe pys uv miy wirld xe pryvyus aftirnwn.

But pys upon xe canul hav ben but a transitory xing sins Awgust, 1914. It prwvid itself suc xat morning, for iy havid skaers gaatin intw miy driy kloxiz and taekid xe girl'z apaeril tu xe kaptun'z kabun wen an ordir byid shautid daun intw xe enjin-rwm for fool spyd ahyd, and an instant laetir iy hyrid xe dul bwm uv a gun. In a moment iy byid up aan dek tu sy an enemy subamaryn abaut tu hundrid yaardz awf aur port bau. Shy havid signilid us tu staap, and aur skipir havid ingorid xe ordir; but nau shy havid hir gun traenid aan us, and xe sekund shaat graezid xe kabun, worning xe belijerent tug-kaptun xat it byid tiym tu obae. Wuns agen an ordir goyid daun tu xe enjin-rwm, and xe tug redwsid spyd. Xe U-bot sysid fiyring and ordirid xe tug tu kum abaut and aproc. Aur momentum havid karyid us a litul byand xe enemy kraft, but wy byid tirning nau aan xe ark uv a sirkul xat wood bring us alawngsiyd hir. Az iy standid wawcing xe manwvir and wundiring wat byid tu bykum uv us, iy felt sumxing tuc miy elbo and tirnid tu sy xe girl standing at miy siyd. Shy looked up intw miy faes wix a rwful ekspreshun. "Xae sym bendid aan aur destrukshun," shy saeyid, "and it looks liyk xe saem bot xat sinkid us yestirdae."

      Myutaeshun Aet - Naun Plwrilz

      Naun plwrilz aar formid in for difirent waez depending aan xe klas uv xe naun.
      Xe plwril iz awlwaez formid biy ading a sufiks tw xe singyulir form, but xat sufiks diferz
      depending aan xe verb klas.  

      Xe sufiksin are  "-IN", "-ZIN", "-WIN", and "-YR".  Nau xis list uv rwlin mae sym 
      ovirwelming, but in fakt most uv xe naunwin yw enkaunter wil taek '-IN' or '-ZIN' and 
      xe fyw eksepshunwin wil kum natyurily tw yw aftir yw hav rydid xe rest uv xe story.

      Natriy* tw memoriyz xyz rwlin, just by awaer uv xem, and let yor miynd abzorb xem 
      subkonshusly az yw ryd.  Aftir anuxir captir or tw yw nawil yven hav tw xink 
      ubaut it; it wil by sekund naecir.

      Awl naunwin xat end in 'O', 'Z' or 'S' yuz "-ZIN".

           mouse, mice -> maus, mauzin     house, houses -> haus, hauzin
           arrow, arrows -> aro, arozin    hose, hoses -> hoz, hozin

      Awl nounwin xat end in 'G', "SH", 'J', 'L', 'M', 'R', 'T', 'W', 'X', and 'Y' yuz "-IN".

           pig, pigs -> pig, pigin         bush, bushes -> boosh, booshin
           judge, judges -> juj, jujin     pail, pails -> pael, paelin
           clam, clams -> klam, klamin     actor, actors -> aktor, aktorin
           cat, cats -> kat, katin         shoe, shoes -> shw, shwin
           path, paths -> pax, paxin       city, cities -> sity, sityin

      Awl nounwin xat end in 'B', 'C', 'F', 'K', and 'Z' yuz "-YR".

           cab, cabs -> kab, kabyr         switch, switches -> swic, swicyr
           loaf, loaves -> lof, lofyr      book, books -> book, bookyr    
           cause, causes -> kawz, kawzyr

      All xe rest yuz "-WIN"

           day, days -> dae, daewin        hood, hoods -> hood, hoodwin
           can, cans -> kan, kanwin        scoop, scoops -> skwp, skwpwin
           cave, caves -> kaev, kaevwin    camera, cameras -> kamira, kamirwin   

     Sum praktis wirds: 

          faces -> faezin                  fragments -> fragmentin
          garments -> garmentin            gasps -> gaspwin
          Germans -> Jerminwin             glimpses -> glimzin
          guesses -> gezin                 guns -> gunwin
          pencils -> pensilin              papers -> paepirin
          comics -> kaamikyr               asteroids -> asteroydwin
          trucks -> trukyr                 branches -> brancyr

  * Nafirget xe rwl for negativwin!  "Natriy tw" = English "Do not try to".

      

"It iz," iy rypliyid. "Iy no hir wel. Iy helpid desiyn hir and taekid hir aut aan hir first run."

Xe girl drw bak frum my wix a litul eksklamaeshun uv sirpriyz and disapoyntment. "Iy xinkid yw byid an Umarikaan," shy saeyid. "Iiy havid no iydyu yw byid a--a--"

"Nor am iy," iy rypliyid. "Amerikaanwin hav ben bilding submarynwin for awl naesunwin for meny yyrin. Iy wish, xo, xat wy havid gawn bankrupt, miy faaxer and iy, bifor evir wy tirnid aut xat Frankenstiyn uv a xing."

