Planet Of No Return

“Why? The thing can fly itself as you have just proved. And two heads will be better than one now that you have found some of the natives. There is no other reason to want a Heuristic Language Processor in such a hurry, is there? In any case, the deed has been done. I’m here, our transportation is back in orbit — so what do we do next?”

She was right. What was done was done; Brion had trained himself to always accept the reality of a situation that could not be changed. He pointed towards the tree-covered hills that bordered the plain.

“We stay under cover here until we’re sure that there is no military interest in us. Then we go up into those hills and look for a simple-minded and filthy primitive whom I met. If we are lucky maybe we can find some of his friends as well. Once he has located them we are going to talk to them with the HPL to see if we can’t get some answers to all those questions we have about this planet.”

8: A Deadly Surprise

The hush of the evening was broken only by the hum of insects, the occasional distant cries of the flying reptiles. Brion felt the knot of tension lessen and vanish with the realization that they had not been observed, that there would be no retaliation for the landing. But as he relaxed, the sensation of tension was instantly replaced by one of hunger; it had been a long time between meals. He dug one of the dehydrated ration bars from his bag and peeled off the covering with a growing feeling of distaste.

“Not exactly a steak dinner, is it?” Lea said, seeing his expression.

“You can live forever on these things, though it’s not much of a life. And, please, don’t let me even think about steaks.”

Lea swung her pack around and opened the top flap. “I only mentioned it because I brought you one.” She smiled innocently at his dumbfounded expression. “It’s a recipe I read once in a historical cookbook. It was recommended for attending the races in the winter, whatever that meant.” She began to strip plastic wrappings from a large bundle. “Very simple to do really. You cut an entire loaf of bread down the middle and put a thick, hot, broiled steak into it and pour all the meat juices onto it before you close it up. After that you sort of press it so the bread absorbs the juices and …”

She held up flattened loaf and Brion growled deep in his throat as he reached out for it. He bit off the corner and chewed on it slowly with a blissful expression. “Lea, you are a wonder,” he said, muffledly around the mouthful.

“I know it — and I’m glad you found it out as well. Now tell me about your smelly native.”

Brion did not speak again until a good third of the massive sandwich had been consumed. With the first pangs of hunger reduced, he finished the rest more slowly and appreciatively as he talked.

“He’s as simple as a child — but he’s not a child. His name is Vjer, or something sounding very much like that. When I first confronted him he was terrified, but once he accepted me the fear vanished completely. It was simply unbelievable the way it happened. Like throwing a switch. But later, when I started to follow him, he became so upset that he actually cried. I let him go on alone after that, because I’m sure that I’ll have no trouble finding him again.”

“Is he some sort of mental deficient — an outcast perhaps?”

“There’s a chance, but I don’t think so. If you consider him in relation to his environment, you must admit that he is basically adapted for survival. He successfully tracked and killed one of the herbivores, and seemed perfectly happy to eat it raw. When he left he took the meat with him back to whatever camp or settlement he lives in. But there is really no point in theorizing at this time. We don’t have enough facts to make even an educated guess. We are going to have to find him and learn his language, then let him answer our questions for himself.” Brion glanced at the sun that was just slipping below the horizon. “This is as good a place as any to spend the night. We’ll leave the equipment in the crater for the night, then go on at dawn.”

“That’s fine by me. There has been more than enough excitement for one day as far as I’m concerned.” She took an insulated sleeping bag from her pack and spread it on the ground. “It’s all right for you to travel rough, perhaps you’re used to it. But I appreciate some of the more sophisticated pleasures — such as a warm bed. I also brought some sandwiches for my own dinner. And some wine in biodegradable container. You can share the wine as long as you don’t think it is too sophisticated.”

“I gratefully accept. I am really beginning to believe that your planet Earth really is the home of mankind.”

“Womankind. You aren’t getting this kind of service from any men that I have noticed.”