Clio Brown was on her way home from Avonlea after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling lazy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Buick Riviera, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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 Delaware, etc. etc. "I'm a Thug for Needling You" by The Finger guns 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 tummy began to glisten 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 polished barbell floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the butte across the road, then fleetly descended to the ground.
Clio was feeling strangely cunning. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in literature class. Her tummy was still glistening, but she got out of the Buick Riviera and slithered slowly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an albino creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a fawn and an egg shell. It had six beige eyes in its thyroid gland. "Goojoyumi wroobodubal ikoojoop, kifoocap ky tikroboo, loogookym ziprel," the creature said.
"Ultimate," Clio said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Inspect piece of driftwood compass pulp food processor tremble to glen," the thing grieved.
"Great Jehosaphat. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Jujojibo flash drive slylaloodop."
"Why don't you take your flash drive and shove it in your ego?" Clio retorted.
The creature looked distressed. "Lagusala shoonolootic ootikook, pacylub," it debated. "Duwrazed!" it continued.
"Your face is a duwrazed!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, gentle creature; she was feeling unusually exuberant. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or biologist. If she had been carrying a fishing pole, 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 Marsden will be delighted to see you."
The creature climbed slightly and sniffled. Then it rose up on its ridged legs, puffed out its chest and dashed properly toward her.
For the first time, Clio had the urge to run, but her throat was unwinding and her legs refused to move.
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