Free Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan Page A

two little ones stopped backing and instantly regained their curiosity.
     
     
Scholarly language wouldn't mean much to someone that young, but she knew something they might understand. She rather hoped the captain would understand as well; she couldn't leave children frightened by their first sight of humans and Vulcans. She began to sing an old, old lullaby she'd learned from Sunfall.
     
     
If they did not understand the words of the song, the Sivaoans clearly understood her intention. All around her, eyes widened, whiskers and ears quivered.
     
     
Uhura let the last note of her song trail away and bowed her head slightly to each of the little ones, then slowly she rose. This time, the two children did not move away.
     
     
Once more, Uhura turned her attention to the masked Sivaoan. She stretched out her arms, her hands just slightly above shoulder height, one hand extended an inch or two beyond the other, and curved her fingers as if displaying claws; then, without lowering her arms, she relaxed her hands, as if drawing in those same claws. It was a formal greeting described in ballad after ballad.
     
     
The Sivaoan, after a moment's consideration, returned the gesture. Uhura saw the gleam of real claws displayed then withdrawn into silky gray fingers.
     
     
Drawing her words from the same old ballads, Uhura asked, "Can you understand me if I speak this tongue?"
     
     
The Sivaoan's ears flicked back in surprise. "Yes," she said, "your accent is a bit odd but I understand you." She turned briefly and seemed to receive agreement from several others- at least, thought Uhura, that would be agreement from a Eeiauoan. "Most of us are able to understand you - do you understand me?"
     
     
Uhura nodded. "With some difficulty," she admitted. "If you would speak more slowly, I think it would be easier; and I would be pleased if you would correct any errors I might make."
     
     
"If you wish it," she said. The delight in her eyes warred with the formality of the Old Tongue words and for a brief moment she reminded Uhura so much of Sunfall that, quite without meaning to, Uhura asked, "Are you of Ennien?"
     
     
"To-Ennien. Forgive me, you may call me Jinx to-Ennien. You are called StarFreedom to-Enterprise? Is that correct?"
     
     
This took a moment's interpretation on Uhura's part. The universal translator must have rendered "Nyota Uhura" as "StarFreedom" and Jinx added "to-Enterprise" to conform to local custom. "To-Ennien" was obviously a language correction; Captain Kirk had been right to question the different versions of CloudShape's name.
     
     
"Essentially correct," she said, "Jinx to-Ennien." Uhura took a deep breath and went on, choosing her words with care, "I bring sad news of kin of yours on a distant world...."
     
     
Jinx's whiskers quivered with excitement. "Kin of mine? On another world?- Please try again, StarFreedom, perhaps I misunderstand you!"
     
     
Very slowly, Uhura began again, "Your distant relatives, your kin on another world, are in great danger. I believe- I pray- your people may be able to help them." She got no further.
     
     
A second Sivaoan, gray-striped of fur and somewhat older and larger than Jinx, stepped aggressively between the two of them. He said a few terse words to Jinx, who bristled and began what seemed to be an explanation, for it involved pointing to Uhura with her tail. With no warning, he struck Jinx a stunning blow to the side of the head; she rocked with the force of it, but made no attempt to strike back. Then he said something more, this time with the air of an adult jollying a child, but Jinx made no reply. Her tail drooped perceptibly and she backed away.
     
     
The striped Sivaoan turned to Uhura. She tensed, ready to duck a blow, but instead he said something. Again, it was in the contemporary language and she did not understand. She told him so in the Old Tongue.
     
     
He made a gesture of greeting and replied in kind. "I am Winding Path