Ryo’s reply was couched in philosophical tones. “There is no more knowledge they feel they can gain from my aliveness, and much from my death. I have already made my peace with eternity. I am prepared to accept the inevitable.”

“It’s not inevitable,” Loo objected.

“Is it not?” Ryo turned the saddle and stared up at him. His ommatidia sparkled in the light from the console. “Among my people such a situation calls for resignation. I can sympathize with the desires of your superiors. They wish only to further their knowledge.”

“There are some things more important than furthering knowledge,” Bonnie countered.

“I would disagree with you, Bonnie.”

“Don’t,” she snapped. “You may be willing to go calmly to your death, but I’ll be damned if Pm willing to let you do it” Precipitation oozed from the corners of her eyes, another human phenomenon Ryo found fascinating. It was astonishing that any creature could generate precipitation in so many different ways and for so many different reasons.

“What could you do?” Ryo murmured. “The decision has been made.”

“Only on a local level,” Loo noted. “The order could be countermanded by higher scientific bodies on Earth. I’m sure that’s why they’ve set the date so soon, so they can commence their little vivisection party before any response could be returned. Oh, they know what they’re about, all right. They’re very clever.” He seemed to slump in on himself.

“We can bloody well go to the council and offer our own objections,” Bonnie said.

“Yes, and you know how much weight they’ll give to that.”

“They have to listen to us,” she objected. “Contact and follow-up is our profession.”

Loo was nodding. “They’ll tell us we did a marvelous job. That our work is finished. We’ll all be promoted and given huge bonuses.” The irony in his tone was clear even to Ryo.

“We’ve got to try.” Loo’s relentless reasoning had reduced her initial angry determination to a hopeful whisper.

“I cannot say that I do not wish you luck,” Ryo admitted, adding a gesture of mild amusement. “You did find the information interesting, as I thought you would. Don’t worry about me. I am content.

“I have learned that intelligence exists in yet another corner of this stellar forest we call our galaxy. That is sufficient revelation to die for. I shall return my component elements to Nature, with dissolution already begun.” The attempt at humor evidently failed; neither human responded as he’d hoped.

Something soft and pulpy was caressing his neck. The burrow was eerily silent. At the same time his antennae twitched at the presence of a malignant, musky odor close by.

He awoke with a start, terribly frightened, wondering where Fal was and if the monster that was gazing down at him had already devoured her.