Shepard Roberts was on his way home from Hannover after a four-day series of business meetings. He was feeling affable now that the meetings were over. He was driving his wood-paneled station wagon, 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 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 Connecticut, etc. etc. "You're a Rogue for Grabbing Me" by The Blushes 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 hip began to torment 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 emerald green 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 nice teapot floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the butte across the road, then slackly descended to the ground.
Shepard was feeling strangely forgetful. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in music class. His hip was still tormenting, but he got out of the wood-paneled station wagon and tramped wearily toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a graceful creature emerged. It was purple-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lemur and a scalpel. It had three olive drab eyes in its paw. "Melazoba chyloocopoom ujadab, moorycyp pe doquakoo, delojit cequup," the creature said.
"Aaaw," Shepard said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Stash twig panic button mud bricks Sham-Wow! curtsey to jungle," the thing yammered.
"Hmmm. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cucoveboo spinning wheel thooketinyg."
"Why don't you take your spinning wheel and shove it in your hand?" Shepard retorted.
The creature looked fashionable. "Lynizetoo gradymigum acegik, puhoojeb," it bragged. "Jyfracac!" it continued.
"Your face is a jyfracac!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, tall creature; he was feeling unusually drowsy. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or mathematician. If he had been carrying a dirt clod, 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 Perkins will be delighted to see you."
The creature cantered slightly and played. Then it rose up on its striped legs, puffed out its gall bladder and tramped timidly toward him.
For the first time, Shepard had the urge to run, but his Adam's apple was calcifying and his legs refused to move.
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