Star Log, Sec. 7, Sub. 10 — another viewpoint
Or-en-al-en studied the death-thing unfolded in front of ren. It was not offering any threat & its smells were neutral, but it had fallen with great force and damaged the ground-fronds. If there had been a person standing there, or a drag-beast…!
The death-thing unfolded slowly and hissed and clacked. It repeated its hisses in several other tones. Or-en-al-en hissed back at it, attempting to imitate its tone. Was it threatening ren? Was it offering proposition (the same thing, from a death-thing).
The death-thing splurtled. “Greetings.”
Or-en-al-en jumped backwards.
Or-en-al-en continued
It had been a half-red-moon and a full-blue-moon since Or-en-al-en had found the death-thing. Ren had taken it to the Smart Ones & they in turn had taken it to the Smartest Ones & they, in turn, had taken it to the Ladies.
The Ladies had spoken to the death-thing and it had spoken back. It was from hyu-men, from Eff-Es-Es-An-Je-loo, from Fed-ray-shun. It explained that it was here to say hello.
Why it was a death thing to say hello, nobody could agree. Perhaps this Fed-ray-shun wished a war?
The Ladies had decided it was not time for war. Yet. Or-en-al-en was beginning to wish ren had ignored the death-thing.