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  She looked back up at him and shook her head at his cynicism.

  He might have argued with her, but Doctor Simpson sort of proved his point when she pointed to the right and said, “What’s that?”

  Nick’s stomach clenched up into a tight ball as he twisted to see.

  “That,” he said with a resigned tone. “Looks like a pissed off farmer and his friends.”

  They all turned to watch the approaching group. Six males, exactly like the videos the group had been studying for months. Leathery, lizard-skin. Snout like faces with big canine teeth. Each dressed in short pants only.

  Nick quickly checked for weapons. Four of them carried long wooden staffs, the other two held short iron swords. No shields, no armor.

  They’d obviously been in too much of a hurry to get outfitted properly. He had to smile to himself. If he’d been charging a bunch of unknown aliens, he’d have come better armed and better protected. Preferably in a tank.

  “Hold on,” Nick said as he hurried back into the Pod. Grabbing his tool bag, he threw it over his shoulder then pulled the flare gun from the wall mount and the first aid kit from under the forward seat.

  “Here, take this,” he said to Amanda, giving her the first aid kit. No way was he giving up the flare gun. It was the closest thing to a weapon he had.

  The approaching group slowed when they saw what was waiting outside the Pod. Finally coming to a stop twenty yards away. Their eyes got as big as moons, and their mouths dropped open. Nick was glad to see that some facial expressions were common across the species.

  “You’re up,” he said to Professor Robinson. “You know their language the best.”

  The Professor gulped and stepped up next to him and Amanda.

  Not wanting to be left out, Doctor Simpson moved forward to stand on the other side of Amanda.

  “What should I say?” the Professor asked with a nervous stutter.

  Nick shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever it is, don’t make them mad.”

  The Professor looked back at him like he’d lost what little sense he had.

  Nick laughed and said, “How about, ‘take me to your leader’?”

  Now it was Amanda’s turn to laugh. He could tell that a nervous energy was pumping through them. He could feel it in himself. Finally, humans were making contact with an intelligent species. The only other one in the galaxy. It was almost like meeting a long lost brother you never knew you had.

  Professor Robinson stepped forward and began speaking in the Eundai language. The thick, guttural sounds flowing smoothly. It was obvious the Professor had been practicing.

  Nick caught a few words, Grundal, the words for city, stars, and a few others. But that was about it. He was going to have to make a real effort to learn their language. Heaven knew, they weren’t going to learn his.

  When the Professor finished, he quickly stepped back to join the group.

  The six Eundai stood there like silent statues, frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing and hearing.

  It must have been too much for one of them. The smallest of the group. Probably the equivalent of a teenager, Nick thought. Suddenly yelled a deep, guttural scream, raised his sword, and charged towards them.

  Nick didn’t think, didn’t ponder the consequences, he reacted.

  The flare gun fired with a loud pop, shooting a brilliant orange flare into the ground five feet in front of the charging Eundai. The phosphorus fire sputtering and hissing as it tried to bury itself in the soft earth.

  The boy stopped instantly, his face a combination of pure fear and total shock.

  The oldest Eundai reached out and quickly pulled him back to their group.

  Good, Nick thought. At least someone has some brains.

  The older Eundai studied him for a long moment, then began rattling off a long list of words that Nick totally didn’t understand.

  The Professor answered him, accentuating his comments by pointing first at Nick, and then at the others in the party.

  The older Eundai and the Professor went back and forth for several minutes until the Eundai finally nodded. As if accepting what he had been told.

  “What was that all about?” Nick asked.

  The Professor shook his head, “I don’t know. They used some words I’m not exactly sure of.

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Just the basics,” the Professor said. “You are our leader. We are from the stars. We had mechanical difficulty and had to land here. Could they provide help until our friends arrived to get us?”

  “So basically everything,” Nick said, shaking his head.

  “What did you want me to say,” the Professor asked with anger. “That we were a traveling circus and they were invited to afternoon tea.”

  Nick laughed. “No, I guess not.” It was good to see the Professor had a spine after all. “What about these unknown words.”

  The Professor’s brow narrowed for a moment. “I don’t know. Something about Scraggs. He seemed rather relieved when I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about.”

  Nick nodded. Things were going better than he had expected. Before they landed, he had figured they had a good chance of being dead within the first ten minutes. It was nice to see that he could be wrong.

  “What now?” he asked.

  The Professor smiled. “They want to take us to their leader.”

  Nick laughed and nodded. “Good. Amanda, close up the Pod. I don’t want to turn my back on these guys. Once you’ve got the hatch closed. Pull the tab in the small opening to the left. That will lock things up and keep curious eyes out of it.”

  He felt her leave the group and go behind him. Like he had told her, he didn’t take his eyes off their hosts. Too many things could go too wrong too fast.

  When she was done, she held out her hand with the pod’s tab.

  He shook his head, “You hold onto that,” he said. “If anything happens to me, you make your way back to the Pod and get inside. Wait until the rescue arrives. You might go hungry, but you’ll have air.”

  She looked up at him and grimaced. But she nodded eventually. Accepting his instructions. Nick sent up a silent prayer that she never had to follow through with it.

