Touchdown, Touchdown, Rah, Rah, Rah!

“Could be,” Ray agreed. That would cut down on opportunities such as this. He had to admit that Nyquist could be a subtle man. “Thanks for bringing me here.”

“My pleasure.” She gestured at his bowl, which was empty. “Time for the next course.”

“That’ll teach me to talk while you eat,” he said, following her back to the buffet. She had steadily packed away the knotvine during his conversation with Ghorf, leaving an empty bowl. “Hold your breath if I’m being rude—”

She laughed at the kya expression, “—But how can I eat so much and still be so skinny?”

“I wasn’t going to put it that way,” he said.

“Allergies,” she said, as she scooped spoonfuls of small white beans into Ray’s bowl. “My body stopped producing some enzymes a few years ago, which means I can’t digest dairy products and most grain products. Plus my immune system freaked out on me, so I’m allergic to even more things.”

“That must be why you’re so underweight,” Ray said. “Malnutrition, right? It doesn’t do you any good to eat things if you can’t digest them.”

She nodded. “A lot of things are as nutritious as sawdust to me—or worse. Sawdust wouldn’t start a histamine reaction, or inflame my small intestine, which keeps me from absorbing whatever nutrients I can get out of food—and as a bonus, that inflammation makes everything, uh, speed right through me. I’d eat some bread, or an egg, or have a soft drink, and be sick for days. After a while it seemed everything I ate did that to me.” She looked wry. “At times I thought I’d have to eliminate food from my diet.”

Ray nodded thoughtfully. It was the same problem humans had on all alien worlds; evolution had fitted Terran organisms to one specific environment, which did not include exotic biochemicals. On different worlds alien bacteria poisoned the roots of plants in unEarthly soils, insect bites touched off histamine reactions, and airborne spores blighted lung membranes as they were inhaled. Compared to most worlds, Kya was a benign place for unprotected humans. “I’m surprised that you’re not allergic to kya food,” Ray said.

“Thank the pills,” Elizabeth told him. “They digest all the nutrients, and the human immune system doesn’t react to the break-down products. When I found out about that it made moving to Kya look like a good idea. Now I’m not sick all the time, I don’t have to wonder if there’s some allergen in what I’m eating, and I’ve gained twenty pounds.”

“And you can eat in restaurants,” Ray said.

“Exactly.” She looked him over as she refilled the glass. “Not many people would think of that.”

“It seems obvious,” Ray said. “You can’t expect a chef to be a dietitian, too.”

She nodded. “I really missed going to restaurants, and calling out for a hoagie. That’s one reason I like Kya; I can dine out. Plus, the kya are a blast, and trying to understand their history is fun—I’m taking four classes this semester and enjoying every minute of it.”

“I heard your lecture the other day,” Ray said. “You seem to enjoy teaching them, too.”

She nodded vigorously. “Explaining human history to them is fun. And with the way they look at things, I’m getting some new perspectives on human history.”

“I think you scared the daylights out of your class,” Ray said.

“I know.” She looked unhappy. “I try not to frighten them, but it isn’t easy. I have to give them an idea of what we re like, and I can’t make it all sugar and light.”

Ray nodded; explaining the human predilection for dictators could be awkward. However—“You need a lighter approach,” he said. “It might help if you told them about one of our evolutionary cousins.”

“You think so?” She looked interested. “Which one? Gorillas? Baboons?”

“Lemmings.”

She looked startled, then laughed.

* * *

Ray spent the next morning at Ghorf’s office. The executive was only able to speak with Ray for a moment, but after he left his assistants outlined the Easthills Combine’s business needs and investment resources. Ray wasn’t certain just how far their money would go. While wealthy by kya standards, the Combine was handicapped by an unfavorable exchange rate. The kya had few products which were worth importing to Earth, and that made their currency almost worthless.

As Ray left Ghorf’s office he realized that the kya had an untapped resource. With their sense of smell, they might have agricultural techniques unknown on Earth; they might be able to smell the differences in soil types and nutrients, or sniff out pests and diseases. He decided to consult with the agricultural experts at Vrekle University, and see if it would be worth sending a few of them to Earth to sweeten any trade agreement.

With that in mind, Ray paid Dean Zelk a visit. The possibility of making a good deal had placed him in a pleasant mood, but his cheer faded as he entered the dean’s office. Nyquist stood in front of Zelk’s desk with a folder of fax papers, while the dean looked unhappy. “Well, Mr. Bennett,” the ambassador said. “This is an unexpected pleasure.”

“I imagine it is,” Ray said. “What brings you here?”