Doona Trilogy Omnibus

by neetha Napew

  “The advantage’s on the kids’ side, Hirro,’ Ken said, patiently.

  “This is open ground, and you must know how fast Hayuman children can move if they have to.”

  “Who are zey?” Hrrula, one of Ken’s oldest friends, shouldered his way up to walk beside Ken. The Hrruban’s big, green eyes were shining.

  “Gringg,’ Ken said, grinning.

  “”We arrre not alone,”’ Hrrula quoted, dropping his jaw so far it nearly dislocated. “Mrrrvellous!” The Gringg, largely ignoring their escort, caught sight of the cluster of children. Eonneh’s ears seemed to perk up when Hrrana let out a shriek of mock fear, and ran away from her brother who was stretching out a hand to tag her. Her tail, streaming out behind, whisked out of the way just in time when he made a grab for it. Fascinated, Eonneh and Ghotyakh moved closer to watch.

  “Beep-beep!” shrieked Hrrunival, poking his sister in the belly, a sneak attack when she twisted around to avoid running into a rosebush.

  “Now you have to say that!” The other children dodged away from the Hrruban female, who finally caught Alec up against the pillar supporting Hrrestan’s porch.

  “Beep-beep!” she cried, and changed the symbol by tugging Alec’s ear lobe. “Mrow!”

  “Uh-oh!” Alec yelled, and ran around, trying to catch someone else to be It.

  “Uh-uh!” Alison cried, as Alec made a dive for Hrrunival.

  “Not fair grabbing tails!” The pudgy Hrruban boy rolled away just in time and ran behind Alison.

  The Gringg stood entranced by the children, ignoring the adults’ efforts to move them along. Eonneh let out pleased little mutters at seeing younglings in play.

  Suddenly Alec caught sight of the Gringgs. “Look at them!” he shouted, standing stock still and pointed. “Are they bears, Granddad?”

  “What are bears?” Hrrana asked, swivelling and then standing as rigid as her friend.

  “Earth animals and these are not really bears,’ Ken said, “but close.” All the children had paused in their noisy game of symbol tag and turned to look. They stared with open eyes at the Gringg, who stared back. Shock held the children immobile for a moment. Hrrunival was the first to recover. Nose a-twitch and tail straight out in defiance of his own uncertainty, he squared his small shoulders.

  “Who are you?” he demanded, walking up to Eonneh.

  The child wasn’t quite as high as the Gringg’s hip, but size wasn’t going to deter him. The Alley Cats and Hrrana, holding Ourrh firmly by the hand, followed in close support. The baby’s tail wrapped and unwrapped one hind leg and his yellow-green eyes were huge, the pupils outspread across the irises.

  “Totally unafraid,’ Frill muttered, watching this exchange.

  “What do you think of that?”

  “Amazing,’ said Jilamey. “Unless you know Ken’s family.”

  “Doonan children,’ Ken said, shaking his head.

  “They don’t even know they’re supposed to be afraid.”

  “Mrrva, hurry!

  Where’s that rifle?” Kelly shouted again, as the children, aware of the beasts staring at them, stopped their play.

  “Why?” Hrriss’s mother came running, her tail lashing.

  “Where’s the peril?” The baby woke, crying. Nrrna snatched her up, holding her protectively to her chest.

  “There are two absolutely gigantic mda out there looming over the children!” Kelly exclaimed. “They might attack at any minute. The kids are just standing there, frozen.

  Oh, my babies!” she followed Mrrva’s pointing finger toward a closet, and was on her knees loading shells into the chambers of Hrrestan’s powerful snake gun. “Call my brother at the animal hospital. Call the colony buildings.

  See if there’s anyone in Animal Control!” Nrrna ran for the commlink.

  There was a rap on the door behind them. “Anyone home?” Ken called, then pushed the door open, aware of agitated movement within.

  “Oh, no, Kelly!

  No, wait!” She looked up at the sudden appearance of her fatherin-law, her hands moving as if of their own volition.

  “Ken! Where’s Todd? There are two huge mda out there!

  They never come so close to villages. These must be killers. I have to protect the children.” She snapped the gun shut.

  “They’re not mda! They’re our new friends. They’re from the strange ship.” He put one hand on the rifle barrel and deftly relieved her of it.

