Read Online Elemental by Steven Savile - Free Book Online

and risk introducing potentially fatal organisms to my people. I’m an exile, an outcast forever!” He began to leak copiously.
    The visitor was abashed. “The sin is mine,” he said, full of contrition. “I was the one who enticed you to eat it.”

    â€œThat’s not going to make a lot of difference to my group-supes,” the alien blubbered.
    The visitor nibbled his lower lip and cast a mindful glance skywards. “I probably shouldn’t even be suggesting this to you, but … do you have to tell them about it?”
    â€œYou know nothing of our reentry procedures, so save your breath. The first thing they do to you is run you through a battery of diagnostic devices that can tell what your eggmom had for breakfast the day she extruded you. If I tried to return, they’d immolate me before I could finish saying, ‘But it wasn’t my fault!’ I don’t want to be immolated.”
    â€œYou won’t have to be,” the visitor said, suddenly sanguine. “Listen, I’ve got an idea: If you can’t go home again, why not stay? It’s not such a bad world. I can make one or two little changes to your body so that you won’t have any problems living here.”
    â€œYou could do that?” The alien’s tears were already hardening to chunks of amber.
    â€œI said I’m a healer. Healing changes your body, so why shouldn’t changing your body count as healing? Now let me see …” He rolled up the sleeves of his resplendent gold and silver robes and set to work. “First I’ll fix it so you can breathe the air, drink the water, eat the food, the whole basic package. Now then, the gravity’s a bit more than you’re used to, so we’ll have to go with a low-slung chassis, something simple yet elegant, not too fussy—I’m working without an olive branch here, and I never was much of an artist, but still … there! Done.”
    The alien tasted the air with his freshly forked tongue and swayed from side to side, surveying the scaly length of his new body. “Not bad. I look like one of my old tentacles. But what’s with the four little legs?” he asked. “I mean, these stomach muscles can take me anywhere I want to go, so what’s the point ?”
    â€œMost of the land-creatoids I’ve seen have them,” the visitor said. “I was just going along with the trend. If you don’t like them, we can try getting them removed later on. Happy?”
    â€œI guess,” the alien allowed grudgingly. “I’d be happier if I had somewhere
a bit safer to live, though. Have you smelled the air? It reeks of carnivores, and in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m carnal. I don’t think these dinky little legs are going to outrun any halfway healthy meat-eater.”
    â€œWhere would you like to live?”
    â€œOh, I don’t know. Some nice, green garden spot with a lot more trees and bushes and plants. Especially trees. It’s always safer in the trees.”
    The visitor bent down and picked up the alien, draping him around his neck. “I know just the place,” he said, heading east. “Very tranquil, very safe, and not too many other inhabitants, none of them carnivores. A little isolated, but that’s all to the good. I just hope you won’t find it too, well, boring.”
    â€œDon’t worry about me,” the alien said with a hissy chuckle. “If it becomes too tedious, I can always do a spot of recreational research with any accessible subjects. Most experiments are nothing more than minor variations on the universal theme of ‘What do you suppose would happen to this if I did that ?’ I’ll find what to keep me busy, never fear. Once a scientist, always a scientist.”
    For some reason known but to the Source of otters, anthropoids, angels, and aliens alike, the new-made serpent’s words made the visitor shudder