"Reh. Ghotyakh,' Eonneh said, indicating his companion.

"I can't say that!" Alec said. "It sounds like gargling."

"Don't be stupid, Alley, it sounds like Kodiak,' Alison said. "That's a kind of bear. I guess they must be bears."

"But what are bears?" Hrrunival wanted to know.

"They're an Earth animal,' Alec said, somewhat pompously. "Mama read us about them in a story book."

"I thought there were only Havumans on Earrth, Hrrunival said. "Hrruba has no ozzer animals."

"Well, Earth did and does,' Alec informed him condescendingly. "You've seen the pictures in the book."

"They're Gringg,' Jilamey said, coming over to kneel beside the children. Following his example, Eonneh, renamed Honey, rolled back on his mighty haunches, bringing him closer to their level. "They've come to Doonarrala from their own world to meet us."

"You do not have any assurrrance of zese fine seriziments,' an older Hrruban male snapped. Ken recognized him as Trrengo, a relative newcomer to Rrala.

"I think we do,' Alec said, suddenly turning an incredibly adult expression on Trrengo. "Uncle Jilamey says we shouldn't be afraid. He doesn't lie to us. You're friendly, aren't you?" He held out a hand to Ghotyakh, who engulfed it completely in his vast paw.

"Wait, don't let him touch you!" cried one of the Human colonists, Bob Lawrence.

"He's OK,' Alec said, shaking hands solemnly. Alison followed suit, putting her hand into Ghotyakh's other paw.

"Just like their father,' mumbled Macy McKee, patting his wife's hand on his arm. "I remember the first time Todd brought us a passel of Hrrubans to meet-' He broke off and looked about in surprise. "And hey, these fellows don't make me sneeze!"

"By analogy that should prove that these fellows are dangerous,' Lawrence said sardonically.

"What a bizarre way to distinguish friend from foe,' said Dr Kate Moody in her caustic way as she pushed her way through her neighbour.

"Allergies apart, they're sure not acting hostile. And the Alley Cats aren't the least bit skeered. Nor young Hrrunival. Look at them hunkering down to get level with your kids. Evening, Ken,' she said cheerfully as he approached. "Back to your old habits, huh, finding aliens. Well, a man has to keep his skills honed or lose "em. By any chance, are these the patients I was told to examine? I don't see any wounded lying about.

Of course, the fellow on the Spacedep cruiser wasn't sure if they were a job for Ben Adjei, as veterinarian, or for me, so we both came.

And I'm glad we did! The size of "em! Well grown lads!" Ken had brought Kelly, Mrrva, and Nrrna, still clutching her baby, all three women somewhat hesitant. "Come on, ladies, let me make you known to the Gringg. This is Eonneh. Go on! Introduce yourself. Tell him your name.

I need more recordings of his responses to get more of their inflections." Kelly glanced at Ken to make sure he was serious. With one hand he urged her forward, showing the recording device in the palm of the other.

"Kelly,' she turned her thumb to her chest, "I'm Kelly." Then she turned her thumb to the smaller of the two and raised her eyebrows quizzically. "Your name?"

"Gelli,' Eonneh repeated carefully, thumping his furry chest with his immense big fist. "Eonneh. Eonneh."

"Honey!' the children chorused, delighted with such a name.

Ken made the rest of the introductions, laying his hand on each child's head and repeating the name. Then he turned to see which of the neighbours were willing. Most of those who were, he noted with amusement, were members of the original Doonan colony or those who had arrived just after the Decision. Hrrula was delighted by the Gringg, especially the way they sniffed, very politely, at each person they met. The others, mostly recent arrivals, watched cautiously from a discreet distance.

The children had none of their parents' reserve. They were eager to meet Honey and Kodiak, as they'd been renamed. The Gringg tried to pronounce each new name, causing some of the kids to muffle their giggles in their hands. Made bolder by their curiosity, more children came out of the surrounding houses and came timidly forward to see the visitors, then retreated, loud with relief, having experienced nothing more terrifying than a handshake.

"Come on, Nrrna,' Ken said, urging the shy Hrruban girl forward.

"They're really very friendly." Still clasping Hrrunna, Nrrna slowly approached Honey and Kodiak. When she got close enough, she stood on tiptoe, her tail balancing out behind her, and looked deeply into their dark-red eyes. Both Gringg saw the sleeping cub and exchanged wide-eyed glances. Kodiak urged Honey forward, almost prodding him towards Nrrna.

Very cautiously, as if afraid to frighten her or disturb the sleeper, Honey crept forward, eyes always on the curled infant. He hunched his shoulders and extended his neck, twisting his head from side to side, all attention focused on little Hrrunna. Then, ever so slowly, Honey held out his huge paws and gave a single gentle, soft interrogative grunt. As one in a trance, Nrrna held the sleeping cub towards him and slipped her into his great furry paws where the little Hrruban was cradled with tender care.

Nrrna ignored the gasps around them.

Hirro even went so far as to leap forward, as if to snatch the cub from Honey but, as if she hadn't even seen his movement, Nrrna stepped in his path.

"I trust you,' she told the Gringg in the Middle Hrruban most of the onlookers would understand, her voice clear and strong in the sudden silence. "There is no harm in you that I can sense. You do come as friends." The aliens were obviously entranced with Hrrunna and ignored everything else. Ken could barely contain his delight in Nrrna's actions and words. In the hush that fell on the crowd, he could plainly hear the tiny whirr that meant someone was recording this on film, too, for which he was very grateful. He'd been so concerned with getting Gringg sounds down, he'd forgot to attend to a visual account.

Now Honey let out a tiny coo, the softest sound Ken had heard a Gringg make. The baby opened her eyes and briefly stared up at him, then stretched her pliant body across Honey's broad palms. The coo seemed to soothe her eyes shut. She let out a little sigh, and went back to sleep, curling her tiny tail about her. Honey's coo turned into soft melodic sounds, hovering just above audible level.

Ken turned up the gain on his recorder, hoping to get every note.

Maybe it wasn't a Gringg lullaby, just Honey murmuring under his breath but the tableau the Gringg presented was an effective one as far as a crowd pleaser went, for soft looks were exchanged and people definitely relaxed. Against their original intent, the settlers were being persuaded of the Gringgs' pacifism by the gentleness shown a cub.

Even the sceptics, with the exception of Hirro, regarded the large Gringg with less obvious apprehension.

"Music,' Ken murmured to Kelly, "if that's what we're hearing now, is one more common language. I wonder what their reaction will be to Terran classics."

"Wagner? Mahler? Mtxainah? Hrnatn?" asked Kelly, dubiously. "I can't but be prejudiced towaras a race that genuinely like our young,' she added, listening while Eonneh and Ghotyakh continued rumbly bass notes in soft harmony. She swept away a red wisp of hair from her sweaty forehead. "Whew! I thought they were mda!

Just as furry but much nicer." Commander Frill seemed equally charmed by Hrrunna, too. He hung over Honey's arm, admiring the cub.

"This is the tiniest Hrruban I've ever seen. She's beautiful,' he told Nrrua. "How old is she?"

"Born within the month,' Nrrna said proudly.

"The youngest ambassador in the galaxy,' said someone behind Ken.

He turned to see Admiral Afroza Sumitral, his grey eyes alight, waiting beside Ben Adjei.

"You got here quickly,' Ken said, shaking hands with his old friend.

"Not quickly enough, I see,' Sumitral replied, half chidingly.

"Once again the legitimate function of interplanetary diplomats has been usurped by the children of Doona. I wonder that we don't just induct the whole colony into Alreldep. Why don't you make me known to your friends here? Everyone else seems to have met them." Laughing, Ken made a sweeping bow, from Sumitral towards the Gringg. "Introduce yourself. That's what we've done."

"And now,' Kate Moody said when Sumitral had completed the formality, "if we've all finished becoming acquainted, I'd like to take a professional look at these two bruisers here. Ken, can we sort of manoeuvre them towards the Medical Centre?"

"I am puzzled, Ghotyakh,' Eonneh said, following the new Ayoomnnns through the village. "That Rroobvnnn with the small cub was at first very reserved with us.

When we gave it back, it made suckling motions towards him as if looking for the source of milk. Could he be, in fact, a she?"

"A distinct possibility,' Ghotyakh agreed. "We may be in error in our original assumptions. Previously I thought all the ones with tails were the males. Have we erred?"

"We must not be hasty in this. The appearance of the first Rroobvnnn we met closely matched our generative configuration. Perhaps they change after they have borne young?"

"Oh, I see!" Eonneh exclaimed, his roar of comprehension alarming some of the Ayoomnnns. "Our first visitor must have been a heifer. We must ask Genhh for the truth of this. I would not want to bring back specious data to Grzzeearoghh."

Chapter 5

CASTLETON ESCORTED THE ADMIRAL AND HIS PARTY back to her ready room. The two Hrrubans were very nervous, and kept looking back at the escort of security guards that followed. She regretted the necessity of upsetting them, but regulations were regulations, and anyone on board who was not Spacedep had to be accompanied at all times. At least the rules allowed for the safe passage of visitors. Thank heavens Admiral Barristable was more moderate than his predecessor.

Admiral Barustable waited to speak until they were all seated and had been served refreshments.

"Good,' he said when the door was quietly shut. "This room has been secured?" and when Castleton nodded, he continued. "We must address the matter of the Gringg.

Now that we have some data to analyse it, we can consider whether or not we are being rushed into intimacy with a potentially hostile race by over-anxious individuals."

"I find zem most zrreatening,' Mllaba said, firmly. "Zey seemed so complezely unafrraid when zey boarded zis ship for ze first time. I felt as if zey had previous intimazhons of what zey would encounzer here."

"Too confident,' Barnstable agreed, nodding. "That suggests a very sophisticated culture. Accustomed to dealing with alien species. You didn't sense any probes, did you, Grace?"

"None at all, Admiral,' Castleton replied.

"I would have said they made no attempt whatsoever to scan us. I find them interested and curious, but not overtly hostile."

"I am not so surrre,' Hrrto said. He was torn. On the one hand, it was important to establish good relations with an obviously sophisticated new sentient race. On the other, he realized that it was foolhardy to rush into such relationships, without having a firm understanding of mutual intentions. So far, the Gringg had made the Hrrubans and Havumans come to them, thereby giving them what the Hayumans called "home court advantage'.

It would not look well to the Hrruban High Council to appear in a subordinate position. Such loss of face could be fatal to Second's hopes in an election year.

There were many candidates standing to take over the now-vacant First Speakership which Hrrto felt that he had to win. In his opinion, very few of the nominees had either the experience or acumen for the office.

The prime Speakership should not fall into the hands of some dilettante or partisan who might involve the Council in irrelevancies to please his supporters: someone with no standards or appreciation of true Hrrubanism.

He felt himself to be the best possible choice. Having been Speaker for External Affairs for more than forty years, he understood what could happen to their carefully maintained civilization if Hrruba was badly led, and he was determined not to allow that to happen. If he was seen to be in the wrong in such a sensitive matter as dealing with the Gringg, his popularity, and his reputation, would plummet.

Public opinion was fickle.

"In my opinion,' he went on when he realized that a polite silence prevailed in expectation of his next words, "caution is indicated. I would like more data as soon as possible. Should we not be hearing from ze medical examiner on Rrala about now?"

"I doubt there could be any comprehensive results so soon,' the captain said. "Laboratory work takes time."

"Yes, of course,' Hrrto replied, fingering his robes.

Across the room from the Second Speaker, Jon Greene was busy over a hooded monitor, his fingers flicking swiftly over the controls.

Grace Castleton eyed him, wondering what he was seeing that gave him such a worried expression. Milaba flexed and stretched the claws of one hand along the tabletop.

"Well?" she said at last and with some impatience in her tone.

"Do we go? Or stay? You must not waste more of the Speaker's most valuable time."

"Sirs, ma'am, Captain, the wait is worth it, I assure you, Greene said, straightening up, "for I have finally found what I've been searching for. Now, this is the tape made while we were aboard the Gringg ship." He manipulated the controls, and the holoscreen displayed a still frame of the Gringg landing bay. One by one, the landing party entered the frame. Castleton drew in a sharp breath as she realized the scale of the big chamber. At its far end, the Gringg entered the room and began to interact with Ken Reeve.

Second Speaker's tail lashed in surprise as the largest Gringg spoke, its roar rattling the tympanum in the speaker unit. Greene allowed the tape to run for a short time, then speeded it up so the action was telescoped into a few minutes. The Hrrubans watched in silence, then turned questioning attitudes to Greene.

"Zo, we zee the firrst meeting of these creatures. Zey show intelligence and caution in zeir approach. No less did we,' Hrrto said as impatient as Mllaba. "What of it?"

"That it was only Ken Reeve's impression that they have never met sentient beings before. Just wait, sir,' Greene said. The commander froze the last frame of the three Gringg waving to the team as the shuttle lifted off, then blanked the screen.

"Now, this is a tape sent to Spacedep by an exploration team less than a month ago. It is coded classified, but Admiral Barnstable has given permission to allow you to see it. I feel it is vital to our understanding of the current situation.

Everyone drew shocked breaths when the new tape shown an uncompromising picture of a planetary landscape brutally torn and burned by conflict. Wrecked hulks of buildings of an unfamiliar architecture had been sliced in two with some potent destructive weapon. Battered shafts that did resemble known weaponry littered broad open spaces that must once have been graceful avenues.

Castleton peered at the screen, looking desperately for signs of living creatures. A series of scenes of stark, dead forests and the stumps of shattered cities flashed past without relief. Nothing living interrupted the bleak landscape. Of the residents, only a few skeletal remains could be found, and those were darkened and twisted: by radiation, the captain thought, somewhat familiar with the look of such deaths. Nothing moved except ashy debris swept around by the wind that howled eerily. The statistics overlaying the image showed readings of heavy radiation.

The changing symbols also showed that biological and chemical weapons had been deployed, and an unknown energy weapon of great force.

"This planet is in the Fingal system,' Greene said, narrating.

"Spacedep interdicted it as soon as they received the exploration team's initial report. No life-forms higher than deep sea algae remain on a world that, to judge by the artifacts left behind, had an advanced civilization.

Estimates are that it would take over two thousand years for radiation levels to drop sufficiently to allow Havumans to live there." The image faded, to be replaced by that of an orbiting spaceship.

Hrrto caught his breath as he realized it was identical to the one currently circling Rraladoona. It seemed subtly different, and as the exploration team's camera drew closer, he could see that this ship was derelict, its hull riddled with jagged rents caused by explosive charges and the neater, milled holes of laser bolts. The image, now recorded by a handheld unit, moved through darkened corridors: the white glare of its lights resting momentarily on the occasional floating corpse. Hrrto's tail twitched in surprise. There was no doubt about the identity of the dead. They were Gringg.

"It would seem that Ken Reeve's assumption was wrong. The Gringg have met other sentient species before,' Greene said. His eyes met Castleton's. "And they destroyed them. The population of an entire planet, wiped out.

The captain felt a cold finger trace down her spine.

She shuddered. Greene moved his gaze from Castleton to Barnstable.

"In the light of that,' and he gestured to the screen, "this hail-well-met attitude towards the Gringg has gotten a trifle out of control. Hasn't it, Admiral?" The Admiral shifted in his seat.

"Damned straight. It's turning into a regular circus animal act already."

"Perrhaps too much opennessss was ssshown,' Second agreed, edgily, "but zince it iss shown, what is to be done about ze steps Rrev hass already taken?" And he gestured towards Rraladoona.

Barnstable brought his big fist down emphatically on the tabletop.

"Get in touch with him immediately and require him to show some restraint, that's what. Don't show so much damned hayseed cordiality until we've got a tap on what they're really here for. This dumb show of theirs, so polite and open, could mask invasion procedures,' and he waved his hand at the screen and the devastation it still portrayed.

"They could be softening us up so that our defences are down when their main fleet comes powering in."

"With all due respect, sir, the Gringg have done nothing - here - to arouse suspicions of their intent,' Captain Castleton said with some restraint. Even a ship's captain practised tact in dealing with an admiral. Greene's evidence was upsetting but incitement made her twice as cautious. "Their ship sent no probes. They waited until we made contact. To me that shows peaceful intent. Envoys have been exchanged - which I feel is a mark of amazing trust on their part, considering we're two species to their one. So far all they've seen are the insides of a shuttle and the reception area of this ship. Right now, they're on an agriculturally based colony world, not one of our home worlds which are not in the least bit endangered." She grirmed to relieve the tension for the Admiral was scowling even if he was listening to what she said. "Not that we know where the other's home world is,' and she inclined her head in a courteous bow to Hrrto. "How can their mere presence on Doonarrala constitute a serious threat? Surely they are more vulnerable than we. Their vessel's not armed." Greene cut in. "We don't know that they're completely without armament, sir. When you consider the devastation of the Fingal planet, they might have some new weapon we can't identify." "Zat is true enough,' Captain Hrrrv said thoughtfully.

"All we know iss zat zey have no nuclear weapons or what we consider usssual orrrdnance." Finding an ally, Greene continued forcefully. "Other weapons with less sophisticated delivery systems might be concealed aboard: powerful incendiaries composed of unknown substances and not easily detectable. I suspect whatever that ship used on Fingal III could be easily hidden in that mass of water in the central globe of the ship. They are a new race. We don't know what they are capable of. All we do know is that they can destroy a planet.

Since we have no direct verbal contact, I feel it is necessary to limit what they are allowed to see and establish verbal communications as quickly as possible."

"They ought to be allowed the benefit of the doubt,' Castleton said, appealing to Barnstable. "How long ago was the war in the Fingal system? Have the usual tests been done to discover how long that ship has been floating in space? How do we know that isn't a Gringg world and those were the defenders? Not the aggressors?" Greene shot her a dire look which she ignored. "The point is, Captain, that ship was armed and Ordnance is still trying to puzzle out their weapons systems."

"Has Admiral Sumitral been briefed on the Fingal III discovery?" Castleton asked.

"How could he be when the matter's been classified?

He's Alreldep anyhow, not naval, for all his title,' Barnstable said, then waved his hand to dismiss that consideration. "The fact remains that a ship of indisputable Gringg design was discovered in orbit around Fingal IIIcall it circumstantial evidence, if you wish, Grace - which has been absolutely wasted. That's enough to give me pause to consider very carefully how to proceed with the Gringg. I trust,' and he looked around the table, nodding politely to Hrrto and Captain Hrrrv, "that you all realize that this meeting is not to be discussed at all?

Good. You'll remain on yellow alert, Captain Castleton, and Second Speaker, I'd appreciate your giving the same orders to your ships. Forewarned is forearmed!" Castleton could not fault that as she sat, staring at the frozen frame on the screen. Her initial impulse was to trust the Gringg, but intellectually she understood very well the need to remain on guard until both sides were satisfied of the other's peaceful intent. The Amalgamated Worlds had been at peace for centuries. The very thought of an interstellar war chilled her. She felt a warm touch at the back of her hand, and looked up to find Jon Greene watching her with his brows drawn upwards, asking a silent question. His moulded lips curved at the corner in a small smile of confidence. She nodded at him, returning the smile in spite of her worry. The expression in his eyes became warmer. Despite their obvious differences of opinion, she was inexplicably attracted to this man.

But she was now on alert status and there was no time for any private life.

"Of coursse, all waits upon being able to speak to each otherrr,' Hrrto said.

"At least the most experienced man we've got is in charge of that,' Grace Castleton said, finding relief in the fact.

"Sumitral?" Barnstable asked. "Has he arrived?"

"Not that we've been informed, Admiral,' Grace said, "but I meant Reeve Barnstable gave a little grunt. "I heard that he learned Hrruban first." Then he remembered the presence of Hrrubans in the room, and smoothly went on, "Which was only logical at the time, of course."

"I hope he's the right man to do the initial work,' Greene said, looking concerned. "Some people get so wound up in their own specialty that they fail to see the broader view.

"Rrev has proved his competencee on several levels,' Hrrto said, surprising himself as well as MIlaba. "He prrotects, as alwayss, Rraladoona." He dropped his jaw in a slight smile.

"Of course, Second Speaker,' Greene said quickly, "but I found his manner of taking charge of the first contact a shade officious.

"He was asked to do so,' Castleton reminded him. "After all, he expedited them to the planet which protected the technology on this ship from their scrutiny."

"Aye,' Hrrrv agreed. "It waz wise to rrremove zem from zis vessel at once."

"Zo, Admirral,' Second said, folding his arms across his chest, "we wait?"

"I'll instruct Sumitral,' Barnstable said decisively, "to find out as soon as possible, using whatever methods, signs, sketches, are needed what part of the galaxy they come from, and how they found their way here."

"Zat, surely, can wait, Admirmal,' MIlaba said, smoothly.

"Ze threat is here, now, not wherever ze Gringg home system iss.

"But the Gringg fleet?" Barnstable held on to his concern.

"No evidence zat zere is any. Nothing is detectable in the near reaches of space,' Captain Hrrrv said.

Castleton confirmed it. "I've checked with my telemetry officer.

He agrees. They came in alone.

"Each one of them is an 800 pound warrior!" Barnstable barked.

"They're a potential danger to Humanity!"

"And to Hrrubankind as well,' Hrrto added.

