“What ‘ongoing medical condition’?” Being slightly more excitable than his colleague, Jallrii was beside himself. “There iss no ongoing medical condition. It wass a russe on your part to hold uss here while you invesstigated the dissappearance of your two craft.”
“Did I give that impression?” She smiled anew. “I certainly never meant to do so. No, good nye, I was being truthful from the beginning when I said that you were being held for medical observation.” A sigh of sadness escaped her. “I regret to say that the tests that were run on you these past couple of days have come back positive. As a consequence, I regret to inform you that you are both to be deported from Fluva.”
Now it was Thessu’s turn to hiss so violently that he threatened to blow his pointed tongue right out of his mouth. “What nonssensse iss thiss? We are the accredited repressentativess of His Imperial Majesstic Navvur W. Our mission on Fluva iss authorized by your own government. It cannot be ‘deported.’ ”
“You are quite right, noble nye. The AAnn observation mission to Fluva cannot be expelled.” She folded her hands in front of her. “Its staff, however, can. I am sure replacements for the both of you will be sent out from Blassussar as soon as word of your situation here makes its way back to the Imperial home world.”
The hissing that followed this pronouncement sounded like two steam engines fighting over the same sack of coal. “Thiss iss nothing but a crude ploy to get rid of my colleague and I.”
Not at all, she mused. It’s a fairly elaborate ploy. She held up a thick folder full of hard copy. “This is the report from my medical staff. I’m afraid that their worst fears have been borne out.”