Coming over the slight rise behind the assembled group of Mozehna delegates and heading down the slope toward them was a trio of machines. Dev could not tell if they moved on wheels, tracks, a cushion of air, or via some means of combined support and propulsion utterly unknown to him. Each mechanism flaunted a webwork of feathery instrumentation on top. While these might have comprised communications devices or been designed to accomplish some other innocuous end, the manner in which Vantolos and the two Kaijank reacted to their approach suggested another, less benign purpose. Raising their weapons, the Kaijank began backing up in the direction of the landing craft. As Dev stood and stared, fascinated by the approach of the Mozehna mechanicals, he felt the end of one tentacle wrapping around his right wrist. Vantolos was likewise retreating and pulling Dev with him. Though he did not resist, a captivated Dev could not take his eyes off the advancing alien machines.

Unexpectedly confirming his earlier suppositions and those of his colleagues, one of the Kaijank triggered the long device he was carrying. A sound like an old-fashioned electric transformer blowing up filled the air, stunning Dev with its volume. The detonation appeared to have no effect on Vantolos. Scrub and soil erupted in front of one of the oncoming Mozehna vehicles. As they came to an abrupt halt, a number of locals scrambled to get on top of them. Vantolos increased the pace of his withdrawal, causing Dev to stumble a couple of times as he struggled to keep up. Meanwhile the second Kaijank also unleashed his weapon. Dirt and rocks erupted skyward in front of the Mozehna machines. Either the Kaijank had terrible aim, Dev decided, or else they were deliberately aiming not to hit anyone.

By now every member of the Mozehna negotiating party had fled in the direction of their machines. Heedless of the Kaijanks’ warning shots, several of their number now stood atop the vehicles, struggling with the feathery apparatus that was mounted on each.

Back on board the shuttle Vantolos did not wait for the human to settle himself into a seating pod: the Olone busied himself with his own liftoff preparations. So did the Kaijank, who were more agitated than Dev had ever seen representatives of their kind. As the landing craft rose, he leaned over to wipe open a port in the hull. Below, he could still see the Mozehna trying to angle their vehicle-mounted instrumentation upward. He never was able to tell if they managed to get off a shot, or deploy a ray of some kind, or unleash a sonic weapon, or threaten the small spacecraft in any way. Smearing the view, he turned in his pod to face Vantolos.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but that negotiation did not appear to proceed as you intended.”