The Helianx Proposition/page 70A

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Commentary


Once Noe had emerged from hir meditative trance, it became much clearer to hir that sHe needed to throw in hir lot with the newly-arrived botanists. SHe had satisfied hirself on the impossibility of fulfilling hir mission with any of the indigenous humans sHe had encountered. And besides, sHe recalled the warm glow sHe felt when sHe first saw the exquisite pair. Here, at least, were beings who should be able to tolerate hir unlikely presence without fleeing in terror and who, sHe hoped, might even be able to understand the true reason for hir being on the planet.

Making hir way into the warmer water of the sea that bordered the coast of the peninsula, Noe finally reached the gently sloping shoreline and pulled hirself cautiously out of the surf. Pausing briefly on the beach, sHe dried hir long body in the sun. Then, flexing hir small wings, sHe lofted hirself up into the thick canopy of the forest that bordered the seashore. Once up there sHe felt more secure from being seen by someone passing far beneath hir on the forest floor, and it gave hir ample time to effectively camouflage hirself against the mottled greens of the background vegetation. By this time sHe had become so adept at manipulating hir chromatophores that sHe was able to replicate, along the surface of hir body, all the subtle changes in tone and movement of the leaves dappled by beams of sunlight slicing through the canopy.

In hir previous explorations Noe had taken careful note of the limits of the telepathic reach of the two off-world scientists and had found it a comparatively simple matter to veil hir existence from their psychic awareness. However, sHe had never ventured this far inland before and sHe knew that the closer sHe drew to them, the harder it would be to keep a psychic shield in place. SHe would have to come up with some method of approaching the pair as closely as possible without being perceived as a threat. Taking hir time, and with this dilemma in mind, sHe undulated hir long body, moving fluidly through the tree tops as sHe approached closer to the village. From this vantage point sHe was able to appreciate how much progress the botanists had made in spite of all the problems they had to face. The forest had been selectively cleared and small areas planted and carefully tended. SHe could even see open fields in the distance, the golden grasses shimmering in the morning breeze. A herd of large mammals were contentedly chewing on their cud, as they made their slow way down to a nearby stream to drink.

Noe paused in the crown of a magnificent oak tree and dropping into a light meditation sHe focussed hir psychic awareness on the pair. SHe could feel their presence like a faint telepathic tickle in the back of hir mind and realized with a shock that they must be picking up on hir. Probing deeper, sHe started to sense an intensity to their curiosity as they courageously made their way through the trees towards where sHe was perched.

Wrenching hirsetf out of hir trance Noe knew with supreme clarity that hir moment had arrived. This was the point of no return. Now there was no turning back.

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