"And from that tape,' Greene added, "it doesn't look as if it takes more than a single ship to decimate a planet." MIlaba was thoughtful. "Now what we really need is furzzer support for our position of caution. Ze Doonarralans will go on zeir merry way, never suspecting zat zey are set up ftrr destruczhon until ze bomb falls on zeir heads. We require prrrsons of influence, who can prevail upon zem to move with greazzer care. What about zis Hayuman Landreau? Can we gain his support to suggest a more cautious approach to ze Rralan administration?" Greene shook his head. "No, he's like a child with a new toy with the Gringg. In fact, he treats them rather like playmates. He's frivolous."

"Son, never call a Landreau frivolous,' Barnstable warned him darkly. "His family has considerable influence on Earth and elsewhere. I'd prefer to have him with us than against us." Second spoke up. "I shall endeavrrr to inform ze Hrruban High Council zat a wary approach is a wise one.

Most of zem are conservative, and I do not zink zere will be protest. Perhaps more pressure can be brought to bear on ze Doonarralans from ze two home governments?"

"Direct intervention would be better,' Barustable said.

"We need reinforcements, to have a physical presence.

Trouble is we can't get them here quickly enough. It will take weeks for ships to arrive from Earth or any of the colonies where some of our potential allies reside. We must be ready for any eventuality!' "In zis I can help,' Second said, "at least with regard to transportation. I will auzorize use of ze grid for ze specific purrpose of supporrt in zis possible crisis. A wise Stripe moves cautiously zrough a strrange forest."

"Honoured Speaker,' Mllaba began, "it would be wiser still to be sure zat ze grid operazors on duty are ones known to us, and zrrussworzy. Zey must not disclose who auzorized zis movement wizout your specific prrrmission.

"Discretion widens a Stripe,' Second replied, nodding acceptance.

"I'd feel a lot happier if we had some sort of military back-up, just in case the Gringg slough off the charm and turn on the heat,' Barnstable said.

"Sir,' Castleton said, an odd expression on her face, "need I remind you that we have a full marine complement on board the Hamilton?

Not to mention the fact that her crew have won every single martial arts competition the fleet has put on over the past five years?" The Admiral grimaced and raised a conciliatory hand.

"Now, Grace, medals for exhibition affairs are not quite the same thing as military experience "Who's had that in God knows how many years?" she asked, pursing her lips.

The Admiral's face reddened, a sharp contrast to his mane of white hair. "Grace, don't overstep yourself. I'm in charge of the safety of this sector, and dammit, I'll protect it any way I can. I allowed Reeve to take those aliens to the surface of a peaceful colony and I'll make damned certain peace is maintained there' "Yes, sir,' Grace Castleton said. "But may I still counsel moderation?"

"I've taken your counsel, and now hear mine. We're on yellow alert, and I mean alert!

We're going to be ready for anything . . ." Barnstable paused, closed his eyes briefly, suddenly remembering that there were Hrrubans right there with him, so he hastily altered what he'd been going to say.

"What I mean is, those Gringgs are naturally armoured, those fangs, their talons, their forearms have the reach of any among us.

why, that thick furry hide of theirs could probably turn away slugs.

Mllaba put in silkily, "Perhaps permeability of zeir skin and skin tension can be one of ze tests performed by your medical technician.

"Good suggestion. Maybe. In the meantime, Speaker Hrrto, I'll take advantage of your offer to use the Treaty Island grid. And, bear in mind, please, that if those Gringg make a move before we're ready for them, one of those grid operators must reach Earth alive to let them know what went on here." Hrrto nodded. "I will remain on Rrala,' he said, well aware that the Hayumans might have thought he'd chosen the easy option out by grid. The Gringg terrified him, but a more acute terror would be to lose face by fleeing.

"As you wish,' the Admiral said, rising. "I'll get in touch with a few people, transfer them up here for a little conference." He turned to Greene. "Put the connections through yourself, lad. I want a stop put to this chummy foolishness stat!"

"Admiral,' Castleton said, also rising, "shouldn't we inform the planetary administration of our discovery?"

"Indeed we should not, sir,' Greene said, suddenly.

He was still smarting from Todd Reeve's off-hand treatment of him while on board the Gringg vessel, and his flamboyant disregard of safety in embracing the aliens.

"I'd recommend against it. For security reasons alone.

We certainly don't want the grids jammed with people insisting that their department has to have representatives here, too. The necessary departments have already been informed and are present. No more information should be broadcast." And when eventually the Amalgamated Worlds knew, Greene thought with satisfaction, Todd Reeve would be disgraced, even removed from planetary office as a danger to Humanity.

The passengers aboard the Spacedep shuttle were silent on the way down to the surface of Doonarrala. Admiral Barustable sat making notes on his clipboard, pausing occasionally to call up data from its small memory bank.

Second Speaker, unaccustomed to travelling in Havuman spaceships, stared over the shoulder of the pilot, reading the control panel as if reluctant to trust the Hayuman female's expertise.

Mllaba glanced occasionally at the Hayuman who was her opposite number. Greene was attempting to meet her eyes. She wondered what he wanted. It was unusual for a Havuman to remain silent; normally they chattered away, regardless of the gravity of an event. Perhaps this male was different.

It was the middle of the night on the Treaty Island Centre.

The cleaning staff, busy with brooms and a floor polisher, paid no attention to the mixed group on its way to the grid.

Mllaba took her place behind the controls.

"Ze Firrrst Village grid,' Hrrto said to Mllaba, as he walked between the upright pillars and assumed a dignified pose. The female's claws clattered swiftly on the keyboard. Second Speaker vanished slowly in the rising mists. Barnstable looked uncomfortable and wary as he strode up on to the dais, and squared his shoulders.

"Bring me back in four hours,' the Admiral directed.

Mllaba inclined her head.

"I, too, must return to my home world to report to the Council,' Mllaba said to Greene, when the Admiral had been dispatched. "May I assist you to travel somewhere first?" The Hayuman seemed in no hurry.

"No, thank you. I've waited because I wanted to talk to you alone,' Greene said, his warm, brown eyes meeting her yellow-green ones directly. She could feel the power of his personality being brought to bear upon her. "You have no reason to trust me, and I don't trust you,' he continued disarmingly, "but we could help one another to our mutual benefit."

"How?" Mllaba asked politely Greene turned and gestured to a bench facing the grid station. Mllaba shook her head, so Greene sat down alone.

He drew up one knee and wrapped both hands around it nonchalantly.

The arrogance of the pose put Mllaba on guard. She slipped her hands protectively into her robe sleeves and stood stiffly before him, waiting.

"I know that election for the Speakership is imminent,' Greene said, gazing up at her. "If Speaker Hrrto were to gain that honour, a new Speaker for External Affairs would be appointed." If Mllaba was surprised to learn that a Spacedep officer was conversant with the intricacies of Hrruban government, she did not show it outwardly.

Inside, she felt a prickle of excitement, as if he spoke to the carefully tended ember of ambition she bore within her. She concentrated on keeping her tailtip from flicking back and forth.

"And should I display more zan usual competencee in zis most difficult and dangerous affair,' Mllaba said, "I should be ze favoured candidate. Is zat your idea?" Greene nodded, grinning. "I, too, am trying to stay on what we call a "fast track". I'm a risk-taker. I was sent to these talks partly to get me away from Spacedep HQ, and out of the line of promotion. So far, the Admiral is getting all the glory here but I'd like a little of it to drop on me.

If we work together to save Doonarrala, as well as Earth and Hrruba from the Gringg menace, both you and I would gain favour in the eyes of our superiors. Wouldn't you agree?"

"And you in the eyes of ze attractive Hayuman captain?" Mllaba asked, and complimented herself for making a telling stroke. The naked skin of the Hayuman's face flushed red. Had he thought the signals going back and forth between them were invisible to the others in the room?

"I'll tell you why Admiral Barnstable has really gone back to Earth,' Greene said, changing the subject. "He is ordering the Human defence fleet to Doonarrala.

Only he has the authority to do so. From its current position, it'll take thirty days for the fleet to get here.

Then, if the situation warrants, the Admiral could declare martial law.

Mllaba nodded. "Hrruba should prepare a similar defence fleet,' she said. Second Speaker is not acting as decisively in this matter as he should be, she thought. Hrruba ought to have been the first to take such steps, not Earth. He should have made such an order. She resolved to bring it up to the Council in his name. "And so you and I will cooperrrate and share knowledge?" she asked. "Only because zis is a crrrisis, and zat is what is best for our own species, you understand." "Of course,' Greene agreed, gravely. He stood up and put out his right hand to her, thumb upward. Mllaba stared at it for a moment before offering her own in the same position. He clasped her hand strongly, then released it.

Hayuman customs were so strange! She tucked her hands primly back into her sleeves, and Greene stepped away.

He respected her; that was good. She intended to maintain the uppermost hand in this relationship. He needed her cooperation far more than she needed his.

Mllaba set the grid controls for a thirty-second delay, and stepped on to the dais between the pillars. "I will return in four hours,' she said. As the mists rose around her, she watched the Hayuman turn and stride away towards the landing pad.

The procession into the Human First Village had taken on the aspect of a parade. Hordes of children, led by Kelly's and Nrrna's, danced around and around the cluster of adults walking with the Gringg.

When they reached the doors of the Doonarralan Medical Centre, Dr Kate herded the Gringg, Ken, Lauder, Frill, Sumitral, Hrrestan and the naval escort inside. Almost as an afterthought, she pointed at Jilamey Landreau.

"You, mind the children! I need Nrrna and Kelly as lab assistants. OK with you?"

"Anything to help,' Jilamey agreed cheerfully, and was promptly dragged away by Alec and Alison demanding to hear all about the Gringg ship.

To the adults, Kate said, "Go on with you. We'll give you the news when we have any." She smiled, scattering them with her hands as if they were chickens. When the door had closed, she turned around and let out a deep sigh. "Well! Welcome to you folks,' she said, inclining her head to the Gringg. "And welcome to you. Who's my lab partner today?" Lauder raised a timid hand. "I am, ma'am. Ensign Maura Lauder' "Just Kate, all right?" She smiled at the young officer.

"I'll call you Maura. Everyone this way, please?" She led them to her office and pointed towards the waiting room.

"The rest of you stay here. I'm going to take this bruiser first,' she laid a hand on Ghotyakh's furry arm. "Be good and you get a lollipop.

The door to the examining room shut behind them. Ken looked around at the wooden-walled waiting area, remembering how many times he'd sat here with a sick child or a farm-related injury Pat hadn't been able to mend.

"Now, Reeve,' Sumitral said, beaming, "tell me all about the confrontation." Ken recounted their adventure without benefit of the tapes he and the others had made but he didn't think he left out any important details or observations. Sumitral, who believed that the mark of a good diplomat was to be a good listener, nodded occasionally as Ken talked, only interrupting once in a while to clarify a point.

"Very interesting,' Sumitral said. "Very, very interesting. I want to see those tapes as soon as we're through here. Thanks to Hrruban technology, I got here a lot faster this time."

"I think we need you more this time than we ever did with the Hrrubans,' Ken said.

Sumitral's eyes twinkled. "I'm good for show and to wrap things up nicely."

"Much more than that, sir,' Ken protested at such modesty.

"I don't have your fine honesty and instinct, Ken, which incidentally I respect immensely. Anyway, you've more experience in first contact than anyone else here. And, with creatures as large as the Gringg, I'd really feel easier when we establish a communication medium! I don't want misunderstandings of any kind with folks that big." He grinned.

But the Gringg were not without ways of making themselves understood.

"Genhh?" Eonneh asked, then paused, as if puzzled how to make his question clear.

Ken sat up straighter. "Go ahead, Honey. What?"

"Rrss.

Rroobvnnn?"

"Sure is,' Ken said. "Er, yes." Eonneh cupped his hands together, the way he had while holding the Hrruban cub, then drew them to his breast.

"Nrrna. Rroobvnnn?"

"Yep. I mean, reh,' Ken replied.

"This is fascinating,' Sumitral said, studying Eonneh closely.

"What's he trying to ask?"

"I don't know yet,' Ken said.

"Vocabulary's very limited."

"Rroobvnnn, Rrss? Genhh, Ayoomnnn?"

"Reh,' said Ken.

"Gelli, Rroobvnnn?"

"Ah. . . ah. . . morra. No. Ayoomnnn.

"Morra,' said Eonneh, disbelievingly. He made the sign for baby again. "Gelli. Morra Ayoomnnn?"

"Reh Ayoomnnn, Kelly,' Ken said.

"She's my daughterin-law."

"Nrrna morra Rroobvnnn.

"Reh Rroobvnnn." Ken nodded firmly.

"What's the problem?" demanded Sumitral, exasperated to be on the fringe of understanding.

"I'm not positive but I'm beginning to get the drift,' Ken said with a wry smile.

They went through the pantomime several times, with Hrrestan and Frill attempting to guess what explanation Eonneh was trying elicit.

Eonneh took hold of his own tail and held up the end.

"Rroobvnnn, shrra. Nrrna, shrra. Nrrna,' and he made the baby sign again. "Morra?" Ken fell back in his chair and burst into loud hoots of laughter. "Oh, I get you now! Oh. no!" He clutched his sides and beat his feet on the floor.

The noise brought Kate Moody running out into the waiting room.

"What's the matter?" she demanded.

Lauder, Nrrna, and Kelly were right behind her.

"It's hilarious,' Ken gasped, coming up for air. "They think "Hrruban" is the word for male, and "Hayuman" is the word for female.

Or maybe the other way around." When the others looked puzzled, he sprang the other half of the joke. "They think we're one species!' "How could they think that?" Lauder asked, appalled as well as slightly indignant.

"why shouldn't they? We arrive together on their ship so we are together. They see us living together here on the surface. Why shouldn't they think we're the same species?

They thought the Hrrubans were males and Hayumans females. The sight of Nrrna with a baby that's obviously hers knocked their assumption into a tailspin!" Sumitral grinned at Ken's inadvertent witticism, his grey eyes alight. "So we are a species more than usually dimorphic?"

"They thought I was a girl?" Lauder demanded, huffily.

"I don't think that's funny."

"Well, I wouldn't take it to heart, lad, you'd be a good looking girl - if you were one, which you're not,' Kate suggested mildly, "but, under the circumstances, I think the Gringg copped on to the error of their assumption pretty quick." Noticing how politely Eonneh and Ghotyakh waited for further explanation of his unusual behaviour, Ken shook his head. "I haven't got the words to explain laughter yet.

Much less how to explain that we're two species, male and female each, from two different worlds?"

"Watch it, Reeve,' Frill said.

"That's strategic information."

"It might be if either of us knew exactly where the other's home world is,' Ken said in mild disgust.

"Lighten up, Frill.

A basic explanation won't give away any more than our kids get in primary school."

"We can't base a solid future relationship on deceptions,' Sumitral said more mildly. "Can you help us with the gender explanation, Dr Moody?" Kate grinned. "Sure can. Take the bull by the horns, so to speak. While Lauder and I are taking samples, we'll show them tapes on Hayuman and Hrruban reproduction and birth.

They'll get the idea." Kate ran the tapes used for sex education in the middle school, all the while taking blood, skin, and hair samples from her unprotesting subjects. Honey and Kodiak watched the tapes with every indication of understanding what they were seeing.

They muttered - "A little like embarrassed twelve year olds,' Kate said later - and growled furiously between themselves.

"I'm running a CAT scan on each of them. They seemed very interested in everything, the equipment and procedures. They're both very intelligent. By the way,' Kate said with a grin, "they're male.

What we'd classify as male. Both of them."

"How do you know?"

"I got them to give me urine samples. There's no way that a baby could be born through that orifice, and there's nothing else appropriate. I did a very careful physical examination. No womb, but very substantial generative organs. We went through some pantomime to confirm it. But that big captain on the tape, the one you keep calling Grizzly, and referring to as he? She's female! All of her and that squat one's her secondborn cub. Honey's the sire."

"So they are dimorphic with regard to size, but the other way round to our two species,' Ken said, nodding.

"Right. There's precedent for this configuration living on Earth at this minute. The males are tercels, an old world meaning "a third smaller", Terran birds of prey.

The large birds, falcons, are the females.

"Well, I'm glad we got that figured without making a serious gaffe. It doesn't matter what gender one is, so long as we don't mistake one for t'other,' Ken said.

Eonneh, emerging from his turn in the ring-shaped scanner, sought out Genhh and Frrrill and the new Ayoomnnn.

They were sitting in the wooden room, speaking softly to each other. He sat down beside them.

"I am terribly sorry for mistaking your gender,' Eonneh said in his own language, pantomiming disgrace, which involved drawing an invisible line from his bowed forehead to the floor. "You are larger than others of your species so we thought you were female. We didn't realize you were males of two different species of alien.

"what's he saying?" Frill asked, mystified.

"I think he's trying to apologize,' Ken said. "It's OK, you know,' he said, putting a hand on the Gringg's upper limb. The fur was smooth but thick, like horsehair. "It's no insult to be thought female, or male, for that matter.

I know you're trying to learn all about us, but who said you had to get it all right first crack?"

"Nereh?" Eonneh understood his forgiveness, but missed the colloquialism.

Sumitral sighed. "We have got to make some sort of device so we can start understanding one another."

"We've got one problem,' Kate said, leaning out the door. "I can't get this lad into the x-ray.

He's too big! It's only made for Hayumans and Hrrubans. We're going to have to take him over to Ben Adjei's unit at the Animal Hospital for a peep at his insides." While Kate Moody continued physical examinations, Lauder made use of an unused biochemistry lab to start work on the Gringg tissue samples and foodstuffs.

Nrrna, who worked in the bio-lab, prepared samples for the centrifuge and electron microscope.

"I'm a duffer at chemistry,' Kelly informed them. "My training is in diplomacy. I'll wash glass, or whatever you need me to do."

"One thing I'll need,' Lauder said, very tentatively, "and I'm not sure I should ask you, is a volunteer to taste the footstuffs if they test out as safe."

"Ouch,' said Kelly, wrinkling her nose. Nrrna looked alarmed. "Well, if you promise me I won't die of it, I'll try anything."

"Oh, you won't be the only guinea pig at the table,' Lauder said, with a shrug. "We need to try at least one of the Gringg on Doonan food. Once we've got results on the tissue, I'll know what we can offer them and what we shouldn't."

"That's good,' Kelly said cheerfully. "I do hate to eat alone."

"Them?" Kate replied, when asked about the Gringgs' gastro-intestinal system. "Anything that isn't moving too fast. I did a whole-body sonogram on Ghotyakh as long as I had him over at the vet clinic. He watched everything I did, and I got the impression he doesn't like to go to doctors of his own species!

That digestive pouch you detected below the stomach is one tough little organ. I wouldn't try it on concrete, but there's not much shy of that they can't eat. Ezra went home to get some supplies.

We may as well all dine together." In the Federation Centre, Jon Greene waited before the transport grid. Only moments before the four-hour time limit the mists arose on the grid platform. The form of Mllaba took on shape and substance. Greene stepped forward to greet her.

"Did you meet with success?" he asked. The glare of her yellow-green eyes warned him not to get too close.

He stopped short and gestured a fine bow as she left the dais.

"I have accomplished ze firrst of my goals,' Mllaba said, settling her black robes back on her narrow shoulders.

"Others from Hrruba will be following me very shortly to aid in slowing down ze Gringg agenda. As forr ze second, it awaits ze Speaker's own presence to be set in motion. But I have laid ze groundwork well,' she said with a degree of smugness. The two of them discussed plans for a few moments, then Greene glanced at his wrist chronometer.

"Now,' he said.

The Hrruban put her clawed fingers on the controls.

The air over the grid thickened, gradually revealing a crowd of Hayumans exclaiming to one another at the novelty of transporting by grid. Barnstable was at their head. Greene recognized two of the men and one of the women as members of the Humanity First! Movement.

Another was a prominent journalist with a talent for rabblerousing. Three others were minor politicians and animal rights activists. Greene grinned. The Admiral hadn't missed a trick.

As soon as he was aware of where he was, Barnstable looked around.

"No unauthorized personnel present.

Good. My thanks, Mllaba, for our safe transport. Greene, I'll want a report from you in an hour's time."

"Aye, sir,' Greene said, saluting.

"Your allies from ze Hrruban home world await you at the meeting point, Admirrrral' Mllaba said. "Ze Speaker is with them."

"Good. To the First Villages, then,' Barnstable said, nodding at the Hrruban female. Mllaba's claws clattered quickly over the controls. She had just enough time to join the party on the platform before it vanished.

Unnoticed by the others, three men in mufti slipped off the rear of the platform and waited until the mists cleared.

"Bouros, Gallup, Walters,' Greene barked. The three men stiffened to attention. "Follow me." The commander led them out of the building into the night.

* * * "Quit staring at me, Kelly complained, turning aggrieved hazel eyes on Ensign Lauder. "If I feel my insides curling up, I'll tell you.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'm just curious as to what's going on with you." The young medic blushed and went back to his plate.

Kelly grinned. "I'm just fine. In fact, some of this is pretty good." She turned to her dinner partner, Ghotyakh, and pointed at a sausage-shaped mass. "What do you call that?"

"Raghia,' Kodiak said.

"Neehar, or .. He made his four fingers into the legs of some animal and walked them in a lumbering gait across the table.

"Meat of some ruminant?" Ken decided. "We'll have to get him to draw us a picture later. These fellows have fantastic skill with a pencil.

