The Stones of Nomuru
- Автор: Де Камп Лайон Спрэг
- Серия: Viagens Interplanetarias #7
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Stones of Nomuru». Краткое содержание книги:
Mild-mannered Terra archeologist Keith Salazar was just minding his business, digging up the alien past on an out-of-the-way site on the planet Kukulcan, when suddenly he was beseiged by intruders on his scholarly peace: hostile natives, an indifferent ex-wife, and a demon developer with rapacious eyes glued on both his site and his true love.
In the course of protecting his dig, regaining his loved one and vanquishing his rival, Salazar will fight a giant reptilian predator bare-handed, leap into snake-filled pits, engineer the planet's first imperial conquest, lead and train a battalion of alien riflemen, and hold a séance. Pretty exciting work--but then maybe Keith Salazar wasn't such a milquetoast after all...
After a long pause, the poignette said: "All right, I'll come."
"Good! Can you get here tomorrow?"
"Unless I break a leg or fall into the Sappari."
"And don't forget to bring a gun!" Salazar turned to Sensao, saying, "Tell Oikisha that she is misinformed. I have a lawful mate, who will arrive tomorrow to accompany us to Machura."
"What about tonight, honorable sir?" said the Shongorin.
"I am too fatigued to perform my tribal duty tonight, and thereafter there will be no occasion for it. Good-night!"
VII – THE EMPRESS
Kara arrived the following evening. Over a late dinner, she asked: "Keith, why are we riding these junior dinosaurs? Why don't we go to Henderson and take trains to Suvarov and Machura? It's not much more roundabout and would be lots more comfortable."
"Bergen's passed the word that he'd like the planet better without me. So, until I see how my talks with Miyage and Gariko turn out, I don't care to let Bergen draw a bead on me."
Salazar had intended to leave the day after Kara's arrival, but delays in collecting supplies and buying extra jutens held them up for another day. In the afternoon, Kara tried out her new juten. She teetered uncertainly in the saddle.
"Oh, dear!" she said. "If this thing ever starts or stops suddenly, I'll fall off on my head like the White Knight. If only I had stirrups!"
"I've ordered some in Neruu," said Salazar, standing beside her mount, "but they'll take at least an eight-day. Hey, I just had an idea!"
He stepped in front of the juten, grasped one of its short, clawed forelimbs, and wrapped the digits around Kara's booted ankle. To the juten he said: "Tettai!" meaning "hold."
After several trials, he persuaded the beast to retain its grip on the ankle. He rewarded it with a salt tablet and went to work on the other forelimb. At the end of an hour, at the command "Tettai!" the juten would obediently grasp its rider's ankles.
"Now how do I get loose?" said Kara.
"That's another lesson." Salazar commanded "Guu-chai!" and unpeeled the juten's fingers.
After another hour the animal, seduced by salt tablets, would grasp and release its rider's ankles on command. Salazar said: "If we can train the other jutens to do this, we shan't need stirrups! I suppose the Kooks never thought of it because, with those talons on their feet, they've never needed to. Let's see if you can train my Daffodil to do likewise!"
During the extra day, Sesao continued Oikisha's Shongo lessons. Salazar reported to Kara: "Sensao will go with us as far as Shongaro, where Chief Sambyaku hangs out."
"How are the language lessons doing?"
"First-rate; Kooks have marvelous memories. Tell Oikisha that 'water' in Shongo is mudai, and she's got it permanently. Wish I were so good."
"On the other hand," said Kara, "such good memories might account for their ultra-conservatism. That can be a disadvantage."
"Especially," added Salazar, "in conflict with a technologically more advanced species. Oh, well, any virtue overdone becomes a vice."
The next morning saw the departure of Salazar, Kara, Oikisha, and Sensao, each on a juten with a fifth beast to carry baggage. They dropped Sensao off at Shongaro and briefly paid their respects to Chief Sambyaku. As they continued on toward Biitso, the capital of High Chief Miyage, Salazar said to Kara:
"It's hard to work up warmth of feeling for Kooks, with their robotic personalities; but I guess Sambyaku's the closest to a friend that I have among them. I can't help being prejudiced toward him, after he saved my life in that brouhaha with Bergen at Neruu."
Oikisha pulled her mount up beside Salazar's to continue her linguistic exercises. Salazar, whose own Shongo was for from perfect, was hard put to it to act as teacher. Moreover, as Oikisha's vocabulary expanded, she began asking questions.
Was it true that they came from another world? Was it true that the world was round? If so, why did people not foil off it? Why was Salazar digging holes in the ground? Why was he interested in old ruins? How long had Kara been his mate? How many offspring did they have? When Salazar said none, she asked: Was the female Terran an onnifa like Oikisha? How could she be a lawful mate if barren?
When the questions became painful, Salazar said: "Enough, Oikisha. I must rest my voice."
"Never saw such curiosity," he told Kara. "Most Kooks show little interest in Terran affairs."
"She must be exceptionally bright," replied Kara. "Cabot says they vary over as wide a spectrum in intelligence, from genius to moron, as Terrans do."
Nightfall found the party on the road. The country through which they passed was pleasant, with cultivated fields neatly separated by orderly strips of woodland. Salazar said: "Here's a nice little grove, and I'm sure the draw ahead has a creek at the bottom. Let's send Oikisha to fetch water and then pitch the tent here."
Later, fed and relaxed, Salazar and Kara were stretched out in their sleeping bags on the floor of the tent. Salazar said:
"Good-night; sleep—Hey!"
A Kookish head was thrust through the flap into the tent. Salazar switched on his flashlight and reached for his pistol before he saw that it was Oikisha, her big yellow eyes aglow in the beam. He said in Shongo:
"What is it, Oikisha?"
The onnifa replied in halting Shongo.
"What's she saying?" asked Kara sleepily.
Salazar gulped. "I'll be dammed."
"Doubtless you will be, according to the Reverend Ragnarsen; but what is she saying?"
"She wants to see how we do it."
"Do what?"
"Oh, come on! To be precise, she wishes to observe us in copulation."
"Keith! Is this some low scheme of yours—"
"Absolutely not!" he exclaimed hotly. "I promised I wouldn't make a pass. I wouldn't touch you if you stripped naked and wriggled into my bag with me!"
"You'd have a tough time not doing so, considering how narrow these bags are. But I have no intention of giving a demonstration."
"Let me think. If I say we just don't do it before witnesses, she might pop in unexpectedly in hopes of catching us in flagrante—I have it!" He spoke at length to Oikisha, who stared and said in Shongo:
"Honorable sir, do you swear by the spirits of your ancestors?"
"Yes. Now please leave us to sleep."
The beaked, reptilian head reluctantly withdrew. Kara asked: "What did you tell her?"
"I said we did it without physical contact, by telepathy. I impregnated you by thinking beautiful thoughts at you. I'm not sure how much she understood, and she didn't seem fully convinced. They think all Terrans are liars anyway."
Kara sputtered with laughter. "I'm sure some of the men at the News have thought beautiful thoughts at me; but none has impregnated me yet!"
"I think beautiful thoughts at you all the time," said Salazar. "What's wrong with a little harmless pleasure?"
"Keith! Get your mind above my waist!"
"But darling, you used to love our love-making. Remember—"
"I used to like filegrass rum, too, until I found it disagreed with me. I'm sure I haven't given you any encouragement!"
"Your mere presence is encouragement enough."
"Nonsense! You were never so sex-mad when we were married."
"Does a fish in the river think about water? Whether you mean to be or not, to me you're more seductive than Eve ever was to Ad—"
"Good-night, Keith!"
A little grumpily, he replied: