You probably don't remember me, Ken began tentatively, disconcerted by the apprehensive rigidity of the young body. Kate had walked quickly away with Ilsa.
You're supposed to be my father. They said they were turning me over to you as soon as they landed, said a defiant voice.
The dead silence that followed was pregnant with childish challenge. There was no doubt in Ken's mind that he had been held as a threat to subdue the child and he resented this tremendously.
And what am I supposed to do with you? asked Reeve, trying vainly for the proper reassuring attitude. It was incomprehensible to him why supposedly well-trained personnel had descended to such tactics, poisoning his reunion with his son.
Make me behave, Todd replied flatly, jerking his chin belligerently forward.
"Well," Reeve began, hoping to redeem the situation, "I can imagine it was tough on a small space like a ship but for a while anyhow, you've got a whole planet to play in and " he trailed off because the small body, which had begun to loosen, stiffened again. Todd looked fixedly over Reeve's shoulder. He held that position for a moment and then began to squirm.
Obligingly, Reeve let him down, turning to see what had attracted such absorbed attention. Todd made a beeline toward Hrral, who was talking to Hrrula by the corral. Reeve ambled after him when Pat, wild-eyed, rushed past him to intercept the child's line of march. For a march it was. There was definite purpose in the boy's attitude.
Stop him, Ken, Pat screamed. There's no telling what he'll do.
Puzzled but spurred by Pat's frantic concern, Ken started to jog. Todd had a good headstart and, before either parent reached him, he had gone straight up to Hrral, taken that worthy's inviting tail in both hands and pulled as hard as he could.
Pat stopped, shocked, covering her eyes with her hands. Appalled by his son's action, Ken swooped the child up in his arm, administering a sharp swat on the buttocks. Todd became an unmanageable tangle of arms and legs, flailing in all directions, determinedly trying to free himself from his parent's grasp.
Pat raced up to Hrral, her whole body portraying her apology and horror.
"Tell him, Ken, tell him. They say you speak his language, tell him,'' Pat wailed.
My mate begs earnestly that you forgive the inexcusable attack on your person by our child, Ken said as he struggled to control Todd's contortions.
A threshing foot caught him painfully in the groin and Ken reacted by slapping the child's face with a little more force than he intended. The boy went rigid, solemn, defiant blue eyes regarded him with stunned hurt.
It is the nature of the very young to be curious about all manner of things, replied Hrral graciously, flicking his tail around his toes. Out of the corner of his eye, Reeve saw Hrrula do the same. Since your race has no caudal appendage, it is natural for him to wish to inspect mine.
'"What's he saying, Ken? Has Toddy done it again?" cried Pat nervously.
Fortunately he's understanding about the very young, Reeve reassured her. To Hrral he expressed deep gratitude for the elder's attitude. Then he excused himself and he and Pat marched without a word toward their plastic cabin.
He certainly couldn't know he was doing wrong, Pat, Ken temporized as they walked.
Oh, don't be too sure about that, Pat contradicted bitterly. If he wasn't the image of your father, I could swear I had given birth to a changeling.
Pat! exclaimed Ken, astonished at her vehemence.
Pat stopped and turned to her husband, her fists on her hips.
"I kept hoping that he'd improve once he understood we were leaving Earth. And for a while at the Codep Block, he was almost human. But the minute we got on board " she paused, her eyes round with distressed tears. "That child has been the bane of the whole journey. There isn't a person who hasn't had trouble with him. They had to double the watch on the drive room, control room, and hydroponics section. The engineer finally put a special time lock on our cabin. We couldn't leave it from seven at night til eight the next morning. During the day, either an adult or one of the older children was assigned to watch him every single blessed minute in four-hour shifts. There isn't one of us that isn't bruised by his kicking and pinching. Kate has tried tranquilizers, sleep training, everything. He is he's he's incorrigible!" and Pat whirled to lean against the nearest tree trunk in tears.
Kate's a psychologist, why didn't she . . .
Kate had to give up! Pat gulped. We all have, from the captain to the swabber, from the eldest child on down. He simply doesn't think like any normal child.
In the process of trying to comfort his wife, Ken put Toddy down. The moment she felt Ken's arms around her, she whirled in terror.
Don't let him go, she screamed in panic, pointing over his shoulder. Ken looked; the sturdy boy was making tracks right back to Hrral and Hrrula.
Gotcha, cried a passing crewman as he snagged Todd. Not like the morning you got into the communications spares, huh and he grinned sardonically as he handed Todd back to his father.
After much debate with Pat and still not quite sure why such precautions were necessary, Ken carefully locked Todd in his room and went back to work.
Are you sure he can't break that window? she asked anxiously.
Hon, it's the toughest plastic extruded. Besides, I smacked him hard enough so I doubt he'll risk more of the same.
Pat, only partially reassured, was then pressed into service by Kate Moody to check medical supplies. Ken watched her slim body for a few moments before he resumed his own task.
He would play a very active father role, he told himself, for the boy had obviously missed the masculine father figure. Ilsa had always been socially well oriented and conformable. Then Ken had to attend to checking the bills of lading.
Damn Kiachif for putting them to this wasted effort. He could have had all these hours with Pat.
When he had finally located the elusive crates on his manifests, he took the papers up to the mess hall where the captain and his supercargo had set up a temporary office. Kiachif, the super, Ben Adjei, Gaynor and McKee were grouped around the table. Only the super appeared concerned with the problems of unloading.
Don't know why I bother. Ridiculous waste, the supercargo mumbled as he scrawled his initials on the sheets, It'll all have to be burned when you leave but I'd never hear the last of it if I didn't get 'em all checked. Though how they'd know if it hadn't been checked is utterly beyond me.
Ken stared at him in annoyance and dislike.
Yes, I agree, Captain Kiachif was saying, that it might be more sensible for me to wait for the homing capsule. But, my friends, I have a schedule. Nasty things, schedules. Particularly a closely figured one like mine. It's so close there's not so much as a sneeze computed in between hops. So I've got no choice. I've got to keep it, discovery of natives which I agree is no sneeze notwithstanding. And frankly, Kiachif jerked his chin down onto his chest and peered around at the listening circle, if you get what I mean, it's to your advantage to let me depart on the sneezeless schedule.
You mean, it'd take you that much longer to figure on touching down here again, McKee said hopefully.
Ah, you get what I mean, grinned the captain.
But, Captain, certainly you see the unusual circumstances . . . Hu Shih began persuasively.
"Shih," McKee interrupted, clearing his throat, "what the good captain means is, if he waits and we get a clear-out, we have to clear out. If he's already gone, they have to send us another ship and that'll give us more time here, and Macy smiled brightly at everyone.
Exactly what worries me, gentlemen, Hu Shih said with uncharacteristic sternness. We may do untold prejudicial harm to a delicate situation. None of us is trained in establishing the proper contact with an indigenous population.