Sumitral took another helping of stew. "It's clear that it is an important part of his job, even class station, to be able to write and draw well. I'd say that they're at the top of their grade, by the way, though I observe that Ghotyakh defers to Eonneh."

"I think if they're organized like us, Eonneh must be Grizz's special aide as well as mate,' Ken agreed.

Eonneh nodded, showing his teeth, having caught the gist of Ken's statement. He and Ghotyakh were making significant inroads on the pot of stew. When Kate's daughter Rachel had arrived with dinner, the Gringgs' agile noses went into full twitch. They waited, looking wistful, while Kate did a quick test to make sure there was nothing in the meal that would disagree with them, and howled with joy when she led them to the table to be served.

"By the way, Lauder,' Kate said, "you were wrong about one of them eating as little as one of us. That was Kodiak's sixth bowlful." Lauder grinned lopsidedly. "I could eat the same, myself. This is delicious. You don't get meals this good shipside."

"My very thought,' Sumitral said, placidly.

"Go on with you,' Kate said. "It's all last year's dried snake meat." "No, it's terrific,' Lauder insisted.

"Do not let Dr Kate ovrrwhelm you with hrrr modesty,' Hrrestan said, his jaw dropped in a genial grin. "Hrrr cooking has been praised widely by all, including my mate, Mrrva.

"Well, that one's a winner,' Kelly said, marking the packet of raghia with a plus sign. "Alison would like it: tasty with a flavour rather like urfa." With business-like fingers, she pushed it to one side and opened another packet. She was taking only small portions from each of the Gringg rations to leave room for as many samples as possible. The next was a chopped vegetable in a messy, clear, red sauce. She spooned a little of it on to her tasting plate and took a mouthful. Her face wrinkled up, and she choked.

"What's the mazzer?" Nrrna demanded.

Hrrestan rose to his feet in alarm. "Shall I get the szomach pump?" Lauder was out of his chair and beside Kelly in a moment. She waved them away. Her face had turned red.

"Salty,' she gasped, gesturing at the water pitcher. Kate handed her full glass over and then filled Kelly's again.

"So that's what they use to keep up their electrolyte balance,' Kate said, briskly. "You might like to know, Ensign, that unlike Earth animals they have sweat glands here and there under that great pelt.

Suggests to me that they evolved from an animal with less body hair.

And they have a tremendous lung capacity, more than four times ours, plus a layer of fat beneath the skin that ranges from three to five centimetres. Now what does that suggest to you?"

"Nozzing,' said Hrrestan, shaking his head.

"They're swimmers,' Ken guessed, playing with a piece of bread.

"That'd be my summation,' Kate said, with satisfaction.

"Seems to me as if they must have evolved from something more like otters than bears. It would certainly explain the tail.

"Hmm,' said Kelly, taking another packet. This one contained dried brown kernels shaped rather like Brussels sprouts, and coated with a fine tan powder. She crunched one tentatively between her teeth, and smiled with pleasure. "Um, these are great. Gringg candy,' she said, offering some to Ken, who reached out to take it.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Kate scolded, putting a hand between them.

"No one else gets to try anything until you, my dear, have gone twenty-four hours without a reaction." Kelly gulped. "I guess I didn't realize what a serious job this was going to be."

"I'm sorry,' Kate said, kindly. "I'm sure everything'll be all right, but if you're going to run a proper experiment, control is essential."

"Oh, well,' Kelly sighed, and opened another packet.

"And what do you call this?" she inquired of the Gringg.

Commander Frill entered, his nose twitching almost as much as one of the Gringg's.

"Something smells wonderful,' he said. He was holding an armful of tapes and a couple of small pieces of equipment.

"Sit down and have some,' Kate invited him. "There's stew, tenderfoot chilli, creamed potatoes, mixed veg, and plenty left if you can beat the Gringg to it. Your friend Lauder here was just saying that this compares favourably to ship food."

"Thank you, ma'am,' Frill said with alacrity, sitting down next to Ken. He helped himself generously from the stewpot and tore a huge section from the loaf beside it. "I don't know when I last had a home-cooked meal. Between bites and exclamations of pleasure, Frill explained what he had found.

"One of the engineers at the computer control in town let me use the equipment,' he said, "to listen to these tapes.

I've discovered a not insoluble prnblem." he went on, setting the small boxes: a hand-recorder, a speaker, and a paired unit with glass-fronted screens. Across the upper was a flat green line. The lower showed stepped levels in green light. He started the recorder, and they heard Grizz repeating words after Ken. "This is to show you what the problem is. Now, this is Gringg conversation." On the oscilloscope, the green line etched peaks above and below the centre line as the sound level lifted and fell.

The frequency monitor below showed peaks and valleys, too, but more peaks than valleys when Ken's voice was heard, with just the opposite whenever the Gringg did.

"Interesting,' Ken said, peering at the numbers beside the levels on the frequency monitor. "That would explain why I couldn't approximate some of their pronunciations.

Their voices dip down into subsonics.

"How low do they go?" Frill checked his printout. "Thirteen to fifteen cycles, sir.

"We Hrrubans would merely feel zose lowest tones, Hrrestan said.

"Ah,' Sumitral said. "So the words go below the range of Hayuman and even Hrruban hearing."

"It would also explain why we felt nervous, sir,' Frill explained. "Some of these low tones provoke fear responses." Sumitral nodded. "That guides us towards what we'll need to make coherent contact with the Gringg."

"If I can ask a favour, Admiral?" Kate Moody said, standing up to dish out more food.

"I'll grant it if I can,' Sumitral said, watching her heap potatoes on to his plate.

Kate strove to keep her voice light. "Don't forget the little people who helped make this meeting possible, will you? The citizens of Doonarrala are wildly interested in helping to learn whatever they can about the Gringg, and want a chance to help. They're not afraid of challenges or they wouldn't be here. Don't shut them out."

"Madam, I don't discount the input from those who have helped so far, especially the children, to whom the Gringg seem very attached,' Sumitral acknowledged. "And I'd be a fool to push aside volunteer staff who are so eager to be included, so long as they acknowledge that I'm in charge of this mission.

"Oh, I don't think they'll mind that,' Kate said. "It's being left out that they'd hate.

"This is Doonarrala,' Kelly said, indicating herself and Nrrna.

"We take pride in getting to know others on equal terms. That's what our husbands are doing right now on the Gringg ship, and on behalf of Alien Relations, over the twitching frame of Admiral Barnstable, I might add."

"Cooperation made Doonarrala what it is today. I'm all for extending the principle,' Sumitral said, smiling up at her.

"Good, because cooperation is going to start with someone else cleaning up after this meal,' Kate said with a broad grin. "Rachel, organize a few volunteers from those outside, will you? Then we can get on with the tests."

"I must go,' Nrrna said. "It is nearly time for Hrrunna's meal. I must find Jilamey and ze children.

Sumitral rose and helped her out of her chair. "You take good care of that small ambassador,' he told her "Zonk you, I shall,' she said, beaming shyly at the head of Alreldep.

"Make sure the Cats get to bed on time,' Kelly called.

"Jilamey will let them stay up till all hours, and they are not to stay out of school on Uncle's say so." Hrrestan yawned, slurring his words out of pure exhaustion. "I forr one am wearry. I am adjuzzed to Zreaty Island time, and we started earrly wiz ze confornce zis morning." Unexpectedly, Nrrna was in the doorway again. She gestured behind her.

"Zese people wrrr waiting outside ze drrr." She did not have a chance to move aside for she was pushed in by the crowd of Hayumans and Hrrubans who forced their way into the room. To Ken, their uniformly stony expressions gave them the aspect of a mob, not yet touched off, but potentially dangerous.

At their head were Barnstable and Second Speaker.

Sumitral, standing beside the table, crossed his arms and waited, calmly, while the mob organized itself around the perimeter of the big room, keeping wary eyes on the Gringg but patently determined to be in earshot.

Hrrestan rose and stood beside him.

"Well, Ev, how are you?" Sumitral asked.

Barustable ignored the courtesy. "These people wanted to have a word with the colony leaders about this situation."

"And precisely which sizuazhon is zat?" Hrrestan asked, his tone relaxed but his eyes moved warily over the faces.

"The interruption of our space port conference by these things,' protested Lorena Kaldon, jerking her hand at the Gringg. "I came here to talk construction, mortgages and interest rates, not alien invasions. My time is valuable, as is that of my colleagues here."

"We must do what we came to do!" added a Hrruban whom Hrrestan remembered as being a crony of the now-retired Third Speaker, a notorious reactionary. "Send zem back where zey came from. I oppose negotiations wiz zese aliens." "They're called the Gringg,' Sumitral said, a pleasant smile on his face. Eonneh and Ghotyakh, recognizing that word, rose to their feet and turned to face the newcomers.

Both Kaldon and the Hrruban, suddenly obliged to crane their necks up, stepped as far back as they could.

Swallowing, Kaldon continued, but her voice was considerably less contentious. "We came so far, planned so long for this conference. It has to continue. You must understand our positions.

"No one planned to have zuch an interruption, Delegate Kaldon, but ze conference cannot resume at this time,' Firrestan said, "and, as co-leader of Doonarrala, I muss ask your indulgence in zis matter.

Surely you should recognize zat zeir appearrrnce has altered everything.

For ze time being, all discuzhons about ze space port must be deferrrred while we learn more about ze new arrivals."

"But we've been working for months to make our bids on the construction of a space port,' she protested indignantly. "We can't just call a halt and continue as before simply because of. . . hairy monsters. They aren't interfering with the space port project. Why can't we go ahead with it?"

"Now, my dear Ms Kaldon,' Sumitral said, stepping forward, "that wouldn't be wise. And indeed, the hold may be for a very short time.

But look at the arrival of the Gringg from a different angle: you are witnessing an incident of immense international significance. It isn't given to many to be the first to see, and meet, an entirely new species of star traveller. And I put this to you, as well, once we have established communications, why we may even have to construct a larger space port. For, frankly, I suspect that their main objective in seeking other civilized, or inhabited planets is to initiate trade." He pointedly ignored a growl of protest from Barnstable's direction.

"Were I you, I would believe myself lucky to be in on the ground floor for those you represent. I'm sure they'll be delighted to learn of the possibility of even more customers at the space facility.

Kaldon regarded Sumitral with no little amazement and obviously considered his advice.

"Amirral,' Second Speaker said, stepping forward, "are you not prezuming too much? How can you speak of trade when zeir objectives are not known. Nor can zey be until we can speak to zem! And even zen, such matters must be carefully prrsented to our respective goverrrments for sober, mature reflection. . . not decided out of hand herre on Rraladoona."

"I speak as Alreldep's representative who is always ready and willing to speak to inhabitants of our galaxy no matter what form they appear in or from what quarter of the Milky Way,' Sumitral replied with great dignity and a gentle smile for the Second Speaker's querulous attitude.

"Msss Kaldon, zere is also ze unassailable fact,' Hrrestan added, "that my co-leader Rrev has had to absent himself from our prrroceedings so zey could not, in any case, continue without him." Barnstable now beckoned imperiously to Hrrestan, Sumitral and Ken Reeve to move to one side, away from Kaldon's group.

"See here, now, my friends,' he said, scowling deeply and glaring from one face to anther, "I can't approve of all this good-folks-at-home routine. These Gringgs are an unknown quantity - and don't give me that theycame-in-friendship-unarmed guff, Reeve.

How can you be absolutely positive these creatures are so pacific?" "Suffer little children, Barnstable,' Ken replied, more amused than irritated by Barnstable's attitude. "But then you didn't see, as every one here did, how the Gringgs. .

Barnstable waved him silent abruptly. "It's just not good tactics to be open with an unknown quantity. .

"Do I have to remind you that it worked before, Admiral? Didn't it, Hrrestan?" And now Ken included his oldest Hrruban friend.

The Hrruban co-leader whose tail had begun to lash in short hard twitches relaxed and dropped his lower jaw slowly.

"We were not quite as formidable in appearance as these. Is zat what alarmss you, Amirral?"

"What alarms me is a basic disregard for caution. I don't want these good folk unnecessarily alarmed "They look so alarmed,' laughed Kate Moody, joining them. "And how'd they all get in here? Place is crowded with strangers."

"She's right about that,' Ken murmured to Hrrestan who also began looking at the curious faces of those backed against the wall.

"Now, that is not the issue,' said Barnstable darkly, not liking Kate's interruption at all. "You really are most unwise to allow such broad contact between the Gringg and the rest of the Doonarralan population. As the official head of the organization charged with the protection of this sector, I want all data kept secure and the Gringg out of public contact until we know more about them.

We have nothing but their physical presence to go on yet and that bothers me."

"Oh, but we got plenty of physical data on them,' Kate said jovially. "I've got enough test results to satisfy anyone,' and she gave Barnstable a jaundiced glare, "and even more reassuring empirical stuff. Gringgs like snake stew. And beans give them gas." There were a few chuckles from the back of the crowd.

Barnstable turned around to glare at the group. "And what about the safety of these aliens? They could come to harm in this environment,' he protested, trying another angle.

"They're pretty sturdy,' Kate replied. "Not much could hurt them.

I haven't found a single allergen or toxin that their tissues react to, not even rroamal. They've got functioning immune systems, ticking over beautifully right now, and they don't react to anything we do. I also can't find anything in their systems that bugs us, except for the odd irritant, and that can be inoculated against.

They're strong, the air is good for them, and our gravity is at least twenty per cent less than they're used to fighting.

They'd almost be super strong here.

That appeared to upset Barnstable further. "In that case, you are exposing an entire population to danger from accidents incurred during casual contact. I can't allow it.

Remove them at once."

"You do not have jurisdiction here,' Hrrestan said, his eyes flashing.

Sumitral was calm, almost apologetic. "This is an Alreldep matter, Ev, and you know that." Barnstable could not refute it but he hated to relinquish command to another authority.

"You will keep me in the loop, of course,' Barnstable asked, not without a measure of sarcasm.

"But, of course, Ev."

"Dad?" Robin Reeve poked his nose around the door and peered into the room. "Ah, there you are, Dad!" Reeve's middle son seemed to have an energy level befitting a man younger than his early twenties, and the poise of one much older. "Have I interrupted anything critical? Mom sent me to ask you when you're coming home and if you're bringing guests. Them?" and Robin's eyes gleamed in keen anticipation of such a happening.

"They're just as big as advertised. I was out on the range when they arrived."

"You zee?" Mllaba hissed. "It has alrready ze aspect of a vreakshow!"

"Not at all,' Robin said cheerfully. "We always turn out for visitors. Whew! Wouldn't they be something on Snake Hunt? Can they hang around that long? Hunt's only six weeks away!" Barnstable frowned. "They must certainly be off planet when that Hunt occurs." "Why?" Robin regarded Barustable with equable poise.

"Everyone else wants to join in and at least these Gringg wouldn't need to be protected! For that matter, maybe we ought to protect our snakes from them! Let's ask Todd and Hrriss to invite them officially."

"What I should like to know,' said a new voice, and a woman stepped out of the crowd that had been politely, but avidly, listening to what they could hear of the discussions. She had a pinched mouth in the midst of a plump pink face and wore rather dowdy clothing, neither travel nor leisure wear. "Is how you dare continue to hunt those poor snakes? Much less show such brutality to.

to individuals who could only misconstrue the barbarism you exhibit." "Barbarism?" Robin exclaimed as other Doonarralans started to protest. "Hell, lady, you've never seen what those snakes do to our domestic animals. A blow from a Big Mamma Snake's tail can break the back of a cow or horse. . . then the snake eats the poor critter whole and sits there digesting it for weeks. Who's being brutal?" The woman had turned quite pale but she wasn't one to give up easily. "Then it is imperative that you not expose outsiders to such dangers. Why, I believe that some of the larger ones grow -as long as twenty metres." She regarded the Gringg who were not twenty metres in any dimension.

"Those big ones are usually too canny to cause trouble,' Ken said, striving to remain polite. "Have we met, ma'am?

I haven't seen you at any of the village socials, and I make it a point to get acquainted with all our visitors from Earth."

"I - I've just arrived,' the woman said, clearly flustered.

Barnstable felt that it was a good time to retreat. "We intend to remain on hand throughout your investigation, of course."

"Of course,' Sumitral agreed, and Hrrestan nodded.

As soon as Barnstable and his cronies withdrew, Ken made for the communications console at the side of the room. In a few moments, he returned to the group.

"I've just spoken to Martinson at the Space Centre and to Hammer at Treaty Island. No one fitting her description has arrived on the last couple of ships from Earth."

"Then how'd she get here?" Kelly demanded.

"The grid?" Ken said, a light dawning. "I think I am beginning to smell a conspiracy."

"I zink you arrre right, my old friend,' Hrrestan said.

"Both Spacedep and Second Speaker. I do so dislike interference from outside.

"And you can put it right down to Spacedep's distrust of the Gringg,' Ken said, aggrieved. "Present company excepted,' he said to Frill, who gave a sheepish shrug.

"Second Speaker has also shown discomfort wherrrre our new friends are concerned,' Hrrestan said, thoughtfully. "It would be well to be preparrred against such azzacks in days to come.

"The best defence is progress,' Sumitral said. "We're having a fine time chatting with these fellows,' he smiled at the Gringg, who had remained silent throughout the confrontation, "but it's too slow.

We require some kind of device to speed our understanding of one another. I'd also like to know how they found us.

"I can ask the communications centre to help me get to work on a .

a voder,' Frill volunteered. He turned to Hrrestan. "That is, sir, if you'll give me the necessary authority?" Hrrestan was openly pleased that a Spacedep officer deferred to the local authorities without argument. Ken was glad, because he was getting to like the burly commander.

"Grrranted, gladly,' the Hrruban replied. "In ze meantime, it seems we must continue with drrawing of pictures to obtain informazhon."

"How will you describe light years in pictographs?" Sumitral asked blandly as he settled down with an artist's block between Ghotyakh and Eonneh at Kate's laboratory table.

Chapter 6

ToDD HAD FELT A PANG WATCHING HIS FATHER AND the others enter the shuttle. He hoped that Barnstable wouldn't try to hold the Gringg on board the navy vessel.

He wanted them safely on the surface of Doonarrala where folk were sympathetic to aliens. He particularly wanted the Gringg out of the vicinity of Greene and Barnstable. But his father would take charge.

After all, the matter was clearly an Alreldep problem.

Would his father wait for Admiral Sumitral to back him up? Of course he would! Todd derided his lack of faith in his father's common good sense. He also wished he could be in two places at once - to see the reactions of Doonarralans to the Gringg. Best of all, he and Hrriss were in this venture together and he wished they could just forget - for ever - all that nonsense about the space port on the Hrrunatan. But he couldn't, could he? Well, he could for the duration of the task at hand.

Then Grizzly touched his arm and indicated that he and Hrriss should follow him into the long, high-ceilinged, semi-oval corridor from the landing bay towards the central core of the ship.

Immediately, Todd applied himself to the task at hand - perception and observation, absorbing what he saw and felt as if all his pores had eyes and ears and noses. So, the bay itself was situated in one of those "knots in the tree-hole' he had observed from space. The walls were smooth, a silver metal - steel? equipped with rows of hand-and toe-holds at two points in the parabolic arc of the ceiling, no doubt to cope in zero-grav.

"For no grrrav?" Hrriss asked, pointing.

"They'd have to turn off the artificial gravity from time to time,' Todd said. "If they turned gravity off, we'd be in a right difficult case trying to get our feet from one of those holds to another. Look at the size of "em and the distance between!

"I am glad zese are peaceable creazures,' Hrriss said, fervently.

They stopped in a corridor that was split around a central pillar in which were set more grey glass doors.

Grizi: hulked between them and the pillar, indicating that they should wait. The captain poked a claw into a hole in the door plate, and it slid open. Grizz took one Doonan by each hand and directed them to look carefully up and down inside.

Against the far wall, narrow, white platforms with transparent back panels slid endlessly upward until the perspective shrank the shaft down to a pin-point. The bottom of the lift shaft was much closer. Todd could see the platforms were an endless loop: up on one side, down on the other. He and Hrriss grinned at Grizz to show that he understood the principle involved.

"Reh,' he said.

Grizz roared approvingly and stepped on to an ascending platform.

Together, Todd and Hrriss stepped on to the next one which would easily accommodate two Humans.

But the baby bear, Weddeerogh also leaped aboard, landing in a heap of fur at their feet. They laughed and helped him up.

"Do you feel a strong grrrvitic pull behind us?" Hrriss asked, swaying back and forth to test it.

"Yes,' Todd replied, watching columns of grey glass doors sink into sight and out again past his feet. "I'd say there's a spiralling core inside this central pillar. It's compelling me to lean back against the wall. I guess that's how they keep from having accidents in this shaft. It must go up for three hundred metres." He let the pressure drag him backwards, and he put a heel against the upper flat of the panel. "Look at this!" He inched upward until it appeared that he was standing several centimetres above the floor.

Weddeerogh snorted his baritone laugh and threw himself at the wall back first. He adhered at eye level with Todd, then deliberately inched himself around until his toes were in the air. The Doonans joined in the merriment, experimenting with the increased gravity.

Hrriss found that he could squat perpendicular to the wall.

"But it causes trrrible pressure in my head and neck,' he said.

