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or speak your language without the aid of this headband, but I know when
something's dead. I'm fromTexas , for God's sake! Roadkill's a way of life
down there."
"'Roadkill'?" The Culakhan affected confusion. Apparently certain concepts
were beyond the capacity of the remarkable headbands to literalize.
"Besides, even if Jed did do something wrong, he's past paying for the
offense."
Uroon and a couple of the other Culakhan were fiddling with their headbands.
"There is some difficulty with comprehension. Please pass him to me."
Fresh out of options as well as ideas, Ross Ed could only think to say,
"You'll really let us be present when you do whatever it is you're going to
do?"
"We will commence the questioning here and now." Uroon dipped his head a
second time. "Such is the task I am charged with."
"Well, all right, then. As long as you promise." Reaching up and back, Ross
swung the pack onto his chest and gently removed Jed. Uroon and an associate
accepted the corpse, handling it with care if not reverence.
Ross Ed watched uneasily as a pair of aliens clad in red appeared in the
corridor. They had pink patches running down their chests. Between them they
hauled two backpacks full of instruments.
A portable inclined bench was unfolded and set up on the deck. Jed was laid
across it and strapped in place, arms secured at his side and front, legs near
the base. An elaborate assortment of devices were attached to his suit and
headpiece.
Another technician wheeled a large, complex console up behind the pinioned
alien and began manipulating unseen controls. Indicator lights flashed and
blinked.
"This is ridiculous." Some time had passed and Ross had discovered that he
was getting hungry. "I told you, he's dead. Can you bring back the dead?"
"Of course not." Uroon stood nearby, commenting occasion-ally to the
preoccupied technicians. "The revivification of the deceased is a task that
exceeds the capability of any science we are familiar with."
"Well then, what the hell& ?" A hand slipped around Ross's waist. A real hand
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and not a tail-hand.
"Take it easy," Caroline whispered. "They're going to do what they're going
to do, and nothing you can say is going to stop them. Obviously Jed's suit
can't stop them, either. It won't do any good to make them mad. Let's just
watch. We might learn something." She cast a suggestive look in the direction
of the depression in the floor behind them.
"What I don't understand is why they don't just chuck us out that lock.
They've got what they want."
Uroon overheard. "As I mentioned earlier, the actions of all Culakhan are
constrained by the Codes of Conduct. Unlike the despicable Shakaleeshva, we
have immutable values."
Two of the technicians stepped back from the bench-bound body, making room
for Uroon. Approaching, he took up a position directly in front of the corpse
and sat back on his haunches. The Culakhan behind the console studied his
instru-mentation intently. Ross Ed had the distinct impression that the walls
were watching.
"I am Uroon, Frontrunner and Commendidar of the vesselTrestasia , of the
Culakhan Combine," the quadruped barked sharply. "You are the Shakaleeshva
known to these humans as 'Jed.'"
"All right, so you've caught up with me. So what?"
The reply emerged from some kind of artificial larynx which had been attached
to the little alien's headpiece. It was a fine, confident voice, though Ross
Ed had no way of knowing if it was an accurate reflection of Jed's actual
speaking voice or simply a by-product of the device relaying the words. He'd
been watching closely and there'd been no sign of lip (or any other kind of)
movement behind the transparent faceplate.
Caroline piped up alongside him. "Will somebody please explain to me how he
can talk if he's dead?"
"Do not interrupt!" Codes of Conduct or not, Uroon wasn't above showing
impatience.
The conversation which ensued between Frontrunner Uroon and the dead
Shakaleeshva was long, tedious, and dealt with many concepts and terms
unfamiliar to the two stunned humans. It frequently exceeded the ability of
the translator headbands to keep up.
Unable to stand it any longer, Ross Ed stepped forward. "Look, this isn't
fair. Jed can't move, he can't run away, and he can't object to the terms of
the discussion."
"Of course he can object," replied Uroon. "Kindly also keep in mind that
unlike the rest of us, he does not have to eat, drink, or deal with the
by-products of those processes."
"But dammit, I don'tunderstand . Is he dead or not?"
"It is true that the body has failed, and in that sense he is dead, but the
Shakaleeshva's special, and very expensive, biosuit succeeded in preserving
specific cognitive processes against the chance of future reactivation. This
we have accomplished. Only the mind is functional and capable of restoration
to full activity, and only a portion of it at that. Neuromuscular motor and
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all related physiologic functions are indeed 'dead.'"
"So he's half-dead?" Caroline asked.
"More than half, if you go by body weight. Less than half, if you regard the
mind and its memories as paramount indicators of life. The distinction is more
social and philosophical then biological. You may be interested to know that
even as we are speaking, his suit is being properly recharged. Except for its
defensive functions, of course, which we suppressed upon contact and have
subsequently disengaged. Having come this far to find him, we have no
intention of losing him now. We intend to seek restitution from what
survives." The tail-hand fluttered in Jed's direction.
"Lamentably, the Shakaleeshva is not being very cooperative. This is to be
expected. It is not easy to persuade the dead, much less effectively threaten
them, but in this instance ways will be found. In any event, you are relieved
of any responsibility or concern in this matter."
Caroline's earlier bravado shrank in proportion to her voice, which dropped
to a whisper. "What& what are you going to do with us?"
"According to the specified portion of the appropriate Code, the relevant
thing." Uroon elected not to elaborate on this enigma. Starting at the back of
his neck, a quiver ran down the length of his body. "For the moment I am
tired. It has been a stressful time. The initial period of interrogation is
now con-cluded. We will resume following the prescribed period of rest."
So saying, the Culakhan barked commands at the others. In single file mey
clip-clopped off down the corridor. A translucent green panel slid down behind
them, preventing anyone from following. Not that Ross Ed or Caroline was so
inclined.
Ross examined the nearly deserted chamber. Lights still glistened within
walls and shone from the peculiar console. Others enveloped Jed's body in a
colorful cocoon, giving him the look of an abandoned Christmas ornament.
Resting on the inclined bench and encased in a tangle of instrumentation, he
looked little different than from when Ross had dragged him out of theNew
Mexico cave. The expression on his funny, triangular face was unchanged.
Crossing his legs, Ross Ed sat down next to his alien companion. Caroline
joined him. Starting at the three feet, he let his gaze travel up the length
of the alien corpus until he found himself staring at the immobile inhuman
face.
"You talked to them. Can you talk to us as well?" He didn't really expect a
reply.
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