"And may laughter lighten your life," replied the Carolinian. He looked
at Shirley Mason, and the single hair atop his skull made rippling
motions. "The Earth female makes our affections sing when she follows
the dress of the Vaec."
Shirley smiled. "How are the designs, Ekem-ve? I tried to make just
straight lines and angles, and little shaded patches the way you do. I
hope I haven't come up with anything inartistic by your standards."
Ekem-ve's hair looped and unlooped lazily. "Most pleasing to a Vaec
would be such symbols. I would dance indeed to see them on the dress of
a female whom I found desirable in my eyes."
She watched the single hair's motion for a moment, then studied the
native's face. "What--what do they mean, Ekem-ve?"
The Carolinian's hair was looping more rapidly now, as he pointed.
"This symbol says that you have laid three double-yolked eggs this
season. That one says that your last few lovers were superbly amusing,
and that the lover you now seek must even so be a mighty man of mirth."
He paused and his hair made a side-to-side.
"About this one I am far from certain, even as our own females delight
in ambiguity. It seems to my inept comprehension that you do declare
that your family has proclaimed your aroma more pungent than _dodlig_,
even though you are unable to lie in mud more than six hours, as our
females do to improve their skins. On the other hand, it might...."
Shirley was no longer listening; she had left the room.
Auckland laughed heartily. "Is that true, Ekem-ve, or are you joking?"
The Vaec never lied, he knew, but what was spoken in jest among them
was not considered amenable to standards of truth. However, custom
required that a Vaec reply truthfully if asked directly whether he was
joking.
"The female is a female still with you and me, excellent Roy, however
differently we were created. Seeking in wisdom to avoid souring mirth,
I did not translate completely." Auckland remembered another thing
about the Vaec. It was not considered a lie to withhold part of the
truth; and even when asked directly, no more information need be given
than was specifically requested. Only the motion of his hair indicated
that Ekem-ve was still chuckling, as it were.
"But the designs you interpreted did mean what you said they meant?" he
asked.
"They did indeed, excellent Roy. I have brought with me the box that
excellent Howard requested for study. May I take it to his room, or
some other place, at your judicious suggestion?"
"I would not impose upon you by asking you to take it to the
laboratory, Ekem-ve. If you would leave it here, it is better that I
demean myself." After such a reply, the Vaec would insist upon running
the errand.
"May your heart be mirthful, Ekem-ve," came Burleigh's voice as the
lean, spade-bearded man entered. He waited for the response, then
said to Auckland, "The skipper wants the three of you to come out to
the diggings, and bring the spare Rouse cameras. Would you excuse us,
Ekem-ve, while I deliver a personal message?"
The Carolinian blinked the Vaec equivalent of nodding or shaking one's
head. "This unworthy one will take box to lab and await excellent Earth
people in crawler." He wiggled a finger in the parting gesture the Vaec
used when leaving Earthmen. Auckland wondered what situations among the
Vaec dictated the slap of farewell and the finger wiggling. He'd seen
both used in what appeared to be similar occasions.
Burleigh waited until the Carolinian had gone out the other door,
heading for the lab. "The situation is far from mirthful. Howard
thinks that someone is trying to kill him, and things are pretty
sticky--particularly Glamis. There's a fit subject for a violent end
if I ever saw one, Lord forgive my spite."
"Shirley's changing costume, I think. I'll round her up." He was
frowning as he started toward the door to her room, which adjoined the
office. Had James revealed his suspicions so soon?
Burleigh had seated himself and taken a cigarette. "All nonsense if you
ask me. But you know how Doc is when he gets an idea. Came up out of
the cellar where he was studying murals like something out of Dante's
Hell, ordering everyone outside on the double. When he had us rounded
up--except for the natives--he started talking about hearing something
ticking. Says he noticed that one of the blocks in the wall was pushed
out slightly. Has it all figured out that someone rigged up a homemade
bomb and concealed it there, set to go off while he was working in the
room."
"Did you hear anything yourself?"
"He wouldn't let any of us go down there with him in the first place,
so no one knows if he saw or heard anything. The skipper takes it
seriously, so we're all waiting for an explosion!"