He glanced at the medusoid’s tendrils. Pshaw! they weren’t snakelike. The boss must have a neurosis as big as a house. Sure, they were about a foot long and as thick as his thumb, but they didn’t have eyes, they didn’t have mouths or teeth-they were just tendrils. Most races had tendrils of some sort. What were fingers but short tendrils?
Mr. Kiku put down his cup when Dr. Ftaeml set down his glass. “Doctor, you have consulted with your principals?”
“Sir, I have had that honor. And may I take this opportunity to thank you for the scout ship you so graciously placed at my disposal for the unavoidable trips back and forth from the surface of your lovely planet to the vessel of the people I have the privilege of assisting? It is, I may say without casting any reflections on the great people I now serve, more suited to the purpose and more comfortable to one of my build than are the auxiliary craft of their vessel.”
“Not at all, Glad to do a favor to a friend.”
“You are gracious, Mr. Under Secretary.”
“Well, what did they say?”
Dr. Ftaeml shrugged his whole body. “It pains me to inform you that they are unmoved. They insist that their she child be returned to them without delay.”
Mr. Kiku frowned. “No doubt you explained that we don’t have their missing child, have never heard of it, have no reason to think that she has ever been on this planet and strong reason to believe that she never could have been?”
“I did. You will pardon my inurbanity if I translate their answer in terms crude but unmistakable.” He shrugged apologetically. “They say you are lying.”
Mr. Kiku took no offense, being aware that a Rargyllian when acting as go-between was as impersonal as a telephone. “It would be better if I were lying. Then I could hand over their brat and the matter would be finished.”
“I believe you,” Dr. Ftaeml said suddenly.
“Thank you. Why?”
“You used the subjunctive.”
“Oh. Did you tell them that there were over seven thousand varieties of non-terrestrial creatures on Earth, represented by some hundreds of thousands of individuals? That of these individuals some thirty thousand are sentient beings? But of these sentient beings only a very few have anything like the physical characteristics of your Hroshii? And that all those few we can account for as to race and planet of origin?”
“I am Rargyllian, sir. I told them all that and more, in their own language, putting it more clearly than you could explain it to another Earthmen. I made it live.”
“I believe you.” Mr. Kiku tapped the table top. “Do you have a suggestion?”
“Just a moment,” put in Greenberg. “Don’t you have a picture of a typical Hroshii? It might help.”
” ‘Hroshiu,’ ” corrected Ftaeml. “Or, in this ease, ‘Hroshia? I am sorry. They do not use symbology of the picture type. Unfortunately I am not equipped to take one of your pictures.”
“An eyeless race?”
“No, Excellency. Their sight is quite good, quite subtle. But their eyes and nervous systems abstract somewhat differently from yours. Their analog of ‘pieture’ would be meaningless to you. Even I find it difficult and my race is admitted to be the most subtle of all in the interpretation of symbolic abstraction. If a Rargyllian. . .” He stopped and preened himself.
“Well. . . describe one to us. Use your justly famed semantic talents.”
“A pleasure. The Hroshii manning this vessel are all about of a size, being of the military class. . .”
Mr. Kiku interrupted. “Military class? Doctor, is this a war vessel? You did not tell me this.”
Dr. Ftaeml looked pained. “I considered the fact both obvious and distasteful.”
“I suppose so.” Mr. Kiku wondered if he should alert the Federation General Staff. Not now, he decided. Mr. Kiku was strongly prejudiced against the introduction of military might into negotiations, since he believed that a show of force not only was an admission of failure on the part of diplomats but also poisoned the chances of accomplishing anything more by negotiation. He could rationalize this opinion but he held it as an emotion. “Go on, please.”