Abduction

“I don’t really care,” Richard said, continuing to flip the Frisbee into the air.

“You have to choose one or the other,” Arak said.

“Okay, then, the air taxi factory,” Richard said impassively.

“What about Suza

“Dr. Newell will go with me for a meeting with the Council of Elders,” Arak said.

“By herself?” Feeling protective, Perry glanced at Suza

“It’s okay,” Suza

“But why alone?” Perry asked. “And why not me? After all, I run an oceanographic company.”

“I don’t think it’s the business side they’re interested in,” Suza

“Are you sure?” Perry persisted.

“Quite sure,” Suza

“Then let us go,” Arak called out. “We’ll all meet back at the visitors’ palace later in the day.” Beckoning for the others to follow, he skirted the old Corvette’s dais and started down the wide steps toward the hovering air taxis.

It did seem strange to Suza

“Are you enjoying your orientation?” Arak questioned. “Or are you finding it frustratingly fast or slow?”

“Overwhelming is the best way to describe how I’m finding it,” Suza

“Your group is quite a challenge for designing and tailoring the best orientation protocol. You are all so different, a fact that we Interterrans find fascinating but also daunting. You see, because of selection and adaptation, we are all very much alike, which I’m sure is something you’ve recognized.”

“You are all very nice,” Suza

“ Nice is a rather sanitized word to choose,” Arak said. “I hope you are not bored with us.”

Suza

Suza

“The design was one of our gifts to that culture,” Arak said. “We had great hopes for them since they were, initially, a rather peaceful civilization. We sent a delegation to live among them early in their history with the idea of promoting them over the other extremely warlike peoples who had evolved. The experiment was not as big an undertaking as the Atlantean movement, and we did try, but it all came to naught.”

“Did you show them how to build it as well as provide the design?” Suza

“Of course,” Arak said. “We had to. We also showed them the concept of the arch, but they steadfastly refused to believe it would work and never tried it on a single structure.”

The air taxi came to a stop and the side opened.

“After you,” Arak said graciously.

Once they gained entry, Suza

As Suza

“Garona!” Suza

“Of course you would have seen me tonight,” Garona said. “But I could not wait.” He looked into her eyes. “I knew you were coming to the Council of Elders today so I came over to wait for you.”

“I’m pleased,” Suza

“We’d better move,” Arak said. “The council is waiting.”

“Certainly,” Garona said. He took his arms from Suza

“How was your morning?” Garona inquired.

“Enlightening,” Suza

“We had a scientific session,” Arak explained.

“Any site visits?” Garona asked.

“We went to the Earth Surface Museum,” Suza

“Really?” Garona seemed surprised.

“It was a specific request of Mr. Donald Fuller,” Arak explained.

“Did you find it instructive?” Garona asked.

“It was interesting,” Suza

They approached an impressive set of bronze doors. Within each panel was an embossed figure Suza

The moment they arrived at them, the doors swung inward on silent hinges. Beyond was a circular room with a domed ceiling supported by a colo

At Arak’s urging, Suza

“Come in, Dr. Suza

“I’m more surprised than fearful,” Suza

“And indeed you have,” Ala said. “The determining factor for sitting on the council is the number of body lives you’ve passed, not the age of the current body.”