by neetha Napew
“Aye, sir,’ Greene said, saluting.
“Your allies from ze Hrruban home world await you at the meeting point, Admirrrral’ Mllaba said. “Ze Speaker is with them.”
“Good. To the First Villages, then,’ Barnstable said, nodding at the Hrruban female. Mllaba’s claws clattered quickly over the controls. She had just enough time to join the party on the platform before it vanished.
Unnoticed by the others, three men in mufti slipped off the rear of the platform and waited until the mists cleared.
“Bouros, Gallup, Walters,’ Greene barked. The three men stiffened to attention. “Follow me.” The commander led them out of the building into the night.
* * * “Quit staring at me, Kelly complained, turning aggrieved hazel eyes on Ensign Lauder. “If I feel my insides curling up, I’ll tell you.
“Sorry, ma’am. I’m just curious as to what’s going on with you.” The young medic blushed and went back to his plate.
Kelly grinned. “I’m just fine. In fact, some of this is pretty good.” She turned to her dinner partner, Ghotyakh, and pointed at a sausage-shaped mass. “What do you call that?”
“Raghia,’ Kodiak said.
“Neehar, or .. He made his four fingers into the legs of some animal and walked them in a lumbering gait across the table.
“Meat of some ruminant?” Ken decided. “We’ll have to get him to draw us a picture later. These fellows have fantastic skill with a pencil.
Sumitral took another helping of stew. “It’s clear that it is an important part of his job, even class station, to be able to write and draw well. I’d say that they’re at the top of their grade, by the way, though I observe that Ghotyakh defers to Eonneh.”
“I think if they’re organized like us, Eonneh must be Grizz’s special aide as well as mate,’ Ken agreed.
Eonneh nodded, showing his teeth, having caught the gist of Ken’s statement. He and Ghotyakh were making significant inroads on the pot of stew. When Kate’s daughter Rachel had arrived with dinner, the Gringgs’ agile noses went into full twitch. They waited, looking wistful, while Kate did a quick test to make sure there was nothing in the meal that would disagree with them, and howled with joy when she led them to the table to be served.
“By the way, Lauder,’ Kate said, “you were wrong about one of them eating as little as one of us. That was Kodiak’s sixth bowlful.” Lauder grinned lopsidedly. “I could eat the same, myself. This is delicious. You don’t get meals this good shipside.”
“My very thought,’ Sumitral said, placidly.
“Go on with you,’ Kate said. “It’s all last year’s dried snake meat.”
“No, it’s terrific,’ Lauder insisted.
“Do not let Dr Kate ovrrwhelm you with hrrr modesty,’ Hrrestan said, his jaw dropped in a genial grin. “Hrrr cooking has been praised widely by all, including my mate, Mrrva.
“Well, that one’s a winner,’ Kelly said, marking the packet of raghia with a plus sign. “Alison would like it: tasty with a flavour rather like urfa.” With business-like fingers, she pushed it to one side and opened another packet. She was taking only small portions from each of the Gringg rations to leave room for as many samples as possible. The next was a chopped vegetable in a messy, clear, red sauce. She spooned a little of it on to her tasting plate and took a mouthful. Her face wrinkled up, and she choked.
“What’s the mazzer?” Nrrna demanded.
Hrrestan rose to his feet in alarm. “Shall I get the szomach pump?” Lauder was out of his chair and beside Kelly in a moment. She waved them away. Her face had turned red.
“Salty,’ she gasped, gesturing at the water pitcher. Kate handed her full glass over and then filled Kelly’s again.
“So that’s what they use to keep up their electrolyte balance,’ Kate said, briskly. “You might like to know, Ensign, that unlike Earth animals they have sweat glands here and there under that great pelt.
Suggests to me that they evolved from an animal with less body hair.
And they have a tremendous lung capacity, more than four times ours, plus a layer of fat beneath the skin that ranges from three to five centimetres. Now what does that suggest to you?”
“Nozzing,’ said Hrrestan, shaking his head.
“They’re swimmers,’ Ken guessed, playing with a piece of bread.
“That’d be my summation,’ Kate said, with satisfaction.
