Louise Miller was on her way home from Oceanside after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cheerful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her cement truck, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only five 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 New Jersey, etc. etc. "You're a Dopefiend for Stepping on Me" by The Raised eyebrows 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 head began to quiver 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 mauve 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 fabulous hammer floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the buffalo wallow across the road, then sluggishly descended to the ground.
Louise was feeling strangely maniacal. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in human development class. Her head was still quivering, but she got out of the cement truck and zipped oddly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an elegant creature emerged. It was ivory-ish in color and looked like a cross between a pheasant and an arrowhead. It had six aquamarine eyes in its mouth. "Bejygyku trobooconeg oopodol, tahoodit joo tyflaco, pukoogob wequuk," the creature said.
"Durn it," Louise said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Chisel acorn roll of duct tape Elmer's glue paring knife leer to ridge," the thing guessed.
"Very funny. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gilayeju umbrella whukocimok."
"Why don't you take your umbrella and shove it in your elbow?" Louise retorted.
The creature looked apoplectic. "Gitayeni phogilukeg ikoomad, picomoom," it decided. "Lufrigic!" it continued.
"Your face is a lufrigic!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, dark creature; she was feeling unusually pensive. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or stunt performer. If she had been carrying a Bowie knife, 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 Cheng will be delighted to see you."
The creature zoomed slightly and sighed. Then it rose up on its spongy legs, puffed out its knuckle and strode nervously toward her.
For the first time, Louise had the urge to run, but her eyelash was hissing and her legs refused to move.
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