A roar from above caused Weddeerogh to wiggle right side up once more and urge his two friends to do so as well.

The next set of doors they were approaching were open, and Grizz was waiting for them. Weddeerogh made a flying leap and landed in a shoulder roll on the floor. Todd and Hrriss circumspectly hopped from platform to floor.

This corridor was not as lofty as the lower level, and had only one set of handholds, running up the exact centre of the ceiling. The Doonans followed the captain along, taking in as much new input as they could with quick looks inside the various rooms that opened off the broad hallway.

The Gringg medic was black and white with a kind expression in her light-red eyes. Todd still couldn't easily distinguish between the sexes, but for the sake of argument decided to call this one female.

There were beautifully rendered anatomy charts on the wall, showing skeletal, muscular, and circulatory systems for two genders.

The black and white bear seemed to fit the female mould, as, to the Doonarralans' surprise, did Grizz.

"Wait until the scientists at home get a look at these,' Todd said.

While he was studying the charts and trying to remember significant details, the medic prompted him to sit up on a raised platform, produced a device with a small drum at the end, and put it to Todd's belly.

"My heart's up here,' he said, tapping himself on the chest. The bear grunted, and moved the diaphragm upward. She let out a pleased noise when the heartbeat registered in her device. That seemed to be what she was looking for. Todd counted his own pulse as she listened.

It was faster than normal, probably due to the increased gravity of the ship.

The medical examination went very much like one which the Gringg were probably being put through by Kate Moody, with the medic, whom Todd and Hrriss decided to call Panda, signing when and where she was about to take yet another tissue sample.

Panda seemed a little puzzled when Todd automatically pulled off his shirt but left his trousers in place. She plucked at the heavy denim with a claw and crooned a question.

"I always say you Hayumans put too much emphassiss on clothes,' Hrriss said with a grin, as he unself-consciously pulled aside the decorative loin cloth he wore.

"I don't have a furry hide, catman,' Toad replied in an undertone.

"Stark naked suits you but I'm getting goosebumps and how'll I explain them?" Actually, the room was warm enough for comfort, but Todd still felt chilly. He pretended total indifference when Grizz and Weddeerogh as well as Panda leaned in to have a good stare at all his parts. The Gringg stepped back to have a conference, during which they looked from one to the other of their visitors with increasing agitation.

The argument ended seemingly without resolution.

Panda resumed her examination, and Grizz sat back on the floor to watch. The medic handled them both very gently as she went carefully over their entire bodies, then guided them to a host of strange, Gringg-sized machines.

"X-ray? CAT scans? EEGs?" Todd asked.

"You must ask zem when we can understand one anozzer,' Hrriss said. "Zere is somezing very wrong zat happens to me when zey speak.

Do you feel uncomfortable, too?"

"Without clothes, of course I do,' Todd said.

Hrriss gave his head a little shake. "I don't mean physical: I mean in the nerves of the ear and the mind."

"That's a relief, Hrriss.

I was putting the agitation down to nerves, but if you're getting the same sort of unsettling nudge, it must be more than that.

When Todd emerged from the last machine, Panda drew him back to the table and handed him a cup.

"Oh, no,' he said. The Gringg looked at him expectantly. Panda indicated the cup, and made a gentle arc with one claw, pointing to the interior. "No. I don't think I could."

"Go ahead. I have done it.

Why do you have so much zrouble producing waste wazzer?" asked Hrriss, amused.

"Doing it under these circumstances - with them watching the whole process, is slightly inhibiting,' Todd said, annoyed with himself, Hrriss and the whole affair. He turned his back and shortly was able to provide a sample.

Panda and Grizzly spoke in a crisp dialogue, their base voices sounding excited. He hoped that they weren't amused by his behaviour.

When he passed the specimen to Panda, he noticed that Hrriss was now holding his ears.

Are you all right?" The Hrruban's forehead was drawn in long furrows of gold plush. "It is somezing about ze way zey talk. It is loud, but I am used to loud speech. We who live on Doonarrala have always used louder voices zan on Hrruba. Ze Gringg are not just loud but grating." "Subsonics,' Todd said, snapping his fingers. "That could very well mean that they're not hearing everything WE say, either. I'd sure like to see an analysis of their hearing range." He gestured towards his ears, and made faces so that the Gringg could understand that sound was causing him discomfort. Panda took a small scope from one of her pouches and looked in his ears. She grunted, puzzled.

"That didn't work, Hrriss. Aha!" he exclaimed, pointing at his friend. "Your voice is higher than mine."

"So?" Hrriss asked.

"Talk in the highest register you can. Go up through falsetto.

If their range is too low for us, chances are ours is too high for them." Obediently, Hrriss began to hum in his own tenor range, then climbed gradually, a breath at a time, into a piercing shriek. Long before he topped the highest note he could reach, the Gringg were holding their ears. At the top of the range, they were looking at him closely. Grizz folded her thumb and forefinger together in imitation of a mouth and opened it to show she didn't hear anything.

"That's it,' Todd said. "Up at that end they're only seeing your mouth move." Enlightened at last, Panda put the two Doonarralans on to a frequency generator and tested their ranges of hearing. Hrriss was capable of hearing a few cycles lower than Todd, but the lowest tones to which the machine was set were inaudible to both. They could only feel the cycles that Grizz indicated she was still hearing.

"Zat one could shake my bones apart,' Hrriss cried, much agitated, waggling his hands for them to stop it.

Grizz called for another scribe. When Grrala arrived, slow of movement but bright of eye, they were gestured to a table.

"We'd better call this one Koala, so we don't mistake her with Grizz,' Todd suggested in a low voIce.

Panda motioned the two of them to sit while the Gringg were able to lounge about the table as Koala set up some kind of aural transponder and demonstrated how it worked.

Using the settings on what Todd identified as a frequency generator, he demonstrated which tones he and Hrriss could hear, and which ones were painful. The Gringg did the same, and the scribe noted them down busily. The engineer, with a device like a round-screened pocket computer in her great paws, was clearly busy drafting a design.

"Now I think we're getting somewhere,' Todd said, happily. "This thing should translate the tones they speak in to the ones we can hear, and vice versa."

"Zat will help mightily,' Hrriss agreed. "I do not zink we should miss any of zeir tonal qualities. We need to hear all to understand.

After a while, the engineer signalled that she had enough to work on. Koala and the scribe excused themselves and went off.

"Now, the question is, how long will it take them to whip up a frequency voder?" Todd said, grinning at Hrriss. As he moved on the table, his bare skin slid and he gave an exclamation. "Great snakes!

I don't need to stay in the buff any longer!" The Gringg watched him dress no less closely than they'd watched him disrobe. He winked at Weddeerogh, who squealed. Then Grizz stood up and stretched, allowing the visitors a splendid look at her fine strong frame.

Refreshed, she addressed the two Doonarralans.

"Dodh, Rrss, kwaadchhs?"

"Quadicks?" Todd asked, struggling to match her pronunciation.

"Kwaadchhs,' Gri:zz repeated and, obviously demonstrating, moved her great arms in broad arcs, starting at her breastbone and pushing outward.

"Could she mean "swimming"?" Hrriss asked, turning to Todd in surprise. Todd shrugged, grinning for Hrriss to answer. "Yess, we swim." "Rehmeh,' Grizz replied, and ushered them back to the elevator platforms.

"Swimming?" Todd muttered to Hrriss as they ascended another level.

When they followed her lead and stepped off in what must be the centre of the ship, they could even smell the water. Even knowing that the probe had showed a mysteriously large quantity of water in the centre of the Gringg ship, neither Todd nor Hrriss were prepared to see it used as a swimming facility.

"Swimming,' muttered Hrriss in mild shock as they passed the transparent doors that led into the most astonishing room.

Instead of weaponry or generators of any kind, the water-filled centre of the ship turned out to contain a swimming pool, vast and deep. The central pillar containing the elevator system pierced straight through the heart of it but also supported several levels above the water on which a few Gringg lounged while dozens of others swam and sported in the water.

"This is absolutely spectacular!" Todd exclaimed, astounded, letting his face reflect his opinion. He bowed and grinned broadly at Grizz who seemed pleased by his reaction. "That is some pool."

"More a lake,' Hrriss said, staring about him at the sheer size and shaking his head at the quantity of water put to such use.

"Greene'll never believe this is what the water was for.

Though what sort of a weapon requires water . ." Todd trailed off, shaking his head.

"I zink he would prefer anozer explanation,' Hrriss said. "He is not a man to appreciate gracious living. Ah, but I can!"

"And look at the range of colours in Gringgs,' Todd added, nudging Hrriss. "Pied, patched, white, brown, black, tan, gold. See the black fellow there with a white shirt-front and chin and white boots? My sister Inessa had a cat who looked just like him." Then he craned his head about, able to take in more details now that the first shock of the space-lake had passed.

The room was, indeed, remarkable. A full, curved ceiling of a soft blue arched benignly over the lakelet that had been made to appear natural. Hidden ventilators provided soothing breezes and the occasional surprise gust that made the water's surface skip and quiver.

Except for the toroid shape and the fact there was an elevator shaft running through it, it was hard to believe that it was situated in the heart of a space-going craft. The elegant homes of the very rich on Earth had once had such amenities, or so his father had told Todd, before living space on the planet became so constricted that such luxuries had been prohibited. Man-made lakes on the few resort areas were out-of-doors and few would have been as large as this one. Todd wondered how close this approximated the living style of Gringg on their home world. He knelt to dip his fingers in the water and taste it.

"It's fresh, with only a slightly chemical taste,' he said to Hrriss. From his pouch, Hrriss took a little bottle and filled it for later analysis.

Having enjoyed their reaction, Grizz now took off her collar, shoulder piece and belt, placed them on a rack filled with other such accoutrements and slid into the water. Beckoning with a long, slow wave of her arm, she signalled them to join her. Todd started to strip and was distracted by the workmanship of Grizz's adornments. He picked up the collar and felt the material. It was smooth and supple like leather, though thin as vinyl.

"Is this snakeskin?" he asked, showing the way a snake moved.

"Morra,' said Grizz, and moulded her face around a gaping mouth.

She submerged, and Todd leaned close to the edge to see her. She opened and closed her mouth, using exaggerated motions of her lower jaw, and flapped her hands alongside her jowls for gills.

"Oh,' Todd cried, enlightened, as she surfaced. "Fish.

They must be whoppers!" He sketched a fish of great size with his hands.

"Reh, reh,' Grizz said, adding another length to Todd's.

He whistled.

"Oh, the one that got away,' he said.

Squealing, Weddeerogh bounced off the side and landed belly-first in the water, splashing everyone. One of the adults swam quickly towards him, only head and the line of a dark-brown-furred spine and rudder-like tail showing above the water. The cub paddled noisily towards his dam, but his pursuer caught up with him. As he made cries of mock distress, the larger bear picked him up, lifted him bodily out of the water, and tossed him. Weddeerogh laughed aloud all the way down.

The resultant splash caught Todd and Hrriss full in the chest.

"Agh!" Todd cried. "I'm soaked."

"Zen come in alrreddy,' Hrriss said, teasing his friend.

"You can get no wezzer zen you arrre." He undid his belt and threw it across Grizz's, and jumped in near Weddeerogh.

"Here I come,' Todd said, hopping out of shoes and hastily pulling off his clothes. "Damned nuisance. If I'd known I was going swimming . . ." Stripped again, he poised on the side of the pool. Then, as the Gringg audience watched with interest, he leaped up and cut a beautiful arc, entering the water with scarcely a ri ple.

When he surfaced, halfway across the pool, the Gringg applauded him, batting the water noisily with their palms.

"Very prezzy, Hrriss said. "I didn't know zat was possible in zis grravity. I zink zey have not seen diving of zis sorrt."

"No,' Todd said, surveying his companions. "They're not really built for swan dives and jackknives, are they?" At Grizz's encouragement, Todd demonstrated more Hayuman-style dives, using the highest of the pillar islands to do a half-gaynor. The Gringg were impressed, calling out their approval to him in loud, gruff voices.

When he was worn out, he pulled himself on to a nearby level and lay around listening to a youthful male with a stringed musical instrument gutturally rendering songs requested by the other Gringg.

Todd asked to see the instrument, which was not unlike a guitar.

"But far heavier,' he told Hrriss. He bent his fingers around the long stem as well as he could. They didn't reach the fretting, so he laid the instrument in his lap as if it was a dulcimer and tried to make chords. The resultant sounds were harmonious, but nearly inaudible.

"These strings are heavier than baling wire. It's more like playing tent spikes." The doors swung open. Panda, followed by the scribe, padded into the swimming room carrying a crescentshaped solid in one hand and, in the other, a device not unlike Todd's recorder with a slot intended to take the moon-shaped piece. The two bears settled down beside Todd and showed him diagrams on the reader's round screen.

"That was quick,' Hrriss said.

"Let's hope it works,' Todd replied. With a little stretch of imagination, Todd began to recognize the complex molecular structure of proteins.

Panda pointed to one. "Ayoomnnn."

"Yes, if you say so,' Todd said with a grin. "And that's Hrruban, right?" He put his finger on the other pattern.

"Reh,' Panda said, and put a claw to a control on the viewer. The two patterns moved towards and then overlay one another. Atoms stuck out to either side of the chain, and Panda seemed puzzled.

"Hayuman and Hrruban,' Todd explained, pointing to himself and Hrriss.

The two Gringg conferred, and finally it fell to the scribe to draw pictures. With care, he sketched Todd and Hrriss, then began to draw in lines around them.

"The quality of artwork is magnificent for such quick drawings,' Todd said. "Jilamey could make millions for this fellow in the Artists' Corridor on Earth."

"And on Hrruba,' Hrriss added.

The scribe's sketch complete, he turned it towards them.

"It's a family tree,' Todd realized. The scribe dashed small symbols between the images of the two of them, pointing at one, then another, and asking for clarification.

"He's not sure if we are siblings or . . . mated?" Hrriss turned with twinkling eyes to his friend, dropping his jaw in amusement.

"Uh, no,' Todd said, shaking both hands and head vehemently at the misunderstanding. With the scribe's permission he took the tablet and stylus. While Panda watched closely, Todd drew two different family trees and peopled them with figures not much more detailed than stick figures, but clearly male and female of each species: one with tails, one without.

"You are not as good an artist as he is,' Hrriss said.

"Agreed but let's hope they get the message, and see the difference." He patted his work to show it was finished and pushed the drawing to the scribe. "We're two separate species! See - tails, no tails!" The revised drawing prompted another spate of conversation.

The scribe depicted a planet with figures of Todd and Hrriss standing on top of it.

"Ah. I presume he now wonders how we came to be on one planet,' Todd said. "How do I explain?" So he drew Earth, marking out the western hemisphere continents, then its moon and sun, added a creditable spaceship and a line leading it to Doona, depicting its distinctive continental masses. Then Hrriss took over the double-looped pen from Todd, and sketched Hrruba and its satellites, and a dotted line for the Hrruban ship's journey to Doona. Todd jammed a forefinger on to Earth and held out his hand to Hrriss, who shook it, while with his free hand he pointed to his home world.

Then they looked to see if the Gringg had understood the pantomime.

The Gringg passed the drawing back and forth, mumbling in rapid bass notes with such intensity that Todd felt his ears itching and Hrriss could not keep his tail still. When the sketch had done a complete circuit, the Gringg smiled and nodded their acknowledgement to the two friends.

"Wish one of us could draw better, Todd said.

"Scrawl or not, zey seem to understand,' Hrriss said, but his tailtip kept twitching.

"Two races sharing a world in peace,' said Grzzeearoghh, with a blissful sigh. "How wonderful! These are species I want to cultivate assiduously. We must learn from them how they contrived to coexist so successfully. That harmony must explain why they are so willing to accept our peaceful intentions. Perhaps they cannot conceive that we might intend them harm. I hope this is so, for it will make our job much easier. This will be of great interest to all on the home world.

Now, let us show our guests the entire ship so that they know there is nothing hidden on it to harm them or their mutual world." They led the Doonarralans on an exhaustive tour of the ship, from the living quarters to the galley to the cargo holds, and finally to the bridge.

Soon, the small beings began to tire.

"Mama, perhaps they want to take a nap,' Weddeerogh suggested when Rrss yawned and attempted to conceal the gesture.

Just then she received a signal from Grrala and answered.

"First we will return to the infirmary for Grrala has something she wants them to see."

"I'd say they deliberately trotted us up and down this ship to prove that they're not hiding anything. I feel as if we haven't missed a corridor or a single level,' Todd said wearily.

"Certainly nothing resembled a weapon system anywhere. They didn't even stop you when you opened that triangular hatch." Hrriss wrinkled his nose. "No one is in danger from a compost heap. Zey seemed to let us go where we wanted to go. But it is so big a ship: to really explore would take weeks. Now, zat bridge was interesting, was it not?

So vrrry casual." Todd gave a soft snort. "Did you notice the configuration of the switches, toggles and buttons? No way either of us could manage that sort of control board . not unless we could grow foot-long fingers and treble our hand-spans."

"Zat does not worrrry me as much as ze absence of couches,' Hrriss said thoughtfully. "How do zey absorb ze g-force in take-off and landing without padded couches of some zort?"

"There's cushioning fat under their fur?" Todd suggested and bent over to rub his thighs. "Their normal g-force is enough to make my muscles ache." Hrriss gave a snort. "It wasn't ze diving you did?" "Come to think of it, I haven't done much diving lately. But I know the difference between gravity ache and muscle strain." When Grizz guided them back to Panda's office, Koala and Ursa had several small devices to show them. She strapped one about her massive throat and offered Todd he another one.

"How do I operate it?" Todd asked. Out of the device resting against his larynx, his words came out in a basso profunda that made him jump. "Was that me?" he asked, and the device repeated it.

"Dodh?" Ursa began. Her voice, instead of being a deep, chocolate baritone, had been raised to a pleasant tenor range.

"Zat is much better,' Hrriss said.

"Promising,' Todd agreed. He turned to Ursa. "Say va'arrel." He encouraged her comprehension of what he wanted by zooming his hand around like the shuttle. Ursa glanced at Grizz for permission.

"Vamarrel,' the Gringg said, sounding faintly ridiculous in soprano.

"Aha!" Todd said. "See, we were missing something.

Now say the word for the big ship." He gestured all around him.

Va'arrel?"

"Vasharrel,' Ursa piped.

"Wonderful! We're on our way Ursa signed to Todd to take off the device collar and pass it to Hrriss. The Hrruban fastened the band, and tried a couple of words. "Spaceship, food, wazzer, rilama The Gringg voder repeated much of what he was saying in a deep bass, but skipped parts of the higher tones.

Wielding a tool that was a cross between a laser and a screwdriver, Ursa attempted unsuccessfully to adjust the tympanum to encompass all of Hrriss's vocal tones.

She grunted and raised her paws palm up to show helplessness.

"Not perfect yet, Todd said sympathetically. "The waveband it uses is too narrow. We'll just have to wait until we get back down to Doonarrala. Better still, we could make use of Spacedep's engineers.

The Hamilton's still floating along behind us. The Admiral was hinting none too subtly that they wanted to be involved. Let's get one of their technicians over here." With a little tinkering and a lot of luck, Todd was able to adjust the Gringg communication system to the frequencies monitored by Spacedep. The communications officer, Rrawrum, manoeuvred up and down the band until Todd heard static, and gestured for him to fine tune on to that narrow wavelength.

"Hello? The Hamilton? This is Todd Reeve. Repeat, this is Todd Reeve."

"Where are you transmitting from?" demanded the voice of the communications tech. "You're interrupting a secured signal.

"Sorry,' Todd apologized. "I wasn't intending to break in on anything. I don't know the field strength of this transmitter. I'm aboard the Gringg ship. I need to speak with Captain Castleton."

"The captain's not available at present, sir.

"Then, Admiral Barnstable? The matter I have to bring up with him is pretty important."

"Not available either, sir."

"Strange,' Todd said, frowning at Hrriss. "I wonder where they went?"

"I'm not at liberty to divulge that, sir,' the Spacedep commtech said.

"Uh-huh. How about Commander Greene?" After a short pause, Greene came on the line. Todd described the situation and told him what they needed.

"Wouldn't construction of a translation device be their problem?

Surely they've had to deal with the other species they've encountered,' Greene said, slyly.

Todd sighed. Greene had been his last option for help.

"I doubt it, Commander."

"Really? A virgin species. Ripe for the plucking?" Greene asked acidly.

"Certainly ready to, and helpful in, forming a meaningful relationship,' Todd said, trying not to let the sour tones annoy him.

"A frame of mind I doubt you've ever experienced. At that, Greene, I'd expected that a man of your calibre and ambition would be able to catch the moment and run with it.

"What do you mean by that, Reeve?"

"Spacedep wants answers about the Gringg, don't they?

They don't want them second-hand, do they?"

"No,' and the reply was grudging.

Todd grinned. "So send us a communications technician who can help us refine a translator. They've whipped up a voder but it doesn't compensate for under and over tones - - - and they're necessary to establish communications.

Get a two-way exchange going and we'll find out what the Gringg are really saying."

"Will we?"

"As an Alreldep representative, I'm asking you, as a Spacedep officer, to provide assistance. You know, the sort of addition that looks so good on a code sheet. Or are you unable to function without direct orders from Barnstable ?"

