Foster, Alan Dean - Humanx 03 by Foster Alan Dean

Author:Foster, Alan Dean
Language: eng
Format: epub

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The hoverer set down nearby. There was a tense con-frontation between Ryo and a group of net- and stinger-wielding soldiers. Disbelief gave way grudgingly to guarded astonishment. The two monsters were conducted to the base under watchful eyes instead of netting. There they de-scended via a heavily sealed entryway to a section Ryo had visited before. The gestures of complete amazement per-formed by the officer who'd previously refused him ad-mittance were lively to behold.

Torplublasmet was not present to greet him, having been questioned and allowed to return to his burrow, but Wuu was. "My boy." He spoke while looking past Ryo at the two monsters towering nearby. "I'd given you up days ago. I've been asked many questions, which I answered sorrow-fully and freely. How we came to be here, and why. But you appear whole and healthy. I thought they would have consumed you by now."

"Not at all. That would have been impolite, and these are civilized creatures. They can't help their appearance. Their ship was attacked by the AAnn. They thought we were responsible.

"If we can overcome the unfortunate beginning our re-spective species have managed to make, they may prove to be strong allies. There has been mutual misunderstanding of colossal proportions."

"What are you saying, Ryo?" Loo asked.

Wuu and the other Thranx looked properly shocked. "By the central burrow, they can talk!"

"Sometimes situation and precedent can combine to blunt, rather than facilitate communication," Ryo ex-plained smoothly. He looked up at Loo. "This friend of mine," and he pronounced the alien name, "is a he, the other a she." He then gestured at Wuuzelansem, gave his name, and tried to explain what a poet was.

The monsters soon deciphered the gestures and clicks. Then they shocked the assembled researchers, guards, and Wuu alike by simultaneously gesturing at the poet with a movement indicative of third-degree respect mixed with mild admiration.

"They may be monsters," Wuu decided, "but they dis-play an unarguable ability to recognize higher intelligence when it is presented to them."

"Come, let's go in," Bonnie said to Ryo. "We want you to meet our companions."

Ryo followed, Wuu hanging back just a trifle. The guards hesitated but the Thranx scientists and researchers in the group gestured them aside.

The party passed through several corridors, the monsters having to bend to clear the ceilings. Eventually they en-tered a large chamber. The saddles inside appeared unused, for obvious reasons of physiology.

Six monster males and four females lay alone or in small groups on the floor. To Ryo's untrained eye, half of them looked damaged.

As he watched, the aliens suddenly recognized Loo and Bonnie. A great deal of noise and physical contact resulted. Alien greetings, he explained to the enraptured scientists, who stood clustered in the open doorway, recorders run-ning at maximum speed.

When the greetings were concluded, Loo and Bonnie turned to Ryo. "Well, it was good to be outside for a while, anyway," said Loo.

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Ryo responded with a gesture of mild negativity. "Good to be back inside.

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