[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
lot."
As reluctantly as any curious young creature, the juvenile giffs began to
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
lumber awkwardly away, disappearing so suddenly that Bonnard cried out in
alarm.
"They're okay, Bonnard," said Varian who had a better view. "We're right on
the cliff edge. They've just walked off it and if you'll glance over your
shoulder, you'll see them soaring away, perfectly safe."
"Muhlah!" exclaimed Kai with utter disgust. "We had 'em close enough and
didn't telltag 'em."
"What? And scare them into bringing momma and dad down on us? We don't
really need to telltag giffs anyway, Kai. We know where they live, and how
far they range." She patted the recorder. "And I've got their faces all on
tape."
"They sure had a good enough look at ours," said Bonnard." I wonder if they'll
remember us next time."
"All furless, crestless faces look the same," said Varian with a laugh.
She was moving about the sled now without restraint and handed each a bar of
subsistence protein. She perched on the pilot chair to munch hers.
When they had finished eating, joking about the manner of their awakening,
they made ready to leave the sled. Kai and Bonnard carried the recorders and
additional tapes, Varian had her gift of the grasses. Kai also wore a
stunner, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Not, he thought privately, that
he'd have much chance the way those giffs could move.
As they emerged, the sun came through the cloud cover, for its morning
inspection, Bonnard said. From the caves in the cliffs came hundreds and
hundreds of golden fliers, as if called inexorably by the thin thread of
sunlight. Bonnard quickly aimed the recorder and caught the spectacle of
hundreds of giffs, wings raised, beaks open, carolling a curious warble as
they turned in the sparse sunlight.
"Ever seen anything like that before, Varian?" asked Kai in amazement.
"Not quite like that. Oh, they are beautiful creatures. Quick, Bonnard, on
the third terrace to the left, get that lot?"
The giffs, one after the other, dropped off the ledge, wings spreading and
lifting, soaring, turning over, as if letting each part of their bodies bathe
in the sunlight. It was a slow aerial dance that held the observers
spellbound.
"They've got their eyes closed," Bonnard said, peering through the focusing
lens of the recorder. "Hope they know where they're going."
"They probably have some sort of radar perception," said Varian. She
increased her face-mask's magnification to observe more closely. "I wonder .
. . are their eyes closed for some mystical reason? Or simply because the
sun is strong?"
"Carotene is good for your eyes," said Bonnard
Varian tried to recall if she'd ever seen a fang-face or one of the herbivores
squint or close their eyes completely during sunshine. She couldn't remember.
Full sunlight was a rare enough occasion so that all human eyes were
invariably on the sun. She'd check the tapes out when she got back to the
camp.
"Now, look Varian, only some of 'em are doing the flying act," said
Bonnard. He had swung around, recorder still operating, and focused on the
juvenile giffs scratching about on the fish summit.
One of them let out a squawk, tried to back away from something and,
overbalancing, fell back. Its companions regarded it for a long moment as it
lay, flapping helplessly.
Without thinking, Varian began to climb towards the summit to assist the
creature. She had put her hand over the top, when an adult giff, with a cry
shrill enough to be a command, landed on the summit, awkwardly turning towards
Varian. When she judiciously halted her climbing, the giff deftly flipped the
juvenile to its feet with the wing claws. The wing remained a protective
envelope above the young giff.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Okay, I get the message, loud and clear," said Varian.
A second grating sound issued from the adult giff whose eyes never left
Varian.
"Varian!" Kai's call was warning and command.
"I'm all right. I've just been told to keep my distance."
"Make it more distance, Varian. I'm covering you."
"It would have attacked me if it was going to, Kai. Don't show the stunner."
"How would they know what a stunner is?" asked Bonnard.
"Point! I'm going to offer the grass." And slowly Varian took the rift
grasses from her leg pouch and with great care held up the sheaf for the giff
to see.
The creature's eyes did not leave hers but Varian sensed that the grass had
been noticed. She moved her hand slowly, to place the sheaf on the top of the
summit. The giff made another grating noise, softer, less aggressive in tone
"You're very welcome," said Varian, and heard Bannard's snort of disgust.
"Courtesy is never wasted, Bonnard. Tone conveys its own message.
So does gesture. This creature understands a certain amount from both what
I'm doing and what I'm saying."
She had begun to descend to the sled's terrace level now, moving deliberately
and never taking her eyes from the giff. As soon as she was back, standing
with Kai and Bonnard, the adult giff waddled forward, took up the grass and
then, returning to the sea-edge, dropped off. Once it had sufficient wing
room, it soared up again and out of sight among the other fliers.
"That was fascinating," said Kai on the end of a long held sigh.
Bonnard was regarding Varian with open respect.
"Wow! One poke of that beak and you'd've been sent over the edge."
"There was no menace in the giff's action."
"Varian," said Kai, laying a hand on her arm, "do be careful."
"Kai, this isn't my first contact." Then she saw the worry in his eyes.
"I am always careful. Or I wouldn't be here now. Making friends with alien
creatures is my business. But how I'm ever to find out how mature their young
are if they're this protective . . ." She stopped, whistled her surprise.
I know. The giff was protective because it's used to protecting the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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lot."
