Wondering how his mere appearance was supposed to affect the ongoing parley, Dev complied, stepping out from behind the shielding bulk of the two Kaijank.

“It does not look like it is going too well,” he observed. “Are the locals not readily acceding to your demands or is this just the way conclusions are arrived at on Mozehn? Speaking from personal experience, might I suggest that a little less bellicosity in your part could be …”

He broke off. The assembled Mozehna, including the two prime negotiators, had immediately switched their focus from the Olone to the new arrival. Though far more massive than the bulkiest of the locals, Dev was bipedal like them, bisymmetrical like them, and even had manipulative digits not wholly dissimilar to theirs. They were all gesturing at him now, murmuring among themselves, clearly surprised by the new arrival. Vantolos resumed declaiming, perhaps reiterating his demands, as Dev halted slightly behind and to one side of the Olone.

“What are they saying?” Forgetting that he had been told not to speak, Dev was unable to repress his curiosity.

The sound of his voice caused the band of Mozehna to redouble their chattering. Thin but strong digits jabbed and fluttered in his direction. Their reaction, thought Dev, gave every indication of them having seen a human before. Which made no sense. Unless they’d had a previous encounter with another sentient species that closely resembled humans. That was a question he intended to put to Tilenyii as soon as he was back on the ship. It was intriguing, even exciting to think that another species that dwelled in this corner of the cosmos might closely resemble humankind, even to the tenor of its speech.

Choosing to ignore everything he had been told, he took a step forward with hands outstretched. “Hello. I know you cannot understand me, but I am called Devali and …”

If he expected Vantolos to reprove him he was surprised. Not only did the Olone not try to silence his human companion, he resumed gesticulating with the pair of tentacles he was not standing on. If anything, his latest gyrations were more rapid and encompassing than any that had preceded them. As rapidly as they could, the principal pair of Mozehna negotiators responded in kind. Dev looked on with interest.

It was one of the Kaijank who interrupted the increasingly animated debate, striding forward to murmur something to Vantolos. As the Olone looked up and past the Mozehna negotiators, Dev followed his gaze.