carrying,” Adri chided softly.
The people walking along the streets were perfectly human-looking men and women.Some wore ankle-length robes, as Adri did, but there were plenty of other styles of clothing, some of them very colorful. Small doglike animals scampered among them, apparently free to scurry wherever they wished. Many of the people turned to stare in curiosity at their buggy rolling past, although others seemed to ignore it. New Yorkers, said a cynical voice in Jordan’s head.
As they approachedthe broad stairway at the end of the street, Adri said to Brandon, “You can stop at the bottom of the stairs.”
Jordan tapped his brother’s shoulder. “Are we beaming all this up to the others?”
Nodding without taking his eyes from his driving, Brandon said, “Automatic feed. Thornberry’s getting everything our cameras see.”
“Good,” said Jordan.
They glided to a stop at the base of the stairs.A dozen or so people were coming down the stairs toward them.
“A reception committee?” Jordan asked as he swung his legs over the side of the buggy and got to his feet.
“A welcoming committee,” said Adri. He got up too, more slowly, stiffly. “We have decided to speak English to you. I hope that is agreeable.”
“That’s fine,” said Jordan.
As Brandon, Meek, and de Falla got off the buggy, Adriwent on, “I believe that English is the lingua franca of your people.”
A pun? Jordan asked himself. A multilingual pun from an alien?
The others came down the steps and arranged themselves around Adri and the four men from Earth. Looking them over, Jordan saw that there were six women and six men, their hair and skin coloring ranging from pale Nordic to dark African. It’s as though some politicianput together a group to represent every possible type of human being on Earth.
But we’re not on Earth, he reminded himself. These people may look human, but they are aliens.
One of the women, a pretty, pert redhead with short-cropped hair and smiling brown eyes, took a step forward and said, “Welcome to our city. We hope you make yourselves comfortable here.” She was wearing a short-sleevedlight tan blouse and dark brown slacks.
“Thank you,” said Jordan, with a suggestion of a bow. “My name is Jordan Kell. You are…?”
She looked puzzled for a moment, then seemed to grasp what Jordan was asking her. “Oh! My name is Aditi.”
“A charming name,” said Jordan. “And may I ask, what do you call your city?”
Again she looked perplexed. Adri said, “We merely call it the city.”
“And thisplanet?” Brandon asked. “When we first met you, you called it New Earth.”
“Yes,” said Adri. “Isn’t that what you call this world?”
“That’s right. But what do you call it?”
“And how did you know that was the name we used?” Meek added.
Adri smiled placatingly. “This planet’s name in our language is very similar to your term, New Earth.”
Meek’s lean face took on a suspicious scowl. “And justwhat is your language, may I ask?”
Adri stood silent for a moment, then uttered an indecipherable sound, a combination of a fluting whistle and an undulating low moan. Meek’s jaw dropped open and Jordan fought down an urge to laugh at the astrobiologist’s consternation.
“I’m sorry,” Adri said. “Our language has very different roots than yours. I believe it will be much easier if we communicatein English. At least for the time being.”
“I agree,” said Jordan. “At least for the time being.”
Aditi gestured toward the stairs and said, “Would you like to see our…” She hesitated, looked at Adri.
“Our administrative center,” Adri finished for her.
“City hall?” Jordan asked, with a smile.
“Oh, it’s more than that, Mr. Kell. Much more.”
THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER
With Aditi on one side of him and Adri on the other, Jordan climbed the steps of the impressive building. He felt somehow eager, excited by these strange yet familiar
The people walking along the streets were perfectly human-looking men and women.Some wore ankle-length robes, as Adri did, but there were plenty of other styles of clothing, some of them very colorful. Small doglike animals scampered among them, apparently free to scurry wherever they wished. Many of the people turned to stare in curiosity at their buggy rolling past, although others seemed to ignore it. New Yorkers, said a cynical voice in Jordan’s head.
As they approachedthe broad stairway at the end of the street, Adri said to Brandon, “You can stop at the bottom of the stairs.”
Jordan tapped his brother’s shoulder. “Are we beaming all this up to the others?”
Nodding without taking his eyes from his driving, Brandon said, “Automatic feed. Thornberry’s getting everything our cameras see.”
“Good,” said Jordan.
They glided to a stop at the base of the stairs.A dozen or so people were coming down the stairs toward them.
“A reception committee?” Jordan asked as he swung his legs over the side of the buggy and got to his feet.
“A welcoming committee,” said Adri. He got up too, more slowly, stiffly. “We have decided to speak English to you. I hope that is agreeable.”
“That’s fine,” said Jordan.
As Brandon, Meek, and de Falla got off the buggy, Adriwent on, “I believe that English is the lingua franca of your people.”
A pun? Jordan asked himself. A multilingual pun from an alien?
The others came down the steps and arranged themselves around Adri and the four men from Earth. Looking them over, Jordan saw that there were six women and six men, their hair and skin coloring ranging from pale Nordic to dark African. It’s as though some politicianput together a group to represent every possible type of human being on Earth.
But we’re not on Earth, he reminded himself. These people may look human, but they are aliens.
One of the women, a pretty, pert redhead with short-cropped hair and smiling brown eyes, took a step forward and said, “Welcome to our city. We hope you make yourselves comfortable here.” She was wearing a short-sleevedlight tan blouse and dark brown slacks.
“Thank you,” said Jordan, with a suggestion of a bow. “My name is Jordan Kell. You are…?”
She looked puzzled for a moment, then seemed to grasp what Jordan was asking her. “Oh! My name is Aditi.”
“A charming name,” said Jordan. “And may I ask, what do you call your city?”
Again she looked perplexed. Adri said, “We merely call it the city.”
“And thisplanet?” Brandon asked. “When we first met you, you called it New Earth.”
“Yes,” said Adri. “Isn’t that what you call this world?”
“That’s right. But what do you call it?”
“And how did you know that was the name we used?” Meek added.
Adri smiled placatingly. “This planet’s name in our language is very similar to your term, New Earth.”
Meek’s lean face took on a suspicious scowl. “And justwhat is your language, may I ask?”
Adri stood silent for a moment, then uttered an indecipherable sound, a combination of a fluting whistle and an undulating low moan. Meek’s jaw dropped open and Jordan fought down an urge to laugh at the astrobiologist’s consternation.
“I’m sorry,” Adri said. “Our language has very different roots than yours. I believe it will be much easier if we communicatein English. At least for the time being.”
“I agree,” said Jordan. “At least for the time being.”
Aditi gestured toward the stairs and said, “Would you like to see our…” She hesitated, looked at Adri.
“Our administrative center,” Adri finished for her.
“City hall?” Jordan asked, with a smile.
“Oh, it’s more than that, Mr. Kell. Much more.”
THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER
With Aditi on one side of him and Adri on the other, Jordan climbed the steps of the impressive building. He felt somehow eager, excited by these strange yet familiar
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