BOOK PREVIEW - THE DRAGONS & SNOGGER GRANX

PROLOGUE  

Outer space; somewhere between the Milky Way Galaxy and the  Klaxarian Galaxy - Earth year 2042

Lewis stared out of the coriaglaz dome, captivated by what he saw of the deep black of space, speckled with a few pin-points of light scattered across the darkness.  The black was not so much a spreading out, as it was an encroachment.  It seemed dead to him, claustrophobic, as though it would engulf and overpower him.  He focused on the pin-points, those far-away stars that let him know the black was just that, the colour of nothing, not a solid wall they’d smash into.  He took a deep breath and turned away from the canopy.  He still couldn’t believe where he was, and what had led up to this.

Grampa was right.  He’d always been right.  Not that he’d ever doubted his grandfather.  There were aliens out there.  Heck, they were right here in the saucer with him.  They weren’t green either, the way most people thought of aliens.  Little green men indeed.  They were orange and blue, depending whether they were male or female,  these ones anyway.  And strangely enough these two aliens - they called themselves floog - were his great-grandparents.  Adopted accidentally of course, but family was family.  His Grampa had been raised by them.   

Now, along with his beloved Grampa Ethan he was on his way to the planet where the old man had spent his childhood.

Lewis had heard the stories his entire life; how Grampa Ethan had been adopted as an orphan by the alien Xerix, and how Xerix had arrived back from one of his discovery missions on Earth with a pet.  He’d learned about the human custom of having them, and it appealed to him.  He’d adopted something, but it wasn’t a cat or a dog.  It was a real human!  Xerix had been obliged to adopt and raise the little orphaned boy on Gizmok, and what an adventure that had been.  Lewis knew the stories inside and out.

The little boy, Ethan, (or, E-fan, as the floog called him because they couldn’t say the “th”) had grown to adulthood, and returned to Earth.  Once back young Ethan took the last name Flooge, had earned enough money to finish his education, and begin a career as a mechanical engineer.  He met and married his Gramma Milly, and eventually became a father, and then a grandfather.

Lewis’s mom had never believed her dad’s stories, but Lewis and his sister, Milly sure did!  When he was a little boy, Lewis had dreamed of becoming a proper floog.  Now, here he was, on his way, after finally meeting Xerix, and his mate Qantuu in an emergency visit to Earth.  It had been initiated by Ethan, to avoid being finally declared “crazy” for believing he’d been raised by aliens. His mother had put her foot down; his crazy stories, told as if they were really true, had to stop.  Or else.  He needed proof, and two real-live aliens were all that was needed to provide it.

Lewis laughed inwardly, thinking about how it had all gone down.  Grampa Ethan had finally called out to his adopted parents on his specially provided long-range expitran, to come meet his own daughter and son-in-law for real.  

Unfortunately, contact with humans was frowned upon by the floog government, as humans were considered too violent by floog standards, and risky to associate with.  Xerix had put himself in a real pickle by finally, after being refused permission, taking a flying saucer, and travelling to Earth without permission.  It turned out, Great-Grampa Xerix was a bit of a bad-boy.  The shock on his parents’ faces had been delicious to watch!  

They were odd-looking little things, roughly three and a half feet tall - a little over a meter in height, with an orange skin, or blue in the case of a female, huge ears, and something that functioned as their nose, called an odorit.  A female’s slightly different-looking nose was called an odoral, and on both, it sat on the tops of their heads.  

When the dust had settled, and the entire story unfolded, even Grampa’s biological parents had been discovered through DNA testing.  They were long gone, but a great-aunt, still living, had filled in the gaps.  Another surprise and a secret, that Grampa decided not to share with his daughter yet, came to light.

Lewis, just graduated from high school, and about to enter university, had gotten grudging permission to return to Gizmok for a visit with his orange and blue great-grandparents.  Lewis’s nervous mother had insisted on Ethan going along, just to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, even though he was, at almost 18, an adult.  But, his mother had different ideas, so, there was Grampa, sitting right across from him.  

He worried a little about the trouble Xerix would be facing, in answering for his crime of taking a flambatix without permission.  When they landed on Gizmok, Xerix would be facing the music for what he’d had done.

