lacking in efficiency, I find your attitude more than a little insupportable.”
Jemunu-jah tensed in anticipation of a reaction from the human. But humans, he knew, did not always react as expected. They were far more individualistic and less predictable than, say, a Sakuntala.
Hasa peered sharply at the Deyzara. “You say your controls locked when you detected me?” Reaching with his free hand through a slit in the rain cape and into an opening in his pants, he brought out the pocket beacon and began rolling it back and forth between his fingers. “I crashed here because my own controls locked up. Also, my skimmer's main emergency beacon failed. Part of it reactivated only when you appeared.”
“Integrated instrumentation such as a vessel's emergency beacon is designed to be inviolable and fail-safe,” Masurathoo pointed out.
“Tell me something I don't know, squid-face.” Both of the new arrivals wondered what a squid was. To Masurathoo's way of thinking, it did not sound complimentary. But then, it was rapidly becoming clear that this human was as disagreeable a personality as had been rumored.
“First I crash out here on the edge of nowhere. Then you two come prancing along to find me, and as soon as you locate me,
you
crash.” As he glanced skyward, blinking up at the rain, he holstered his weapon. Jemunu-jah thought about making a leap for it, decided against it. If necessary, there would be better opportunities later. He had to remind himself that he was here to rescue this contrary person, not fight him.
“It occurs to me,” the human continued, “that somebody doesn't want me found and brought back.”
“I understand.” Finally able to relax now that the imposing handgun had been holstered, Masurathoo settled himself under a protective leaf. “Can you think of anyone who might wish such a misfortune to befall you?”
Hasa laughed without hesitation. It was a bold laugh, ringing out through the rain and the flooded forest. Jemunu-jah winced. The Viisiiviisii was not a good place to call attention to oneself.
“On how many worlds? Here on this dismal dump I could name maybe a hundred.” His expression turned serious again. “I just can't think of anyone who'd go to these lengths. Those who come immediately to mind might like to stick a gun in my face or an explosive purgative up my ass—but they wouldn't get this elaborate. No need to.” He squinted back out into the damp and the gloom. “There's more behind this, I'm beginning to think, than a desire to see Shadrach Hasselemoga become food for fungus.”
“Then we must look for a motive.” To emphasize the point, Masurathoo touched the end of his speaking trunk to the tip of his eating trunk. Jemunu-jah shuddered slightly. The sight was repellently suggestive of two samul worms mating. “Besides, um, personal adversaries, who else might have reason to benefit from your demise occurring in so complex a fashion?”
Hasa contemplated his new companions in isolation. Jemunu-jah didn't like the way the human was looking at him. But then, he found that he did not like much of anything about this person. Had he known how thoroughly unlikable the human really was, he would have refused the assignment in spite of the Hata's order.
A bit too late for that now.
“I've been hearing that the natives are restless,” the human was muttering. “Or rather, more restless than usual for you Sakis. Couple of sources told me they thought something big was up. They just didn't know what.” He stared relentlessly at Jemunu-jah. The gaze was of an intensity sufficient to unsettle most humans. It did not bother a Sakuntala, who could stare down an eagle.
“There always activity among my people,” he responded truthfully—and uninformatively. “It possible some might try to take advantage of such a situation as this by blaming it on others.” He looked to his companion for confirmation.
Masurathoo was appropriately outraged. “My people would
Jemunu-jah tensed in anticipation of a reaction from the human. But humans, he knew, did not always react as expected. They were far more individualistic and less predictable than, say, a Sakuntala.
Hasa peered sharply at the Deyzara. “You say your controls locked when you detected me?” Reaching with his free hand through a slit in the rain cape and into an opening in his pants, he brought out the pocket beacon and began rolling it back and forth between his fingers. “I crashed here because my own controls locked up. Also, my skimmer's main emergency beacon failed. Part of it reactivated only when you appeared.”
“Integrated instrumentation such as a vessel's emergency beacon is designed to be inviolable and fail-safe,” Masurathoo pointed out.
“Tell me something I don't know, squid-face.” Both of the new arrivals wondered what a squid was. To Masurathoo's way of thinking, it did not sound complimentary. But then, it was rapidly becoming clear that this human was as disagreeable a personality as had been rumored.
“First I crash out here on the edge of nowhere. Then you two come prancing along to find me, and as soon as you locate me,
you
crash.” As he glanced skyward, blinking up at the rain, he holstered his weapon. Jemunu-jah thought about making a leap for it, decided against it. If necessary, there would be better opportunities later. He had to remind himself that he was here to rescue this contrary person, not fight him.
“It occurs to me,” the human continued, “that somebody doesn't want me found and brought back.”
“I understand.” Finally able to relax now that the imposing handgun had been holstered, Masurathoo settled himself under a protective leaf. “Can you think of anyone who might wish such a misfortune to befall you?”
Hasa laughed without hesitation. It was a bold laugh, ringing out through the rain and the flooded forest. Jemunu-jah winced. The Viisiiviisii was not a good place to call attention to oneself.
“On how many worlds? Here on this dismal dump I could name maybe a hundred.” His expression turned serious again. “I just can't think of anyone who'd go to these lengths. Those who come immediately to mind might like to stick a gun in my face or an explosive purgative up my ass—but they wouldn't get this elaborate. No need to.” He squinted back out into the damp and the gloom. “There's more behind this, I'm beginning to think, than a desire to see Shadrach Hasselemoga become food for fungus.”
“Then we must look for a motive.” To emphasize the point, Masurathoo touched the end of his speaking trunk to the tip of his eating trunk. Jemunu-jah shuddered slightly. The sight was repellently suggestive of two samul worms mating. “Besides, um, personal adversaries, who else might have reason to benefit from your demise occurring in so complex a fashion?”
Hasa contemplated his new companions in isolation. Jemunu-jah didn't like the way the human was looking at him. But then, he found that he did not like much of anything about this person. Had he known how thoroughly unlikable the human really was, he would have refused the assignment in spite of the Hata's order.
A bit too late for that now.
“I've been hearing that the natives are restless,” the human was muttering. “Or rather, more restless than usual for you Sakis. Couple of sources told me they thought something big was up. They just didn't know what.” He stared relentlessly at Jemunu-jah. The gaze was of an intensity sufficient to unsettle most humans. It did not bother a Sakuntala, who could stare down an eagle.
“There always activity among my people,” he responded truthfully—and uninformatively. “It possible some might try to take advantage of such a situation as this by blaming it on others.” He looked to his companion for confirmation.
Masurathoo was appropriately outraged. “My people would
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