"they say we have looked upon the jawanda without seeing it—'jawanda' is the nearest pronunciation-conceptualization they can provide. The actual name is quite unpronounceable.
"Locating one of the creatures is not the difficulty. It is the method of capture, which requires apparatus of a very special type which the Lactrans do not have access to. Nor do we, I am told. Such apparatus is beyond our technology."
"Then how in blazes do they expect us to bring one of these indescribable whatsises back?" McCoy wanted to know.
Spock explained slowly. "To do this we must travel with them to a world known as Boqu. When the Lactrans traveled the Long Crawling past far-distant worlds many ghids ago, they chanced on this planet of the Boqus. These people had developed a method of controlling the jawanda. It is the Lactrans' hope that they have not lost that knowledge."
"Hope?" asked Kirk. "Don't they know for sure?"
"No, Captain. There has been no contact between Lactra and Boqu for several minaghids ."
" Mina —how long is that?" McCoy queried, trying to make some sense out of all this talk of jawandas and ghids and such.
"It is not precisely—"
"Translatable," the doctor finished for him. "I know, I know."
"But it is a considerable time," Spock concluded.
Kirk thought rapidly, gazing idly at the display table. If the Boqus had lost the required knowledge, the Enterprise would simply return its passengers to Lactra. Boqu might not even be inhabited any longer. Or, despite the Lactrans' encyclopedic store of information, their story could turn out to be a myth accepted as truth.
Nonetheless, it would be even better if he could talk the Lactrans out of the idea. He was very much aware of the compound behind them, its falsely attractive little houses and grounds waiting ominously to rewelcome the recent tenants. The Lactrans could force them back into that landscaped cage as easily as let them leave. He would have to be careful.
"Explain that we would do our utmost to help, Mr. Spock, but that the Enterprise has no facilities for the housing and the care of unknown zoological specimens. Even if we managed to capture one of these jawanda creatures, it could die for lack of proper care on the way back to Lactra."
Another of those nerve-tingling silences ensued while he awaited Spock's version of the alien's reply. It was unexpected.
"Their initial reaction—I cannot be positive, of course, Captain, but it seems to be one of mirth. Now the explanation-reply is coming through. They assure us that it will not even be necessary to utilize the Enterprise to transport the jawanda. The capture method itself, by its very nature as well as the nature of the jawanda, handles all problems of transportation and care."
Well, it had been worth a try, Kirk reflected. "It all sounds reasonable," he replied guardedly. "How do we go about finding this mysterious Boqu? I've never heard mention of such a world. And, assuming we can locate it, how do we contact the local population and go about explaining what we need?"
"They are not surprised at our ignorance," Spock countered. "Boqu is not an easy world to locate, nor one we would stumble upon in the course of normal exploration. As to finding the planet, as well as to the problems of contacting the Boqus and making the request, they have a simple solution.
"Two of them are going to come with us."
VI
This time it was Kirk's eyebrows which rose in surprise. "I see," he muttered. The thought of having a couple of Lactran superminds on board the Enterprise , minds which could at any time take control of the ship, was not a comforting one.
Not that he had any choice, if he did not want to experience the cold comforts of the force cage again. He battled with himself, uncomfortably aware that his answer was awaited.
What was he so worried about, after all? Now that the aliens had been apprised of the actual intelligence of their former captives, now that they were actively seeking their
"Locating one of the creatures is not the difficulty. It is the method of capture, which requires apparatus of a very special type which the Lactrans do not have access to. Nor do we, I am told. Such apparatus is beyond our technology."
"Then how in blazes do they expect us to bring one of these indescribable whatsises back?" McCoy wanted to know.
Spock explained slowly. "To do this we must travel with them to a world known as Boqu. When the Lactrans traveled the Long Crawling past far-distant worlds many ghids ago, they chanced on this planet of the Boqus. These people had developed a method of controlling the jawanda. It is the Lactrans' hope that they have not lost that knowledge."
"Hope?" asked Kirk. "Don't they know for sure?"
"No, Captain. There has been no contact between Lactra and Boqu for several minaghids ."
" Mina —how long is that?" McCoy queried, trying to make some sense out of all this talk of jawandas and ghids and such.
"It is not precisely—"
"Translatable," the doctor finished for him. "I know, I know."
"But it is a considerable time," Spock concluded.
Kirk thought rapidly, gazing idly at the display table. If the Boqus had lost the required knowledge, the Enterprise would simply return its passengers to Lactra. Boqu might not even be inhabited any longer. Or, despite the Lactrans' encyclopedic store of information, their story could turn out to be a myth accepted as truth.
Nonetheless, it would be even better if he could talk the Lactrans out of the idea. He was very much aware of the compound behind them, its falsely attractive little houses and grounds waiting ominously to rewelcome the recent tenants. The Lactrans could force them back into that landscaped cage as easily as let them leave. He would have to be careful.
"Explain that we would do our utmost to help, Mr. Spock, but that the Enterprise has no facilities for the housing and the care of unknown zoological specimens. Even if we managed to capture one of these jawanda creatures, it could die for lack of proper care on the way back to Lactra."
Another of those nerve-tingling silences ensued while he awaited Spock's version of the alien's reply. It was unexpected.
"Their initial reaction—I cannot be positive, of course, Captain, but it seems to be one of mirth. Now the explanation-reply is coming through. They assure us that it will not even be necessary to utilize the Enterprise to transport the jawanda. The capture method itself, by its very nature as well as the nature of the jawanda, handles all problems of transportation and care."
Well, it had been worth a try, Kirk reflected. "It all sounds reasonable," he replied guardedly. "How do we go about finding this mysterious Boqu? I've never heard mention of such a world. And, assuming we can locate it, how do we contact the local population and go about explaining what we need?"
"They are not surprised at our ignorance," Spock countered. "Boqu is not an easy world to locate, nor one we would stumble upon in the course of normal exploration. As to finding the planet, as well as to the problems of contacting the Boqus and making the request, they have a simple solution.
"Two of them are going to come with us."
VI
This time it was Kirk's eyebrows which rose in surprise. "I see," he muttered. The thought of having a couple of Lactran superminds on board the Enterprise , minds which could at any time take control of the ship, was not a comforting one.
Not that he had any choice, if he did not want to experience the cold comforts of the force cage again. He battled with himself, uncomfortably aware that his answer was awaited.
What was he so worried about, after all? Now that the aliens had been apprised of the actual intelligence of their former captives, now that they were actively seeking their
Similar Books