  “From the ship? The one that came in out of nowhere?” Kelly swallowed hard, trying to grasp his statement as he unloaded the heavy bore rifle. Behind him, Nrrna, green eyes huge, still clutched her baby.

  “These fellows are peaceful. Their ship isn’t even armed,’ and Ken grinned reassuringly. Had all Kelly’s training in Alreldep gone down the drain since her marriage? She’d done well enough with Hrrubans a time or two, to his relief. He smiled more broadly before he said, “Todd and Hrriss are staying aboard their ship. In exchange, we’ve got a couple of visitors. They really are friends, Kelly, Nrrna.” “Friends?” Kelly asked, her voice sounding unsteady even to her. Her hands were shaking, and she didn’t seem able to focus. “And you left Todd and Hrriss on board that immense ship?”

  “They volunteered but I wouldn’t have agreed, dear, if I didn’t truly believe it’s the right way to deal with this unexpected situation. After all,’ and he winked at her as he helped her to her feet, “your father-in-law’s had some practice in this sort of “unexpected” encounter.” Not quite certain, Kelly gave him a shallow grin. “So come on out and meet the Gringg. Even mda’d stay away from something that sizeable!”

  “Are you bears?” Alec wanted to know, confronting Eonneh but standing far enough back so that she could still see his furry features. “Why are you wearing belts?

  That’s a very beautiful belt. I didn’t think bears wore belts like Hrrubans. They have pockets in their belts, too. What have you got in your belt pockets?” Eonneh seemed delighted that this red-topped Ayoomnnn seemed unafraid of him. It appeared to be asking about his belt, for the slender little finger was pointing at his chest.

  But courtesy came first. “Eonneh,’ he said, pointing at himself.

  “Honey?” Alison asked, joining her brother in a semiprotective fashion.

  “Is that your name? Honey?”

  “Reh. Ghotyakh,’ Eonneh said, indicating his companion.

  “I can’t say that!” Alec said. “It sounds like gargling.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Alley, it sounds like Kodiak,’ Alison said. “That’s a kind of bear. I guess they must be bears.”

  “But what are bears?” Hrrunival wanted to know.

  “They’re an Earth animal,’ Alec said, somewhat pompously. “Mama read us about them in a story book.”

  “I thought there were only Havumans on Earrth, Hrrunival said. “Hrruba has no ozzer animals.”

  “Well, Earth did and does,’ Alec informed him condescendingly. “You’ve seen the pictures in the book.”

  “They’re Gringg,’ Jilamey said, coming over to kneel beside the children. Following his example, Eonneh, renamed Honey, rolled back on his mighty haunches, bringing him closer to their level. “They’ve come to Doonarrala from their own world to meet us.”

  “You do not have any assurrrance of zese fine seriziments,’ an older Hrruban male snapped. Ken recognized him as Trrengo, a relative newcomer to Rrala.

  “I think we do,’ Alec said, suddenly turning an incredibly adult expression on Trrengo. “Uncle Jilamey says we shouldn’t be afraid. He doesn’t lie to us. You’re friendly, aren’t you?” He held out a hand to Ghotyakh, who engulfed it completely in his vast paw.

  “Wait, don’t let him touch you!” cried one of the Human colonists, Bob Lawrence.

  “He’s OK,’ Alec said, shaking hands solemnly. Alison followed suit, putting her hand into Ghotyakh’s other paw.

  “Just like their father,’ mumbled Macy McKee, patting his wife’s hand on his arm. “I remember the first time
Todd brought us a passel of Hrrubans to meet-‘ He broke off and looked about in surprise. “And hey, these fellows don’t make me sneeze!”

  “By analogy that should prove that these fellows are dangerous,’ Lawrence said sardonically.

  “What a bizarre way to distinguish friend from foe,’ said Dr Kate Moody in her caustic way as she pushed her way through her neighbour.

  “Allergies apart, they’re sure not acting hostile. And the Alley Cats aren’t the least bit skeered. Nor young Hrrunival. Look at them hunkering down to get level with your kids. Evening, Ken,’ she said cheerfully as he approached. “Back to your old habits, huh, finding aliens. Well, a man has to keep his skills honed or lose “em. By any chance, are these the patients I was told to examine? I don’t see any wounded lying about.

  Of course, the fellow on the Spacedep cruiser wasn’t sure if they were a job for Ben Adjei, as veterinarian, or for me, so we both came.

