The V'Dan by Jean Johnson Page B

apparently controlled by thin ribs, which raised and lowered two, three times. “Very fffew of usss have records lonnnger than sssix thousanndyearss. The VV’Dan being an exsssceptionn. They sssseem to have been borrrnn with pennnss grrripped.”
    (
The thing he’s doing with his crests and his eyes is a sign of humor,
) Li’eth murmured in the back of her mind.
    (
I’m glad to know that.
)
    (
Remember, don’t smile back with bared teeth,
) he added, sensing her incipient reply.
    (
I remember,
) Jackie agreed. That had been among the protocol lessons given to them before they had even left Earth, let alone the Sol System. She smiled with closed lips. “Our potential new allies are exceptional in many ways. We brought three historians in our embassy delegation to study the histories of the various Alliance races, as well as specifically studying V’Dan history, including its earliest records, to try to make sense of how our joint species came to be separated.”
    Twisting in her seat, she indicated a figure in the next row back. The woman, her face more squarish than oval, her brown hair neatly styled and falling to her shoulders, realized Jackie meant her, and stood, smoothing the skirt of her sleeveless, light blue dress.
    “This is Meioa Adelle Mariposa, one of our historians,” Jackie introduced. “She has expressed interest in your people. Another kind of historian, similar to your news collectors, is also one of our primary translators, Heracles Panaklion; he is at the back of the room, and is an amateur reporter, someone more interested in current events.”
    Clees lifted his hand at the introduction, then returned it to his control tablet. Adelle sat down again. On the other side of the window, the Choyan Adjunct lifted a hand, spreading his digits with the palm toward himself. The move stretched the webbing that had hung slack until that moment. “Ssharinng your obserfations would be appreciated. Lllooking in the mirror of annnother’s eyess can be faluablle for ssself-examination.”
    “I would be happy to share copies of my recordings, meioa,” Clees stated. “For now, we have only the ability to translate our programming languages into V’Dan formats, but we hope to improve that, soon.”
    “We will share our recordings, too, in F’Dan format,” the Adjunct agreed, and looked to Ksa’an, then beside him to the two females seated to the right.
    “Next is Military Consultant Fifth Rank Cheru, Knuckle of the Embassy Guard here on V’Dan,” the V’Dan nobleman enlightened them.
    The female—five crests streaking her skull from the brow backward—blinked slowly, then lifted her chin. It wasn’t quite as prominent as on a Human, and her teeth were a bit sharp in front, not quite the incisors of a Human, but she didn’t seem overly threatening. Jackie knew that appearances could be deceiving, however; the rest of the alien’s body was quite muscular under the straps wrapped around her torso and throat, and she had what looked like weapon holsters and ammunition pouches strapped to thighs and arms, both forearms and upper arms.
    “I am currriousss about your millitary capabillities,” the Consultant stated. Her accent was a little bit different than Adjunct G’nneal’s; she seemed more capable of pronouncing Vs and such, and easier for Jackie to understand overall. “Your ssships are small, and nnnot impressive on first llook, save for one thing.”
    “And that would be?” Captain al-Fulan asked.
    Jackie quickly introduced them. “Meioas, this is the head of our embassy guard, Captain Hamza ibn Tariq ibn Iosef al-Fulan. You may call him Captain al-Fulan. Commander Robert Graves is in charge of our ships and their crews, but it is currently his sleep cycle, and the captain is authorized to communicate on his behalf.”
    “A plleasurrre it is to meet my counterparrt,” the female Choya stated. “You may call me Consssultant Fifth Cheru. The irrrregularity in your ssships is a currious