"I can't order Castleton's officers to suit you, or Alreldep,' Greene said in a sort of a snarl. Then he paused. "If someone volunteers . . -"

"Yes, a volunteer is the answer,' Todd said, trying to keep the irony out of his voice.

"Not that I think anyone in their right mind. . . Greene began and then briefly shut off the channel. "You're in luck, Reeve.

There's a sucker in every ship."

"I knew I could count on you, Greene,' Todd said cheerfully. "Send him across. And don't worry.

We'll vouch for your reluctance to send a man into danger.

Reeve out!"

"This thing's pretty good,' Lieutenant Cardiff, junior grade, said as he examined the Gringg prototype voder, running a sonic probe over the exposed interior of the device. He'd brought two heavy toolkits with him. And Commander Jon Greene.

Neither Todd nor Hrriss were surprised that Greene had accompanied the signals officer. The Gringg had courteously retired from the bay once the little ship was safely docked in their massive vessel.

"Sound reproducer of some sort, huh? First, what's it supposed to do when it's alive and well and working right?" Todd explained the difference between Gringg voices and theirs. He had acknowledged Greene's presence but had to ignore the suspicious and cynical expression on his face, determined not to be provoked by Greene's open antagonism.

"Yeah, well, they were nearly there, I think. This resonator, here, is really brilliant. Should handle any decibel range. It looks like something they mass produce, by the way. This plastic core looks prefabbed and the chips are probably standard for all their audio equipment.

But I think these relays are too cumbersome; that's why you can't fine tune. Think I can alter that to suit the purpose. He grimaced, and settled his probe on one of the baffles. "This one'll poop out on you after a few too many high notes."

"Can you remedy the problems?" Todd asked.

"Oh, I'm a master fixit,' Cardiff said easily and grinned at Todd and Hrriss. He showed very white teeth in a face as dark as Grizz's fur. He had a mat of silky, silver hair which he continually raked upward with the fingers of both hands. He seemed to be one of those enthusiastic people whose vocation was also his av6cation, and was more interested in a challenging job than the wherefores of it. "Got some tricks of my own, I have. I'll just tinker with these relays - here and here - strengthen this baffle, and put in a more sophisticated tuner. Odd how there're only a few ways of doing some jobs? Sound's one of "em.

These guys have some mighty slick gadgetry." Cardiff frowned slightly, turning the voder from side to side, re-examining its c(ftiponents. "But why leave it as just a frequency modulator, sir? I can add a memory chip so it uses terms in the languages as soon as we have equivalents, build up the usable vocabulary. I got some multi-programmable blank chips here that'd do the job stellar! That way, all three races get used to hearing one another's tongues."

"Zat would be much, much more useful,' Hrriss said, approvingly.

"Sure thing,' the tech said. "You know, they're trying to build something like this on the surface, too. Or so I heard from Commander Frill. He was looking for a decent resonator. I ought to turn him on to this one.

"Well, pool your knowledge, Lieutenant,' Todd replied.

"No use in redundancy.

"Nossir."

"Cardiff can't work here,' Greene said irritably, looking about contemptuously. "There's no workspace in this ù barn."

"Since you've now seen what needs to be done,' Todd said, ignoring Greene, "the Gringg will take us where you can be comfortable. They stayed out of the way on purpose,' and he flicked a glance at the commander, "first to let you examine the voder without distraction, and two, so I can reassure you how hdspitable they've been. Three, so I can warn you that they're big, Cardiff, really big."

"I figured they must be from the size of their ship,' Cardiff said affably. "Won't bother me.

"Well, you have nothing to fear from them.

"Nothing to fear?" Greene said, his lip curled derisively "With claws that could gut a space shuttle."

"Which, I remind you, Greene, they haven't done.

Keep your xenophobia to yourself,' Todd replied in a harsh voice.

Greene raised a taunting eyebrow, his expression supercilious.

"I'm ready, sir, I think,' the tech said, slinging one huge tool-case to his bony shoulder and nodding for someone to pick up the big padded one that held his inventory of chips. Todd hefted it.

"Lead me to "em.

Through pictures and pantomime, Todd had managed to convey to Grizz the need of workspace for the technician. Grizz and Panda had shown him one not too far from the shuttle bay, one level up on the belt elevator, and a short dogleg. It was yet another mark of Gringg tact that they met no Gringg on their way to the workroom.

That Todd hadn't expected but it pleased him very much.

Hrriss, too, grinned as he followed behind the others while Greene kept apprehensively glancing up corridors and around corners. The belt elevator had surprised both Greene and Cardiff though they were familiar with such mechanical lifts.

"What are they like, these Gringg?" Cardiff said, listening to his voice echoing back from the high, smooth ceilings. "I was hoping for a glance, you know." Todd indicated the door to the workroom allocated to them and opened it. "See for yourself." Cardiff lifted one foot, froze and stared into the huge room. "Holy fardling afterburners!" Grinning, Todd gave Cardiff a little shove in the back so that he moved on but, as he himself entered, he had to admit this was an impressive scene.

Grizz and Weddeerogh sat beside Chief Engineer Koala, who was working over a low table, tweaking the components of the second voder.

Panda, her scribe, and Rrawrum, the communications officer, lounged around.

At the appearance of the Hayumans. all of them turned towards the door and smiled.

"Great gods! What a set of cutlery!" Cardiff declared, his eyes focused on the long claws Panda had extended in her work. His ebony-dark face had an ashy tint to it, and his already wild hair seemed to stand out further. "D'you suppose they file their nails like screwdrivers? Do I gotta work with all of them? They're big enough to cramp my style, I think."

"The silvery one over there's the engineer,' Todd said with a chuckle, pointing out Koala. She waved a gigantic paw, and Todd could see the technician's eyes riveted to the length of claw displayed.

"You all right?" Todd asked, bracing the man's shoulders with a sturdy arm.

Gamely, Cardiff gulped. "Even with you warning me, I didn't quite appreciate . . . Hell, I've seen a stuffed bear in the museum and I just thought you meant they'd be a little - but whew!" He whistled softly.

"Get on with it,' Greene muttered.

"Button up, Greene,' Todd said in a fierce undertone.

Greene glared back with a hatred which he now made no effort to hide but he said nothing. He could contain himself now, in anticipation of the total humiliation of Todd Reeve in the not too distant future. Gringg had never met another species, had they? When Reeve found out the truth . . . When he could not retreat from his untenable position When they had all the proof they needed. Meanwhile he watched as the lanky technician was urged forward to be introduced to the Gringg. Greene momentarily sympathized with the reluctance in every line of the man's body but then, Cardiff had volunteered.

Greene contented himself with a smile and settled himself on a low counter while Cardiff eased himself down on the floor with Koala, a scribe, and put the voder he'd examined on the table beside the other.

"Now, this is a good piece of work,' Cardiff said, removing the resonator chip from the heart of the device and brandishing it at Koala.

"The word for good is rehmeh,' Todd said to him, squatting down alongside. Hrriss joined him, leaving Greene by himself, glaring at the roomful of absorbed Gringg.

"Right,' Cardiff said, grinning. "Rehmeh, this. Not rehmeh, that. Downright cow patties, that. What you need is a couple of these transformers; a different microphone assembly, something with real range, but solid, too; and a new power supply." He rummaged in the big rucksack.

"I've got the very thing - somewhere in here." The language of engineering had intrinsic universality.

Circuitry symbols might be different, but the way to diagram a circuit was surprisingly similar. In no time, Cardiff and Koala were communicating easily through the sketches, augmented by nods, smiles, frowns, grunts and much gesticulation, oblivious to all else.

Cardiff's long, thin fingers assembled components, using hot-tipped tools and minute pliers as Koala made suggestions by pointing and making hand signals.

"Where's my soldering iron?" Cardiff cried, pawing through his pack. "I'm sure I packed it. Oh, never mind.

I can use the laser tool."

"Rehmeh,' Koala said, at last, giving the Hayuman technician a rubbery-lipped smile of approval.

"Right,' said Cardiff, straightening up. "Let's teach these things to talk." He had made use of the original casings, but shuffled components from both worlds. Out of the kit, he pulled a frequency monitor, and ran the dial up and down the cycles. "This will compress the greater range of Hrruban tones into the range the Gringg can hear, and match Hayuman stuff as well. It'll also translate any one of the ranges into any one of the other, depending on who it's set to be worn by. This switch has three settings."

"Aha,' said Todd. "Now we're getting somewhere." Cardiff strapped one of the voders on to his neck.

"You want them to learn Middle Hrruban first?" He ignored Greene's belated protest, "Sensible notion since so many of us can get along in that. So that's what we're going to record into the memory." Todd began to recite the words for which he already had the Gringg translations. Grizz recorded the translations in her booming voice when Cardiff pointed to her. Back and forth they went, putting more and more into memory, slowly expanding a GringglMiddle Hrruban glossary. Todd suggested the words for body parts, things in the lab, male, female, baby, and any verb he could think of for which he could express the concept. Grizz responded.

"Right. We've got a good starting vocabulary,' the technician said, happily. "Go ahead, try it." Todd cleared his throat. "I'm Todd, not Dodh." His voice came out as a deep bass, but with more inflection than he'd had through Koala's preliminary model. "Todd.

Todd Reeve.

"Todd,' the Gringg all repeated one by one. "Todd Reeve."

"See?" Todd said, with satisfaction. "Supersonics - at least super to them are dropping out, as subsonics are for us." Hrriss took the other voder, and let Cardiff tune it to him.

"I am Hrriss, and my people are called Hrrubans. His voice was reproduced, but matching his "his and "5's without dropping out any of the hissing.

"Hrrissss. Hrrrroobans,' the Gringg intoned.

"Piece of cake,' Todd said, spreading his hands, ha pily.

"Peess of kkayyk,' the Gringg echoed, showing their massive teeth in a grin.

"Don't encourage them to smile,' Cardiff said with a twitch of his lean shoulders. "It reminds me of K.P."

"Well done,' Hrriss praised him. "Well done by you, too,' he told Koala, who grunted at the compliment.

"Well, let's take these things away and replicate "em,' Todd said.

"Because of the tone differences, anyone who ever wants to talk with the Gringg will have to use one.

That means dozens, if not hundreds of copies. I'll see what inventory we've got and what we can manufacture in a hurry. Maybe even arrange a licence to grid stuff in."

"Happy to help, if I can,' Cardiff insisted. "This was fun! Usually, I'm bent fixing electronics blown up by the visiting brass. No offence to you, Commander Greene." The three visitors looked around.

"Wherre did he go?" Hrriss asked, springing to his feet.

Todd glanced at the Gringg and raised his hands questioningly.

Grizz cocked her head, and addressed a question to the others. No one had seen the other Hayuman leave.

"Wait,' he said. "Where's Weddeerogh?" Grizz moved faster then than Todd had yet seen. In a moment, she was on her feet beside a crescent-shaped device on the wall. She fitted a claw into a hole and spoke to a slotted grille on the side. "Ahrgha, geerh vnamshola Hayuman, parghhen va Weddeerogh. Ahrgha, meena lorrangh." Todd and Hrriss could hear her voice echoing in the hallway.

The announcement, if it was an order to bring back any Hayuman found to be wandering the halls with Grizz s cub, was redundant. Two strange Gringg, one male and one female, appeared in the doorway with a struggling Greene between them. Weddeerogh loped in behind the party, and rolled on to his haunches beside his mother.

Grizz's eyes were hot with anger, but her voice sounded calm when she turned to Todd with a question.

"Geerh kwaadchhs?"

"No, I mean, morra, that won't be necessary,' Todd said, standing up to pinion Greene by the arm. The Gringg male moved away to make room for the tall Hayuman. "I'm taking him out of here now.

"What did she say?"

"She said, should she take you and throw you in the compost heap,' Todd said, trying to master his fury. "What are you trying to do? Ruin the good work of the last day, sneaking off for a private pry around this ship? You could have asked and Grizz would have seen you had the guided tour. This your idea? Or Barnstable's?" Greene gave him a look of total contempt. Only the place and company kept Todd's anger in check. One day he was going to square off against Greene!

"Captain Grizz,' Todd said formally, switching on the voder as he turned toward her. "We have truly enjoyed our visit aboard the vasharrel." Grizz murmured approvingly at his correctly enunciated words. "We'll be speaking again with you soon. May we be guided back to our vamarrel?" "Reh,' Grizz said, allowing a glint of humour in her eyes.

Weddeerogh trotted up to nose Todd's hand, then over to Hrriss, and back to his mother.

"See you soon, little guy,' Todd said, warmly. "All packed up, Cardiff?"

"Lug this, will you?"

"I'll take it,' Greene said unexpectedly, stepping forward to sweep the toolkit out of Todd's grasp.

"As you will,' Cardiff said amiably then turned. "See you again, Koala,' and he tipped a salute to the Gringg engineer who waved one large silver paw in response.

They both paused by Greene and Todd gave a curt nod of his head for the commander to precede him.

"I'm sure you know the way to the shuttle bay, Commander,' Todd said with barely concealed sarcasm. "Or didn't you get that far before they hauled you back for poking about?" Greene said nothing as he expertly caught the next descending platform of the belt elevator. To Todd that meant he'd gone this far. Had he gone up or down?

"As you pointed out, Reeve, it's catching the moment and running with it."

"Even at the expense of violating good will?"

"Good will?" Greene snorted explosively. "Yes, good will! I'll show you some good will one of these days . He broke off. Now was not the time to let anger overset judgement. He took a deep breath and refused the bait.

Their guide hopped off the platform and Greene followed, knocking the toolkit against the wall as he slightly misjudged his momentum.

Its flap bounced open, and a small, rodlike device fell out.

"Hey, there's my soldering iron,' Cardiff said, diving for it before it dropped off the platform. He straightened up to tuck it back into the carryall, and stopped, looking curiously at the remaining contents of the bag. "Shooting stars, what's that? I never packed that."

"What?" Todd asked. A growl from the corridor suggested their guide was waiting.

Todd held up one hand to the Gringg before he grabbed for the toolkit strap, to summarily lift it off Greene's shoulder. Greene twisted away but Hrriss barred his way.

"Hey, what's the matter. . ." Cardiff wanted to know.

"I want to see what's in there that you didn't pack, Cardiff,' Todd said and jerked at the shoulder strap.

Greene struggled hard but, with a powerful yank, Hrriss stripped the bag from his shoulder while Todd deflected the commander's blows.

The powerfully built aide had an excellent repertoire of hand-to-hand combat dirty tricks but Todd had been wrestling snakes every year since he was ten. When Greene kicked, Todd hooked his feet out from under him and sat on him while Hrriss continued his inspection of the toolkit.

The Gringg guide came back to see what was holding his party up and growled a question.

"Morra,' Todd said, grimly, keeping his weight on Greene's back.

"What's in it, Hrriss?"

"It looks like a small bomb,' Hrriss whispered angrily.

"I do not know what zis ssmall device on top is." Cardiff took a quick look. "Remote control receiver, he said, his face expressionless. "No fuse, just need a radio signal to set it off." Todd closed his eyes against the arrogance of a man like Greene, too ready to destroy what he couldn't understand. Though he wanted to close his fingers tightly about Greene's neck, instead he hauled the commander upright by handful of his tunic.

"So that's what you intended, skiving off like that? To plant this bomb. When were you going to blow the ship?

While Hrriss and I were still on it? Or when Barnstable gave the orders?" His fingers clenched and unclenched in the tough fabric of Greene's uniform. Though his eyes did not narrow in fear, the commander watched him warily, giving no resistance to the mauling. "No wonder you let Cardiff come. I should have been suspicious the moment I saw you in the shuttle with him. When, Greene? When was this to be set off?"

"A fail-safe, Reeve, just a fail-safe,' Greene said, grating the words out. Adding when Todd relaxed his grip slightly, "Should the Gringg suddenly turn hostile." Disgusted, Todd pushed him out at arm's length and let go. Greene staggered back against the corridor wall before recovering himself. He then straightened his tunic with careful gestures and smoothed back his hair with nerveless fingers.

"Do marines require their officers to be paranoid?" Todd demanded.

"Paranoid, hell, Reeve! Marines protect! Which is more than you're doing,' Greene replied in a low, angry voice and strode down the corridor towards the waiting Gringg.

The two Doonarralans hurried to bracket him, making certain he took no further detours across the huge bay to the shuttle. Silently, Cardiff strode out ahead of them, eager to get into the shuttle and out of the way before the others boarded it. Hrriss managed the Gringg words for thanks and pulled the shuttle door closed. The small ship waited until the bay doors opened and slowly left the Gringg ship.

"If you'd planted that bomb and the Gringg found it, Greene, all the strides towards understanding that we've made today would have been neutralized."

"Why would they look for something, Reeve? Answer me that! They have such peaceful intent, and you are so honourable, why would they look for anything? But, why won't you look at matters from another perspective? What if all their compliance is a cover?" Greene demanded in a hard voice. "What if the Gringg are hiding something from us?"

"Hrriss and I were taken over the whole ship, looked wherever we wished with no hindrance or supervision,' Todd replied, still fuming at the appalling touch with near disaster. "They trust us. We must return that trust and that means you keep your little gadgets off their premises."

"That little gadget might have saved more lives. . ." the commander began and stopped before he blurted out why he had reason to be concerned.

"For the last time, Greene, this isn't your business.

This is Alien Relations business and in the interests of Amalgamated Worlds and this invaluable alien contact, I'll have you denied further access to the Gringg. This time, my father and I have the authority to keep the brass and bureaucracy right out of the loop so we can get on with unarmed diplomacy!" It was with trepidation Second Speaker returned to Hrruba to bring his news to the High Council. He had got no satisfaction from the confrontation engineered by the Hayuman Admiral. Between the medical examinations and invention of a communication device, things had got totally out of hand and the stakes were far too high. In the presence of these immense aliens, Hrrto felt reduced to insignificance although he was of large stature among his own kind. Beings should not be made in such massive forms, should not be permitted to grow to such abnormal proportions. They must not be permitted to come to Hrruba to dwarf even the largest of his people.

He hoped that more of the Hayuman contingent felt that way than the Doonarralans did. After all, so many of them were shorter than the average Hrruban. Which reminded him that he had not felt any physical or aural intimidation when he had encountered the Hayumans for the first time: certainly not the unnerving sort he experienced in the company of Gringg. He did not understand why others were not overwhelmed by the Gringgs' presence. Even young Hrriss, whom he trusted as a true Hrruban, had taken to these furry giants as if they were true beings of honour, integrity and value.

Mllaba seemed to feel that the coming of the Gringg could be a great advantage to him in the upcoming election. He was at a loss to know how he could possibly present such hulks as advantageous, though Mllaba was usually shrewd to see possibilities and potentials . .

Still he had been there at the beginning and that did give him an advantage to speak from. If he could build on that, with Mllaba's assistance, he might indeed enhance his bid for the Speakership. He need only be calm - and pretend to know more than he actually did.

Mllaba was up to something, he knew, and she would inform him when her manoeuvres were complete.

As Hrrto entered the impressive, dark-panelled Council Meeting Room, his tail gave a single twitch. The place had not felt the same since the death of Hrruna. It had turned into a cold, unfriendly place, with whispering shadows.

Hrrto took his place in the second seat, beside the head of the table, facing Third Speaker for Internal Affairs, a moderate Hrruban named Rrolm. The First Speaker's place was, of course, respectfully empty, draped with blue and red. In the centre of the seat was the precious blue stone given as a gift of peace to Hrruna by the Hayuman settlers in the very first days of Rraladoona. On his deathbed, Hrruna had directed that the stone should be displayed in the council chamber until a successor was chosen. To him who assumed the office would pass ownership of the stone, to remind him that peace with one's neighbour was as valuable and vital as clean air or pure water. Yes, peace and trust were necessary, but in good time, when the Gringg had proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, their pacificism.

"Be confident, sir,' MIlaba whispered from her place, a seat rolled deferentially back from the table, suitable for one who was not part of the Council. "Contain this situation firmly. It will be the key to the election. Your rivals do not have such a good opportunity to display leadership as you do right now with your intimate connection in the Gringg incident. Fifth Speaker backs Third now but the few outside candidates have little chance of assuming the post. Be firm.

Be confident. You have the advantage."

"I know the tone and stand to take, Mllaba,' Hrrto said, with some irritation and flattened his tail against the chair leg, hidden by his robes. At times her attitude bordered on the officious and she was not in contention for any Speakership.

Word had already spread over Hrruba that intervention by an alien presence had put a halt to the space port talks. The delegates, not held to temporary residence on Rraladoona as were their Hayuman counterparts, had come home full of tales about the giant Gringg.

MIlaba's initial report had made a strong impression on the Council.

The Speakers were eager to hear more from Hrrto.

So Second Speaker first explained the circumstances of the Gringgs' advent, then signalled to Mllaba to run the tape of the huge aliens who had visited Rialadoona as emissaries.

As Eonneh and Ghotyakh appeared on the screen, gasps ranged around the table, then modulated into murmurs of discomfort when the Gringg spoke.

"What horrible sounds they make!" Fourth Speaker said.

"Barbaric garble! Threatening in sound and appearance.

So monstrous. Bare-skinned Hayumans were peculiar enough to behold, but these are at the other extreme!"