His ear had begun to itch, and it reminded him that he’d been given an earbud universal translator.  He hoped he could keep it.  Lewis figured it would come in real handy when he started travelling back on Earth, instead of having to pull out his phone and punch in an app every time somebody spoke a foreign language.

“What do you think they’ll do when we land, Great-Grampa Xerix?” Lewis looked over at the short, aging, dull-orange coloured being who sat at the helm beside him.  Lewis towered above him and he wondered if he’d fit in a floog bed.

“I think they will first take us into custody, and formalize the charges against me.” Xerix sighed.  “I do not look forward to this.” 

Lewis still found it a little strange that the alien’s mouth movements and the language he heard through the translator they’d stuck in his ear didn’t sync up.  But, he supposed, he’d get used to it.  He wondered if he’d be able to learn the language as well as his grandfather had.  

Great-Gramma Qantuu spoke up.  “There is always the possibility of special circumstances.  Family is very important on Gizmok.”  Qantuu had a hopeful expression on her face.  “It is the foundation of all floog society.  And so, it was important that Krikkon Xerix clarify things for E-fan’s family, for E-fan’s own sake.”

Lewis laughed to himself as he heard the familiar floog term for grandfather.  He’d referred to Grampa as ‘Krikkon’ more than once, much to his mom’s frustration.

He had so many questions for his great-grandfather.  What was his grampa like as a little boy?  How did they deal with his little boy mischief and curiosity?  He sat in the flight chair and leaned back against the seat, only to find his head missing the floog-sized backrest by a mile.  Scooting down a little further in the seat, he managed, by tilting his head, to just barely come to rest on the top of the chairback.  Tired, he closed his eyes wondering what the the next days held for them all …

CHAPTER 1.

The entire six member Etefing waited on the tarmac as reports of the approaching flambatix filtered in.  Some looked angry, others just had an expression of disbelief, as if they still couldn’t believe that their trusted and esteemed colleague had really done this.  Stealing an inter-galactic space vehicle?  Unheard of!  Going to Urf and consorting with violent hu-mans? Scandalous!

Torkon stood off to the side.  He worried about his old friend, and knew that Xerix could well have been justified in doing what he did.  He wondered just what the story was behind it all.  It must have been a real emergency for E-fan to use the expitran to call for help.  He wondered if there had been a war, if E-fan and his family were safe.  He wouldn’t be surprised, giving what he knew of hu-mans.  He’d seen too much, accompanying Xerix to Urf all those spans ago.  Serving as the Grand Floogonitax back then, his own curiosity had gotten the better of him.  He’d been so impressed with the young hu-man, E-fan that Xerix had adopted.  But looking back, he realized, the boy’s exemplary behaviour would likely have been caused more by the nurturing given to him by Qantuu and Xerix than on his native planet.

Torkon sighed.  They were all in for difficult times ahead.  Torkon would act as advocate for Xerix in the expected trial.  It was the least he could do.  So many times Torkon’s reputation as the Grand Floogonitax, or GF had been saved by Xerix’s quick thinking.  He owed Xerix, and he’d stand by him, thick or thin.

A shout went up from the small crowd.  Someone had spotted the craft in the distant sky.  Torkon squared his shoulders, and would have lifted his chin, if he had one.

They watched as the flambatix grew larger and made the turn to approach the designated ramp, he reviewed the last conversation he’d had with Xerix.  I’ll be back when the problem has been dealt with, whatever it is.  Should I come back a criminal, I know you’ll stand with me, knowing I did it out of principle.  

He wondered how many would be exiting the flam when it finally came to a stop.  If E-fan and his family needed asylum here, what would happen to them?  He knew he’d stand by E-fan too.  Surely E-fan’s reputation would stand him in good stead.  He’d been a hero to the floogonians, for Loo’s sake!  How could they brand him an undesirable now?

Torkon thought of Etekah Miz’s floogitelle, Teesa, whom E-fan had saved from drowning.  He thought of the entire capital being overrun by ghimbob, and how E-fan had come up with the plan to round them up so efficiently.*  Surely that all counted now!  Yes, if everyone forgets all of that, he would remind them.

As the flam shut down and the hatch opened, he saw movement at the entrance, and counted heads.  Four bodies emerged and moved down the ramp; two short ones and two very tall ones.  E-fan?  Was E-fan with them?  As they got closer, Torkon took a second, good look.  One of the the tall figures was too young, but almost the same colour fur on his head.  Who was this?  The old one did not look like anybody he knew.