“Seems to me as if they must have evolved from something more like otters than bears. It would certainly explain the tail.
“Hmm,’ said Kelly, taking another packet. This one contained dried brown kernels shaped rather like Brussels sprouts, and coated with a fine tan powder. She crunched one tentatively between her teeth, and smiled with pleasure. “Um, these are great. Gringg candy,’ she said, offering some to Ken, who reached out to take it.
“Ah-ah-ah!” Kate scolded, putting a hand between them.
“No one else gets to try anything until you, my dear, have gone twenty-four hours without a reaction.” Kelly gulped. “I guess I didn’t realize what a serious job this was going to be.”
“I’m sorry,’ Kate said, kindly. “I’m sure everything’ll be all right, but if you’re going to run a proper experiment, control is essential.”
“Oh, well,’ Kelly sighed, and opened another packet.
“And what do you call this?” she inquired of the Gringg.
Commander Frill entered, his nose twitching almost as much as one of the Gringg’s.
“Something smells wonderful,’ he said. He was holding an armful of tapes and a couple of small pieces of equipment.
“Sit down and have some,’ Kate invited him. “There’s stew, tenderfoot chilli, creamed potatoes, mixed veg, and plenty left if you can beat the Gringg to it. Your friend Lauder here was just saying that this compares favourably to ship food.”
“Thank you, ma’am,’ Frill said with alacrity, sitting down next to Ken. He helped himself generously from the stewpot and tore a huge section from the loaf beside it. “I don’t know when I last had a home-cooked meal. Between bites and exclamations of pleasure, Frill explained what he had found.
“One of the engineers at the computer control in town let me use the equipment,’ he said, “to listen to these tapes.
I’ve discovered a not insoluble prnblem.” he went on, setting the small boxes: a hand-recorder, a speaker, and a paired unit with glass-fronted screens. Across the upper was a flat green line. The lower showed stepped levels in green light. He started the recorder, and they heard Grizz repeating words after Ken. “This is to show you what the problem is. Now, this is Gringg conversation.” On the oscilloscope, the green line etched peaks above and below the centre line as the sound level lifted and fell.
The frequency monitor below showed peaks and valleys, too, but more peaks than valleys when Ken’s voice was heard, with just the opposite whenever the Gringg did.
“Interesting,’ Ken said, peering at the numbers beside the levels on the frequency monitor. “That would explain why I couldn’t approximate some of their pronunciations.
Their voices dip down into subsonics.
“How low do they go?” Frill checked his printout. “Thirteen to fifteen cycles, sir.
“We Hrrubans would merely feel zose lowest tones, Hrrestan said.
“Ah,’ Sumitral said. “So the words go below the range of Hayuman and even Hrruban hearing.”
“It would also explain why we felt nervous, sir,’ Frill explained. “Some of these low tones provoke fear responses.” Sumitral nodded. “That guides us towards what we’ll need to make coherent contact with the Gringg.”
“If I can ask a favour, Admiral?” Kate Moody said, standing up to dish out more food.
“I’ll grant it if I can,’ Sumitral said, watching her heap potatoes on to his plate.
Kate strove to keep her voice light. “Don’t forget the little people who helped make this meeting possible, will you? The citizens of Doonarrala are wildly interested in h
elping to learn whatever they can about the Gringg, and want a chance to help. They’re not afraid of challenges or they wouldn’t be here. Don’t shut them out.”
“Madam, I don’t discount the input from those who have helped so far, especially the children, to whom the Gringg seem very attached,’ Sumitral acknowledged. “And I’d be a fool to push aside volunteer staff who are so eager to be included, so long as they acknowledge that I’m in charge of this mission.
“Oh, I don’t think they’ll mind that,’ Kate said. “It’s being left out that they’d hate.
“This is Doonarrala,’ Kelly said, indicating herself and Nrrna.
“We take pride in getting to know others on equal terms. That’s what our husbands are doing right now on the Gringg ship, and on behalf of Alien Relations, over the twitching frame of Admiral Barnstable, I might add.”
“Cooperation made Doonarrala what it is today. I’m all for extending the principle,’ Sumitral said, smiling up at her.
