O'Connor was at his wits end. They'd tried blood, and the bowl had screamed. They had tried olive oil, and the liquid just hummed. They tried wine, and it was not much better than the blood or water. They cleaned out the bowl and set it on the island to dry while they waited for John to get here with the other items.
In the meantime, the chef shouted at one of the cook assistant's, "Quick you whip up some creme fresh!"
The cook grabbed a pitcher of heavy cream and poured it into the bowl, and suddenly a strident Celtic voice could be heard singing from the bowl.
O'Connor ordered the cook to step away.
The third researcher said eagerly, "Cream of course! The Merovingians - French rulers before the - well, it doesn't matter. They maintained old druidic customs. Then king was always pulled in a cart not drawn by horses, but by oxen. So of course, the milk that rises to the top the cream would be used to converse with the cow gods."
"Shut up, Abernathy, and translate. You're the Celtic scholar."
"It's not like modern Brittany, Scottish, Gaelic, Welsh or -but I think it's not unlike it either. It seems to be asking a question, "Who or what summons us?" I think?"
Brian looked down into the bowl and spake loudly and clearly, "Brian O'Connor!"
The bowl was silent for nearly 30 seconds. Then it spoke again.
"Radio time delay - possibly they're in orbit? Lunar orbit?" asked the second researcher.
"Now it's saying, you are Brian the son of the great Conor who slew the seven with one spear?"
"Brian - too many sons to count removed from the great Conor," was Brian's answer.
The bowl waivered uncertainly. The words were obviously alien. It asked again.
"Translate it, Abernathy," Brian said.
"Uh, let's see uh, well, you need to -"
"No, you speak the translation directly into the bowl, now!"
"Yes, sir," and he did in strained Celtic, "I added that I was a humble translator as the language has changed since last they spoke with men."
This time the milk vibrated with what was clearly laughter.
Nervously, Abernathy said, "Oh, I hope I translated that correctly, though the word for intercourse is similar to language, I suppose that might be humorous."
"Why don't you ask them why they're laughing," Brian said.
"What? Oh, yes," and he did.
He paused and said, "That's very strange, they said..."