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the inevitable publicity that would accompany the news of his real identity. Also, to be sure, we felt it
necessary to be cautious in our first approach, so that we could find out what conditions were like in
order to decide how best to make ourselves known to you. We wanted to spare you the worst shocks of
encountering a race of truly superior beings. She blinked affably at the cameras for a moment, and then
added, And now, if you will excuse us, we have to go back in the ship for a while, because it is time for
our midday meal. We apologize for this necessity, but because of the excessively long day of your world
we can wait no longer. Are you coming, dear Lysander?
Once the Earth humans had been made to understand that when a Hakh hli wanted to eat his big meal
hewanted it, they hospitably offered to feed them out of their own stocks. Of course, the Hakh hli
rejected that proposal out of hand. They were too hungry to prolong the discussion, and so the entire
cohort climbed back up the ladder-stick into the landing craft and closed the door.
As soon as they were inside Sandy burst out in Hakh hli, What has happened? Why are plans now
different and not the same?
Because you screwed up, Obie chortled in English.
Speak Hakh hli and not Earth language! Polly thundered. Who knows what listening devices Earth
creatures have? But Oberon is correct and not in error, Lysander-Wimp. You failed and did not
succeed. Those Earth creatures penetrated your ruse at once. How could you have been so foolish and
not at all wise, Lysander?
And Tanya, hurriedly loading the food cart at the far end of the chamber, chimed in, Your
incompetence has endangered our entire plan, Lysander.
And Helen added, Major Seniors are displeased and not at all happy.
And even Oberon opened his mouth for a denunciation of his own, and Sandy might have had a great
deal more recrimination to endure, but Tanya was already pulling their midday meal out of the warmer.
The Hakh hli abandoned Sandy for more rewarding fare.
In the confined space of the lander there wasn t room for all six of them to attack the food at once. As
always, Sandy didn t even try, but waited for the feeding frenzy to subside. Even Obie, the smallest, was
pushed out of the way. He tried to squeeze past Polly, but ducked back as she reached to pinch him,
bumping into Sandy.
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He winced as Sandy glared at him. I m sorry about what I said, he offered. Only it s all so very
confusing here. They dostare at us so!
Sandy snorted. Now you know how I ve been feeling for the last twenty years, he said, pleased at the
role reversal mostly pleased, anyway, although it was not altogether pleasing to find that he was no
longer the unique center of attention.
Polly, mouth full, turned to glare at them. I told you to speak Hakh hli and not Earth language! she said
thickly, chewing. It is in any case natural that Earth creatures should stare. It is clear in Earth history that
such things happen, when primitive savages are suddenly visited by their technological and intellectual
superiors; no doubt they think we are gods. And, godlike, she shoved Bottom out of the way for
another go at the meal.
That made room for Obie to squeeze his way in, which he promptly did, leaving Sandy to wait outside
the noisy, violent knot. Sandy didn t mind waiting. Actually, he was mildly repelled by the sight of his
Hakh hli cohort at their food. In the kitchen of the human food-animal herders things had been quite
different. No one had been chewing and tearing at the meal there. Why couldn t the Hakh hli be
as well dignified about their eating?
There was another thought that was troubling him, and it was even more somber. How was it possible,
he asked himself, that their elaborate first-contact plan had gone so wrong so rapidly? How had the Earth
humans discovered the landing ship so fast?
After all, the whole plan had been devised by the Major Seniors themselves. It was their own decision
that the landing ship should remain hidden while Lysander, as the human member of the party,
reconnoitered with the human beings to make sure that everything was safe before the first
Hakh hli-human contact occurred. Certainly the Major Seniors couldn t have made an unworkable
plan could they?
But the fact was that the plan had gone wrong from the very beginning; which meant that the Major
Seniors had failed to take all the factors into account.
Which was impossible.
The Hakh hli were beginning to go slack and empty-eyed. As one by one they staggered to their seats
Sandy moved soberly to the food cart. He made a selection of what was left and descended the ladder
to eat it in the glorious Earthly sunlight.
In just the few minutes he had been inside the lander a new and bigger helicopter had arrived. It was
white and powerful-looking, and the side of it bore the cryptic legendInterSec. Its rotors were still turning
as its door opened and half a dozen new human beings jumped out.
They approached Sandy as he climbed onto the sun-warmed flat rock to eat his midday meal. The
people with the television cameras, and even the police officers who were still hanging around, watching
everything, seemed to defer to them. Hello, Mr. Washington, one of them called. I m Hamilton
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