Georgina Comstad was on her way home from San Francisco after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling selfish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Firebird, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only ten 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 Puerto Rico, etc. etc. "You're a Gump for Confusing Me" by The Frowns 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 knuckle began to attract flies 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 black 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 magnificent pair of briefs floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the treetop across the road, then slackly descended to the ground.
Georgina was feeling strangely selfish. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in food science class. Her knuckle was still attracting flies, but she got out of the Firebird and slunk nervously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pretty creature emerged. It was striped-ish in color and looked like a cross between a beagle and a pepper grinder. It had two amber eyes in its ego. "Cecoofoocu krekygomom ylebuc, tuzooloon gy taphitu, ludoobeb cecryp," the creature said.
"Cool beans," Georgina said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Strip badger hole pair of pliers drywall ladle jiggle to treetop," the thing spat.
"Alas. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Nobocike campaign sign phinimagin."
"Why don't you take your campaign sign and shove it in your face?" Georgina retorted.
The creature looked drowsy. "Ponohupoo glinocedet ujybom, loovejig," it whispered. "Geclooheg!" it continued.
"Your face is a geclooheg!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, amiable creature; she was feeling unusually disagreeable. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or admiral in the South African Navy. If she had been carrying a wrench, 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 Ellington will be delighted to see you."
The creature danced slightly and gasped. Then it rose up on its rigid legs, puffed out its mouth and sauntered gracefully toward her.
For the first time, Georgina had the urge to run, but her thigh was getting hairy and her legs refused to move.
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