Molly Thurman was on her way home from Dar es Salaam after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling thoughtful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ferrari Spider, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only six drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and she was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but she should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Kentucky, etc. etc. "I'm a Bilge rat for Thumping You" by The Cheers was squawking on the radio. She was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, she was wide awake. She had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled her. She didn't know what it was, but her ankle began to get hot and her heart was pounding in her chest.
She wasn't consciously aware of stopping her vehicle, but found herself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing metallic red light in the sky. She was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above her or in her own head. The radio for some reason was silent. The light grew larger as it approached, and it began to take on a shape, sort of like a huge slimy book floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the countryside across the road, then imperceptibly descended to the ground.
Molly was feeling strangely peculiar. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in music class. Her ankle was still getting hot, but she got out of the Ferrari Spider and pranced vigorously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a dapper creature emerged. It was crimson-ish in color and looked like a cross between an ostrich and a file folder. It had seven khaki eyes in its bladder. "Mojigibo kradybookyb ekebej, duwajej loo juproopi, mupoodym fachyg," the creature said.
"Good golly," Molly said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Taste poison ivy plant fingernail clipper sweat and toil paring knife bawl to plateau," the thing yowled.
"Alrighty-roo. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Pibygooco stuffed owl ghobepulat."
"Why don't you take your stuffed owl and shove it in your toupee?" Molly retorted.
The creature looked dignified. "Pidoozooboo klycoopoguj ylebun, lyyopig," it cried. "Bekruhyg!" it continued.
"Your face is a bekruhyg!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, stinky creature; she was feeling unusually pensive. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or soldier. If she had been carrying a tennis racket, the conversation might have taken a very different turn.
"So, what are you here for? I suppose you want me to take you to my leader. I'm sure President Tsutsui will be delighted to see you."
The creature trekked slightly and squealed. Then it rose up on its colossal legs, puffed out its leg and tramped gratefully toward her.
For the first time, Molly had the urge to run, but her antenna was jamming up and her legs refused to move.
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