Free Close Encounters by Katherine Allred Page B

filling his mouth with bubbles until he looked like he had a case of old-fashioned rabies.
    Thor joined me as I laughed until my sides hurt, a grin wide enough to show strong white teeth curving his lips. Together we watched the Buri spit frantically and then dive into the pool to rinse his mouth. Soon, all the males were in the water, passing the shampoo back and forth between them.
    The women ignored their antics in favor of the loot I’d put out, and there was a distinct air of celebration among the tribe.
    It was when the women began using the hair clips and barrettes that I noticed Thor wasn’t the only one wearing the black-stoned earrings. But there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their dispersal. Some of the females wore a single earring in their left ear, and others wore none at all.
    I glanced at the males. Junior had no earrings, Elder had one, and, like Thor, Ghost had two, both on the right lobe. Most curious. I didn’t think they were symbols of rank, because if that were the case, only the highest-ranking males would wear two. Ghost obviously wasn’t a leader among his people, or he wouldn’t have been relegated to guard duty.
    It was at times like these when I really wished technology had come up with a reliable translator. There were many out there, but unfortunately, they tended to do more harm than good. The problem wasn’t in the languages; it was in the inflection of the spoken words. Say a word one way, and it got you smiles. Say it another way, and it got you dead for insulting someone’s mother.
    Even the most sophisticated machine couldn’t tell the difference, and an artificial intelligence like Max was too expensive to waste on such a small task. Given enough time and exposure to the Buri, he would eventually be able to communicate with them on a basic level, but that didn’t help me now. I would simply have to rely on my own ability to extrapolate word meanings from actions and body language and hope I got it right.
    With a sigh, I parked myself on a dry rock and watched the Buri play, glancing occasionally at Thor, who stood beside me, hands on his hips. Damn, he smelled good. It took an effort to stop sniffing and keep my attention on the rest of the Buri.
    The females were having a grand old time, brushing each other’s hair and putting on as many clips as they could grab. The older woman was the ringleader, snatching a clip from one female and giving it to another, all the while issuing orders like one of the martial-arts instructors from my crèche days. Auntie Em, I decided, smiling.
    No one paid the least bit of attention when I stood, picked up a knapsack, and began gathering samples of hair from the brushes. I was careful to keep them separate, placing each in its own little packet until I had specimens from every individual present. DNA testing was going to keep me busy for the next week.
    “Max, are you finished with the medical scans?”
    “Yes, Kiera.”
    “Okay, I’m heading back to the hut now.”
    After a brief hesitation, I moved to face Thor. “I have to leave,” I told him, projecting sorrow while I gestured in the direction of my hut.
    His brows lowered and he barked out a word, pointing toward one of the smaller buildings.
    I shook my head. “I can’t stay. All my equipment is at the hut. But I promise, I’ll be back when I can.”
    He studied my face as though trying to read my lips, and his expression cleared. Very gently, he lifted a hand and let his fingers slide down my cheek, then turned and snapped an order at Ghost and Junior. Both Buri stopped playing and grabbed their spears before flanking me, a distinct air of pride emanating from them that hadn’t been there before. Apparently, I’d gone up in status, probably due to the gifts.
    With a last look around the village, I turned and walked into the jungle, my Buri honor guard sticking close, with Crigo and my flock of dragon birds bringing up the rear.
     

    Leaning back in my chair, I glanced out