Free The Tar-aiym Krang by Alan Dean Foster Page B

“Well, it was said before that it was a fortuitous circumstance that brought you to our notice, Now it appears to have been doubly so.”
    He was interrupted by an intent Malaika, who snatched up the map and moved over to where a flexilamp was poised. Positioning the powerful beam he began to study the lines and symbols on the plastic with great deliberation. Dust motes danced drunken spirals in the subdued light.
    “A most unusual and versatile pet,” commented Truzenzuzex idly. “I’ve heard of them. The mortality rate from their venom is notoriously high, giving them a reputation all out of proportion to their numbers and disposition. Fortunately, as I understand it, they do not seem to attack without due provocation.”
    “That’s right, sir” said Flinx, scratching the object under discussion on the side of its narrow head. “A ship’s physician at the shuttleport once told me he’d met a scientist who’d actually been to Alaspin. The minidrag is native to there, you know. In his spare time, the man had done some limited research on them.
    “He said they seemed standoffish, which struck me as kind of a funny way to describe a poisonous reptile. But harmless unless, as you said, provoked. Pip was already pretty tame when I found him. At least, I’ve never had any trouble with him. The people in my area have learned to tolerate him, mostly because they haven’t any choice.”
    “Understandable attitude,” murmured the philosoph.
    “This doctor’s friend was with an expedition to Alaspin to study the ruins of the ancient civilization there. He hypotha . . . hypothesized that the minidrag’s ancestors might have been raised as pets by whoever had produced that culture. Selective breeding could account for some of their peculiar characteristics. Like, they have no natural enemies on the planet Fortunately their birthrate is very low. And they are omnivorous as well as carnivorous. I found out early what that meant, when Pip started eating bread when he couldn’t find meat. Oh yes, he also said they were suspected of being empathetic telepaths. You know, telepathic on the emotional but not the mental level. That’s why I’m never cheated in the marketplace or at business or gambling. Pip’s sensitive to such things.”
    “A fascinating creature, I say again,” Truzenzuzex continued. “A subject I would like to pursue further. However as I am not an exoherpetologist, I don’t think it would be worthwhile just now. Too many other things on my mind.” The confession did not entirely ring true, as Flinx could read it. Not entirely.
    Malaika was craning his neck over the map, tracing out lines in the plastic with his fingers and nodding occasionally to himself. “
Ndiyo,
ndiyo .
. . yes.” He looked up finally.
    “The planet in question circles a GO, sol-type star. Four-fifths of the way toward GalCenter, straight through the Blight. Quite a trip, gentlesirs. He doesn’t supply much information on the planet itself, no, not by an
ndege
-depositing, but it might be enough. Terra-type, slightly smaller, marginally thinner atmosphere, higher proportion of certain gases . . . helium, for example. Also eighty-one point two percent water, so we should have little trouble finding the thing.”
    “Unless it happens to be submerged,” said Truzenzuzex.
    “So. I prefer not to consider possibilities upsetting to the liver. Besides, if that were the case I don’t think your prospector friend would have found it. We’ll have the same kind of heavy-metal detection instruments with us anyway, but I’d wager on its being above the water-line. If I recall, the information we do have on the Tar-Aiym suggests they were anything but aquatic in build.”
    “That’s true,” admitted the philosoph.
    “We’ll travel most of the way through unspaced areas, but then, one section of nothing is very much like any other,
kweli?
I foresee no problems. Which probably means a
mavuno
of them. At least we will be