He hurried forward to meet them, anxious to get ahead of the group of disapproving Councillors.

“Torkon, my friend!  I am glad the first face I see is a friendly one!” Shouted Xerix as they approached one another.

“Say nothing to the Etefing, my friend!  Say nothing!”  We will sort this all out, one step at a time.” Torkon assured Xerix and Qantuu, and then looked up at the smiling, friendly face that reminded him a lot of a much taller E-fan.

“I suspect that you are family of our E-fan,” he remarked to the young man.  “You are a pleasant reminder of him!”  The young man began to laugh.  “I shouldn’t have to, sir.  Ethan is standing right here!”

Ethan began to laugh as well.  “Torkon!  I’m a little insulted that you don’t recognize me.”

Torkon stared at the old man and stammered.  “B-but your fur is such a different colour.”

“Well, you’re a pretty dull colour yourself.  It seems we both got old, didn’t we?”

They both laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.  What was ‘old’ anyway?

Xerix made the introductions.  “This is Loo-iss Reesh-mond, the eldest ontemikrik of E-fan.  He has come to us to learn floog ways, and become familiar with his family and our world.” explained Xerix.  “He has been preparing most of his life for this!”

Torkon was impressed with such ambition!  All this youngster’s life preparing to be like a floog?  Was it possible?  Knowing how well Xerix and Qantuu had done in raising E-fan, he didn’t doubt it for a minute.

The Council, growing impatient with the camaraderie,  moved in as one angry swarm of tingits, buzzing and sniping at the new-comers.

“We come to charge and arrest you, criminal Xerix!” Staarka, the blue, female Chief Etekah stood before Xerix.  “And you, criminal by association, Qantuu!”  said another, an orange one, self-importantly raising himself up on his toes, “You will be held in detention until such time as you can hear the charges against you!”

And then they came to the tall hu-mans.  There was a hesitation, a small frisson of fear as they craned their heads upward.  Violent hu-mans!  All of them stepped back, fearful.  Torkon spoke up quickly.

“I will take responsibility for these two!” he assured them.  “One is very young still, and not prone to the behaviour of older hu-mans!”  He then gestured towards Ethan, “And this, my esteemed colleagues is the very famous E-Fan, of whom you learned in your history lessons!”

The Council looked momentarily chagrined and glad to leave both humans in Torkon’s care.  They surrounded the floog pair, prodding them towards the direction of the terminal, and incarceration.  Torkon couldn’t stop them, they had the law on their side for now.

“Come Loo-iss, E-fan, we will go home to my abode for now.  Rest assured all will be well in the end. You do not need to worry.  I have a plan.”

Lewis smiled.  “Nah!  I’m not worried.”

The former Grand Floogonitax looked up, surprised at the confidence the young hu-man had in him.  He led Lewis to the railcar that would take them into the city and his apartment.  Communicating ahead to the cook, Torkon instructed him to prepare a hearty meal.  He only hoped that Lewis liked floog food.  As he remembered it, hu-man tastes didn’t differ too much from their own.

Lewis watched with interest as Torkon made a few more calls, but he’d taken his translator out of his ear so he couldn’t understand what was said.  The thing had started to itch.  He had no idea who the other calls were to, and he didn’t care.  He was starting to feel a little tired, and wondered what time it was.  He’d been up for hours, and it was beginning to feel like jet-lag on steroids.  

But the first thought he’d had when he stepped off the saucer was how colourful everybody was.  The clothing of the six short beings that stood in front of them now, were all brightly dressed in multi-coloured outfits.  The blue females seemed to wear their’s in paler shades, and their faces were all tattooed.  Of course, that he already knew from Grampa’s stories.

As they entered the city proper, Lewis forgot about how zapped he was, as he looked around.  He’d never seen buildings like this, all shapes, sizes, colours.  They approached one particular spiral-shaped building that seemed to reach the clouds. Every third or fourth level had a peculiar out-jutting balcony, one of which he swore he saw a small flying saucer emerge.  Did people here have personal flying saucers?  He turned to Torkon to ask, but before he could, Torkon began speaking to him.  Lewis couldn’t understand, realized he’d removed his translator, and quickly slipped it back in his ear.