  And I’m glad we did! The size of “em! Well grown lads!” Ken had brought Kelly, Mrrva, and Nrrna, still clutching her baby, all three women somewhat hesitant. “Come on, ladies, let me make you known to the Gringg. This is Eonneh. Go on! Introduce yourself. Tell him your name.

  I need more recordings of his responses to get more of their inflections.” Kelly glanced at Ken to make sure he was serious. With one hand he urged her forward, showing the recording device in the palm of the other.

  “Kelly,’ she turned her thumb to her chest, “I’m Kelly.” Then she turned her thumb to the smaller of the two and raised her eyebrows quizzically. “Your name?”

  “Gelli,’ Eonneh repeated carefully, thumping his furry chest with his immense big fist. “Eonneh. Eonneh.”

  “Honey!’ the children chorused, delighted with such a name.

  Ken made the rest of the introductions, laying his hand on each child’s head and repeating the name. Then he turned to see which of the neighbours were willing. Most of those who were, he noted with amusement, were members of the original Doonan colony or those who had arrived just after the Decision. Hrrula was delighted by the Gringg, especially the way they sniffed, very politely, at each person they met. The others, mostly recent arrivals, watched cautiously from a discreet distance.

  The children had none of their parents’ reserve. They were eager to meet Honey and Kodiak, as they’d been renamed. The Gringg tried to pronounce each new name, causing some of the kids to muffle their giggles in their hands. Made bolder by their curiosity, more children came out of the surrounding houses and came timidly forward to see the visitors, then retreated, loud with relief, having experienced nothing more terrifying than a handshake.

  “Come on, Nrrna,’ Ken said, urging the shy Hrruban girl forward.

  “They’re really very friendly.” Still clasping Hrrunna, Nrrna slowly approached Honey and Kodiak. When she got close enough, she stood on tiptoe, her tail balancing out behind her, and looked deeply into their dark-red eyes. Both Gringg saw the sleeping cub and exchanged wide-eyed glances. Kodiak urged Honey forward, almost prodding him towards Nrrna.

  Very cautiously, as if afraid to frighten her or disturb the sleeper, Honey crept forward, eyes always on the curled infant. He hunched his shoulders and extended his neck, twisting his head from side to side, all attention focused on little Hrrunna. Then, ever so slowly, Honey held out his huge paws and gave a single gentle, soft interrogative grunt. As one in a trance, Nrrna held the sleeping cub towards him and slipped her into his great furry paws where the little Hrruban was cradled with tender care.

  Nrrna ignored the gasps around them.

  Hirro even went so far as to leap forward, as if to snatch the cub from Honey but, as if she hadn’t even seen his movement, Nrrna stepped in his path.

  “I trust you,’ she told the Gringg in the Middle Hrruban most of the onlookers would understand, her voice clear and strong in the sudden silence. “There is no harm in you that I can sense. You do come as friends.” The aliens were obviously entranced with Hrrunna and ignored everything else. Ken could barely contain his delight in Nrrna’s actions and words. In the hush that fell on the crowd, he could plainly hear the tiny whirr that meant someone was recording this on film, too, for which he was very grateful. He’d been so concerned with getting Gringg sounds down, he’d forgot to attend to a visual account.

  Now Honey let out a tiny coo, the softest sound Ken had heard a Gringg make. The baby opened her eyes and briefly stared up at him, then stretched her pliant body across Honey’s broad palms. The coo seemed to soothe her eyes shut. She let out a little sigh, and went back to sleep, curling her tiny tail about her. Honey’s coo turned into soft melodic sounds, hovering just above audible level.

  Ken turned up the gain on his recorder, hoping to get every note.

  Maybe it wasn’t a Gringg lullaby, just Honey murmuring under his breath but the tableau the Gringg presented was an effective one as far as a crowd pleaser went, for soft looks were exchanged and people definitely relaxed. Against their original intent, the settlers were being persuaded of the Gringgs’ pacifism by the gentleness shown a cub.

  Even the sceptics, with the exception of Hirro, regarded the large Gringg with less obvious apprehension.

  “Music,’ Ken murmured to Kelly, “if that’s what we’re hearing now, is one more common language. I wonder what their reaction will be to Terran classics.”

