“You know that is not how this gang, if they can be called that, works.” Dev followed the other man’s gaze. “Anyway, I do not speak Mozehna. Keep quiet, stay in the background, and try to look confident and intimidating. That is what I have been told to do. In other words, just be my alien self. Represent an unknown sentient being. That is all I am supposed to be.” When no one offered a comment, he added, “I am sure everything will go smoothly. The A'jeii are very confident.”

Reed rolled his eyes but said nothing. Then Dev’s view of his companions was partially blocked by a mass of yellow material beneath which crawled still unknown small shapes. That, and a tentacle that waved hypnotically back and forth in front of his face.

“Time to go.” Vantolos’ attitude and tone were not exactly conciliatory, but they were less pugnacious than usual.

As the expected portal appeared in front of them, Dev followed the Olone into the landing vehicle. Two A'jeii pilots sat forward while the pair of Kaijank settled themselves in back, their domed heads just clearing the ceiling. A last look out the entry portal showed Dev’s companions standing and staring back at him: the Zimmers in front, Reed towering behind them. Then the wall of the hull reformed, shutting them off from sight.

A sudden thought spurred him to use a hand to trace an outline in the wall on his left. Sure enough, a viewport appeared. But Reed and the Zimmers were gone. As he looked on, a much larger opening appeared in the side of the alien mothership. There was a very slight lurch. Space subsumed the view as the landing craft silently slid out of the hold. There was no sense of motion as the view rotated crazily, blackness and stars being replaced by the curve of a world below. He caught his breath. Were there any inhabitable worlds that were not beautiful, or was the presence of air, water, and greenery the ultimate expression of magnificence throughout the galaxy?

Nothing could go wrong, he told himself as the landing craft commenced its descent. There might be some tension, as there had been when the landing party headed by Vantolos had first arrived on Earth, but nothing cataclysmic was likely to occur. The A'jeii, Olone, and Kaijank might be thieves, but they were not fools. Being slightly more advanced than human society, the Mozehna might immediately comply with the Olone’s demands.