Part 27 (1/2)
Buccari looked up at the square-jawed Marine and realized his ego and sense of purpose were sitting squarely on his brains. That he would invoke Quinn's name was a clear signal he was not ready to accept her leaders.h.i.+p.
”Sarge,” she said. ”Only one of us can be in charge of this mess. Go play your games. But remember, if you start a war, my friend, you better head for the hills. Don't come back. I don't care how much we need you.”
”Sir, what if we make peaceful contact?” Shannon asked. ”I know you'll try, Sergeant. That's my hope.”
Shannon's Marines jogged over the rocky terrain, marching along the cliff-sided riparian valley. The angry river crashed and tumbled on their right hand; white-water rapids filled the air with noise and moisture. Shannon looked backwards, checking the disposition of his men. A gaggle of hunters waddled far to the rear, struggling to keep up. It was too early for thermals. Eventually they would take to the air and leave him behind. He resumed his fast march.
The white aircraft appeared overhead. The tumult of the cataracts overwhelmed its engine noises, and the alien craft was on them. It jerked abruptly and banked hard on a wing.
”Hold your fire!” Shannon shouted over the cras.h.i.+ng water.
”They know where we are,” MacArthur yelled. The plane angled around for another look, climbing to a higher alt.i.tude.
”h.e.l.l!” Pet.i.t shouted, lowering his rifle. ”I could've blown them out of the sky.”
”Hold your fire! Don't even aim your weapons!” Shannon bellowed. If they attempted hostile action now, it was unlikely to succeed, and their hostility would be reported back to the alien authorities. Buccari' s words haunted him.
”What now?” MacArthur shouted.
”Nothing,” Shannon said. ”We stay right here until it goes away. I don't want to give them an indication of which way to go. Just stand here and look friendly, like the lieutenant told us to do in the first place.” Shannon raised his arm and waved. MacArthur nodded in agreement and held his open hand tentatively in the air.
Lollee flew low so they could see the wildness of the river. ”Look!” he shouted. ”Hiding in the rocks! Next to that waterfall- aliens!”
The stick-legged, green-clothed creatures with white upturned faces were clearly visible, scrambling along the rocks. Some attempted to hide, though two aliens stood conspicuously in the open.
”They are so thin,” Et Avian said, peering through binoculars. ”They have weapons.”
”Interesting they would just stand there,” Kateos remarked.
”What else can they do?” Doworn.o.bb replied. ”There is no cover, and we know they are of high intelligence-running around like frightened beasts would not make sense. They know they have been seen.”
”Careful, they could fire their weapons,” Kateos said.
”No! They are waving!” Et Avian said. ”Rock your wings, Lollee!”
The pilot complied, banking his craft back and forth. They flew over the aliens again, their flight path taking them down the river to the mouth of a spreading lake valley. The richness and grandeur of the sun-washed valley registered with Et Avian. He realized that the valley was where the aliens had settled. It was beautiful, the early morning sun flowing golden across its width and breadth.
”Land there!” Et Avian ordered. ”Over there, on the far side of that valley, above the tree line. It is the closest point on this side of the river.” Lollee followed the n.o.blekone's pointing finger, adjusting his course for the eastern slope of the valley.
”Wait, shh!” Hudson whispered. ”The airplane! Hear it?” Buccari, heart pounding in her chest, listened to the stillness.
And then her heart stopped; a whining engine growled ever louder. ”It's coming!” she said, sick to her stomach.
Nerve-tugging noises echoed across the lake and reflected between the valley flanks. Louder and louder! There it was, flying low over the lake. It came abreast the cove inlet and banked sharply. The straight lines and right angles of the stone foundation were like signals from a beacon. The plane climbed and flew two wide observation circuits. The humans, some hiding under trees, a few peeking from the tents, some frozen at their task, watched helplessly. Buccari stood in the middle of the clearing. After the second circuit the plane flew to the east, disappearing over the tree tops climbing the side of the valley. The faint sound of its engine altered abruptly.
”It landed on the ridge!” Fenstermacher shouted. ”The d.a.m.n thing landed!” He came running up from the lake, joining the distraught humans gathered around the cold ashes of the fire pit.
”Gunner,” Buccari barked, moving into action. ”I'm going to meet them. I want you to collect everyone and move out. Grab as much food as you can carry. Break down the tents and stand ready. If all goes well, I'll come back with our visitors. If you hear gunfire, get moving-fast! Head for the cliff dweller colony. Rendezvous with Shannon.”
