“It does, doesn’t it?” Liriili asked, sounding teary herself. “I had the dearest little pahaantiyir -when I was at home, but it ran away just before the evacuation and I couldn’t find it in time.”
Maati was reaching forward, coaxing the “alien” with her bundle of succulent grasses and flowers. “You’ll find these delicious, alien entity,” she said politely.
“I doubt it,” Acorna said. “That looks to me very much like a Makahomian Temple Cat. They are carnivores, I believe.”
The cat gave her an indignant look and daintily stepped forward to sniff the flowers, then began to eat one. Just one. All of the Linyaari watched it with awe. It sat back on its haunches, surveyed its audience complacently, and began to wash.
Acorna reached over and lifted the cat into her arms, then handed him over to Maati. The youngling squealed with delight as the creature snuggled against her neck and then settled into purring.
“The alien likes me!” Maati said
“I wouldn’t be too impressed,” Acorna replied with a smile. “This fellow is probably not the captain. Nor does it appear to be Linyaari, so it can hardly be your brother.”
Thariinye and the other young males stroked the animal, too, as did Liriili.
“It’s so soft,” Maati said blissfully. “Since they sent the lift down, perhaps they mean for us to board,” Acorna said.
“It could be a trap,” Thariinye said.
“I’ve only heard of cats practicing mind control when they are looking for homes or a meal,” Acorna said. “I very much doubt this one is a spy. I would like to see who inside the ship. Perhaps they have news of my friends.”
“You’re not going up there without me,” Thariinye said. “Unless-uh-unless you think it best.”
“I think it best,” Liriili said. Firmly putting her hands behind her to stop petting the cat. “It is why you were sent for. And you two-go with them.”
“Yes, Viizaar,” the two young males said in tandem. “I want to go see if there are more of these-kaaats?” Maati said.
“Mrow? ” the creature said. “You must stay here until we know if it is safe,” Liriili said.
“But you said my brother …” “Someone who claims to be, yes. It is best that Khornya and
Thariinye handle first contact.”
Acorna stepped onto the platform and was followed by the males. The cat leaped from Maati’s arms and sat on the platform with them.
The platform rose through the tube until it was level with one of the decks. A stocky, barrelcheated, curly-haired man with a bristling mustache watched their arrival, then reached forward to help Acorna off the platform. “Hi, there, ma’am, boys,” he greeted them in a deep and slightly gravelly voice. “I don’t know which line to use-‘We’ve come in peace’ or ‘Take me to your leader.’ Aari tells me you folks aren’t used to visitors.”
The cat jumped from the platform and onto the man’s shoulder, to curl around his neck. “I see you’ve already met our leader, or the self-appointed glad-handing committee anyway.”
The funny thing was that he was using all of these Standard idiomatic expressions, but in the Linyaari tongue. Acorna understood him but she could also understand the puzzled expressions on the faces of the other three Linyaari.
“My name’s Jonas Becker,” the man continued, as the males joined them on deck. “I am captain of the Condor here, and Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and-until recentlyChief Cook and Bottle Washer of Decker Interplanetary Salvage and Recycling Enterprises, Limited. It was going to be Becker and Sons but my dad didn’t get around to changing the sign before he died so there’s still only one Becker. And you folks are?”
Acorna was grinning again, enjoying the fact that Becker, whom she liked at once and from whom she was sensing very positive energy, would know that she was being friendly while the other three Linyaari would probably be under the impression she was fearlessly baring her teeth at the “alien.” This man reminded her a great deal of her beloved uncles. The same brand of individualistic and independent intelligence, curiosity, and kindness radiated from him. “I was named Acorna by my foster parents,” she told him. “In Linyaari-our language-1 am known as Khornya.”