“You were the one recommended,” she reiterated. “We need the best for this, and you’ll be well paid.”
“Why not send one of you own people?” As he crouched before the human chief, Jemunu-jah chewed idly on the lump of the khopo sap stored in his right cheek pouch. The activity did not unsettle humans, he knew, because some of them engaged in similar food-related behavior. A few had even tried khopo sap and liked it, especially when it came with added flavorings. When not being masticated or sucked, he had been told, it was excellent for making temporary repairs to all kinds of machinery.
“Several reasons.” She leaned toward him. With the desk between them, it was not perceived as a hostile gesture. One had to be ever conscious of Sakuntala protocol, because they never traveled outside their homes without at least one weapon. Jemunu-jah’s was politely concealed, probably somewhere under his waist straps.
“The human who has gone missing is called Shadrach Hasselemoga.” Seeing her visitor struggle with the syllables, she added, “I am informed that he is often called Hasa, for short. He’s an independent bioprospector working on a loan-and-consignment basis. I haven’t met him myself, but I’m told that he’s at least as competent as most of his kind. He arrived here only six months ago from one of our colony worlds. His documents are all in order.”
Jemunu-jah bobbed his head. “Apparently, he’s not quite as competent as all his kind.”
She nodded back, meeting the incredibly sharp, penetrating Sakuntala eyes without flinching. “There’s been no word from him since he went south nearly a seven-day ago. No communication, no emergency beacon transmission. Nothing. We know what course he took because he filed a flight plan, but he could have deviated in any direction at any time.”