  “What’s this guy’s name?” Nick asked the Professor.

  “Guate,” the Professor answered.

  With the mention of his name, the Eundai looked up, curious.

  Nick smiled to himself. The guy would always be Jed the farmer in his mind. He was too much like the farmers from home. More worried about his crops that the monumental events happening to his world.

  Nick bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Guate,” he said, the word feeling strange in his mouth as he pointed to the distant city. “Grundal.”

  The Eundai froze for only a second when he turned and led the way to the city.

  Nick took a deep breath. They were still alive. Of course, this was but the first moment in a long line of moments. He was pretty sure they weren’t all going to be this easy.

  Chapter Ten

  Nick’s stomach refused to relax, and he couldn’t get rid of the sense of dread that kept running up and down his spine. Should he have tried for the trees? Could he have gotten them buried in the local forest before they were discovered?

  No, he thought. No way Doc Simpson wouldn’t have gone along with that. Contacting the Eundai was the whole reason they were here. She’d have fought and drug her feet until someone showed up.

  Nope, there was no way he could have kept them out of this situation. The thought didn’t go far in alleviating his deep worries. Just because it was inevitable, didn’t make it any better.

  ‘Keep them alive,’ he mumbled to himself.

  “You were right,” Amanda said as she stepped up next to him. Her legs fighting to match his stride.

  “About what?” Nick asked as he continued to scan the distant horizon.

  “They are more warlike than I thought. When that boy charged us. I thought fo
r sure we would be hacked to death before we could even get a chance to explain.”

  Nick laughed. “Good, remember that feeling. Nurse it, keep it close. It will keep you nervous and scared. That is the best way to be in a situation like this. On your toes. You head on a swivel.”

  “You don’t seem worried,” she said with a frown.

  “Princess, I am terrified. Anybody with any sense would be.”

  She looked at him for a moment, obviously not believing him, and obviously not pleased with the Princes comment. Oh well, he thought, it didn’t matter, as long as she was worried, then she’d stay alert. That was all he could ask for at the moment.

  The group had made their way out of the field and onto one of the kingdom roads that lead to the city. Nick was surprised to find the road composed of crushed gravel glued together with a black tar like substance that had hardened into a solid footing as smooth as ancient Italian marble.

  But then, a lot of things were surprising him. The insects seemed a little bigger than what he grew up with on New Kansas. And that was saying something. The air was heavier, but the gravity a little less than standard.

  The sounds of distant animals were constant. Mostly calls from the forest. Birds flew overhead, both small, darting birds and large, gliding birds.

  So birds, insects, reptiles. Just no mammals. Evolution hadn’t taken that branch on this planet.

  He turned to look back at Simpson and Robinson. Their heads were constantly spinning and their eyes jumping from new discovery to new discovery. They might have seen everything already, in the video feeds. But it wasn’t the same as seeing it in real life.

  His gaze traveled past the two scientists to the three Eundai dragging up the rear. The creatures looked like they were torn between stabbing the humans in the back and running for their lives. Not a good combination.

  Shaking his head at their situation, Nick tried to ignore the tool bag strap biting into his shoulder and the chaffing on his legs. Space suits were not made for long walks. He wondered how Amanda was holding up.

  For the thousandth time in the last few hours, he thought about her family and what that meant. He couldn’t really blame her for keeping it from him. But that didn’t exactly erase the sense of betrayal.

  He thought back over the last two weeks and shook his head. He had been an idiot.

  As they approached the village, the smell hit them like a wet blanket. It reminded him of a chicken coup. A concentrated, sour, pungent smell that told him they were approaching civilization.

  He tried breathing through his mouth, but that didn’t help enough.

  His attention was drawn to the lead farmer that he had christened ‘Jed’ instead of Guate, as he pulled one of his fellow Eundai close, whispered something into his ear, and sent him off ahead to warn the town.

  Nick could well imagine what he was telling the guy.

  “Tell everyone, tell Grundal, we have bravely captured star travelers. Aliens. Terrifying beasts that shoot fire from their hands and bark like toads.”

  The younger Eundai took off for the distant village. The lead farmer glanced back and caught Nick’s stare. A brief message of distrust and suspicion passed between them.

  “Okay, Farmer Jed,” Nick mumbled under his breath.

  The first small building appeared to be constructed as he expected. Rough-hewn wood, shake shingles, one door, two small windows protected by wooden shutters.

  An Eundai woman stepped out and watched them pass. Her eyes never blinked. No facial expression at all. Just a steady stare as she watched them walk past.

  Nick felt a cold dread pass through him. More of the Eundai stopped what they were doing to watch them. Rising from their chores, each one stood stoically silent as the humans were escorted to the city gates.

  “They are so quiet,” Amanda whispered to him.

  “Yeah,” Nick replied, “but maybe this is their normal.”

  Amanda slowly shook her head as she continued to study their hosts. Nick could only share her surprise. Things didn’t seem normal.

  As they approached the tall city gate. Jed, the lead farmer stopped and yelled to the watchmen atop the wall.