"Alreldep, which agency you already know includes several prominent Hrrubans of good Stripe,' Hrrto said, rising to his feet as the tape ended, "thinks that these Gringg wish to establish peaceful relations with both Hrrubans and Hayumans. They are to learn Middle Hrruban,' he said, with a smug smile, intimating that this was a concession he himself had managed.

"We must, of course, wait until sufficient understanding of language allows us to communicate to purpose."

"Peaceful relations?" Rrolm asked. "How can we be sure of that?"

"Of course, their ship was thoroughly scanned and probed,' Hrrto went on. "No weaponry of any sort was discovered, that is true. Alreldep sent envoys who were treated courteously and no show of force or violence occurred He let his voice dwindle ominously. "We have little hard data, except the results of physical examinations done by the Hayuman medical team on Rraladoona. Alreldep does tend,' and he paused solemnly, "to optimism." He gave a diffident shrug. "On the other hand, Spacedep has given me reason to suspect that the Gringg assurances of good faith and their appearance of defencelessness - as far as their vessel goes could very well be false. Until we are absolutely certain of their intentions towards us, Hrruba and Hrrubans, we should keep the Gringg contained in the Rraladoona sphere, but prepare ourselves for all eventualities.

"I do not think we wish a close association with these huge creatures,' Sixth Speaker said, assuming the speechmaking posture he had lately adopted, evidently believing that it gave his listeners more confidence in his ponderous opinions. "Once again the Hayumans have forced an untenable situation upon our peaceful citizens. I must tell you that there is great anxiety among those with whom I have spoken at length when word of this new incursion was brought to me."

"I second that, Sixth,' Third Speaker said brusquely and turned to Second. "Have you any action to propose at this time, Second?" Hrrto smiled for matters were proceeding well if Third deferred to him to act. Mthough that could be a trap.

Still - "Surely, Third,' he said with a smooth growl to his tone, "that is obvious. The fleet must be,' and he let one talon extrude slightly from his right hand, "discreetly mobilized.

Held on alert, undetectable behind the Rraladoonan moons. I have been assured that there will be those on the planet who will turn a blind eye to the occasional anomaly on the surveillance screens. And, should it become necessary,' and he paused again significantly, "the Hrruban fleet will be able to move with surprise and great speed." The others reacted with varying degrees of approval or censure, muttering among themselves.

"You are convinced of threat?" Third asked, over the hubbub.

"The prudent Stripe is prepared for any eventuality. In the case of large, unexpected visitors, mouthing peace, prudence is only ah politic. To be frank,' and now Second turned confidential, addressing his remarks directly to Third across the table from him, "I would feel less threat, actually, if their ship had shown some armament. With none . . -" And Second lifted his shoulders, leaving the anxiety for others to enlarge. "With the fleet in place, Hrrubans on the planet are supported. And our allies can turn to us for irimediate assistance in case this situation turns ugly. And it very well could!"

"How?

From what source? If the alien ship has been probed as weaponless?" Fifth asked, doubtfully.

Second bowed his head, miming reluctant silence. "This is, of course, to be kept among us. Spacedep offered me incontrovertible truth of the possibility that the aliens are by no means as pacific and genuine as they would have us believe them. But such information is classified. Suffice it for you to know that my eyes have seen, and my shoulders bear the heavy burden for you all. For the safety, and sanity of Rrala it must remain so.

"The Speaker did observe to me,' Mllaba said, standing up, "that while Hayumans have weapons, capable of destroying a planet, they have shown a moral code which prevents them from doing so. These Gringg, on the other hand, seem cultured and peaceful, but the evidence, which I, too, was shown, suggests they have two sides to their nature: the one we have not seen is vicious and ruthless." The timbre of her voice only emphasized Second's less emotional narration.

"Yes, well, no one has answered me on the matter of the space port facility,' said the Seventh Speaker for Management, slightly testy.

"What's happened to it?

There has been so much preparation, so many negotiations and hard work. Surely.

MIlaba bowed to him. She enjoyed being able to speak freely before the entire Council. "It has been postponed indefinitely, honoured sir. The arrival of the Gringg is considered a priority of utmost urgency and the conference co-leader is intimately involved in the negotiations. There is no surety right now that the facility will be discussed in the near future.

Sixth Speaker cleared his throat. "Do we yet know what part of the galaxy they come from? And, if they have come so peacefully, might they not have come for trade? That is why we - and the Hayumans - took to the stars: to find new sources of metals and foodstuffs and new planets on which to settle." Milaba realized with annoyance that Sixth was not convinced of the deadliness of the Gringg threat, nor was Fifth Speaker. Fifth saw the Gringg as potential allies and customers, and Sixth was more concerned with the inability to shift Hrruban goods anywhere and the current recession due to that inability Hrrto rose and immediately Mllaba seated herself.

"The Gringg claim their discovery of Rraladoona was an accident,' he said. "When they visited the First Village, they had managed to convey to Ken Rrev that their instrumentation discovered an ion trail which they followed to the Rraladoonan system. They were encouraged to enter the system when they also found the marker buoys and realized that the third planet was not only inhabited but obviously using sophisticated technology. Their level of technical expertise is high.

I cannot say whether it is similar to ours or to the Hayumans.

"To be fair,' Second continued, planting his hands on the table, "the public face the Gringg show is one of thoughtful, creative civilization. Their standard of artwork and music is high, and they have been quick to comprehend symbolic communication. They may have much to offer us: not only trade goods, but cultural gifts."

"This suggests an understanding of technology and tenacity of purpose,' said Fifth Speaker, combing his chin mane with thoughtful claws. "These Gringg could be useful and worthwhile allies."

"If they are not planning to destroy us,' Seventh said, in alarm.

"I don't like it,' snarled Sixth. "They could be a threat to Hrruban independence, and individual development.

There are already too many outsiders with influence on the Hrruban way of life."

"I feel it necessary that the Hrrubans take the lead in all discussions,' Hrrto said primly.

"It may be more important than ever for you to manage such discussions,' said Fifth Speaker, his green eyes wide with alarm. "I have heard something from our returning delegates which troubles me greatly. Is it true that the Hayumans are becoming more insistent in their demands to share our grid technology?"

"Yes,' Mllaba said, rising gracefully to her feet. "But the Speaker stated without equivocation that such a thing was impossible. The Hayumans were not pleased by his adamant position." "You did not admit to them why we could not share that technology, did you?" Hrrto was genuinely insulted. He controlled his voice, but his tail lashed once under his flowing red robes. "Of course I did not. If the honoured speaker will recall, I voted in favour of the proposition to make details of grid technology and construction available only to Hrrubans of the home world. I am only too aware that our supply of the element purralinium which makes the grids possible will only last for a hundred years at the present rate of use. Expanding the network of planets in our Explorations Arm and colony worlds will deplete it faster. Without better ships we are unlikely to find other asteroid belts where novas have collided and the special mineral has formed with purralinium. The Hayumans demand access to grid technology in exchange for spaceship technology. They will hold firm on that point,' he said with genuine regret.

"How they dare! They go too far,' Sixth said.

"They are curious,' Second explained, wearily. "Hayumans wish to know how everything operates. I must admit that many of the arguments put forth by the delegate Landreau make sense. As we know from many decades of use, grids save time and lives."

"Has no more purralinium been found?" Fifth asked Sixth Speaker.

Sixth stood up. "Plenty has been discovered, as the honoured speaker may know from reading his texts. But never with the key trace elements which comprise the compound needed. I think we must curtail the establishment of any but the most urgent additions to our transport network.

Research is, naturally, on-going to find alternatives but we must face the fact that we have a finite quantity of material which is not renewable. We would do well to accelerate alternative power sources." "We cannot! We've thrown all our support into grid research. We haven't the funds to advance new research into space technology. If the Hayumans remain on a hard line of negotiation, we are lost. In a short era, we will be circumscribed on every side by Hayumans and possibly by these, these Gringg,' said Third, looking panicky.

"Something must be done." Fifth Speaker smiled grimly. "I heard through some sources who live on Rraladoona that the Gringg were not surprised by the grids when they first used them.

Is it possible they might also have discovered matter transmission?" Hrrto dropped his jaw and waved both hands dismissively.

"The chances of their discovering matter transmission are exceedingly slim, honoured sirs, especially,' and now he drew himself up, "since the Hayumans have been unable to duplicate our process no matter how hard they have tried."

"Yet you imply that the Gringg have searched many worlds, would they not have found purralinium somewhere in their travels? We must discover what they have seen during their explorations. We must leave no avenue unexplored to replenish our supplies. Especially if we must use a third of our dwindling resource to erect an efficient grid in the space port facility. Never must the Hayumans discover how important purralinium is to us or how little we have left,' Sixth said, all but babbling in his urgency. "We cannot fall from our present prominence and become vulnerable to either the Hayumans or these Gringg creatures."

"Sixth, do not exercise yourself,' Second said kindly, for the old Stripe was spitting in his agitation.

"After all, the Hayumans have treated fairly with us. The delay on the space port is actually due to Zodd Rrev's contention that a space port is an infraction of both the Decision and Treaty." Second smiled benignly. "Despite their desire to share our technology, I do not see Hrruba made vulnerable to Hayumans.

"It is recorded that those who live on Rraladoona have always conducted themselves with honour towards Hrruba,' Fifth agreed, "but there are too many on the Hayuman home world who are willing to take advantage of us. We must protect ourselves, or our culture will be swallowed up and lost, as our natural resources, nay, even as the surface of our planet was, by our own carelessness.

The space port is essential if we are to maintain the precarious balance of trade. In the matter of the Gringg, you must ensure that any concession from them that the Hayumans receive, so also do we Hrrubans." There was a murmur of agreement. Second realized he needed to walk carefully if he wished to be successful.

Fifth was a determined and intelligent rival for Hrruna's place.

And yet, he judged that he had not done so ill in this meeting.

Mllaba seemed to be very pleased.

"I concur,' he said. "Steps shall be taken to establish Hrruba's pre-eminence. And its safety."

Chapter 7

OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT WEEKS, HRRESTAN TOOK over as many duties from Tod in their joint management of the colony as he could.

"Todd can get his tongue round ze new worrds bezzer zan I,' was Hrrestan's comment, "for all my dam said I was borrrn grrowling." So, except for brief consultations now and then between the colony's co-leaders, Todd was free to spend long hours with Ken and Hrriss as they parsed and rehearsed Gringg sounds, and memorized what vocabulary had been exchanged and figured out the probable syntactical forms.

As often as he could, however, Hrrestan dropped in, earnestly trying to refine those phrases he could enunciate properly.

Kelly and Nrrna kept pots of coffee available and the herbal teas that Hrrestan preferred, feeding them whenever the women could get their attention long enough, and reminding them that a good night's sleep would do wonders for concentration. Finally, Kelly laid down a law.

"No Gringg at mealtimes,' she said firmly on the evening when Alec had tried to emulate his father's tones and inadvertently regurgitated his last mouthful. "Give it a rest!" Surprised by Alec's mishap, Todd offered sheepish apologies for his behaviour and refrained from practising the deep gutturals at mealtimes.

"Not that that improved his dinner conversation in the slightest,' Kelly complained to Nrrna and Mrrva the next afternoon. She made grunts and woofs to demonstrate.

"Now that he's got vocabulary and syntax, he complains because he only has present tense verbs!" She rolled her eyes in histrionic resignation.

"But zey are working togezzer,' Nrrna murmured and then the two women sighed once again with relief.

When the matter of planning for the upcoming Snake Hunt would have interfered with language lessons, Todd reluctantly acceded to Robin's pleas to show that he could handle the pre-Hunt arrangements. Kelly offered to give her young brother-in-law a hand and that work gave her a respite from Todd's current preoccupation. Robin proved not only completely conversant with the complexities of the big event but efficient in checking minor details that might provide situations for accidents to happen. Todd and Hrriss, as Hunt Masters, would spare a few moments to answer his questions and go over his work schedules and estimates but that was one less worry.

Todd, Ken, Hrriss and Hrrestan, separately or as teams, escorted Gringg visitors around Doonarrala or accompanied volunteer linguists up to the giant vessel to build vocabulary and language links for the translation voders. The Alreldep scout ship which had been assigned years before to Todd and Hrriss was back in service, shuttling people up without having to go through Barnstable, Greene or Castleton. Only the smaller Gringg, like Eonneh and Koala, were small enough to fit in the scout. Hrrestan tried hard to get permission to put a temporary grid in the Gringg cargo bay but Hrrto was totally opposed to the notion. Todd and Hrrestan did, over great Outcry from Barnstable and Prrid, give permission for the Gringg to use their own ship-to-surface transport, the smaller of the ones they'd seen on their initial visit.

It was a cumbersome vehicle like a great box and looked totally out of place on the Common of First Village where it had space to land.

Hearing about this, some of the more vocal dissidents made strenuous objections on grounds of noise, pollution and possible damage to the expanse of grass which doubled as a playing field. The vehicle was not only quiet, but also emitted no noxious fumes and used an air cushion for landing and resting, leaving no marks despite its mass.

The Gringg pilot, an oddly misshapen individual, smaller than any other adult Gringg, courteously asked for landing and departure permissions every time and remained in the vehicle, though Buddy, alias Buddeeroagh, was quite willing to show anyone through it.

Alec told his father that one day he had counted nineteen men and women, all of whom had the odd gait of spacefarers, requesting permission to board.

"None of "em are from any of the villages, Dad. Me, I think that old Admiral's busting his britches to find out something against the bear people. Isn't he?" Alec asked his father, cocking his head with a shrewd look in his eyes.

"You might think that, Todd answered cautiously, busy assembling the latest Gringg sounds on flash cards. Once again he thought that children often saw more than their parents. "Why were you counting in the first place?"

"Aw, Allie, ine, Hrr and Hrruni were chatting with Buddy. He kept getting interrupted by these jokers when he was showing us this neat game. You know, if we could charge "em for a visit, we'd make a pile!"

"You've been listening too much to your Uncle Jilamey, I think,' Todd replied, half amused by his son's acumen and privately embarrassed at such gall, "but we can't charge for ah . . . cunosity!' When his son's face contorted in dismay, he added. "And the navy is here to protect us.

Alec gave a snort. "Ha! Then they should spend their time doing that instead of nosing about our planet's guests!"

"Well said, Alec!' and he ruffled his son's tangled curls and then had to wipe his hand.

"What have you been in?" Alec fingercombed his hair, inspecting the results.

"Some sort of oiler something'. Musta got it when Buddy showed me how their drive works!" Alec beamed suddenly, but his eyes were twinkling with slight malice. "He didn't show anyone but us kids!' Todd decided he didn't need to worry about the Spacedep's interest in the Gringg vessel when the pilot displayed such discretion. He also decided that letting the Village children tag along with Gringg visitors would be a subtle way of disrupting the surveillance Barnstable and Greene had set up. What was the old tag? Qui custodiat?

Who watches the watchers? The kids of Doonarrala!

So the almost daily unofficial visits by Eonneh and one or more of his fellow scribes to gather information and understanding of their new friends took on a new perspective. Of course, there were some diehards who wouldn't subject their children to "such influences', but these were fewer than Todd expected. When Alec casually mentioned some youngsters Todd knew had been prohibited, he did have a qualm or two of conscience but decided their independence of mind should not be discouraged.

The positive reaction of the youngsters was also a grand buffer between the Gringg and the doomsayers who had managed to arrive from both Hrruba and Terra.

Somewhere underneath the busy exterior, Todd knew he was exhausted, but he'd hardly ever been so enthusiastic about a project in his life. Well, not since he'd been six.

The Gringg and the majority of Doonarralans were as delighted as he, cooperating like a dream. Frictions that had been caused by disagreement about the space port were mainly discarded by the generally held desire to get on terms with the aliens. The barriers of speech and unfamiliar custom were dropping farther and farther every day.

Sumitral, far from exercising impatience with the laborious progress, made it a practice to interact every day with one of the male scribes or Grizz aboard the Gringg vessel. The Gringg captain herself had not yet set foot on Doonarrala, nor had any of her female department heads, preferring to save that portentous event, Todd was made to understand, for the day when she could make an official entrance, able to speak for herself.

Todd was grateful for her forbearance. His office received enough complaints from the very vocal Hayuman and Hrruban minority who reacted negatively to the tercel males who had requested permission to wander about. The gigantic females would cause a bigger stir and more friction. But he did identify most of the possible troublemakers and set up contingency plans to prevent trouble from those quarters.

Todd also had reason to be very grateful to Jilamey Landreau who set up entertainments and unofficial meetings at his hilltop home, well out of the way of Todd and those working on the language project.

Superficially, Jilamey seemed to be to be working both ends against the middle, soothing the disappointed members of the interrupted conference while he made no bones about his Gringgophilia.

He evidently made much of his being included in the first contact group.

The austere Barrington copted daily down to bring private and encouraging reports to Todd. Todd took these with a grain of salt, knowing Jilamey's enthusiasms, but Barrington's manner of reportage allowed him to hope that much of what Jilamey said was true.

Especially when Barrington relayed Jilamey's firm opinion, one Barrington seemed to support, that the Gringg's only objective was to establish trade relations.

It was on this point that Jilamey urged patience until the translation problem could be solved and how he managed to keep the frustrated delegates from leaving Doonarrala. Ironically, Tanarey Smith became one of Jilamey's converts, especially after Landreau persuaded Eonneh to escort the shipbuilder around the Wander Den, the rough translation of the Gringg vessel's name. There were those who read a more ominous interpretation of slightly ambiguous Gringg words, but they were few.

Todd could not ignore the undercurrents of dissatisfaction, even among Gringg supporters, that the talks of the space facility had been put on hold. When he had time, he gave some thought to that. As a child, he had absorbed his father's views about co-habitation: as an adult, he shared his father's opinion about any intrusive invasions of Hrruban lands on the planet. All right, it was Hayuman greed that his father feared and it was the Hrrubans who had initiated the space port project.

But did it matter which species encroached? If the rule applied on Doonarrala, it applied for both!

Had the arrival of the Gringg now altered the equation?

No, the Gringg had not been invited to take up holdings on Doonarrala. Although he was optimistic of the outcome, the Gringg hadn't been officially allowed to open trade on Doonarrala. Todd, well conditioned by Captain Ali Kiachif over the years, considered trading a different matter entirely to occupation or habitation. The crunch came when "where' the space port could be sited was discussed.

Todd knew how cramped and inadequate the old Hall at the space port was for the volume of commerce that flowed in and out of it.

Something had to be done to expand the facilities. No one wanted a larger complex at the original landing site, oozing towards the First Villages, ruining the peaceful valley. So a new location was imperative. Each time Todd mulled over the problem, he still found himself opposed to Siting a larger port anywhere on the lovely subcontinent that was now called Hrrunat. That should be left as the naturat memorial park to the old First Speaker that he, and all Doonarralans, had intended for it to be.

He'd leave the sore subject for another time, when he was thinking clearly and logically, not so emotionally nor - he admitted to himselfclose-minded. His brain was working overtime trying to cope with a difficult new language.

Gradually the daily sight of the large, shaggy strangers moving about with their Hayuman or Hrruban escorts took the edge off the "fearsome hairy monsters' appellation. The Gringg became the "big bears' or Bruins to most Doonarralans. But xe;iophobic pessimists somehow began arriving in from Terra and Hrruba and familiarity was not going to appease them. They visited every village, Hayuman and Hrruban, whispering against the "fiendish Gringg." They muttered about "murders most vile' and "devastated worlds' but would slip away before they could be closely questioned.

Todd worked all the harder to get the one tool that would throttle doubters and doomsayers both, and allow the Gringg to speak for themselves. Couldn't people wait for that? Instead of riling up unnecessary fears and forecasts?

The voder that Cardiff had designed with Koala was a brilliant piece of audio engineering. It made use of the tiny Gringg resonator, memory chips and other components from both Terra and Hrruba in common use on Doonarrala, all fitted into a compact case seven centimetres by two by five. Worn about the neck on a cord, it "heard' what the wearer said and repeated it in Gringg. "Growl' box, or simply, the growler, its creators nicknamed it.

Cardiff, with the help of two of the university engineers, worked long hours to turn out six of the voders so that Ken, Todd and Hrriss could discuss Gringg objectives with Grizz, Honey and Panda. The session was filmed and, although Barnstable had a fit at being excluded and the secrecy in which the interview was conducted, Sumitral remarked that not even he, as Alreldep head, had been included, in an attempt to provide as relaxed an atmosphere as possible. Once again, he reinforced the position of Reeve and Hrrestan to conduct their own planetary affairs. There had been some heated reminders that the Gringg vessel was the concern of Spacedep.

"I could agree with you if it carried armament,' Sumitral had replied suavely. "It carries only peaceful visitors!" For Todd and Ken particularly, the conference was a golden moment for they established contact and exchanged meaningful data.

First: that, for many spans of time (which Todd and Ken thought meant generations since the Gringg travelled in family groups), the Gringg had been actively searching space for other sentient species as well as suitable resource planets. It was a particular joy for the Doonarralans to learn that the Gringg had eschewed planets which probes reported showing habitations suggesting the basic intelligence of indigenous species. The Gringg also required the availability of certain minerals and earths on a colonial world for, despite being omnivorous and able to digest more substances than Hayuman or Hrrubans could, they had to have a certain range of additives.

