“Odd that they'd have to go such a distance for a basic requirement.”
“But it substantiates my hunch that the pentadactyls are not indigenous to this world.”
Kai was lifting his foot through the iris and stopped, grabbing at the sides to balance himself.
“Not indigenous? What in the name of raking . . . what do you mean? They have to be indigenous. They're here.”
“They didn't originate here,” and Varian gestured him to come into the shuttle. “Further, those parallelograms I saw today aren't even vaguely arthropods, which would fit in with the vertebrates we've discovered like the herbivores, predators and even the fliers.”
“You're not making any sense.”
“I am. This planet isn't. You don't find animals forced to go hundreds of kilometres from their proper environment to acquire a dietary necessity. What is essential to them is generally supplied right where they live!”
“Now, wait a minute, Varian. Think. If your pentadactyls are not indigenous, they were brought here. Who, why would anyone, want to relocate animals as large as that predator or your Mabel?”
She regarded him steadily, as if she expected him to know the answer to his question.
“You should know. They've already tipped us off. The Theks, slow-top,” she said with some asperity when he remained silent. “The inscrutable Theks. They've been here before. They left those seismic devices.”
“That makes no sense, Varian.”
“It makes a lot of sense.”
“What reason could the Theks possibly have for such an action?”
“They've probably forgotten,” Varian said, grinning mischievously. “Along with the fact that they'd surveyed this planet before.”
They had reached Trizein's lab and he was contemplating the enlarged image of some fibres.
“Of course, we'd need to have one of those avians of yours, Varian, to discover if it requires carotene,” Trizein was saying as if he didn't realize that Varian had left the lab.
“We've Mabel,” said Varian, “and little Dandy.”
“You've animals in this compound?” Trizein blinked with astonishment.
“I told you we had, Trizein. The slides you analyzed yesterday and the day before . . .”
“Ah, yes, I remember now,” but it was obvious to his listeners that he didn't remember any such thing.
“Mabel and Dandy aren't fliers,” Kai said. “They're completely different species.”
“Indeed they are, but they are also pentadactyl. So is the fang-face and he needed the grasses.”
“Mabel and Dandy are herbivorous,” said Kai, “and the predator and the fliers aren't.”
Varian considered that qualification. “Yes, but generally speaking, carnivores absorb sufficient Vitamin C from the animals they eat who do get it regularly in their diet.” She shook her head over the quandary. “Then fang-face wouldn't need to go to the valley. He'd get enough from chewing Mabel's flank. I don't make any sense out of it – yet. Besides, the fliers may have another reason for gathering grass, as Terilla pointed out today.”
“You've lost me,” said Kai, and then directed Varian's attention to Trizein who had gone back to his microscope viewer and was oblivious to their presence again.
“You'll understand when you see the tapes we got today of those fliers, Kai. C'mon, unless you've got something else to do?”
“Frame messages to the Theks but let me see what you taped first.”
“By the way, Kai,” said Varian following him out of the lab, “we didn't encounter any life-forms in the vicinity of the pitchblende saddle that would cause a secondary camp there any trouble. If the camp's set up properly, and preferably on a prominence and the force-screen posted deep, your team should be safe enough.”
“That's good news. Not that I think yo'd've scared anyone off with tales of herds of fang-faces.”
“Fang-faces, for the record, are solitary hunters.”
They had reached the pilot cabin and Varian inserted the tape for playback, explaining her conclusions and her desire to investigate the golden furred fliers" colony more closely at the earliest opportunity.
“How closely, Varian?” asked Kai. “They're not small and, as I remember, those wings are strong and could be dangerous. I'd hate to get attacked by that beak.”
“So would I. So I'm not going to be. I'll go slowly, Kai, but if they're as intelligent as the evidence suggests, I may even be able to approach them on a personal basis.” When Kai began to protest, she held up her hand. “The fliers are not stupid like Mabel, or scared like Dandy, or dangerous like fang-face. But I cannot give up the opportunity to investigate an aerial species that acts in such an organized manner.”
“Fair enough, but do nothing on your own, co-leader. I want heavy-worlders with you at all times.”
“You're a friend! Did they improve with the day?”
"I've never seen them so clumsy: slow, yes, but never plain raking grease-fingered. Paskutti and Tardma dropped one of the seismimics down a crevice. I don't have so many that I can spare one," said Kai, "not if I'm to complete my survey." He shook his head again over the loss. I'm not blaming you, or them; but it is a nuisance. And what are we going to do about that fruit distillation? I don't understand why it should have affected them so adversely when we weaker types had no trouble?"
“It might not have been the drink.”
“What do you mean?”
Varian shrugged. “Just a notion. Nothing specific.”
“Then let us find a specific, and have Lunzie run a few tests. It might be a mutational allergy. Say, did you send the heavy-worlders on any errands today? In the north?”
“North? No. They were at your disposal today. Now, about the pitchblende site? You'll be working from there again tomorrow? Okay, then I'll send a team in for a ground check. There seem to be only smaller animals not, as I've told the youngsters, that size is any indication of potential danger. What other area do you want us to check out xenobiologically as a possible secondary base?”
Kai tapped out of the computer the print of Gaber's chart, updated now with the pitchblende site and the old cores.
“The shield edge is only two hundred kilometres from here in the north-west so we won't need a secondary camp there yet. But Portegin and Aulia want to examine these lakes and go further into this flatland area. Berru and Triv are scheduled to go due west where there appears to be a wide continental basin. Might have petroleum pools: not as rich an energy source, naturally, but crude oil has uses. We might be able to refine enough to use as an auxiliary fuel for the . . .”
“Kai did anyone use the big sled for any length of time this morning?”
“Just to reach the site. Then it was turned over to you. Why?”
“Because its elapsed flight time is longer than it should have been. Damned thing's due now for a power change.”
"
“I dunno. Just that I don't usually make errors in my figures.”
“We've enough worries, Varian, without imagining more.”
Varian grimaced. “Like no contact with EV. Your teams'll be expecting some acknowledgement . . .”
“We've got some leeway, and I'll use every day of it.”
“Yes, we do have stall time, don't we. By the way, those youngsters were very useful to me. I think I'll opt them again when I don't need to land,” she hastily added as she saw the objections forming in Kai's startled face. “You might even consider,” and she grinned slyly, “taking Bonnard with you on a coring expedition.”
“Now just a minute, Varian . . .”
“They do say that over-exposure cures a lot of fancies.”
“True. How about helping me with that message to the Theks?”
"Sorry, Kai, I've got to release Mabel, check with Lunzie and get a wash before eating." Varian quickly opened the iris." But I'd be happy to look over what you plan to say."