“… is where I live.” Torkon was saying, pointing to the building.  The railcar stopped at a half-oval entrance, where they got out.  The duffle-bag Lewis had brought with him was hauled out of an opening at the rear of the vehicle by what looked like a doorman, who’d come running out from the entrance.  The small being seemed to have some trouble with the weight of it, and Lewis quickly offered to take it from him.

“You don’t need to carry my junk,” he told the attendant, “but thank you for your help!”  He turned to Torkon and asked, not knowing the customs of the place, “Do I need to tip him?”  By the puzzled look Torkon gave him, he knew that, no, there was no tipping here.

Then they were standing in front of an iris set in the wall.  Two buttons glowed red at the side.  Torkon pushed the upper button, turning it blue.  The iris opened, he stepped straight into a hole and disappeared up the shaft.  Lewis looked bug-eyed at his grandfather, speechless.  Ethan started to laugh, and then stopped, deciding it was more advantageous to explain what had just happened. 

“This works like those old pneumatic tubes they used years ago in office buildings, to pass information up and down to other offices, only this is on a much bigger scale.  I used one myself as a young man in the office.  It works on a pressurized air system, and you need to press either an up button..” he pointed to the upper blue light, “…so it turns from red to blue to go up,”  the button suddenly turned red again, “..or this buttonto go down,” Ethan pointed at the lower button, “It’ll turn orange when it’s ready.  Then, you just step in, and away you go!”

Lewis looked at it with suspicion, “I’m not going to fall to my death?”  

Ethan laughed, “Just remember blue for up, and orange for down.”

Lewis pushed the upper button and waited for it to turn blue.  He swallowed hard and stepped in.  It took all he had to keep his arms from flailing, as he was whisked speedily up the lift with the air flow and entered a spacious apartment.  Grampa Ethan came up right behind him.  

A delicious smell greeted them as they walked into the suite.  It was an instant reminder to Lewis, that not only was he tired, but also hungry.  Torkon stood there laughing, “I forgot to explain the lift to you Loo-iss!  My apologies!”

The meal waiting for them turned into a success, with Lewis tasting and liking most of the dishes offered.  There was only a slight hesitation when the first bite of proep passed his lips.

“What is this?” Lewis asked, looking at the food held on his freefm.  “That,” said Torkon “is the curd of qaalumii milk, mixed with flibbl and meiklop.  The dish is called  proep!”

“Ah yes, I remember eating proep when I was a kid!” exclaimed Grampa.

“I know what flibbl is!”  Lewis said, “It’s what we call gravy or sauce.  But what’s meiklop?”

Torkon smiled.  “You have some new words to learn then.  Meiklop is a vegetable.”  He called the cook in from the kitchen and asked Fudok  if he still had some fresh meiklop on hand.  Fudok turned around, disappeared back into the kitchen and came back a moment later with a greenish and white speckled thing in his hand, shaped like an accordion.

“This is meiklop, young hu-man.” He said.

“Tastes not too bad.” said Lewis, politely, but he didn’t eat all of what had been served on his plate.  Torkon knew it wouldn’t be his favourite.  Meiklop had a slightly bitter taste to it,  even though the sweet qaalumii milk cut it a bit.

Dinner finished, Torkon could see that Lewis was getting a little weary.  He’d been awake a long time, and knowing that Gizmok days were thirty-two Urf hours long, not twenty-four like the boy’s home planet, he would be tired by now.  Torkon showed him where he’d be sleeping, and hinted that he might want to rest.  Lewis quickly took the suggestion.

The door to his room closed and he looked around.  He’d had to duck going through the opening, and sat on the bed, getting a feel for it.  Stretching out he found that the bed had ample room for his long legs.  He wondered if Torkon had somehow special-ordered the bed, since it wasn’t as short as what a floog would need.  He didn’t think it would have happened that quickly, since no one knew that Lewis would be coming, did they?  Or had Xerix at some point called ahead and informed them?

It was a puzzle and Lewis made a point, as he drifted off to sleep, that he would ask Torkon in the morning.  It was one of many, many questions that he had.  And then all questions were forgotten in the enveloping sleep.

CHAPTER 2.