As reluctantly as any curious young creature, the juvenile giffs began to
Page 62
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
lumber awkwardly away, disappearing so suddenly that Bonnard cried out in
alarm.
"They're okay, Bonnard," said Varian who had a better view. "We're right on
the cliff edge. They've just walked off it and if you'll glance over your
shoulder, you'll see them soaring away, perfectly safe."
"Muhlah!" exclaimed Kai with utter disgust. "We had 'em close enough and
didn't telltag 'em."
"What? And scare them into bringing momma and dad down on us? We don't
really need to telltag giffs anyway, Kai. We know where they live, and how
far they range." She patted the recorder. "And I've got their faces all on
tape."
"They sure had a good enough look at ours," said Bonnard." I wonder if they'll
remember us next time."
"All furless, crestless faces look the same," said Varian with a laugh.
She was moving about the sled now without restraint and handed each a bar of
subsistence protein. She perched on the pilot chair to munch hers.
When they had finished eating, joking about the manner of their awakening,
they made ready to leave the sled. Kai and Bonnard carried the recorders and
additional tapes, Varian had her gift of the grasses. Kai also wore a
stunner, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Not, he thought privately, that
he'd have much chance the way those giffs could move.
As they emerged, the sun came through the cloud cover, for its morning
inspection, Bonnard said. From the caves in the cliffs came hundreds and
hundreds of golden fliers, as if called inexorably by the thin thread of
sunlight. Bonnard quickly aimed the recorder and caught the spectacle of
hundreds of giffs, wings raised, beaks open, carolling a curious warble as
they turned in the sparse sunlight.
"Ever seen anything like that before, Varian?" asked Kai in amazement.
"Not quite like that. Oh, they are beautiful creatures. Quick, Bonnard, on
the third terrace to the left, get that lot?"
The giffs, one after the other, dropped off the ledge, wings spreading and
lifting, soaring, turning over, as if letting each part of their bodies bathe
in the sunlight. It was a slow aerial dance that held the observers
spellbound.
"They've got their eyes closed," Bonnard said, peering through the focusing
lens of the recorder. "Hope they know where they're going."
"They probably have some sort of radar perception," said Varian. She
increased her face-mask's magnification to observe more closely. "I wonder .
. . are their eyes closed for some mystical reason? Or simply because the
sun is strong?"
"Carotene is good for your eyes," said Bonnard
Varian tried to recall if she'd ever seen a fang-face or one of the herbivores
squint or close their eyes completely during sunshine. She couldn't remember.
Full sunlight was a rare enough occasion so that all human eyes were
invariably on the sun. She'd check the tapes out when she got back to the
camp.
"Now, look Varian, only some of 'em are doing the flying act," said
Bonnard. He had swung around, recorder still operating, and focused on the
juvenile giffs scratching about on the fish summit.
One of them let out a squawk, tried to back away from something and,
overbalancing, fell back. Its companions regarded it for a long moment as it
lay, flapping helplessly.
Without thinking, Varian began to climb towards the summit to assist the
creature. She had put her hand over the top, when an adult giff, with a cry
shrill enough to be a command, landed on the summit, awkwardly turning towards
Varian. When she judiciously halted her climbing, the giff deftly flipped the
juvenile to its feet with the wing claws. The wing remained a protective
envelope above the young giff.
Page 63
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Okay, I get the message, loud and clear," said Varian.
A second grating sound issued from the adult giff whose eyes never left
Varian.
"Varian!" Kai's call was warning and command.
"I'm all right. I've just been told to keep my distance."
"Make it more distance, Varian. I'm covering you."
"It would have attacked me if it was going to, Kai. Don't show the stunner."
"How would they know what a stunner is?" asked Bonnard.
"Point! I'm going to offer the grass." And slowly Varian took the rift
grasses from her leg pouch and with great care held up the sheaf for the giff
to see.
The creature's eyes did not leave hers but Varian sensed that the grass had
been noticed. She moved her hand slowly, to place the sheaf on the top of the
summit. The giff made another grating noise, softer, less aggressive in tone
"You're very welcome," said Varian, and heard Bannard's snort of disgust.
"Courtesy is never wasted, Bonnard. Tone conveys its own message.
So does gesture. This creature understands a certain amount from both what
I'm doing and what I'm saying."
She had begun to descend to the sled's terrace level now, moving deliberately
and never taking her eyes from the giff. As soon as she was back, standing
with Kai and Bonnard, the adult giff waddled forward, took up the grass and
then, returning to the sea-edge, dropped off. Once it had sufficient wing
room, it soared up again and out of sight among the other fliers.
"That was fascinating," said Kai on the end of a long held sigh.
Bonnard was regarding Varian with open respect.
"Wow! One poke of that beak and you'd've been sent over the edge."
"There was no menace in the giff's action."
"Varian," said Kai, laying a hand on her arm, "do be careful."
"Kai, this isn't my first contact." Then she saw the worry in his eyes.
"I am always careful. Or I wouldn't be here now. Making friends with alien
creatures is my business. But how I'm ever to find out how mature their young
are if they're this protective . . ." She stopped, whistled her surprise.
I know. The giff was protective because it's used to protecting the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]