  “He’s announced our presence,” Professor Robinson said. “Almost like it is a ritual.”

  Nick tried to calm his racing heart as he waited. It didn’t take long before the huge wooden gates slowly opened into the city.

  Farmer Jed glanced back at the humans and then walked into the city.

  The smells were even more intense inside the city than the village outside the walls. More of that crowded chicken smell. Nick stifled a shudder and followed their escort.

  The buildings inside the walls were just the same as those outside. And just like the villagers, the Eundai stood silently and watched them walk past.

  “Why do I feel like a cow being led to slaughter?” Amanda whispered.

  Nick snorted in agreement but kept his eyes focused on the large stone building at the end of the road.

  As they approached, a crowd began to gather. Nick had a sick feeling in the bottom of his stomach as he saw the Eundai pushing back and forth to get a good spot.

  Grundal stood atop the stone steps that led up to the center throne room. A long green cape hanging from an iron chain around his neck.

  Nick made a mental note to check out the fabric at some later date. It shimmered like silk but looked more substantial.

  The head Eundai stared at them as they approached. Gryopic stood next to him, looking up at his father, then down at their new guests.

  Once the humans reached the bottom of the stairs. Jed dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

  Grundal spoke a few words then turned to enter the stone building through a wooden door.

  “He thanked him,” Professor Robinson said. “Told him he was brave and that he and his men would be rewarded with three extra shares of Ymand.”

  “What is Ymand?” Nick asked.

  The Professor shrugged his shoulders, obviously as clueless as the rest of them. “I know it’s not any of their food. But otherwise, I don’t know. Not yet.”

  Jed rose from his kneeling position, sweeping his arm up the steps. His face looked as stern as ever as he waited for his charges to follow Grundal.

  Nick nodded and began the walk up the eight steps. Like the outside wall, the stones of both the platform and the building itself fit tightly with no mortar.

  Excellent craftsmanship.

  That’s it, Nick, he thought to himself. You’re getting ready to meet the head of an alien species, and you’re focused on how well stones fit together. Get your head in the game boy.

  When they reached the top of the stairs, Nick stopped for a moment and glanced back over the crowd. At least a thousand Eundai must have arrived to watch them.

  Each one stood quietly and stared back at them. Most simply dressed in shorts. A few with capes. There wasn’t the low grumble of a normal crowd, he realized. Just quiet. So quiet in fact, he could hear the wind whistling softly.

  It was enough to send as shiver throughout his body. So strange. So different.

  Giving Amanda a quick smile of reassurance, he turned to Doctor Simpson and said. “Well, here goes Doc, I hope you were right.”

  Doctor Simpson didn’t smile, she just nodded towards the throne room as if indicating he should hurry before this all disappeared like some dream.

  The large chamber was dark, ringed with torches that didn’t provide enough light. Nick gritted his teeth as he stepped inside. It was now or never.

  Four paths met in the middle, just as he imagined. A large six-foot lattice wooden grate sat dead set in the center of the floor. He wondered briefly at the symbolism of the kingdom roads meeting at a drain.

  Another alien otherness that left him baffled.

  One thing that he had been wrong about was the fact that the room held no throne at all. Instead, Grundal stood at the far end.

  Nick lifted his chin and squared his shoulders as he
marched to the edge of the drain and stopped. He quickly took in his surroundings.

  Eundai males lined the wall. Each dressed in shorts, holding a long wood staff. Every third male also had a short sword hanging from a leather belt.

  Grundal stared back at him, then whispered something to an older male standing at his shoulder.

  “Who is that?” Nick whispered to Amanda.

  “Grynd,” Amanda whispered back. “He’s been gone for about a month. An inspection tour of the outer regions, I think. He’s Grundal’s second in command.”

  Nick nodded and glanced at the young boy next to his father. Gryopic openly examined them, like a little boy who had found a new treasure. A female, probably Grundal’s queen stood on his left side, her hand resting on the boy’s shoulder.

  “That’s Everst, Gyropic’s mother,” Amanda whispered.

  Nick, swallowed, God how he hated public speaking. Here he was, a Imperial Navy machinist mate, what did he know about talking to Kings? This was a job for an Imperial ambassador with a squad of Marines at his back.

  Taking a deep breath, he began, “Great Grundal of the Eundai, well met.”

  Professor Robinson quickly translated.

  Grundal showed no surprise at the Professor’s mastery of the Eundai language. Instead, he held Nick’s stare, like a person trying to read his soul.

  Nick could well imagine the thousand thoughts flying through the Eundai’s mind. Were these strangers a threat? Where did they come from and how could I get them away from my people?

  Lifting his chin, the head Grundal issued a barrage of words. Too fast and too jumbled up for Nick to even hope in following.

  Professor Robinson’s brow scrunched up as he responded with obvious questions. Once he was sure he understood, he turned to Nick and said, “He wants to know if we were sent by the Scraggs. When I asked him who were the Scraggs? he would only say that they are the Ones. I get the feeling that they are a distant enemy. Maybe another tribe.”

  Nick tried to take in what the Professor was saying while keeping his gaze directed at Grundal. Don’t show any weakness, he thought to himself.