Wy byid uprocing xe U-bot at haf spyd nau, and iy kood awlmost distingwish xe fycirin uv xe men upon hir dek. A saelir stepid tu miy siyd and slipid sumxing haard and kold intw miy hand. Iy nahavid tu look at it tu no xat it byid a hevy pistul. "Tiyk 'ir an' yuz 'ir," byid awl hy saeyid.

Aur bau byid poyntid straet tword xe U-bot nau az iy hyrid wird pasid tu xe enjin for fool spyd ahyd. Iy instantly graspid xe braezin efruntiry uv xe pluky English skipir--hy byid going tu ram fiyv hundridwin tunwin uv U-bot in xe faes uv hir traenid gun. Iy kood skaers repres a cyr. At first xe blokyr nadwyid sym tu grasp hiz intenshun. Evidently xae xinkid xae byid witnesing an eksibishun uv por syminship, and xae yelid xaer worningin tu xe tug tu redws spyd and thro xe helm haard tu port.

Wy byid wixin fifty fyt uv xem wen xae awaekinid tu xe intenshunul menis uv aur manwvir. Xaer gun krw byid awf its gaard; but xae spingid tu xaer pys nau and sendid a fyutul shel ubuv aur hedwin. Naabs lypid abaut and baarkid fyuryusly. "Let 'em hav it!" kumandid xe tug-kaptun, and instantly revaalvirin and riyfulin porid buletin upon xe dek uv xe submirsibul. Tu uv xe gun-krw goyid daun; xe uxir traenid xaer pys at xe wawtir-liyn uv xe aankuming tug. Xe balans uv xoz aan dek rypliyid tu aur smawl-aarmin fiyr, direkting xaer efortin tword xe man at aur wyl.

Iy haestily pushid xe girl daun xe kaampanyunwae lyding tu xe enjin-rwm, and xen iy raezid miy pistol and fiyrid miy first shaat at a blok. Wat hapinid in xe nekst fyw sekundwin hapinid so kwikly xat dytaelin aar raxir blurid in miy memory. Iy syid xe helmzmen lunj forwird upon xe wyl, puling xe helm araund so xat xe tug shyrid awf kwikly frum hir kors, and iy rekawl ryiliyzing xat awl aur efortin byid tu by in vaen, bykuz uv awl xe men ubord, faet havid decryid xat xis wun shood fawl first tu an enemy bulit. Iy syid xe deplytid gun-krw aan xe subamaryn fiyr xaer pys and iy felt xe shaak uv impakt and hyrid xe laud eksplozhun az xe shel struk and eksplodid in aur bauz.

Iy syid and ryiliyzid xyz xingin yvin az iy byid lyping intw xe pylut-haus and grasping xe wyl, standing astriyd xe ded baady uv xe helmzmen. wix awl miy strengx iy throyid xe helm tu staarbord; but it byid tw laet tu efekt xe pirpus uv aur skipir. Xe best iy dwyid byid tu skraep alawngsiyd xe sub. Iy hyrid sumwun shryk an ordir intw xe enjin-rwm; xe bot shuderid and trembulid tu xe suden reversing uv xe enjinwin, and aur spyd kwikly lesenid. Xen iy syid wat xat madman uv a skipir planid sins hiz first skym havid gawn rawng.

Wix a laud-yelid kumand, hy lypid tu xe slipery dek uv xe submirsibul, and at hiz hylin* kumid hiz haardy krw. Iy spingid frum xe pylut-haus and faalowid, naat tu by left aut in xe kold wen it kumid tu straefing xe blokyr. Frum xe enjin rwm kaampanyunwae kumid xe enjinyr and staakirin, and twgexir wy lypid aftir xe balans uv xe krw and intw xe hand-tu-hand fiyt xat byid kuviring xe wet dek wix red blud. Besiyd my kumid Naabs, siylent nau, and grim. Jerminwin byid emerjing frum xe open hac tu taek paart in xe batul aan dek. At first xe pistolin krakid amidst xe kirsing uv xe men and xe laud kumandwin uv xe kumandir and hiz jwnyir; but prezently wy byid tw indiskriminently miksid tu maek it saef tu yuz aur fiyraarmin, and xe batul rezolvid itself intw a hand-tw-hand strugul for pozeshun uv xe dek.

* Hintin and remiyndirin: hylin = English "heels"

tw by kaantinyuid - myutaeshunwin tw kum:

• A caenj in wird-ordir rwlin.
• Mutlak numbirin, ordinul and kardinul.
• Jerundwin and partisipulin - sae goodbiy tw "-ING".
• Introdwsing xe ryl Mutlak pronaunwin and artikulin.
• Vokabyulaery - Sum kaamin English wirdwin by replasid.
• Mutlak's iregyulir virb "itivw", "to be", alawng wix xe infinitiv oon mor aan kaanjwgaeshun.
• Awl ubaut adjektivwin, oon mor wird ordir myutaeshunwin.

Many thanks to Mark J. Reed, Tristan McLeay and stevo on the Brown University Constructed Languages List for catching some typos and oversights on the page.

Comments, errors, and suggestions for future mutations may be sent to fiziwig@gmail.com