Lewis woke with a start, wondering where he was.  Then he remembered his amazing trip through a fold in space just behind Mars, and entering the Klaxarian Galaxy and all its worlds.  He also remembered that his great-grandparents faced an accusing Etefing, or Council, for breaking a few laws in an effort to help his Grampa Ethan avoid being labelled as incompetent, or worse, crazy!

He got up, dressed, stuck the translator into his ear, and found his way to the kitchen where Torkon’s cook was bent over what he presumed was a cooking apparatus.  The smell alone told him he was cooking something delicious.  In spite of the dire circumstances his great-grandparents were in, he looked forward to exploring this new world.  But, first things first; breakfast.

“Good morning, Fudok!” he greeting the cook.  Fudok turned around with a smile on his face. “Ah! Good morning young hu-man!  Do you think you can eat floeym?”  The translator worded that as “first meal”, but Lewis decided there might as well be a little quid pro quo, and told the cook, “Ah!  Breakfast!  Floeym is our word for breakfast!”  

Fudok looked at him with a twinkle in his eye, “So!  I will teach you Floogese and you will teach me Eeg-leesh, yes?”  He thrust a plate heaped with a steaming fluffy, reddish-looking something. “You eat whompak,” he said, grinning,  “then, tell me what you think!”

It smelled delicious.  Lewis gave him a broad smile.  “On Earth, kids like me have a reputation for eating huge amounts of food.  Any kind of food.  I hope you’re prepared.”

Fudok looked a little non-nonplussed.  “Really?  Perhaps I did not prepare enough!”  He  held up the pan he’d been stirring, to let Lewis see.  Lewis eyeballed the pot.  Not knowing how much Torkon ate, and not wanting to be impolite in suggesting that the cook couldn’t estimate the size of a meal, he could only guess if it was enough or not.

“I’m quite sure that’s plenty.” He assured the cook.  Yeah, he hoped so.

Torkon came into the room, yawning.  “Goodness in the morning, my young friend!  Your Krikkon is still fast asleep.  We spent much time talking into the night.”   He looked expectantly into the kitchen before adding,  “I may have talked more than I should have, but we had much catching up to do.”

As Lewis approached the low table and set his plate down, Fudok lowered a similarly-piled plate of food in front of Torkon.  Grinning he announced proudly, “Here is your brekka-fust!” and winked at Lewis as he said it.  “Not bad,” laughed Lewis “for a first try.”  Fudok looked proud as he walked back to the kitchen.  

“So,” Torkon muttered as he tucked into his dish, “we have been working on language it seems.  My head spins already.”  He began to chuckle, “I will leave the language lessons entirely to you, my young friend.  I have a cadre of six closed-minded floogonian Etekahs to teach a thing or two.  That’s more than enough words in my head.”

Lewis decided to let the alien eat his floeym first and get his feet under him, before he began plying the poor lawyer with the questions he’d wanted to ask.  Grampa Ethan had appeared and, sitting down at the table, a plate of “brekka-fust” as Fudok repeated it, was set promptly in front of him as well.

As Lewis ate he looked out the window, and noticed that the sky was tinted a pale violet.  Interesting, he thought.  Must be the difference in the atmosphere here.  It was close enough to Earth’s to make for comfortable breathing, but the gravity was somewhat heavier.  Nothing he couldn’t deal with, however.

After breakfast Torkon packed up a case full of tablets, along with some other paraphernalia that Lewis couldn’t identify.  “Come, we can tour the city, as soon as I file these release requests with the authorities, and arrange to have your great-grandparents freed.”  

“Perhaps they will let us see Xerix and Qantuu while we are there?”  Ethan, anxious about their well-being, questioned hopefully. He worried that Qantuu would make a bad thing worse, with her habit of over-dramatizing.  Torkon knew her well, and assured Ethan that his father would certainly do his best to keep his mother calm.

At the government offices, Torkon made the proper applications for release, and after some discreet inquires, found a sympathetic official, who led them down to the cells where the pair were being kept.  As Ethan feared, he could hear his mother’s voice long before they were in sight.  It was not a calm voice.

“Oh oh, that sounds like trouble.” Ethan muttered.  As they rounded the corner, they were met by three scowling floog in uniform standing in front of a large area walled off by a shimmering force field.  On the other side stood Qantuu, shouting at them.  Xerix sat in a comfortable recliner, staring at the tableau with a look of resignation on his face.