Two, they were quite open about the direction of their home world, galactically speaking, north by north-east, though the speed at which their ships moved was still not translating accurately. They provided "strips' which, fed through a device, enlarged the data into star maps.

The difference in eye structure made these difficult for Hayumans or Hrrubans to decipher and Koala was working on an apparatus that would compensate for the different optics.

Three, they would be happy to establish trade with both Hayuman and Hrruban. Which put Todd right back on the hot seat of that unresolved dilemma of an adequate space port now there would be three species using it.

Four, they had found their way to this sector of space by following ion trails, detected by their own equipment.

When they had come upon the Doonarralan warning devices, they realized they had finally discovered a sophisticated culture which they approached cautiously, but openly. They were overwhelmingly relieved to discover they were not the only sentient species in the galaxy.

Even greater jubilation to realize that they had encountered two!

"We are joyous to not be alone,' Grizz had said during the conference, bowing her head almost to her knees to signify deep emotion.

Hayuman and Hrruban were hard put not to burst out in cheers.

Instead, they gripped hands with the Gringg, allowing their broad grins to demonstrate how happy they were.

"All a little too pat,' Admiral Barnstable told Greene and Castleton when they viewed the tape. "Buddy-buddy, lovey-dovey, but all too pat!" "Especially as we can't read their star maps,' Greene added as if that fact vindicated his distrust of the bearfolk.

"Considering they've come into this sector of space from a different quadrant, you couldn't read them even if they had the same Optics as we do,' Grace Castleton felt obliged to remark. She knew these two wouldn't have believed anything the Gringg said, even if they'd agreed to drop buoys all the way back to their home world like crumbs to get Out of a cave in some old children's tale. Even loosely translating their distances, the Gringg home world was one helluva way back in on this arm of the Milky Way.

When the tape was shown in every village on Doonarrala, there was considerable rejoicing - and some doubts were allayed. Copies were despatched by Courier to both Amalgamated Worlds and Hrruban High Councils. Inevitably that brought back the issue of a larger space port.

"Zodd, we must resolve this between us, Hrriss said in Low Hrruban when he managed to find Todd alone in his office.

"Yeah,' Todd agreed unenthusiastically, exhaling a long sigh as he tossed his pen across a desk covered by little piles of flashcards. He managed a half-smile for Hrriss, his dearest friend. "Can't bury my head in a snake nest any longer. Not if we want to keep the Gringg." "First of all, Zodd, you have to agree,' Hrriss said patiently, settling on the edge of Todd's desk as he had so many times in the past, "it is not Hrruban encroaching on unused space. It is Gringg needing space,' and he dropped his jaw at his play on words, "for the very size of them. But, more importantly, they provide a neutral factor, cancelling the sort of single-race intrusion you dreaded. In a triangle, all sides are equal."

"Only if it is equilateral,' Todd said, weary to his bones with disputations and arguments, and mostly fearful of a resumption of the estrangement from Hrriss which had cost him much mental anguish.

"Equal sides,' Hrriss repeated, his eyes liquid and pleading.

"Two of us don't quite equal a Gringg."

"What can equal a Gringg?" demanded Hrriss, throwing up his hands in comic dismay.

"They are to be friends, are they not?" Todd said, suddenly propelling himself out of his chair. He gripped Hrriss by the arms, needing to have all half-doubts dismissed. He had to proceed positively, thinking optimistically; by sheer willpower bringing about what he so intensely desired.

That method had worked before.

Hrriss' hands returned his grasp and then pulled him forward into an embrace, thumping Todd on the back as was the Hayuman custom.

"Yesss, friend of my heart, yesss! Even as thou and I,' Hrriss added in High Hrruban. Then, in the less formal speech, "As I have told you hundreds of times now, not all of the Hrrunatan is beautiful .

Todd frowned as he released his friend. "Where?" Hrriss gave a sigh. "Where we have always wanted to put it only you would never let me explain . .

"I knew, I knew,' Todd flapped his hand dismissively but suddenly stopped himself and smiled with chagrin at Hrriss' careful expression.

"I'm doing it again, aren't I?

But you do mean that rocky area on the east coast where there was that massive subsidence?" When Hrriss nodded, relieved to see his dear friend for once willing to discuss the problem, "But that wouldn't be large enough "If one filled in the lagoon that was formed by the subsidence islands and extended a firm base to those little islands " Hrriss said with the weary patience of someone repeating a well-rehearsed argument and waited for the reaction to the suggestion.

Todd turned away, shaking his head sharply from side to side but then slowing the motion as his common sense and fair play forced him to examine that compromise. "It would take years "To expand, yes, but not to set up the initial facility Again Hrriss watched his friend's face, seeing indecision increasing. "The beautiful part of the Hrrunatan would be intact, untouched . . . untouchable!"

"If that could only be enforced. . - Todd began reluctantly.

"Why not?" Hrriss said, shrugging his tawny shoulders and dropping his jaw. "The terrain is perfect: the first precipice, where the subsidence began, is a natural barrier to the interior and we will see that the traders abide by our laws."

"Traders are born to bend laws, Todd said but he knew that was a weak argument. He shook his head one more time. "All right. Put the port there but seal off the rest of the continent!" He shook a stern finger at Hrriss' grinning countenance. "I find so much as an ounce of ship's fiat or the trace of fuel discharge on the mainland. . .1 suppose you've got rough sketches all ready?" Hrriss growled a laugh. "Jilamey used them as a device to keep the discontented occupied while we struggled with our growls.

Todd made a disgusted noise in his throat and rolled his eyes at such complicity. "Only, I'll have nothing to do with it. I hereby empower you to attend any meetings on my behalf! My heart simply isn't in it and I've got to increase the working vocabulary. I'm much more useful doing that. And, one more thing, I don't even want spaceships overflying the Hrrunatan. They come in from the east.

That sort of racket would be disrespectful to Hrruna."

"Ah, but,' and Hrriss raised a digit, claw half-extended, "Hrruna was a far-sighted progressive."

"So you say . . ." Then Todd caught himself as he had been about to embark on the arguments he had initially used to try to stop the project. With a laugh, li put his fingertip on the claw and gently pushed it back iti its sheath. "A triangle is the most stable geometrical figure." Another thought caught him. "Great snakes!

We'll have to enlarge Treaty Island facilities, too, to accommodate the Gringg."

"So we will. So we will,' Hrriss replied equably.

Besides conscripting one of the local manufactories to turn out the parts, Todd managed to get the local high school and university, as a work-experience for their students, to assemble the voders in their electronics shop classes under the direction of Lieutenant Cardiff.

Cardiff was a find. If Todd could have weaned him away from his Spacedep pension, he would have been happy to give him a place on Doonarrala. But Cardiff liked travel and he was used to the military life.

"Maybe I'll retire here, friend,' he told Todd. "Meantime, you've got a thousand of these growl boxes ready to go." The crew complement of the orbiting Gringg leviathan numbered one hundred and fifty-four so the remaining devices were split evenly among Hayumans and Hrrubans.

Over protests from the contentious of both home worlds, Todd insisted that a number be set aside for children.

Much debate had shrunk his proposed allotment from one hundred to thirty, but he was satisfied. The point had been made to Alreldep that once again, the children of Doonarrala were going to play an important part in the missions of peace. In spite of a cry of "nepotism', four were assigned to the elder two of Hrriss's children and to his twins.

Twenty-seven days after the project began, Todd asked Barrington to bring Jilamey down to the manufactory.

"But don't tell him why' Todd asked, trying to maintain an expression of innocence. The tall, thin manservant regarded him with a calm demeanour, but Todd could perceive a twinkle.

"Of course not, sir,' Barrington assured him, and departed in the small aircraft.

Jilamey was a child when it came to mysteries. In no time, the personal heli was back, scattering dust as it descended next to the factory door. Landreau barely allowed it time to touch down before he sprang out, calling for Todd and Hrriss. With broad grins, they met, one on each side as they guided him into the building.

Barrington followed at a more sedate pace.

"What's the secret?" Jilamey demanded. "Old Silenceis-golden back there wouldn't give me a word!" Without speaking, Todd escorted him into the quality control room. At his nod, Lieutenant Cardiff came forward, bearing a small device attached to the centre of a soft, flexible strap.

"In rrrcognition of srrvice above and beyond ze call of duty,' Hrriss said, formally, "zo wit, keeping ze nuisances out of our furrr, we want you to have ze first wrrrking speech zranslator.

"Truly?" Jilamey gasped, looking from one friend to the other.

Todd wore a face-splitting grin as he nodded.

Enchanted, Jilamey held still while the voder was fastened on, then cleared his throat. "My dear friends, this is ever so super!" The sound echoed, expanded, and dropped several octaves through the speaker. Jilamey jumped. "This will need some time to get used to,' he said, covering the voder input with his hand but his eyes were glowing. "I sound like a bassoon." Lieutenant Cardiff took a sonic probe to the side of the voice-box. "Your voice is not as deep as some, sir. I tried to leave a little personality in each one.

"How's it work? I warn you,' Jilamey peered out of the corner of his eye at the technician, "I'm dreadful with machinery."

"Well, it transposes the pitch of your voice, compresses your range a little,' Cardiff said. "Gringg don't hear as many of the upper tones as we do.

It has a full language memory, with plenty of bytes left for expansion.

You'll notice a bit of a pause - that'll take time to get used to between the words out of your mouth and the Gringg equivalent from the growl box. It'll translate Terran into Gringg or Hrruban, whichever you set it for. At least the words that it currently recognizes.

Otherwise it defaults to Middle Hrruban since Hrriss said you're fluent in that."

"We'd like them to learn one language at a time,' Todd said.

"One language I speak better than any other,' Jilamey laughed, "and that's trade. I've been contacted by a consortium on Terra. I say, there, Todd, there's a bit of unfair play g6ing on. The Hrruban trading contingent grows with every grid operation and, if it weren't for the presence of Kiachif, Horstmann and that crowd that got here originally, you and Hrrestan would be in for real trouble from Terra.

However,' and he swiftly shifted mood again from the semi-critical to the self-satisfied, "I managed to salve injured feelings and, if I say so myself, managed quite a coup." He preened a bit which set his shirt to shimmer with a cascade of subtle colour shifts. "I've been appointed agent for the biggest and most diverse consortium of AW." "Congratulations,' Todc said, grinning. "The Gringg'll never know what hit them." Jilamey pretended modesty but was quick to make a demand.

"When can we get down to the nitty-gritty? I've been arguing day and night on your behalf but, since you've solved the voder problem, when are we going to get to trade? That financier Hrrouf is like a mamma snake and I hear old Hrrto just grided back in." Although Jilamey could be discreet, neither Todd nor Hrriss mentioned that Second Speaker was here because he had insisted on a private conference with Grizz. That was the only way they could pacify the Hrruban after he'd received his copy of the initial voder-assisted conference.

The same concession would not be granted to Barnstable on the grounds that he was only an Admiral and not the temporary head of the Hrruban world.

"You will be happy to learn that the original space port conference can be re-convened,' Todd told Jilamey.

"Wow!" Jilamey rounded his eyes and dropped his jaw in astonishment. "I thought you'd never relent."

"The Gringg constitute a new factor,' Todd said obliquely.

"Hrriss has been deputized to stand in for me. .

"I haven't reneged, Jilamey,' Todd said with an edge of rancour.

"But,' and he waggled his finger in Jilamey's face, "if we want to trade with the Gringg - and we do - the old Hall and space port are totally inadequate. And letting the Gringg come in and out of Doonarrala obviates the need of their knowing the coordinates of our respective home worlds. I still don't like to see the Hrrunatan . .

"Corrupted." Jilamey finished off one of Todd's wellknown objections, "but old Hrruna would have approved of consorting with the Gringg. You know that! And by utilizing that rocky eastern coast, your preserve will be sacrosanct." Todd sighed. "Hrriss made that point, too." "Humph! At least the Gringg have made you two friends again. Haven't they?" And Jilamey peered anxiously into Todd's face.

"We have never been not friends, Jilamey."

"Still and all, you can't get me to believe that things weren't pretty strained there, just before the Wander Den put in its serendipitous appearance."

"Leave off, Jil,' Todd said and pushed the carton of voders at him. "These are for your guests. We're giving every one a day to get accustomed to growlers. Show them how they work, and put them to use tomorrow. When I told Grizz that the voders were ready, she assured me that her delegates would be here directly after lunch. I'm taking hers up to the Wander Den this evening." He did not say that he'd also be taking the Second Speaker in the scout for his meeting with Captain Grizz.

Waiting until the old port facility was relatively vacant, Hrriss and Hrrto grided there from First Village and got on board the scout just before Todd made a more public appearance. He whistled as he loaded the cartons of growl boxes, and waved affably to those who noticed him. The Tower gave him clearance and he made no mention of passengers.

As usual, Orizz had been cooperative about meeting Second Speaker, styled to her as the "Oldest Elder' of the Hrrubans. Hrriss also managed to convey that the Elder was. . . nervous about spaceships, which was the nearest he could manage with a limited vocabulary, to offset any dread, terror or lack of Stripe that Hrrto might display when finally faced with the reality of the huge Gringg Captain.

"Weddeerogh,' Griiiz told him and, using two fingers, pantomimed her son meeting and escorting the visitor to a private place to talk.

"Two,' and she held up two digits and slid her hands sideways, one above the other, making it plain that she and Hrrto would be the only ones.

Todd could tell by the tense look on Hrriss' face that his friend was not entirely happy about that. This meeting would be quite a test of old Hrrto's Stripe! Hrriss had hoped to be an observer. Still, Hrrto had insisted! Todd hid a grin and indicated that he would have the voders to help the conversation.

Griiiz did the Gringg equivalent of relieved smiling and much snapping of her claws in and out of their sheaths.

Todd just hoped she would refrain from doing that in Hrrto's presence.

However, when they arrived at the Gringg bay, Weddeerogh stood there by himself, looking comparatively small and harmless. He was also wearing a voder and someone had tied a reef in the cord that had been designed to encircle adult Gringg necks. The knot stuck out behind one ear and made him quite appealing. Hrrto reacted appropriately, by dropping his jaw in a half smile, though he was clearly stunned by the size of the bay and the immense boxy shuttle craft parked there.

On the short trip from the planet's surface, Hrrto had practised with the voder, getting accustomed to the growling guttural reaction to his spoken words.

"Good evening,' he now said, inclining his head to the cub. "You are my escort?" Weddeerogh began to growl and then his voder started off with "I am "there was no equivalent for his name, "male child of captain. Come with me!" With that the cub did an about-face that Greene couldn't have faulted and strode towards the interior.

"You will wait for me,' Hrrto said to the two friends with great dignity and turned to follow his guide.

They were about the same height, though the Hrruban was longer in the leg. As they disappeared through the iris of the lock, Todd wondered if he ought to have warned Hrrto once rnore about the size of adult female Gringg. He felt Hrriss touch his arm and the laughter in the catman's eyes suggested that he entertained similar thoughts.

"Well, he demanded a private audience,' Todd said and then began to unload the cartons. As soon as Hrrto and his guide had reached their destination, Eonneh and Koala - and probably half the crew would arrive to receive their voders and practise before tomorrow's talks.

Hrrto had been much encouraged by the size and dignity of his escort. The creatures at least understood the basics of courtesy. The stumpy legs of the Gringg made its hind end waggle as they moved down the corridor - rather like an young cub, not quite leg-long. Still, the creature wore a harness that even Hrrto could see was beautifully crafted.

So he had been accorded a senior official as his guide. That was as it should be.

With these thoughts, he tried not to notice the dimensions of the hall they traversed. Door panels slid aside at their approach and they went down another, larger hall. Then his guide paused, used partially extended claws to scratch at a door. This slid aside and, bowing from his waist, he made a sweeping gesture for Hrrto to enter.

He began to growl which translated to "Captain . .

and then some incomprehensible syllables of which all Hrrto understood was "grizz -" Well, captain would do well enough so Hrrto swept his robes deftly up and stepped over the threshold. There he stopped and didn't even hear the panel slide shut behind him.

The room was twice the size of the Hrruban Grand Council Chamber and looked even larger because it was painted a light shade of yellow and was virtually empty: except for a pile of cushions, a magnificently ornamented chair and footstool which his stunned mind told him must be for him, and two small side tables, each crowded with exquisite dishes piled high with titbits.

But the room was otherwise filled with the most immense living shape Hrrto had ever seen. Its colouring was a sinister dark brown, nearly black, against which the icy shards of its teeth gleamed dangerously. Its head seemed almost to brush the high ceiling and the frightening roar it opened its mouth to produce - before the voder took over - resounded in the chamber.

Blinking and rocking back on his heels, Hrrto nevertheless heard Middle Hrruban words that made sense to him.

"Welcome, honoured Second Speaker Hrrto,' and it managed to speak his name with a proper roll of the "r', a feat few Hayumans properly accomplished. "I am Captain of the Wander Den. You may call me Grizz as your friends - -, No friends of mine, Hrrto thought, trying to find some mental balance. Why hadn't Hrriss had the couflesy to warn me of its size?

"Be seated. Be comfortable. We talk,' the words rolled out of the voder, reverberating. As if puzzled by a lack of response, the creature held up the voder, and with the tip of a very sharp claw, made a minute adjustment - which Hrrto doubted even as he saw such a delicate movement performed - to one of the voder dials. "Too loud.

Roars are not good for friendly talk." Hrrto appreciated the adjustment just as he realized that he could not hesitate any further or be a disgrace to his Stripe. He bowed as deeply as he felt he should and dropped his jaw, remembering that Hrriss said the Gringg understood that as a positive action. He thanked the ancient gods that he had not permitted any witness to accompany him: especially Milaba who had been quite incensed at being left behind.

Steeling himself for the next action in this ordeal, Hrrto managed a creditable and stately progress to the seat which a massive furred paw indicated. It was only then that he realized the creature had been standing. It now squatted down, with its own peculiar grace, to the pile of cushions and gestured again for him to be seated.

Still in a state of shock, Hrrto realized he would have to step up on the stool to seat himself. He was wondering about the dignity of that as he did so but when he turned toward this Captain Grizz, he found himself at eye level to her. Yes, Hrriss and zOdd had said that the captain was a female. He'd forgotten that detail. Out of nowhere he was reminded of an absurd joke that zOdd Rrev had told in his presence: about citrus fruits that grew so large that eight of them were bigger than a Hayuman dozen. One of these Gringg was certainly a full dozen.

With an effort of will, Hrrto slowed his heartbeat and his quickened breath and looked her straight in her odd red eyes, pupilless but glistening with intelligence. He couldn't deny that!

"You are . . . (gracious? kind?) very good to receive me, Captain,' he said, wishing that the voder would not hesitate in its translation. Would that be considered a sign of weakness? No, her device did the same thing.

Now she gestured to the bowls on the side table.

Growling then the voder explained, "All Hrruban foods.

Enjoy!" She reached for her own table and took a gobbet of something, conveying it neatly to her mouth. Grateful for the diversion and the courtesy thus shown, Hrrto selected a tiny crisp fleshed fruit and became more relaxed, for clearly these Gringg had taken the time to discover his preferences. They both chewed companionably.

"You were long on your way here?" Hrrto asked, abruptly deciding to be social in manner. His previously rehearsed speech was totaly inappropriate.

The Gringg nodded her great head, dropping her jaw as a Hrruban would but he wished her black lips did not retreat over her very white fangs. He reached down for a handful of refried meat cubes, another of his favorite titbits. "Grrrr. . . two cubs born to me and a long time between them. I am captain."

"I see,' Hrrto said, nodding at such information. "Will you return to your home world or a colony?" He hoped the voder translated "colony' "Grrruuph. . . We are on peaceful mission for long as possible,' she replied. "We wish to trade. With Hrruban.

With Hayuman." Subtle, too, Hrrto thought, putting his species before the Hayuman. But that was as it should be.

"Grrrummmm glad to find two for one trip, and she dropped her jaw again.

Hrrto paused a moment, decided she intended to be humorous and dropped his jaw. Then, deliberately over his next words, he scooped up more of the cubes, nibbling delicately. He had long ago learned the way to eat without exposing his own dental equipment.

"You have seen many other worlds, planets, systems All Three nouns came out in assorted groans and growls. "Have you?" he added, making that a question rather than a statement.

The captain nodded, running her tongue over her teeth, fortunately with her mouth closed. Evidently they had several courtesies in common.

"Many. Not enough water for Gringg. Too much land is not needed.

But land has certain minerals, earths, no smart peoples. We are a water people. Hrrubans like water worlds?" Clever as well, Hrrto thought, considering this a deft ploy to gain knowledge of his home world.

"We are land creatures,' Hrrto said, finally settling back in the chair and finding it comfortable. His back muscles had started jumping from inner tensions. "We are hunters.

Are you?" Another nod. "Eating is necessary." One answer led to another question and Hrrto found himself able to ask, and receive answers, to many queries.

What he so desperately wanted to ask - about the Gringg ship drifting derelict off a shattered world - did not come to his lips.

Such a query would have been inappropriate, he told himself; certainly not consonant with the social nature of this meeting; probably would be deftly parried by the captain. Far better for him to think of trade, and most particularly of the need for purralinium, though he had to be most adroit in his questions concerning that desperately needed commodity. The captain readily admitted how many planets they had surveyed, but not what the surveys had discovered: she discoursed on many matters - some of which were marred by the insertion of growls, snarls and woofs where the voder could not accommodate a translation.

