Analog Science Fiction and Fact - 2022 09-10 by Penny Publications

Author:Penny Publications [Publications, Penny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penny Publications
Published: 2022-08-31T22:00:00+00:00

Jeffrey approached the gate scanners sweating. From the humid air, not his illicit cargo. Yes, he could be barred from exiting the human zone if the Devas caught him. But they wouldn’t catch him.

The machines extended robotic arms around him. They didn’t linger over his backpack containing metal bits any more than usual.

The bored-looking Deva inside the air-conditioned booth looked into space where Jeffrey guessed the data from the scanners was projected. The Deva smoothed down his bushy mustache with one hand.

Jeffrey’s cheeks felt warm. Was the Deva taking longer than usual?

The light over the gate turned green. The clear plastic panels swung open. The Deva didn’t give him a second glance.

Jeffrey entered the alien city. Eyokviwex seemed able to find him anywhere, and after months of fake xenology surveys, Jeffrey knew which quarters had little Deva presence. He sipped water from a bottle as he strode. Important to stay hydrated, especially today. He passed a construction site with the Development Assistance logo on a thin blue tarp stretched over a flimsy fence, then deeper into a zone of brickmakers and thatchers.

Aliens looked up from their work. He said hello , or what he thought was hello, in the local dialect. He sometimes wondered if he accidentally insulted their mothers. None of the aliens responded to his greeting, but none took offense.

He finished his water and gave the empty bottle to a legless beggar. Its four arms curled around itself, which he thought meant it was grateful.

Jeffrey walked on, smiling, please with himself. Returning blessings everywhere.

He found a pile of jumbled bricks where some Valodurian’s house had collapsed and not been rebuilt. Rain had already softened the edges. Devas never made it this deep into the city. As good a place as any. He teetered his way about five yards across the pile. The heavy gravity and the weight in his backpack made his balance even more precarious.

From his pack, he pulled out a shrunken plastic bladder. He unscrewed the cap, turned his back to the street, and filled it with the only liquid he had.

He sat the thick-walled, bulging bag of golden liquid on a high brick backstopped by an even higher one, then picked his way back to the street. He sat on a brick and laid out the other contents of his backpack in front of him.

As he pulled out the last item, a crowd of aliens arrived. Half from his left and half from his right, hemming him in.

Jeffrey gestured at the pile of wire and metal pieces. “Here’s your blessing.”

Eyokviwex angled its head. The alien’s stink clogged Jeffrey’s nose. “Bring pieces. Not blessing.” Its mouthparts worked with a faint scritch.

“Just watch. I’ll turn the pieces into a blessing.” He kneeled at the pile.

He’d practiced over the past few days. Assembling the crossbow by hand was easy. Harder was describing what he did in a pidgin the Valodurians could understand. This many wraps of wire to lash together the pieces. So many cranks. Where to release the pressure on the wire.

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