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What bothered him for that moment was the feeling that
he had transmitted a falsehood. The truth was, he was not
dealing with the situation, and he doubted if Soodleel had
any intention of solving it either.
The feeling passed. Because what did it matter? What
could the Nunuli do against human beings? Nothing ... it
seemed. With that thought, he started around the clump of
brush. Rounded it. And stopped. And stared.
For God's sake, he thought.
Soodleel was standing beside the highway, watching the
ceaseless traffic. She was only about thirty meters from him,
and at first she showed no awareness of him. Modyun started
forward and she turned to face him. Instantly, what had al-
ready astounded him, intensified.
Her aliveness! It was absolutely startling. She was smiling
as she looked at him. It was an electrifyingly beautiful smile.
There she stood, somewhat awkwardly dressed in a pair of
trousers and a shirt. But her golden hair fell down to her
shoulders. Her blue eyes were so bright that they almost
seemed to shine with a light of their own. Her lips were
slightly parted, and the overall effect was of a brilliant-per-
sonality on the verge of what?
Modyun had no idea. He had never looked at a woman
who was human and full grown. What made her appearance
so unexpected was that, a few weeks ago when he had last
seen her she had been measurably smaller in size. And there
had been about her a kind of dullness, which Doda had at-
tributed to the extremely rapid cell growth. And of course to
drugs.
All that was gone.
Suddenly, here she was radiant with health. Her whole
body and face projected a vibrance. And it went on and on,
never ceasing for a moment. This stunning apparition said in
a golden-throated voice, "Eket let me overperceive your
message to the others."
The woman added, "So that's the problem."
Modyun discovered her own voice at this point. "That's a
part." He went on hastily, "Let's get into a car, and I'll tell
you the rest."
He was anxious now. He was really overdue in his apart-
ment, and the sooner they were en route the better that situa-
tion would be.
Soodleel offered no objection to his suggestion. Modyun,
accordingly, signalled an unoccupied vehicle. They climbed
in, and he began his tale. How he had been mistaken for an
ape. Of how he had permitted the misidentification out of
curiosity. And of the consequent confinement to his apart-
ment as a penalty for obtaining living quarters under a false
name.
When Modyun had finished his summary, Soodleel said,
"Your sentence is for twenty days?"
"Yes."
"And you have now served eighteen?"
"Yes." A puzzled tone because she seemed purposeful.
"Do you think there is anything significant to it being ex-
actly twenty days?" asked the woman.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they needed twenty days to accomplish something in
connection with you, and wanted you inactive during that
time?"
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It was a totally new thought But Modyun recovered
swiftly from its implications. He said, "What can they do in
three weeks that they can't do in three days?" He broke off,
finished more simply, "I assume I received a sentence to fit
the crime."
"Then you believe that many animals give a false iden-
tity?"
It occurred to Modyun after a pregnant pause that he
didn't believe anything of the kind, and that in fact he
doubted if anyone had ever been sentenced for that "crime"
before.
He said slowly, "It does seem odd, but the fact is, what
can they do? What can their committee do?"
Soodleel's even features had been twisted into the ex-
pression of someone trying to grasp a difficult concept. With
his words, she smiled that brilliant smile. And, just like that,
she was beautifully intense again. "That is true," she agreed.
"So there really is no problem. I was curious."
Her dismissal of the matter, after she had brought up such
a good poult, did not entirely satisfy Modyun. Which remind-
ed him that time was slipping by.
"My solution to all this," he said, "is not to do anything to
create further problems."
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