“I told you she would disagree!” he announced wearily.  “Good luck trying to calm that down.”

Torkon hurried towards them, asking what the problem was.  With a sigh of relief, all three officials turned to him, only too anxious to fob the problem off on someone else.

“This floogel does not wish to cooperate with our request!” one of them haughtily replied.

Torkon turned to the uniforms asking , “And what exactly is this request, if I may be so bold as to ask.”  Qantuu, and three officials began speaking all at once.

“Stop, STOP!!  Please.  One at a time.” Torkon faced the three, raising himself up to his full height.  It didn’t do him much good, as he was still a good twenty centimetres shy of the average male floog height.  But Torkon had learned long ago to use his voice with authority to overcome his height handicap.  “Now,” he looked at them sternly, “what is the problem?”  Three officials seemed to shrink back just a little, as Torkon raised his voice at them.  The foremost stepped ahead a little and explained, “She does not wish to be separated from the criminal floog.  Her charges are of a lesser seriousness, since she was not involved in the actual absconding with the flambatix.”  He scowled at Qantuu.  “She could be released from this facility right now, if she wishes.”

Torkon turned to Qantuu, who glowered back.  “I do not wish it!  I am staying right here!” she snapped at Torkon’s questioning look.  “If he is a criminal,” pointing at her mate, “then I am a criminal!”

All three officials turned to Torkon as one.  “You see?  She does not wish to be released!”

“Well then, let her be.  It does not change a thing.  And in a short while they will both be free anyway, under my supervision until the trial.”

Without a word and a collective sigh of relief, all three hurried down the hall away from the detention cell.  When they were out of earshot, Torkon turned to the couple and asked how they were holding up.

“We are very happy to see you, Torkon.” Xerix assured his friend.  Qantuu interrupted with a question about their release.  It would probably happen later that day, Torkon told them, unless there were unforeseen problems.  But he didn’t think so.  He knew that his past position as Grand Floogonitax would give him the highest trust rating in the release and supervision requirements that the government demanded.  He also had plans to meet with Biik-Taar, the current leader, to ask, considering the circumstances of Xerix’s urgent need to go to Earth, that  she forgoing the charges against him.  It was a long-shot, but he needed to try.

“You are going to ask that the charges be dropped? Xerix asked him.  “Is that possible?”

“I do not know, but considering how much importance the government gives to family ties, it is always a possibility.  Remote, yes, but still, it is worth a try.”

He looked at the tiltix embedded in the wall.  “I have arranged to meet with Biik-Taar at hour eleven, so we must leave you soon.”  They would all have to be patient until things were resolved, either by trial or by forgiveness.

Too soon, they all said their goodbyes.  As Torkon and the humans made their way to the official wing that housed the residence and offices of the Grande Floogonitel, Ethan wondered if his presence back on Gizmok would help to influence Biik-Taar.  He had a hero’s place in their history books after all, but he didn’t want to push the envelope.  “Would it help?”  he asked the lawyer.

Torkon considered for a moment.  “I supposed it all depends on how much of a “to the rules” person she is.” he mused.  “From my experience she has, as you hu-mans say, a hard nose.  But, if I can find a way, I will try to use your hero status somehow.  It would not hurt.”

After what seemed like kilometres of walking, the trio stood before the double doors that led to the inner office of the Grande Floogonitel.

“I remember standing in front of these doors a long time ago.” Ethan said.  “We were shaking down to our toes ..” 

“..but it was only to see me!” Torkon laughed, interrupting Ethan’s reminiscing.  “And I remember you couldn’t stop talking until your Maamel clapped her hand over your mouth!”  Ethan laughed.  “I was nervous!  You scared the poop out of us.  We didn’t know why we’d been called up to see you.  I thought we’d done something wrong.”*

“I was curious about you, that was all.” Torkon smiled.  

Then, the sentinel stood before them and announced he would lead them in.  Ethan felt the familiar shiver in his knees and he took the first steps leading into the inner chamber.  He surreptitiously glanced over to Lewis and wondered how Lewis was taking it all.  Lewis caught his grandfather’s glance and grinned back at him.  No doubt, this was all just a grand adventure to the kid. 

And so it is, old man, he thought to himself, so it is.

