The strange part of the invitation read "in person.The strange part of the invitation read "in person." In a shuttle of llerkin manufacture we coasted from the P.S.F. Parma to the Metyslenki. I sat in the chair on the right, tapping my fingers in nervous boredom; on my left Shen, a llerki on Agima's staff and someone I counted on as reliable and trustworthy, tended to the controls. "Any idea, Shen?" "No, but sorry, Ken." I smiled. He was getting the hang of Quen just a little slowly. "Orders have come from Agima to me to be formal. When we reach the ship, I must behave myself." I nodded, getting the general drift. "You have to act like a soldier," I said in llerkin. "Yeah," he replied, using a colloquial llerkin "Yes." "You won't need that," he said, indicating the biocybe unit I was carrying. "Agima told me that they've tuned the atmosphere to make it more suitable to you, since we have no trouble breathing your air. Two trillis, Ken." About three and a half minutes. I put the biocybe pack in a pocket, just in case he was wrong. He easily coasted the ship into the docking bay and set about routine shut-down as the doors closed behind us. "This way," he said. "Good day, Vatare'." I nodded and left the shuttle, bending down under a door that was too short even for llerki. Taking a deep breath, I found the air acceptable. Outside, I was met by an 'honor guard' of six armed soldiers in light battlegear and two llerki I had never met before. The one on my right I recognized as The Captain, but lacked a name for him. The other I knew not at all, although she was an older llerki. "Vatare'," she said with some formality, "I am Ipsi, The Princess Anlestin's personal secretary. Will you join us?" "Before I do," I said, looking at the Captain, "it is your vessel. |