There, again, was incongruity. A pitched language is the mark of a very old civilization, with plenty of time for shadings and nuances in expression of ideas.
Hrrula had stopped by one of the ironwood trees on which grew an immense parasitic vine. Reeve recognized it immediately as the one that had given Dautrish violent cramps from a simple smear-sampling.
Rroamal. Rroamal, Hrrula said, very soberly shaking his head from side to side. He made as if to touch it and drew his hand back quickly, shaking it as if it hurt.
Bad? Rooamall, Reeve tried, then grabbed his belly as if he had a case of Dautrish's cramps. He added a realistic groan.
Hrrula's mouth widened and he nodded appreciatively.
Another item of information to add to my list, Ken thought. Our body chemistries react similarly to at least one common irritant.
Hrrula held up one digit and repeated the word for the vine carefully. Inwardly Ken groaned again and motioned Hrrula to repeat the word once more. The native did and Ken made another attempt to get what he thought he heard as a rising inflection on the second vowel sound. Hrrula, listening attentively, approved the result and they moved on. In his mind, Ken kept practicing the sound, trying to impress on himself the correct inflection.
By the time they reached the river and the plastic skiff moored there, he had a variety of useful words, three with similar sounds but different inflections. With what he had on the recorder, this was a good start. Hu Shih ought to enjoy it, Reeve thought
Hrrula knelt by the boat, oblivious both to Reeve and the sudden appearance of Gaynor and McKee on the opposite shore. Hrrula carefully got into the skiff, looked at the far side, felt on the coamings and then spread his hands wide, questioningly.
He is used to a paddle, Reeve decided, smiling to think how surprised Hrrula would be when he started the tiny motor. The river current was too swift for a paddle-propelled vehicle.
Instead of a surprised or fearful reaction, Hrrula nodded approvingly as the engine took hold and the skiff cut the current efficiently. Hrrula hunkered down quietly, curling his tail around his toes, folding his arms around his knees, facing the Common.
Reeve threw the mooring line to Gaynor and stepped off quickly.
By God, they are cats, Gaynor said. And he stinks!
Watch it, Reeve said, keeping his face and voice pleasant. He turned a bit so that he could dig Gaynor warningly in the ribs. This is Hrrula who seems to have some position in the village and was sent with me by the chief, Hrrestan.
Hrrula debarked and stood, completely at ease, his eyes on the trio. Although Hrrula now had a clear view of the buildings, the experimental greenhouses, the park-like Common, he displayed no overt interest.
The guy's got innate manners, Reeve found himself thinking.
Hrrula, this is Gaynor, Reeve said slowly, pointing to Sam. Sam, this is Hrrula. They greet by touching palms, extend yours palm down.
That character's got claws, Gaynor said, returning the greeting. I could get used to that but not the stench.
If he likes you, I gather he keeps his claws sheathed, Reeve remarked drily.
Yeah, but when does he turn off that stink? And Sam turned his head away to sneeze lustily.
McKee hastily stepped forward and touched palms with Hrrula.
I've got a recorder full of their sounds for us to parse, Reeve told his colleagues, plus a walking language lesson on the dangerous flora of the planet.
Is that why this Ha-rula came?" demanded Gaynor, stumbling over the rolled 'r'. Before Reeve could answer, Sam convulsed again into multiple sneezes.
I couldn't prevent him from coming if we're keeping the friendly image intact, Ken replied.
''How long's he staying?"
Beats me.
McKee grinned at Hrrula. Well, let's get conjugating or declining or whatever is necessary to purr.
"Sounds more like growls to me," Gaynor remarked. ''I'm no linguist. I'll go feather my bed," and he jerked his forefinger under his nose to prevent another of his body-jolting sneezes. "You'd be smarter to come along, Macy. We haven't got that much time here, you know."
McKee waved him to go on and turned to accompany Reeve and Hrrula to the mess hall.
Late that night, when Ken Reeve decided to take a break from his language dissection and endless playback of the recorder, he found Lawrence holding the floor in the mess hall.
These Hrrubans are civilized, Lee was insisting vehemently, his argument directed at a glowering Sam Gaynor. And I don't mean stand-erect, thumb-opposed civilized. I mean, a mannered sophistication. You saw him at dinner; he knew the purpose of utensils and used his own knife to cut meat
He ought to. It was sharper, Gaynor retorted.
Speaking of knives, McKee put in, notice the work-manship on the handle of his knife? I wonder where he got the stones; that pink-purple one is a beauty. And I've seen nothing like it around here.
Must come from another section of the planet. They are nomads, Abe Dautrish said thoughtfully.
I wouldn't ask to see that private knife, not just yet, Lawrence cautioned McKee.
And let's be cautious in the gemstone field, Reeve suggested as he poured himself coffee. Some early tribes attach special significance to stones and metals belonging to their gods.
I just finished pointing out that their cultural level is considerably above rank superstition, Lawrence said with some asperity.
Ken, you didn't see a worship center in the village, did you? asked Ramasan.
Not a place obviously set aside as sacred, and Reeve scoured his memory of the quiet village. All the buildings looked residential, but then, how'd I recognize an Hrruban church from a proverbial hole in the ground?
Of them we got plenty, laughed Lawrence who had so recently been a fence-post hole digger.
Do they suckle their young? Ezra Moody asked.
Ken closed his eyes again to focus on the scene in the village but he had too many details doing a reel in his mind's eye.
"I'm sorry, Doc. I did see young ones, the kids with their balls and some older cubs I guess you'd call 'em cubs were playing some involved throwing game. I didn't pay it much attention, you understand, but it looked at a glance like a team game. I didn't see a small baby cub. Some of the women, though, wore garments draped from their shoulders-patterned materials. Some didn't. Difficult to notice mammary development through the fur. A couple of females had a sleeveless top, then the ornamental girdle and a skirt similar to the one Hrrula wears, only they didn't carry knives. So it's obvious that clothing is adornment rather than cover-up. And the women didn't take any part in the conference at the central fire. They came and went. They cook indoors; I did notice that.
Oh, and I saw a woman milking one of the deer-types in a pen by her house.
They can domesticate those deer, huh? Ben rumbled. I'd thought of trying it, once I could catch one, and then he shrugged. Deerhorns were once ground up as an aphrodisiac.
Good Lord! Ezra Moody exclaimed, staring at Ben Adjei in astonishment.
Everyone was used to Ben's dry teasing humor but occasionally he would succeed with the pragmatic medic. Now he shrugged again, but there was a certain gleam in his dark eyes as he replied. The wise merchant stimulates demand for his products and impotence is on the rise in our automated society.
"Why, you wouldn't you don't mean " Moody stammered until someone's chuckle tipped him off.
A moment, though, Dautrish interjected. Ben has a point. No, of course I don't mean ground deerhorn, Ezra, but I mean, let us be sensible in what we plan to bring back to mother Earth. Let us not duplicate or undercut each other's treasure. I am very tempted to bring back some of those nicotine-rich leaves, Ezra, for I happen to know that there isn t enough available on Earth to treat those circulatory diseases for which nicotine is a specific.