And then they stood in The Hall of Seven Horns.  To each one of the supplicants, it had a different effect.  Torkon was back in very familiar territory, Ethan had a moment of déjà vu, and Lewis was suddenly watching  his grampa’s stories of the planet Gizmok, come to life.

Seven great horns of the wild qaalumii, that once roamed the great plains west of the Sixalake Valley, each of them at least a metre in length, hung on the wall behind the throne.  The wild qaalumii were extinct now.  They’d been domesticated eons ago.  It was where the floogs’ milk and eggs came from, and great herds of them provided many farms with a good income.

An imposing blue figure sat on the throne now, a female, dressed in the robes of office, wearing the Great Horned Crown and the Magnifiant, a  bejewelled necklace that every elected Grand Floog had worn since the inception of rule of law.

“So, Torkon, my colleague, what can I do for you today?” Biik-Taar began.  “From the request, I understand that you wish to make the case that the theft of the flambatix was justified?  I am curious just how you would think so.  I do not see how, nor how I could counter the law as it applies.”

Torkon took a deep breath and began, “Your Eminence, considering the importance we give to family matters, is there not leeway within the law to give pause?”

“Yes, I recall Xerix of Rix giving me the same argument when he begged permission to travel to Urf.  But my distrust of these hu-mans, collectively, has not changed.”  She scowled at the three of them, before she added, “Present company excepted, of course.”  

“Is there nothing that could persuade you to re-think the matter, your Eminence?” Torkon pleaded.  “The hu-mans of Urf do not have interstellar space flight capabilities, fold, or even worm-hole technology yet, and there is very little chance that they would make their way to the further reaches of their own galaxy, let alone arriving in ours in the next several thousand spans!”

“No matter if it has the chance of happening tomorrow or in a thousand spans, the danger exists!  Considering Xerix could at some point be putting the entire world at risk, the problems of a very few become as nothing.  I could not risk it!  Now, it is up to the Courts to decide.”

She crossed her arms and glared at them.  “You can bring up the argument in Court if you wish.  That is up to you.”  With that she dismissed them.

As she watched them go, Biik-Taar drummed the arm of her chair in annoyance.  Why did people think they could flout the law for anything they wished, with excuse of ‘there is no other way, therefore I am justified’?  She sighed and made her way to the outer office intending to see to the last of her business for the day.  

As she made her way to her desk, the communicator at her belt vibrated.  “Yes?”  A breathless voice she recognized as her child-minder spoke rapidly. “Eminence, I am so sorry I tried my best but could not find the child and I have called a search squad and I must keep you informed ..”  the child-minder got no further.  

“What?!  My offspring has disappeared?  How long ago?  Were you not minding? Explain!”

“Yes, yes!  I am sorry. I am preparing to join the searchers.  The child was at play in the rear yard, as he always does, where everything is fenced off for safety, but I could not find him there when I went to fetch him for his lesson.  I looked everywhere.  There was a hole dug under the  enclosure in the corner.  I cannot tell whether he dug it, or whether it was done from the outside going in, as there was dirt piled on the ground both outside and inside the fence.  I do not know if it was foul play from an outside source, or his own curiosity and adventurous spirit that led to the digging out.”

While Biik-Taar listened to the long-winded explanation, she found a chair on shaking legs.  She knew something that, up to now, no one beyond the Council, a very select few, and herself knew.  The ruling class dragons, the Struulkor of Kruptaar had been making forays into Gizmok space.  The Peace Forces had noticed signs of Kruptaar-identified emissions logged by the sensors on regular patrols, and the Council was very suspicious that they were preparing for eventual attack.  Biik-Taar had not wanted to believe such a thing, but everyone knew that the bad-tempered Struulkor were a war-like species.  But to gain more power through dominance of another world had been unthinkable.  Now, with the sudden disappearance of her offspring, if it was the work of the Struulkor, she would change her mind very quickly.

“Eminence!”

The voice brought her abruptly out of her thoughts.  “Yes?” she snapped back.  

It was her aide Bilat, with a tablet and stylus in his hand.  He looked apologetic, “I am sorry to interrupt you.  I have your schedule for tomorrow.”  He handed the tablet and stylus to her.  “The Council meeting regarding the Kruptaar situation has been moved up to first slot in the schedule.  There has been another reading, this time much closer to our atmosphere, by around 10,000 segmarqks.  The Chief Etekah tells me this must be addressed immediately, and counter-points implemented to discourage this activity at all costs.  Staarka assures me it is of paramount national importance!”

