Kaiser packed a mudsled with tent, portable generator and guard wires,
a spare sidearm and ammunition, and food for two days. He had noticed
that a range of high hills, which caused the bend in the river at
the native settlement, seemed to continue its long curve, and he
wondered if the hills might not turn the river in the shape of a giant
horseshoe. He intended to find out.
Wrapping his equipment in a plastic tarp, Kaiser eased it out the
doorway and tied it on the sled. He hooked a towline to a harness on
his shoulders and began his journey--in the opposite direction from the
first native settlement.
He walked for more than seven hours before he found that his surmise
had been correct. And a second cluster of huts, and seal-people in the
river, greeted his sight. He received a further pleasant surprise. This
group was decidedly more advanced than the first!
They were little different in actual physical appearance; the change
was mainly noticeable in their actions and demeanor. And their odor was
more subdued, less repugnant.
By signs, Kaiser indicated that he came in peace, and they seemed to
understand. A thick-bodied male went solemnly to the river bank and
called to a second, who dived and brought up a mouthful of weed. The
first male took the weed and brought it to Kaiser. This was obviously a
gesture of friendship.
The weed had a white starchy core and looked edible. Kaiser cleaned
part of it with his handkerchief, bit and chewed it.
The weed had a slight iron taste, but was not unpalatable. He swallowed
the mouthful and tried another. He ate most of what had been given him
and waited with some trepidation for a reaction.
* * * * *
As dusk fell, Kaiser set up his tent a few hundred yards back from the
native settlement. All apprehension about how his stomach would react
to the river weed had left him. Apparently it could be assimilated by
his digestive system. Lying on his air mattress, he felt thoroughly at
peace with this world.
Once, just before dropping off to sleep, he heard the snuffling noise
of some large animal outside his tent and picked up a pistol, just in
case. However, the first jolt of the guard-wire charge discouraged the
beast and Kaiser heard it shuffle away, making puzzled mewing sounds as
it went.
The next morning, Kaiser left off all his clothes except a pair of
shorts and went swimming in the river. The seal-people were already in
the water when he arrived and were very friendly.
That friendliness nearly resulted in disaster. The natives crowded
around as he swam--they maneuvered with an otter-like proficiency--and
often nudged him with their bodies when they came too close. He had
difficulty keeping afloat and soon turned and started back. As he
neared the river edge, a playful female grabbed him by the ankle and
pulled him under.
Kaiser tried to break her hold, but she evidently thought he was
clowning and wrapped her warm furred arms around him and held him
helpless. They sank deeper.
When his breath threatened to burst from his lungs in a stream of
bubbles, and he still could not free himself, Kaiser brought his knee
up into her stomach and her grip loosened abruptly. He reached the
surface, choking and coughing, and swam blindly toward shore until his
feet hit the river bottom.
As he stood on the bank, getting his breath, the natives were quiet and
seemed to be looking at him reproachfully. He stood for a time, trying
to think of a way to explain the necessity of what he had done, but
there was none. He shrugged helplessly.
There was no longer anything to be gained by staying here--if they
had the tools he needed, he had no way of finding out or asking for
them--and he packed and started back to the scout.
Kaiser's good spirits returned on his return journey. He had enjoyed
the relief from the tedium of spending day after day in the scout, and
now he enjoyed the exercise of pulling the mudsled. Above the waist,
he wore only the harness and the large, soft drops of rain against his
bare skin were pleasant to feel.
When he reached the scout, Kaiser began to unload the sled. The
tarpaulin caught on the edge of a runner and he gave it a tug to free
it. To his amazement, the heavy sled turned completely over, spilling
the equipment to the ground.
Perplexed, Kaiser stooped and began replacing the spilled articles in
the tarp. They felt exceptionally light. He paused again, and suddenly
his eyes widened.
* * * * *
Moving quickly to the door of the scout, he shoved his equipment
through and crawled in behind it. He did not consult the communicator,
as he customarily did on entering, but went directly to the warped
place on the floor and picked up the crowbar he had laid there.
Inserting the bar between the metal of the scout bottom and the engine
casing, he lifted. Nothing happened. He rested a minute and tried
again, this time concentrating on his desire to raise the bar. The
metal beneath yielded slightly--but he felt the palms of his hands
bruise against the lever.
Only after he dropped the bar did he realize the force he had exerted.
His hands ached and tingled. His strength must have been increased
tremendously. With his plastic coat wrapped around the lever, he tried
again. The metal of the scout bottom gave slowly--until the fuel pump
hung free!
Kaiser did not repair the tube immediately. He let the solution
rest in his hands, like a package to be opened, the pleasure of its
anticipation to be enjoyed as much as the final act.
He transmitted the news of what he had been able to do and sat down to
read the two messages waiting for him.
The first was quite routine:
REPORTS FROM THE OCTOPUS INDICATE THAT BIG MUDDY UNDERGOES RADICAL
WEATHER-CYCLE CHANGES DURING SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, FROM EXTREME
MOISTURE TO EXTREME ARIDITY. AT HEIGHT OF DRY SEASON, PLANET MUST
BE COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SURFACE LIQUID.
TO SURVIVE THESE UNUSUAL EXTREMES, SEAL-PEOPLE WOULD NEED EXTREME
ADAPTABILITY. THIS VERIFIES OUR EARLIER GUESS THAT NATIVES HAVE
SYMBIOSIS WITH THE SAME VIRUS FORM THAT INVADED YOU. WITH
SYMBIOTES' AID, SUCH RADICAL PHYSICAL CHANGE COULD BE POSSIBLE.
WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED.