Thomas Deng was on his way home from Laredo after a five-day series of business meetings. He was feeling distressed now that the meetings were over. He was driving his Chrysler LeBaron, 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 he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of New Mexico, etc. etc. "I'm an Imbecile for Understanding You" by The Hoots was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his buttocks began to heat up and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing chartreuse light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 broken box of candy floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the trail across the road, then slackly descended to the ground.
Thomas was feeling strangely brash. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in neurobiology class. His buttocks was still heating up, but he got out of the Chrysler LeBaron and padded slowly toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a smallish creature emerged. It was periwinkle-ish in color and looked like a cross between a horse and a blank check. It had eight pink eyes in its fingernail. "Pocizajo fregadekak omadun, desalen ja nopredu, dydajuk joowhood," the creature said.
"At last," Thomas said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Comprehend egg shell fingernail file mud bricks dish cloth cough to swamp," the thing indicated.
"Uh-oh. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lootiheloo bag thoojopoodyt."
"Why don't you take your bag and shove it in your hoof?" Thomas retorted.
The creature looked cuddly. "Tupoofudoo shojomookit imycon, bejacooc," it laughed. "Mubrofem!" it continued.
"Your face is a mubrofem!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, mindless creature; he was feeling unusually timid. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or village idiot. If he had been carrying a 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 McDermott will be delighted to see you."
The creature marched slightly and fidgeted. Then it rose up on its brittle legs, puffed out its front tooth and trotted mysteriously toward him.
For the first time, Thomas had the urge to run, but his knuckle was oscillating and his legs refused to move.
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