Turning his upper body toward the human, Vantolos let loose with a stream of high-pitched babble that even by Olone standards Dev qualified as a rant. Then, realizing that the attentive biped could not understand anything that was being said, the mediator switched to English.

“I knew that bringing you along was a mistake. Your presence did not intimidate or confuse the Mozehna.”

“So, you think it would have gone better if I hadn’t been there?” The usually stable landing craft rocked slightly, suggesting that they were passing through some heavy atmospheric disturbance or else that the pilots were putting on extra speed.

“Certainly! Of course. But I followed instructions. To show you. You saw the result.”

Dev made a face. “Why would seeing me set them off like that if they’d never seen someone like me? What is it about my human appearance that led you and the A'jeii to think my appearance would coerce them?”

“As you say, it was an idea of the A'jeii. Myself—I expected your appearance to do nothing. Plainly, that was exactly the case.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Dev leaned toward the Olone. “While they were not intimidated, they did react strongly. Why did they have the reaction they did?”

Vantolos looked away from him. “The shock of the unexpected. Unfortunately, the shock did not produce the response for which the captain had hoped.”

All the way back to the mothership Dev continued to press the Olone for additional details. If Vantolos had any to dispense, he chose not to do so. Just before they docked, Dev finally gave up. The negotiations had, to say the least, not gone well. As chief negotiator it was likely that the blame for that would fall on the Olone. Dev realized that for the moment it might be prudent for him to stop asking questions that might make the situation worse.

But for the life of him he could not understand how they could do so.

In the Zimmers’ cabin his colleagues regarded him with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. In that, he reflected, they were all of one accord.

“I have gone over the confrontation again and again in my head.” Though addressing all of them, Dev found himself focused on Katou-Zimmer. “I didn’t say a word. Just stepped out to show myself when Vantolos asked me to come forward.”

“And you say that was when the Mozehna reacted to your appearance?” Jakob Zimmer was stroking his beard, as deep in thought as Dev had ever seen the senior biologist.