Read Online An Accidental Alliance by Jonathan Edward Feinstein - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jonathan Edward Feinstein
Tags: Science Fiction/Fantasy
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tall at its shoulders. It paused at the water’s edge and sniffed in all directions. Then it made an eerie, deep-pitched howl and several others of its ilk arrived.
These beasts did have snouts and rows of teeth that marked them for the carnivores they were. The teeth were all at least two inches long with front fangs even longer. Their long tongues dropped into the water as they drank their fill. When they were done, they slipped back away from the river silently.
“I’m glad we decided not to stay on shore,” Iris whispered as she took a few pictures.
“Yeah,” Park breathed. “Not exactly cute and cuddly house pets, are they? What I want to know is why they had to send a scout first. What are they afraid of?”
“I’m not sure I want to know,” Iris replied. “No, I take that back. I do want to know. That sort of information could be crucial. Oh something else is thirsty.”
As they watched, a dozen or so bipedal creatures jumped down to the water’s edge. Their bodies were mostly thick-looking bare skin, but they had vestigial wings covered with short dark feathers, a mane of feathers down their backs and broad, turkey-like tails. They may have been birds or something birds evolved into, but their heads were completely unlike any bird either Park or Iris had ever seen.
Their beaks filed most of their faces and were broad and long and, when they were closed, appeared circular in profile. They stood about four feet tall and had legs like tree trunks.
“Some budgies, huh?” Park whispered to Iris. She had trouble stifling a laugh. “At least we finally found something that can see over the seed heads.”
“There’s something rustling on the other side of the river,” Iris reported while the strange birds were still drinking.
“I’ll take a look,” Park replied, adding, “Next trip we both get binocs.” He studied the other shore but soon told her, “I don’t see anything either. The grass comes right down to the water there and a little in the water for that matter. Something seems to be making it move but I can’t see it. Must be futuristic mice or something like that.”
“There are some small things a bit upstream,” Iris told him, “but all I see is a sort of swarming movement.”
An hour later the banks of the river became quiet once more and Park called back to the base. Arn listened to the report but his only comment was, “Next time, don’t call so late. We worry about you here.”
Six
“Where did you find these?” Arn asked when Park and Iris returned to base three days later. They had delivered three large animal specimens, but the two that Arn were most interested in were the ones Park and Iris had decided to call a grazer and a blade bird.
“It was not quite two days from here by boat,” Park replied. “We got them more or less at the same time.”
On their second day away from the base, Park and Iris had continued on downstream for only half a day when the river had widened to a quarter of a mile and became so shallow it was necessary to portage past before getting back in the boat to continue on. The actual portage took two hours of strenuous work, tugging the heavy craft over the sand and gravel. Maybe we need to fit wheels on this thing,” Park grunted when they were halfway along.
Iris paused to consider the matter and replied, “That could be done,” she replied at last. We don’t want them in the water all the time, but I think a pair of retractable wheels that swing up and down near the stern would make this portage a lot easier. I’ll see about retrofitting them when we get back. They’ll have to have fairly wide tires for going over soft surfaces, of course…” she trailed off.
“I was only kidding,” Park told
These beasts did have snouts and rows of teeth that marked them for the carnivores they were. The teeth were all at least two inches long with front fangs even longer. Their long tongues dropped into the water as they drank their fill. When they were done, they slipped back away from the river silently.
“I’m glad we decided not to stay on shore,” Iris whispered as she took a few pictures.
“Yeah,” Park breathed. “Not exactly cute and cuddly house pets, are they? What I want to know is why they had to send a scout first. What are they afraid of?”
“I’m not sure I want to know,” Iris replied. “No, I take that back. I do want to know. That sort of information could be crucial. Oh something else is thirsty.”
As they watched, a dozen or so bipedal creatures jumped down to the water’s edge. Their bodies were mostly thick-looking bare skin, but they had vestigial wings covered with short dark feathers, a mane of feathers down their backs and broad, turkey-like tails. They may have been birds or something birds evolved into, but their heads were completely unlike any bird either Park or Iris had ever seen.
Their beaks filed most of their faces and were broad and long and, when they were closed, appeared circular in profile. They stood about four feet tall and had legs like tree trunks.
“Some budgies, huh?” Park whispered to Iris. She had trouble stifling a laugh. “At least we finally found something that can see over the seed heads.”
“There’s something rustling on the other side of the river,” Iris reported while the strange birds were still drinking.
“I’ll take a look,” Park replied, adding, “Next trip we both get binocs.” He studied the other shore but soon told her, “I don’t see anything either. The grass comes right down to the water there and a little in the water for that matter. Something seems to be making it move but I can’t see it. Must be futuristic mice or something like that.”
“There are some small things a bit upstream,” Iris told him, “but all I see is a sort of swarming movement.”
An hour later the banks of the river became quiet once more and Park called back to the base. Arn listened to the report but his only comment was, “Next time, don’t call so late. We worry about you here.”
Six
“Where did you find these?” Arn asked when Park and Iris returned to base three days later. They had delivered three large animal specimens, but the two that Arn were most interested in were the ones Park and Iris had decided to call a grazer and a blade bird.
“It was not quite two days from here by boat,” Park replied. “We got them more or less at the same time.”
On their second day away from the base, Park and Iris had continued on downstream for only half a day when the river had widened to a quarter of a mile and became so shallow it was necessary to portage past before getting back in the boat to continue on. The actual portage took two hours of strenuous work, tugging the heavy craft over the sand and gravel. Maybe we need to fit wheels on this thing,” Park grunted when they were halfway along.
Iris paused to consider the matter and replied, “That could be done,” she replied at last. We don’t want them in the water all the time, but I think a pair of retractable wheels that swing up and down near the stern would make this portage a lot easier. I’ll see about retrofitting them when we get back. They’ll have to have fairly wide tires for going over soft surfaces, of course…” she trailed off.
“I was only kidding,” Park told
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