Alien Eyes by Lynn Hightower

folk songs about the aching feet, and I do not wish to cause them.”
    David wondered what songs she meant.
    â€œHow about this?” He climbed onto the bench and stood up. Angel Eyes unfolded. For once, he was able to look down on an Elaki, if only a few inches.
    â€œUnique,” she said. “If you are comfortable?”
    â€œTell me about Dahmi,” David said. “How well did you know her?”
    Angel Eyes set her bag of popcorn on the bench. “Not well. She came to the Wednesday night lectures. Then, sometime, she would hang about after the lecture—there is always a group like that—and continue with questions for me. There is little restaurant across the street from lecture hall. Students might go there, afterward. There were nights she seemed to hurry away. I assume she was needed at home by the little baby ones. How many pouchlings, David?”
    â€œFour,” he said.
    â€œAh. Is there anyone to do the death watch? I understand she alone of the chemaki is here?”
    â€œIt’s taken care of.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œA friend.” It seemed churlish, but David did not say who. “Was she there? At the last lecture?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou remember?”
    â€œYes. I checked roll sheet, also. I wanted to know for sure.”
    â€œDid she seem upset?”
    â€œNo. But how to tell?”
    â€œDid she stay after the lecture that night? Ask questions?”
    â€œI try to remember. And I ask other Elaki. She did stay, and she did go to restaurant. I did not go.”
    â€œDid she ask anyone about a gun?”
    â€œA gun? Ah. I do not know. I did not go to the restaurant. Where would Elaki get gun? Back of magazine?”
    â€œGood question. Who did go to the restaurant that night?”
    â€œTry Tate Donovan. Human, in the senior dorm. And Dreamer. His Elaki name is Tati. He would have been there. He is also in senior dorm.”
    â€œWhy do you think she killed them,” David said softly.
    â€œI do not know.”
    â€œYou seemed to know the other day. On television.”
    â€œI have my theory. If you saw the television broadcast, then you know the theory.”
    â€œWhat would make Dahmi think she was the target of a cho invasion?”
    The Elaki moved slightly to one side. “I do not know. But if she did think so, would that not explain?”
    â€œNot really,” David said. “She could have asked for help.”
    â€œFrom Izicho?”
    â€œFrom you. From the Guardians. Did she ask you for help, Angel?”
    â€œShe did not,” Angel Eyes said, voice nearly inaudible.
    David bit his lip. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn that her eyes were glistening with tears.

FOURTEEN
    David cocked his head to one side, whistling. He absently crammed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Rose didn’t much like popcorn, but that was because she didn’t eat it properly. You had to eat it in fistfuls for it to taste right. One piece at a time wouldn’t give the proper effect. Popcorn was as much texture as taste.
    David tipped the final contents of the brown paper bag into his mouth. It was salty down at the bottom. He licked butter off his lips.
    A girl walked by, carrying a small pack of diskettes and books. Something glistened at her neck and David did a double take. The girl wore a gold chain strung with Elaki scales.
    â€œDavid?” Mel stood outside the doorway to the Farnum Building. “Where you been?”
    David wadded the empty bag, and looked around for a trash can. “In the gardens.”
    Mel narrowed his eyes. His voice was flat. “We got to go.”
    David felt his heartbeat pick up. “What’s up? Where’s String?”
    â€œAlready on his way in the van. We got a car, should be out by the curb.”
    â€œDahmi?” David said.
    â€œCho invasion,” Mel told him. “Not too far from here, as a matter of fact.”
    The