was wide-eyed and unafraid.
“What should we do?” Joshumabad fought hard to suppress the panic that was rising within him.
“Nothing,” Yeicurpilal informed him. “Remain as you are. Let the larva come to us.”
Not without some concern, Joshumabad did as he was told. The girl halted a couple of arm’s lengths away, one finger pressing against her lower lip. “Hello, bugs. What are you doing here?”
“What are
you
doing here?” Nilwengerex asked her in Terranglo so fluent that Joshumabad was startled. He knew the specialist was competent in the local language, but he’d had no idea he was so skilled. “This is a restricted area. Only authorized adult humans are supposed to have access.” He looked beyond her. “How did you get in?”
“Hole in the fence,” she replied without hesitation. “Maman says the big storm last week made it.” She glanced back over a shoulder, though not to the degree a thranx could manage, and gestured importantly with one finger. “We’re having a picnic.”
Nilwengerex looked to his superior. “We must report this violation.”
Yeicurpilal indicated resignation. “Of course. The humans will be most upset.”
“At this point any kind of reaction we can get from them would be welcome. The council’s official impatience notwithstanding—” He arched his antennae significantly in Joshumabad’s direction. “—I look forward to the resumption of proper negotiations and exchanges.” So saying, he stepped toward the child.
Joshumabad’s instinctive reaction was to restrain the other male. Aware that Nilwengerex was the specialist in thranx-human interaction and he only a recently arrived newcomer, he held back. Lowering his head, Nilwengerex extended a truhand in an odd fashion.
“I am Nilwengerex. These are my friends, Yeicurpilal and Joshumabad. We are pleased to meet you.”
“Hi. I’m Tomea.” Reaching out, she took the extended truhand and shook it up and down. Joshumabad was impressed at how readily and easily Nilwengerex flowed with the gesture, which the representative quickly recognized as the most common human method of greeting. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard Maman and her friends talking about you.” The doubly perforated organ located in the center of her face expanded and contracted several times. Following this, the corners of the flexible mouth curved upward and the jaws parted, exposing white teeth.
“You smell nice.”
“Tomea!” The voice was deeper than the girl’s, the tone agitated. “Tomea, where are y—?”
A subjective peroration split the air, startling Joshumabad who instinctively retreated several body lengths. Yeicurpilal did likewise, but Nilwengerex released the girl’s fingers and stepped back only reluctantly. Chances to study human larvae were rare. He had yet to encounter one that readily accepted contact.
The female who came running down the beach was not very large. The thin, loose folds of her single garment fluttered like bird wings around her slim body. Reaching the girl, she clutched her by the shoulder with a severity that stunned Joshumabad. Turning her away, the mature female lectured her offspring as they walked back the way they had come. Occasionally the adult human glanced back at the three motionless thranx as if fearing pursuit. Joshumabad could not be sure, but it appeared to him that the larva was protesting the intervention.
“Do they always treat their progeny so roughly?” The visiting representative watched the adult human march her young off the sand and back into the trees.
“Frequently.” Nilwengerex did not turn away until the two humans had been swallowed up by the palm grove. “It is a component of the naturally aggressive nature of the adults that is passed down to their brood. From my studies, it is clear to me that the humans themselves have little idea why they act in such a fashion, except that they always have.”
“It may be a reflection of the fact that among
“What should we do?” Joshumabad fought hard to suppress the panic that was rising within him.
“Nothing,” Yeicurpilal informed him. “Remain as you are. Let the larva come to us.”
Not without some concern, Joshumabad did as he was told. The girl halted a couple of arm’s lengths away, one finger pressing against her lower lip. “Hello, bugs. What are you doing here?”
“What are
you
doing here?” Nilwengerex asked her in Terranglo so fluent that Joshumabad was startled. He knew the specialist was competent in the local language, but he’d had no idea he was so skilled. “This is a restricted area. Only authorized adult humans are supposed to have access.” He looked beyond her. “How did you get in?”
“Hole in the fence,” she replied without hesitation. “Maman says the big storm last week made it.” She glanced back over a shoulder, though not to the degree a thranx could manage, and gestured importantly with one finger. “We’re having a picnic.”
Nilwengerex looked to his superior. “We must report this violation.”
Yeicurpilal indicated resignation. “Of course. The humans will be most upset.”
“At this point any kind of reaction we can get from them would be welcome. The council’s official impatience notwithstanding—” He arched his antennae significantly in Joshumabad’s direction. “—I look forward to the resumption of proper negotiations and exchanges.” So saying, he stepped toward the child.
Joshumabad’s instinctive reaction was to restrain the other male. Aware that Nilwengerex was the specialist in thranx-human interaction and he only a recently arrived newcomer, he held back. Lowering his head, Nilwengerex extended a truhand in an odd fashion.
“I am Nilwengerex. These are my friends, Yeicurpilal and Joshumabad. We are pleased to meet you.”
“Hi. I’m Tomea.” Reaching out, she took the extended truhand and shook it up and down. Joshumabad was impressed at how readily and easily Nilwengerex flowed with the gesture, which the representative quickly recognized as the most common human method of greeting. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard Maman and her friends talking about you.” The doubly perforated organ located in the center of her face expanded and contracted several times. Following this, the corners of the flexible mouth curved upward and the jaws parted, exposing white teeth.
“You smell nice.”
“Tomea!” The voice was deeper than the girl’s, the tone agitated. “Tomea, where are y—?”
A subjective peroration split the air, startling Joshumabad who instinctively retreated several body lengths. Yeicurpilal did likewise, but Nilwengerex released the girl’s fingers and stepped back only reluctantly. Chances to study human larvae were rare. He had yet to encounter one that readily accepted contact.
The female who came running down the beach was not very large. The thin, loose folds of her single garment fluttered like bird wings around her slim body. Reaching the girl, she clutched her by the shoulder with a severity that stunned Joshumabad. Turning her away, the mature female lectured her offspring as they walked back the way they had come. Occasionally the adult human glanced back at the three motionless thranx as if fearing pursuit. Joshumabad could not be sure, but it appeared to him that the larva was protesting the intervention.
“Do they always treat their progeny so roughly?” The visiting representative watched the adult human march her young off the sand and back into the trees.
“Frequently.” Nilwengerex did not turn away until the two humans had been swallowed up by the palm grove. “It is a component of the naturally aggressive nature of the adults that is passed down to their brood. From my studies, it is clear to me that the humans themselves have little idea why they act in such a fashion, except that they always have.”
“It may be a reflection of the fact that among
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