Free Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan Page B

to-Srallansre. You do not understand, StarFreedom, yet your companion spoke our language well."
     
     
"Captain Kirk used the universal translator, sir. It would make it easier. May I?" Uhura turned on her universal translator again.
     
     
"Do you understand me now?" he said.
     
     
"Yes," said Uhura. "As I tried to tell Jinx, we believe your people may be able to help your relatives -"
     
     
Winding Path flicked one ear back- in Sunfall it would have been a gesture of disdain- then he said, "Have you walked far?"
     
     
Puzzled by his change of subject, Uhura said, "No. As Captain Kirk told you, we come from the Enterprise, which is now orbiting your world...."
     
     
"You and your friends are welcome to stay under our protection until someone comes for you. You will speak to Stiff Tail," he said firmly before she could repeat her plea for help. "I will tell her how it happened."
     
     
There was nothing further to say for the moment. "Thank you," said Uhura, searching her memory for something more formal. But before she found it, Winding Path had already walked away. All her urgent questions would have to await Stiff Tail. Dismayed as she was by her failure, she had only duty to fall back on. She returned to Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock to make a full report of what little she had learned.
     
     
Jim Kirk had understood only the last few words of the exchange but Uhura's expression told him plainly that she had found no instant answers to the Eeiauoans'- the Federation's - plight. Not that he had honestly expected them, but one could always hope - and hope ran high in a desperate situation.
     
     
At least the Sivaoans seemed to accept them as guests. That was certainly useful. The acceptance seemed so complete, in fact, that the camp resumed normal business, or as normal as could be when each of the Sivaoans wanted a closer look at the strange new arrivals to their camp.
     
     
By the time Uhura returned to them, the landing party was encircled by curiosity seekers, all staring with that same unblinking intensity. Tails and whiskers seemed in constant motion with excitement. From the trees around the edge of the clearing, half a dozen more Sivaoans scrambled down; the claws were still used for climbing, Kirk noted.
     
     
"Captain, I'm sorry," Uhura began. She had turned off her universal translator to give them some privacy.
     
     
"For not going by the book?" Kirk suggested. "There is no 'book' on a first contact. What works, works. You did just fine, Uhura."
     
     
"Indeed," said Spock. "It would seem your human qualities were a considerable asset."
     
     
Kirk would have taken this as quite a compliment, and Bones would have done twenty minutes at least on an "admission" of this sort from Spock. Uhura only seemed further dismayed.
     
     
"It didn't help, Mr. Spock," she said. "They didn't listen. We still haven't any help for Sunfall and Christine and all the others. He just changed the subject and walked away!"
     
     
"Lieutenant," said Spock, "it took Heinrich Schliemann most of his lifetime to find Troy. He was not seeking specific information from its inhabitants."
     
     
I see Spock has finally puzzled out the use of "Heinrich Schliemann," Jim Kirk thought to himself with amusement. Aloud, he said, "Yes, Uhura, give us a few days. We're ahead of schedule."
     
     
She shook her head. Meaning, he thought, not as far as Sunfall and Christine are concerned. He agreed with the sentiment, but he also knew how difficult a task they had actually set themselves.
     
     
Uhura went on, "I chose Jinx"-she indicated the masked Sivaoan who stood defiantly close- "to speak to because Her voice faltered and Kirk finished for her, "Because she looks like Sunfall, yes. Go on."
     
     
He listened carefully as she gave a full report of the exchange in Old Tongue.
     
     
"- I'm sorry I can't explain the rest," she said finally. "Mr. Spock was right about the change in the language. I hardly understood a word of