"Yes?"
"Isn't that a Mercurian?"
* * * * *
Lamoureux stared where Sprott had pointed. About a half mile away,
a small gray creature, looking, as McCracken had reported, like a
penguin, but with a broader face and no bill to speak of, was standing
motionless.
"Sprott, you and Marsden go over to that thing. Be as friendly as you
know how. Smile, grin, stand on your head if you have to, but don't
scare it away. Try to induce it to follow you here. Maybe we'll finally
get some of that information about Kalinoff we're looking for."
Sprott and Marsden were approaching the Mercurian cautiously. Several
hundred yards away, they stopped and spread their arms in what was
evidently meant to be a gesture of good will.
The Mercurian remained motionless. Not until the men had come within
thirty feet of it did it give a sign of life. Then it took a step
toward them.
As Lamoureux watched, the two men spoke a few words. The Mercurian did
not respond, but when they turned around and moved away, it followed
slowly.
Seen from close at hand, the Mercurian did not so greatly resemble a
penguin. To begin with, it had no wings, and no arms either. It lacked
a bill altogether, but had instead a small mouth that seemed crammed
with teeth. Its two eyes were slanted, which gave it an appearance of
slyness. There were two round tufted ears. It moved forward not by
waddling, but with a smooth rollercoaster gait that was the result of
its moving its four legs forward one after the other.