  “Wagner? Mahler? Mtxainah? Hrnatn?” asked Kelly, dubiously. “I can’t but be prejudiced towaras a race that genuinely like our young,’ she added, listening while Eonneh and Ghotyakh continued rumbly bass notes in soft harmony. She swept away a red wisp of hair from her sweaty forehead. “Whew! I thought they were mda!

  Just as furry but much nicer.” Commander Frill seemed equally charmed by Hrrunna, too. He hung over Honey’s arm, admiring the cub.

  “This is the tiniest Hrruban I’ve ever seen. She’s beautiful,’ he told Nrrua. “How old is she?”

  “Born within the month,’ Nrrna said proudly.

  “The youngest ambassador in the galaxy,’ said someone behind Ken.

  He turned to see Admiral Afroza Sumitral, his grey eyes alight, waiting beside Ben Adjei.

  “You got here quickly,’ Ken said, shaking hands with his old friend.

  “Not quickly enough, I see,’ Sumitral replied, half chidingly.

  “Once again the legitimate function of interplanetary diplomats has been usurped by the children of Doona. I wonder that we don’t just induct the whole colony into Alreldep. Why don’t you make me known to your friends here? Everyone else seems to have met them.” Laughing, Ken made a sweeping bow, from Sumitral towards the Gringg. “Introduce yourself. That’s what we’ve done.”

  “And now,’ Kate Moody said when Sumitral had completed the formality, “if we’ve all finished becoming acquainted, I’d like to take a professional look at these two bruisers here. Ken, can we sort of manoeuvre them towards the Medical Centre?”

  “I am puzzled, Ghotyakh,’ Eonneh said, following the new Ayoomnnns through the village. “That Rroobvnnn with the small cub was at first very reserved with us.

  When we gave it back, it made suckling motions towards him as if looking for the source of milk. Could he be, in fact, a she?”

  “A distinct possibility,’ Ghotyakh agreed. “We may be in error in our original assumptions. Previously I thought all the ones with tails were the males. Have we erred?”

  “We must not be hasty in this. The appearance of the first Rroobvnnn we met closely matched our generative configuration. Perhaps they change after they have borne young?”

  “Oh, I see!” Eonneh exclaimed, his roar of comprehension alarming some of the Ayoomnnns. “Our first visitor must have been a heifer. We must ask Genhh for the truth of this. I would not want to bring back specious data to Grzzeearoghh.”

  Chapter 5

  CASTLETON ESCORTED THE ADMIRAL AND HIS PARTY back to her ready room. The two Hrrubans were very nervous, and kept looking back at the escort of security guards that followed. Sh
e regretted the necessity of upsetting them, but regulations were regulations, and anyone on board who was not Spacedep had to be accompanied at all times. At least the rules allowed for the safe passage of visitors. Thank heavens Admiral Barristable was more moderate than his predecessor.

  Admiral Barustable waited to speak until they were all seated and had been served refreshments.

  “Good,’ he said when the door was quietly shut. “This room has been secured?” and when Castleton nodded, he continued. “We must address the matter of the Gringg.

  Now that we have some data to analyse it, we can consider whether or not we are being rushed into intimacy with a potentially hostile race by over-anxious individuals.”

  “I find zem most zrreatening,’ Mllaba said, firmly. “Zey seemed so complezely unafrraid when zey boarded zis ship for ze first time. I felt as if zey had previous intimazhons of what zey would encounzer here.”

  “Too confident,’ Barnstable agreed, nodding. “That suggests a very sophisticated culture. Accustomed to dealing with alien species. You didn’t sense any probes, did you, Grace?”

  “None at all, Admiral,’ Castleton replied.

  “I would have said they made no attempt whatsoever to scan us. I find them interested and curious, but not overtly hostile.”

  “I am not so surrre,’ Hrrto said. He was torn. On the one hand, it was important to establish good relations with an obviously sophisticated new sentient race. On the other, he realized that it was foolhardy to rush into such relationships, without having a firm understanding of mutual intentions. So far, the Gringg had made the Hrrubans and Havumans come to them, thereby giving them what the Hayumans called “home court advantage’.

  It would not look well to the Hrruban High Council to appear in a subordinate position. Such loss of face could be fatal to Second’s hopes in an election year.

  There were many candidates standing to take over the now-vacant First Speakership which Hrrto felt that he had to win. In his opinion, very few of the nominees had either the experience or acumen for the office.