“Good, because cooperation is going to start with someone else cleaning up after this meal,’ Kate said with a broad grin. “Rachel, organize a few volunteers from those outside, will you? Then we can get on with the tests.”
“I must go,’ Nrrna said. “It is nearly time for Hrrunna’s meal. I must find Jilamey and ze children.
Sumitral rose and helped her out of her chair. “You take good care of that small ambassador,’ he told her “Zonk you, I shall,’ she said, beaming shyly at the head of Alreldep.
“Make sure the Cats get to bed on time,’ Kelly called.
“Jilamey will let them stay up till all hours, and they are not to stay out of school on Uncle’s say so.” Hrrestan yawned, slurring his words out of pure exhaustion. “I forr one am wearry. I am adjuzzed to Zreaty Island time, and we started earrly wiz ze confornce zis morning.” Unexpectedly, Nrrna was in the doorway again. She gestured behind her.
“Zese people wrrr waiting outside ze drrr.” She did not have a chance to move aside for she was pushed in by the crowd of Hayumans and Hrrubans who forced their way into the room. To Ken, their uniformly stony expressions gave them the aspect of a mob, not yet touched off, but potentially dangerous.
At their head were Barnstable and Second Speaker.
Sumitral, standing beside the table, crossed his arms and waited, calmly, while the mob organized itself around the perimeter of the big room, keeping wary eyes on the Gringg but patently determined to be in earshot.
Hrrestan rose and stood beside him.
“Well, Ev, how are you?” Sumitral asked.
Barustable ignored the courtesy. “These people wanted to have a word with the colony leaders about this situation.”
“And precisely which sizuazhon is zat?” Hrrestan asked, his tone relaxed but his eyes moved warily over the faces.
“The interruption of our space port conference by these things,’ protested Lorena Kaldon, jerking her hand at the Gringg. “I came here to talk construction, mortgages and interest rates, not alien invasions. My time is valuable, as is that of my colleagues here.”
“We must do what we came to do!” added a Hrruban whom Hrrestan remembered as being a crony of the now-retired Third Speaker, a notorious reactionary. “Send zem back where zey came from. I oppose negotiations wiz zese aliens.” “They’re called the Gringg,’ Sumitral said, a pleasant smile on his face. Eonneh and Ghotyakh, recognizing that word, rose to their feet and turned to face the newcomers.
Both Kaldon and the Hrruban, suddenly obliged to crane their necks up, stepped as far back as they could.
Swallowing, Kaldon continued, but her voice was considerably less contentious. “We came so far, planned so long for this conference. It has to continue. You must understand our positions.
“No one planned to have zuch an interruption, Delegate Kaldon, but ze conference cannot resume at this time,’ Firrestan said, “and, as co-leader of Doonarrala, I muss ask your indulgence in zis matter.
Surely you should recognize zat zeir appearrrnce has altered everything.
For ze time being, all discuzhons about ze space port must be deferrrred while we learn more about ze new arrivals.”
“But we’ve been working for months to make our bids on the construction of a space port,’ she protested indignantly. “We can’t just call a halt and continue as before simply because of. . . hairy monsters. They aren’t interfering with the space port project. Why can’t we go ahead with it?”
“Now, my dear Ms Kaldon,’ Sumitral said, stepping forward, “that wouldn’t be wise. And indeed, the hold may be for a very short time.
But look at the arrival of the Gringg from a different angle: you are witnessing an incident of immense international significance. It isn’t given to many to be the first to see, and meet, an entirely new species of star traveller. And I put this to you, as well, once we have established communications, why we may even have to construct a larger space port. For, frankly, I suspect that their main objective in seeking other civilized, or inhabited planets is to initiate trade.” He pointedly ignored a growl of protest from Barnstable’s direction.
“Were I you, I would believe myself lucky to be in on the ground floor for those you represent. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to learn of the possibility of even more customers at the space facility.
Kaldon regarded Sumitral with no little amazement and obviously considered his advice.
“Amirral,’ Second Speaker said, stepping forward, “are you not prezuming too much? How can you speak of trade when zeir objectives are not known. Nor can zey be until we can speak to zem! And even zen, such matters must be carefully prrsented to our respective goverrrments for sober, mature reflection. . . not decided out of hand herre on Rraladoona.”
