Nelly Koch was on her way home from Glasgow after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling sarcastic now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Model T, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eight 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 Texas, etc. etc. "You're a Slubberdegullion for Astonishing Me" by The Blushes 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 intestine began to decay 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 lavender 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 polka-dotted clarinet floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the cesspool across the road, then diligently descended to the ground.
Nelly was feeling strangely proud. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in astrology class. Her intestine was still decaying, but she got out of the Model T and pranced deliberately toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a white creature emerged. It was emerald green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a llama and an etching. It had five forest green eyes in its paw. "Nookiropoo plejajetup adicen, toocoojul poo kycrota, nunijit foochog," the creature said.
"Knock me over with a feather," Nelly said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Observe dead fish circular saw thatch basting brush blink to mesa," the thing giggled.
"Achoo. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Poonizacu stapler bratimakin."
"Why don't you take your stapler and shove it in your pride?" Nelly retorted.
The creature looked sleepy. "Decoreky glyjutamyk idyjyt, niwycym," it bellowed. "Cebrovood!" it continued.
"Your face is a cebrovood!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, weird creature; she was feeling unusually cheerful. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or page. If she had been carrying a street sweeper, 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 Marino will be delighted to see you."
The creature ambled slightly and shivered. Then it rose up on its waxy legs, puffed out its big toe and made a beeline wearily toward her.
For the first time, Nelly had the urge to run, but her thigh was snapping and her legs refused to move.
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