"On your way, did you discover dwarf systems? Or do you have enough ores and minerals on your own planet?" Hrrto finally inserted as casually as possible. Only systems shattered by novas contained the purralinium with the impurities that could be used for matter transmission.

"Reh! Yes,' the captain said, nodding her great head.

"Three,' and she held up three huge digits. "We always look for new ah grrrmmm - metals, earths, useful raw materials."

"I see!" Hrrto could hardly contain his excitement over such news. Surely in one of those systems, there would be the purralinium the Hrrubans had long sought.

"Do you?" asked the captain politely.

"One always looks,' Hrrto said, waving one hand in an airy gesture, dismissing that topic. "We search space, too.

You must come from veryfar away."

"Our scribes try to find time parallels so can be accurate.

No wish to keep back any information. Only special words not available yet." Throughout their hour-long meeting, she appeared at ease and did not evade discussion of any topic Hrrto touched upon.

Finally, after noticing she had finished the contents of the bowls on her table, he realized that it would be diplomatic for him to bring the meeting to a close. She was graciousness itself, and the young Weddeerogh, her male cub, awaited outside the door to guide Hrrto back to the bay, and his transport back to Rraladoona.

All in all, as Hrrto took his seat in the scout ship, he felt the meeting had gone well. The possibility of locating one of those nova-blasted systems was the brightest part of the hour. More important, he had survived it!

The next morning, when Second Speaker arrived at the Treaty Centre with his entourage and swept into the Chamber, he had second thoughts.

He had spent a night tossing and turning on his pallet, and he was one who usually found sleep easily. He had rehearsed query and answer many times. He also tried to figure out how to acquire the coordinates of one of the nova systems.

Yet that would require very adroit manoeuvring on his part. But, as he tossed and turned, a solution came to him. The scientist, Hurrhee, who was one of his own Stripe, would surely be invited to attend any technological sessions. Hurrhee was completely trustworthy, in that he held science as the premier dedication of his life. He could certainly introduce the topic of nova-blasted systems.

Perhaps the Gringg might even have samples of every ore, earth and mineral they hoped to trade. A simple survey would discover whether or not the purralinium fitted Hrruban requirements. Yes, that was how to handle that problem. Accepting judicious amounts in return for trade items would not arouse any suspicions.

Satisfied with that solution, Hrrto once again composed himself to sleep. Only to find himself distressed by a second anxiety. Despite the evidence on the tape shown him by the Hayuman admiral, he could not equate such brutality with the courtesies shown him by the captain.

Of course, her manner and charm - yes, she had been charming in her own fashion - might be serving her own ends by allaying his doubts but Hrrto could not quite believe such duplicity. Certainly not from someone who had assigned her own flesh and blood as his guide. Had she come to Hrruba, he would have assigned his second generation offspring as her guide.

Mllaba, of course, had wanted a word by word account of the meeting. He had touched on the details, privately wondering what her reactions would be when she was face to face with the stupendous reality of Captain Grzzeearogh. That w9uld teach her humility.

Casually, he asked her to arrange a discreet meeting with Hurrhee as early as possible the next morning, before the trade conference began and, for once, she did not ask why.

The next day, the wide hall of the Treaty Centre - almost as wide as a corridor on the Gringg vessel - was well populated with little knots of Hayumans and Hrrubans chatting amiably. Hrrto, walking with great dignity, sensed the air of pleased anticipation. In front of the chamber assigned to the space port talks, he recognized the fair-haired female captain and the Hayuman commander. If there was purralinium to he had by congress with the Gringg, he would have to rethink that uneasy alliance.

Greene turned a precise half bow in his direction, to which Second responded. The Hayuman had kept Hrrto's aide fully informed as to the progress of the Spacedep fleet towards Rraladoona. Neither that squadron nor the three Hrruban defence ships were close enough, yet.

Now Hrrto wondered if that action had been as necessary as the Spacedep person had insisted. Would it ruin the good start he had made with the captain and, at the worst, deny the Hrrubans a possible source of purralinium? If he had only been able to ask her about Fingal and the dead orbiting Gringg ship! Maybe having both navies there was not a bad idea. If the Gringg were as peaceful as they implied, he could always say that policy had required him to inform the Hrruban navy and they had acted without his orders.

Yes, that was it. On the other hand, the naval presence might forestall any devious Gringg scheme. Either way, he would be considered wise. Overnight reflections had not entirely dispersed his anxieties but his little chat with Hurrhee could be the most productive. After briefing Hurrhee, he had had to review the morning despatches which included almost insolent demands from Hrruban manufacturers and traders of all commodities to open dialogue. They must have first choices with such an obscene single-mindedness that for once Hrrto found himself disgusted with Stripes, wide and narrow.

He was here now, officially and publicly, to initiate trade talks with Captain Grizz. Hurrhee was primed to include ores as part of any trade payment. Once matters were underway with that session, Hrrto could then gracefully retire to the space port conference. He couldn't quite leave such negotiations to Prrid, Mrrunda, Hrrouf and the others who had grided in for that purpose. Once he was sure that both meetings were proceeding with despatch, he might then be able to get back to Hrruba and promote his personal ambitions toward First Speakership.

Hrrto had prepared himself to greet the acerbic Spacedep commander present, to affect interest in their manipulations. He could also restrain them until the matter of how to translate Gringg distances and times into Hrruban equivalents - and Hurrhee was going to pump for that vital information - had been solved. So long as he had some coordinates to give his exploration teams to find those possible sources of purralinium.

Mllaba was almost treading on his heels as she escorted him to the trade conference room. To his relief, the immense and shaggy Gringg had not yet arrived though huge square cushions on the floor gave notice where they were to sit.

"Your place should be at the head of the table,' Mllaba whispered, guiding him towards one end of the great oval board.

To their surprise, Hrrin was seated already at the end of the oval. He regarded them with glittering eyes when they approached, showing no signs of vacating his seat.

"Greetings, honorrred speaker,' he said in proper High Hrruban, rising and bowing gracefully. "I have been deputized as Rrraladoonan spokesperson but I will, of course, defer.

"I had expected Hrrestan. . ." Second began.

"Ah, but he is conducting the space port affairs,' Hrrin said smoothly. "It was our understanding that you would not stay here long but go on to the more important conference.

Mllaba hissed slightly in Hrrto's ear. Sometimes she could be annoying about what was due his rank.

"We have arranged ourselves according to our ongins,' Hrrin went on, gesturing to the Rraladoonans seated to his right and the Hrrubans, onward to the Terran delegation of captains and Jilamey Landreau further along the table.

The room was full enough of bodies right now and Hrrto jerked his shoulders, switched his tail, trying hard not to remember how the captain had dominated a room not much larger than this.

"Most commendable,' Second said with an absent frown.

In ordinary circumstances, protocol would have required a Hrruban to allow him the dominant place for however long he chose to stay in the meeting. Hrrestan would have automatically deferred but this Hrrin was more Rraladoonan. Hrrto decided to ignore Mllaba's hissing.

To demand protocol in a mere trade meeting would appear petty. It would be more important for him to be prominent in the space port considerations than to bicker about what to buy from whom and at what price.

Noting that Hurrhee was present, Hrrto spared a glance for Nrrena, seated to the scientist's right. She was an intimate of Fifth Speaker and bore watching. She must not think that these seating arrangements constituted a discourtesy. Determined to put the best face on the situation, he nodded with great dignity to Hrrin. "How wise to show, even here, that Hrruba is distinct from Terra."

"I am so glad that you approve, sir, Hrrin said, once again making a courteous gesture to the chair placed well along the outer curve of the great table.

Smiling graciously to Nrrena and two Hrrubans he did not know, Hrrto moved to that seat. It was, he was relieved to note, more ornate than any of the others on this segment of the table. He settled himself in the deep chair, flicking his tail out under the arm rest.

Mllaba was growling under her breath as she sat behind him on a small seat she pulled from those ranged along the wall.

Hrrto looked around with practised casualness. Zocid Rrev occupied the other end of the table. Hrrto noticed that neither he nor Hrrin sat at the exact head, but angled off slightly from the table's axis. He wondered what precisely that indicated in the negotiations to come. The Rraladoonans had their own agenda, he had no doubt, and were clever enough to push it through in spite of the best efforts of home world diplomats. See how they had begun by forestalling him.

Then he realized that he was directly opposite an as yet unoccupied place which had no chair. He would be facing a Gringg. He steeled himself for that, wary after last evening's encounter. That inadvertently brought to mind the Spacedep tape as well as last night's insomnia.

Again, he saw the devastated landscape, and the floating frozen corpses and could not control a spinal shudder.

Firmly, he put that vision firmly out of his mind. To cover his spasm, he fiddled with the voder straps. Everyone here was wearing the contraptions, of course, and he devoutly hoped that Hrrin - or would it be zOdd Rrev who moderated this meeting - made certain that only one person spoke at a time. Otherwise the resultant cacophony of sound would be nerve-racking.

The Hayuman Admiral noisily entered the chamber now, and took his place obliquely across from Hrrto with curt nods to everyone in the room. The bearded Codep trader and the stout independent trader followed with the Alreldep Admiral and the small Hayuman male from Terra and a gaggle of others he'd never seen.

Jilamey Landreau interested Hrrto. His spies had informed him that Landreau was well connected in government, industry and the arts, and had tremendous credit. His financial acumen was much respected despite his youth, for none of his ventures ever seemed to lose money.

Landreau dressed much more colourfully than any negotiator or diplomat should, in Hrrto's opinion, almost Hrruban in style. At least the Hayuman understood the order of precedence, as he greeted Hrrto first on entering the room.

"Second Speaker, you honour us by your presence!" Landreau said, bowing with hand on heart. His warm brown eyes held a twinkle. "Why, good morning, Commander Greene! You're looking well." The Hayuman commander offered a meaningless pleasantry and swung immediately back to the Admiral.

Landreau slouched into the seat between the scarlethaired banker and Zodd Rrev, and began a cheerful conversation.

More, totally unknown, Hrrubans arrived, both bowed sharply to Hrrto from the doorway. Then Prrid emerged from the group and proceeded to his side of the table.

"I must be here to welcome the Gringg captain,' Prrid murmured in High Hrruban in Hrrto's ear, "then I will join you in the space port discussions. Mrrunda attends them now." Hrrto approved with a nod and Prrid seated himself. The Space Arm commandant, too, would be facing Gringg. Hrrto mulled over Prrid's probable reactions to Captain Grizz.

Quite likely it would only reinforce Prrid's doubts about the Gringg's real purpose in approaching Rraladoona.

There was a stir and a hubbub of voices in the corridor outside.

Zodd Rrev observed it, too. Hrrto tilted his ears towards the door and rolled them back again as he felt an uncomfortable sensation at the back of his neck.

"I think our third party has arrived,' said Rrev, rising.

Hastily, Hrrin, as co-host, sprang to his feet. Into the chamber swung Grizi:, looking larger than ever. Hrrto had to restrain an impulse to lean back, away from her.

She was truly overwhelming as she strode into the room.

The floor seemed to bounce with the weight of her and her four companions.

Someone, thought Hrrto, ought to tell her to keep her lips over her fangs, despite the fact that an open mouth was for her species, like his, a sign of friendliness. Then Hrrto noticed that the Stripe fur of every single Hrruban bristled with an instinctive reaction.

Except his, he was excessively pleased to note. He could also hear the faint whistle of lashing tails as Grizz' head brushed the top of the doorway. The resounding roar she used for a voice filled the room, overpowering the efforts of the small translator at her throat to compensate. Hrrto's heart pounded. So bizarre for the female of a species to be larger than the male. She quite dwarfed the males in her entourage.

"Hold it, hold it there, Grizz,' a narrow, dark-skinned Hayuman said, running up to the giant beast with a small tool. "We're getting harmonics here, lady bear." Lady bear? Hrrto was taken aback by such familiarity, such lack of basic decorum. Beside him, he could sense Milaba's tension. He gave her a warning glance to settle the fur on her nape but, when he turned to Prrid, the naval commandant had already smoothed himself. Good Stripe, that Prrid.

With five Gringg, the room became suddenly as crowded as a package of fish, and he could see more in the corridor.

They were so imposing that a few of them looked like an invading army. Perhaps calling the Space Arm had not been such a bad idea. The Hayuman made adjustments to the captain's speech device and stepped away.

"That . . . good, gggrrr, better, best,' said the Gringg, swinging a huge paw to touch the male gently on the shoulder. Her voder had modified her speech to a much more pleasing pitch.

Without the subsonics exacerbating his nerves, Hrrto relaxed.

Strange that just sound could produce such effects. But others looked very much on their guard.

Merely the presence of the immense Gringg held an aura of threat.

Did they count on that?

"Wrrrfgruh. . .1 grrreet you all,' she said, turning her head to include the occupants of the table. "Hayumans and Hrrubans both."

"On behalf of Doonarrala,' zOdd Rrev said, "I greet you, Captain Grzzeearoghh, and welcome you to the first in a series of talks which, we deeply hope, will benefit us all." The voder at his throat translated his words from good Middle Hrruban into inarticulate growls and coughs.

Hrrto laid back his ears. Some of the growling fell below his range of hearing, and sound shocks flew up and down his spine.

The great captain inclined her head. Zodd swept his hand around the room to include the cushions on the empty side of the table. "I hope these will be adequate." The captain nodded absently in approval as she asked.

"Two peoples are you Hayumans and Hrrubans?"

"That is correct, Madam Captain,' Hrrin replied, courteously. "Here on Rraladoona we proudly sharrre a world, but we are of separate origins and species.

If you and your prrrty will be seated, we shall begin."

"No. Two rooms are needed,' the Gringg said, and folded her paws over her chest with a gesture of finality.

ù"I have brought two pairs of Gringg, to speak to you separately."

"But why?" Todd asked, surprised.

ù"Here are two peoples. We honour your individuality. It is possible you each need different things from us, that you ùsupply us with different items or units. It is only courteous to give individual attention to each of you. Therefore, two separate negotiations shall be held." The translator punctuated the Hrruban phrases with growls and hums, but Grizz' 5 meaning was clear.

This was not proceeding according to plan. And yet, without the Hayumans in the room, the subject of purralinium could be brought up without fear that the Hayumans would understand its importance to the Hrruban economy.

Be that as it may, Hrrto did not entirely trust this new development. These aliens were dangerous. Did they intend to divide and conquer, to promise vital goods and services to the Hayumans in private, cheating the Hrrubans of equal opportunities? Purralinium was not the only raw material Hrruba lacked. Depressed, Hrrto could see complications looming.

Admiral Barnstable seemed no happier with her proposal for he leaned across the table towards Rrev.

"Conference, Rrev,' he ordered in High Hrruban.

Quickly, Rrev turned to the towering Gringg and made a deep bow.

"A moment's pause, Captain,' Rrev said through the voder and beckoned urgently to Hrrin. "We had not expected a division." The Gringg lifted a paw in acceptance and sat down on the cushions, waiting with cheerful patience.

Second Speaker, Hrrin and Mllaba joined the Admiral, Greene, Captain Castleton, the two Rrevs and Hrrin and Kiachif in the furthest corner from the Gringg. Milaba's nape hair stuck straight out in agitation. Greene looked grim; Castleton, curious.

"This will not do, Reeve,' the Admiral muttered as they assembled.

"I insist that we establish a single roundtable for any trade agreements. Each of our two races must have absolutely identical treatment and consideration. No covert clauses."

"Nonsense, nails, and nuts,' Captain Kiachif said, scoffing at the red-faced Spacedep official. "That'd be the end of free enterprise, see if it isn't. Why not let it be their way? What's the harm of it? If we don't like what they have on offer, we insist on a joint parley tomorrow, if you follow me. Nothing's to stop us from convening, comparing, and combining." "Nor am I comfortable with zis,' Hrrto said, covering his voder with one hand. "I prefer open conference."

"But isn't zis preferable, Second Speaker?" Hrrin asked.

"Hrruba's individuality maintained, and ze same for Amalgamated Wrrlds." Hrrto glared, but he could detect no note of sarcasm in the Rraladoonan's voice. Those born on this colony planet really did lack many of the basic courtesies and tact which he felt his due.

"It is a dangrrrous ploy' agreed Captain Hrrrv, eyes gleaming.

Rrev dismissed that remark. "If we want the Gringg to feel comfortable among us, we should do our best to accommodate a reasonable request. I concur with Captain Kiachif. Let's go along with the Gringgs' wishes today. We can use, uh,' he glanced around for a view of the hall, "the conference room in the research library as the other chamber. It's just down the hall and around the corner from the space port business."

"This is not as planned,' Second said, reverting again to High Hrruban in his dismay. "Hrruba and Terra must take the lead here, not these strangers.

"It would seem, honoured sir,' Ken Reeve said, replying in the same language, "that we must oblige our guests today, at least." Only because the privacy suited Hrrto's needs did he give consent.

Graciously leaving the Hrrubans in possession of the Treaty Chamber, Todd led the Hayumans, the Gringg captain and one of the pairs of males out of the door and away to the right.

Hrrto watched them leave. Could he trust any one of the Hayumans to give him an accurate account of what transpired in their session?

Possibly his erstwhile allies of Spacedep would not dissemble too much.

Still, if he could get the purralinium, he might just win the election on that score. He caught Nrrena staring at him. His direct and haughty glance made her look away again, her chin lowered in momentary embarrassment. How dare Fifth's representative look askance in his direction! He nodded just once at Hurrhee who gave the barest of nods in understanding.

As soon as the Hayumans and the three Gringg had gone, Hrrin gestured for them to be seated. With only two Gringg in the room, everyone seemed to breathe more freely.

"As long as we are now together,' he said in Middle Hrruban, dropping his jaw in a pleasant smile, "perhaps we should begin by introducing ourselves.

To Todd's surprise, the engineer Koala was waiting a little way down from the Treaty Chamber with Commander Frill, Lieutenant Cardiff and a few other Gringg males whom Todd hadn't met before.

"Afternoon, Mr Reeve,' the burly xenotech said, grinning.

"Didn't think you'd be free."

"Frill and I are going to show Koala the sights,' Cardiff explained. "These are a few of her assistants.

We've got a pow-wow later with a consortium of scientists from your colony and both cruisers. Nothing sensitive, of course, just general stuff, like that resonator of theirs.

Good luck!" He escorted the troupe of bears down the corridor towards the landing field. "You can raise me on belt radio if you need to!" he called over his shoulder.

"Thanks, Lieutenant,' Todd replied. Weddeerogh waddled shyly up to Todd and touched his hand with a wet, black nose, and turned to bestow the same greeting on Ken.

"Hello, little guy,' Todd said, pausing to ruffle the cub's pate hairs. "Welcome to Doonarrala." Then he turned to Grizz and turned his voder on again. "The other room is just down here, Captain."

"Morra,' Grizz said, looking down on them fondly from her great height. "I do not discuss trading matters. I seek to visit your home village. Much has been told me that I wish to see with my own eyes, she said in slow Hrruban. The translator produced remarkably accurate pronunciation.

"These two,' she pointed a claw at Eonneh and another Gringg, a male with silky grey fur, "I trust to make best trade speech for us types.

"Of course,' Todd said, urprised on the one hand but pleased on the other. He'd wanted Grizz to see for herself what her emissaries had. "I'll see you're grided up to First Village. My wife Kelly, and Nrrna, Hrriss's mate, will be delighted to host you in our homes.

Allow me to send a message for them to meet you.

"You are most very kind,' Grizz said, pausing between words to remember what was appropriate to say.

"Are you sure that is wise, Reeve?" Greene demanded, hand over his voder input. "Sending a. . . a being of her stature to a civilian habitation unescorted?" Todd understood exactly what the commander really meant, and refused to acknowledge it.

"I admit it might be considered rude to ship the highest ranking official of a delegation somewhere without the correct entourage, but perhaps,' with a bow and a smile to Grizz, "under the circumstances she will forgive me. She will be met on arrival, of course, by my wife who is, by the way, an Alreldep representative, and quite capable of handling our new friends.

Barnstable shot both of them a look of annoyance, and Todd understood that the criticism must actually have come from him.

Spacedep's paranoia was beginning to wear upon Todd. Grizz, who had followed only part of the swift, low-pitched conversation, showed her fangs amiably. The gesture made most of the human delegates shiver, and Todd grinned back at her.

"I forgive without reserve, Todd Reeve,' Grizz said. "I and my son look forward to seeing the beauties of your home which these others have described to me. And this one,' she patted her son's shoulder, "is eager to swim in Doonarralan waters.

"Well, Admiral, Commander, don't let me keep you from your duties.

The space port conference is just down the hall, you know." Then Todd turned to Sumitral, Ali and Jilamey. "You all know the place we're to use. Why don't you show our Gringg negotiators the way? I'll join you soon as I can.

After he had called Kelly to tell her to meet her guests, he conducted Grizz and her cub out of the Treaty Building and to the grid facility. As there seemed to be no limit to the weight a grid could shift, he did not worry about the mass of a female Gringg.

But the mass of the personage to be grided quite shattered the composure of the bored grid operator. The slim female Hrruban on duty froze, her neck hair bristling, and gaped in shock at the pair to be transported to First Village.

"Zis grid is only for small shipments,' she protested, anxiously glancing over Todd's shoulder at Grizz.