”Nash-” She turned to Hudson. ”Get two pistols. Let's go greet them.”
”Me, too. I'm with you, Lieutenant!” Jones insisted.
Buccari looked at the broad-shouldered boatswain. The man was balding on top; the hair along the sides of his head had bushed out, and his gray-shot beard was full. Jones wore baggy elk skin leggings and a parka made from rockdog pelts. He looked every bit the savage.
”Three pistols, Nas.h.!.+” she shouted. Jones smiled largely, and Buccari nervously returned his infectious enthusiasm. A peculiar sadness washed over her, displacing her fear.
Lollee brought out wheel chocks and put them under the fat tires. The valley slope was wide and clear, but the grade above the tree line was steep. He had flown a tricky, wing-down approach, skidding along the canted terrain.
Et Avian, excited and nervous, walked under the wing, waiting for Lollee to secure the aircraft. The n.o.blekone had decided to make contact. The aliens had not fired their weapons at the low-flying abat, and they had not run away. Et Avian read these as positive signals. And the aliens were constructing a settlement, another indication of peaceful intent, or at least an indication of a desire for peace.
”Master Doworn.o.bb and Mistress Kateos, stay with the plane,” Et Avian ordered. ”We will leave one blaster.” He handed his laser unit to Doworn.o.bb. Lollee slipped the other blaster unit into one of his deep chest pockets.
”Let no one approach,” Et Avian continued. ”We will be back in two hours.”
”If you are not?” Kateos asked sternly. Doworn.o.bb rolled his eyes.
”We will be back,” the n.o.blekone replied severely, and then he laughed. ”A good question, Mistress Kateos, unfortunately, I do not have a better answer.” The pilots turned and moved rapidly down the hillside, starting a traverse toward the aliens and their rectangle of rocks. Lollee took the lead, bending onto his front legs and breaking into an easy rolling gallop; the ma.s.sive muscles of his flanks and upper arms rippled under his loose fitting thermal suit. Et Avian ran on two legs and was much less graceful, frequently slipping and stumbling on the gra.s.sy slopes. They entered the conifer forest, and the temperature dropped sharply in the shade of the trees. Lollee slowed, allowing the n.o.blekone to close the gap.
”Sometimes it is better to crawl,” Et Avian panted, coming even.
”Crawling is a state of mind, Your Excellency,” the commoner responded, breathing hard. ”If moving fast and staying surefooted is the objective, then it is wise to use all of your limbs. The hill does not respect your lineage.”
”Well said, Lollee, and true.”
Et Avian leaned over and landed on his hands and forearms, trotting easily. Lollee pushed off with a leap, and the two kones moved down and across the face of the hill, moving fluidly in the light gravity, dodging and weaving between fir trees.
”Spread out but keep me in sight,” Buccari ordered, voice low and tense. ”Keep the weapons holstered or hidden. When we see them, I'll walk up to them, real friendly. Stay away from me until I tell you different. If things get nasty, shoot in the air to warn our people. Now spread out.”
Hudson went to the left, and Jones moved out to the right. They ascended above the thick underbrush of the hardwood forest and entered open pine glades, hiking past the trunks of tall, straight trees. Buccari stalked at a deliberate pace, eyes and ears searching for conspicuous sounds or movements. A screaming bird called in the distance. They continued, the rustle of needles underfoot the only noise. After a kilometer, the tall trees gave way to the shorter, mustard-barked firs. Hudson moved closer.
”We're near the bears, Sharl,” he whispered. ”One of the dens is just over that rise.” They stood on an upslope mounted with a sharp ridge.
”Steer to the right,” she replied. ”A kilometer to the tree line?” ”If that,” Hudson said, edging away.
Buccari gave hand signals to Jones, s.h.i.+fting him further to the right. The trio resumed their climb and had not gone ten paces when a ferocious roar from behind the near ridge obliterated the silence. Amid the growls and roars could be heard the sounds of heavy footfalls and grunts, and a peculiar metallic ringing reverberated through the animal din. A scream-a scream unlike any scream ever heard by humans-soared into the skies.
Three mother bears and their cubs had spent the morning tearing apart the rotten tree, flus.h.i.+ng out swarms of insects from the crumbling humus. The huge beasts sat on their great posteriors patiently, if incongruously, eating the tiny bugs. Gargantuan pink and purple tongues licked and dipped over the moldy limbs, and ma.s.sive, claw-studded paws rent the deteriorating bark. The cubs, grown impatient with the pastime, had moved across the clearing and cavorted in yellow wildflowers under dappled sunlight.