“Yes, of course it is,” Biik-Taar agreed as she signed the tablet to confirm the changes, “but they may have to work something out on their own tomorrow!  I have an emergency of my own to deal with that has a higher priority!”  She shoved the tablet back into the Aide’s hands and stood up quickly.  The Aide’s mouth opened in dismay.  “How can anything take precedence  over something that endangers the entire world?” he gasped in shock.  Biik-Taar stared at him.  “My child is missing!  He may have been kidnapped by the Struulkors!” She cried.  “I must find him!”

“If that is the case, let the searchers find him.  They are well equipped and experienced enough to find the child.  Your place is at the head of an all-leader meeting for national safety.  You know the law.  If you are not there, you could be removed from office for negligence.”

“I know that!  But how can I not go searching as well?  I need to find my Ontemi!” She wailed.  The Aide looked sympathetic.  “Does not a leader need to be the epitome of the law then, Eminence?”

Biik-Taar knew he was right.  But, she was torn between actively searching, as opposed to trusting a  team, even though fully trained and experienced, to find him.  It would be the hardest decision she’d ever have to make.  

She wished her mate was still here to give her strength, but he’d disappeared spans ago, while on a scouting mission in the outer reaches of the galaxy.  Their Ontemi, Srastor, named after his Papon, had been set to Utsemir before he left, and he’d never returned.  After the declaration of death had been issued, the Utsemir event was a bitter-sweet moment for Biik-Taar, and she had been raising Srastor alone.  Up to now, she had not summoned up the courage to find another mate to help parent the child with her.

CHAPTER 3.

Lewis listened with intense interest to Torkon’s somewhat confusing conversation on his communicator.  From the sound of things, all government agencies were in an uproar.  This was the fourth call Torkon had received in the last hour.  Lewis looked at Grampa Ethan and raised his hands in a questioning gesture.  Grampa frowned and shook his head.  

After leaving the government buildings, they were sitting now on a patio outside a refreshment shop, enjoying a cool drink.  Doing a quick tour of the city was part of the agenda of the day.  Waiting for the call to come back for Xerix and Qantuu compelled them to stay close by, so sitting on this particular patio seemed to fill the need for the moment.  Every call that Torkon got raised their expectations of that call, but each one turned out to be another panicking official.

When Torkon rang off, both humans looked at the floog for an explanation.  Ethan, after Torkon silently stared unfocussed at the table for an uncomfortable length of time, finally asked, “What’s going on?”

“I do not quite know yet, but we may have a problem that is far bigger than a theft charge.  So far, all I can understand is that Kruptaar’s ruling class dragons may have designs on our world, and have been scouting our space for reasons known only to them.”

“You mean like a take-over?” Lewis asked.

“Yes, and if the dragons want our world, they will destroy everything on it, and then re-form it to suit themselves.  The possibility has the Etefing in an uproar.” Torkon shook his head, and looked around quickly.  “I do not know what to think, but you should speak very softly of this for the moment.”

“How is it that we only hear about this now?” Ethan asked Torkon.  Lowering his voice, Torkon leaned in and whispered, “If the general population knew of this, whether it be true or not, there would be a great panic everywhere.  If it is true, then we need to take steps to ensure an invasion does not happen, before giving out information.  We need to control the proper evacuation and protection of as many as we can.”

Ethan shook his head, “There may be panic no matter what you do.”  Torkon agreed, but reducing the panic as much as possible was their goal, and no one was sure yet that the danger was even as dire as they were afraid it was.  “We need to know more, before making the announcement.” He said finally, “Once we make it,  our plan for protection and defense must be in place!”

Ethan made the observation, “It wasn’t that long ago that the dragons weren’t even close to having the technology to reach us.  They’re so far out near the edge of the galaxy during their winter portion of the rotation, that it would take either worm hole tech or FTL capability.”

“True,” Torkon agreed, “but unbeknownst to us, things have changed rapidly.  Biik-Taar surmises that one of the lesser-class duuggars who share the planet with them, has perhaps acted as a spy, infiltrated and made off with enough of our tech to give them some knowledge of our worm hole generator.  We have been much too free with our friendliness in the past, and may be coming back to haunt us now.”