“I speak as Alreldep’s representative who is always ready and willing to speak to inhabitants of our galaxy no matter what form they appear in or from what quarter of the Milky Way,’ Sumitral replied with great dignity and a gentle smile for the Second Speaker’s querulous attitude.
“Msss Kaldon, zere is also ze unassailable fact,’ Hrrestan added, “that my co-leader Rrev has had to absent himself from our prrroceedings so zey could not, in any case, continue without him.” Barnstable now beckoned imperiously to Hrrestan, Sumitral and Ken Reeve to move to one side, away from Kaldon’s group.
“See here, now, my friends,’ he said, scowling deeply and glaring from one face to anther, “I can’t approve of all this good-folks-at-home routine. These Gringgs are an unknown quantity - and don’t give me that theycame-in-friendship-unarmed guff, Reeve.
How can you be absolutely positive these creatures are so pacific?” “Suffer little children, Barnstable,’ Ken replied, more amused than irritated by Barnstable’s attitude. “But then you didn’t see, as every one here did, how the Gringgs. .
Barnstable waved him silent abruptly. “It’s just not good tactics to be open with an unknown quantity. .
“Do I have to remind you that it worked before, Admiral? Didn’t it, Hrrestan?” And now Ken included his oldest Hrruban friend.
The Hrruban co-leader whose tail had begun to lash in short hard twitches relaxed and dropped his lower jaw slowly.
“We were not quite as formidable in appearance as these. Is zat what alarmss you, Amirral?”
“What alarms me is a basic disregard for caution. I don’t want these good folk unnecessarily alarmed “They look so alarmed,’ laughed Kate Moody, joining them. “And how’d they all get in here? Place is crowded with strangers.”
“She’s right about that,’ Ken murmured to Hrrestan who also began looking at the curious faces of those backed against the wall.
“Now, that is not the issue,’ said Barnstable darkly, not liking Kate’s interruption at all. “You really are most unwise to allow such broad contact between the Gringg and the rest of the Doonarralan population. As the official head of the organization charged with the protection of this sector, I want all data kept secure and the Gringg out of public contact until we know
more about them.
We have nothing but their physical presence to go on yet and that bothers me.”
“Oh, but we got plenty of physical data on them,’ Kate said jovially. “I’ve got enough test results to satisfy anyone,’ and she gave Barnstable a jaundiced glare, “and even more reassuring empirical stuff. Gringgs like snake stew. And beans give them gas.” There were a few chuckles from the back of the crowd.
Barnstable turned around to glare at the group. “And what about the safety of these aliens? They could come to harm in this environment,’ he protested, trying another angle.
“They’re pretty sturdy,’ Kate replied. “Not much could hurt them.
I haven’t found a single allergen or toxin that their tissues react to, not even rroamal. They’ve got functioning immune systems, ticking over beautifully right now, and they don’t react to anything we do. I also can’t find anything in their systems that bugs us, except for the odd irritant, and that can be inoculated against.
They’re strong, the air is good for them, and our gravity is at least twenty per cent less than they’re used to fighting.
They’d almost be super strong here.
That appeared to upset Barnstable further. “In that case, you are exposing an entire population to danger from accidents incurred during casual contact. I can’t allow it.
Remove them at once.”
“You do not have jurisdiction here,’ Hrrestan said, his eyes flashing.
Sumitral was calm, almost apologetic. “This is an Alreldep matter, Ev, and you know that.” Barnstable could not refute it but he hated to relinquish command to another authority.
“You will keep me in the loop, of course,’ Barnstable asked, not without a measure of sarcasm.
“But, of course, Ev.”
“Dad?” Robin Reeve poked his nose around the door and peered into the room. “Ah, there you are, Dad!” Reeve’s middle son seemed to have an energy level befitting a man younger than his early twenties, and the poise of one much older. “Have I interrupted anything critical? Mom sent me to ask you when you’re coming home and if you’re bringing guests. Them?” and Robin’s eyes gleamed in keen anticipation of such a happening.