Flinx Transcendent_ A Pip & Flinx Adventure - Alan Dean Foster [76]
Flinx responded without hesitation. “Nothing would please me more, venerable Navvur, than for your scientists to deep-scan that section of the heavens and find nothing more than the most dull and boring extension of normality.”
“Krazzumk,” the Emperor grunted. “You threaten apocalypsse yet assk for little.”
For the second time that morning, Flinx shrugged diffidently. “I ask only to be allowed to go.”
Navvur considered. “I know what I experienced, I know what I felt, I know what I ssenssed in place of sseeing. What I do not know iss how one ssmall and inssignificant being ssuch as yoursself, remarkable though you may be, can possibly think you can ssuccessfully confront and combat a menace greater in extent than entire clussterss of sstarss.”
How much should he explain? Flinx found himself wondering. How much could he explain? “I hope …,” he began. “I hope to have—help.”
The Emperor let out an ascending hiss. “It would have to be help on a cossmic sscale to deal with ssuch a cossmic peril. My hope would be to die long before thiss phenomenon—if it iss as real as it appearss—reachess the outsskirtss of our galaxy.” Bright piercing eyes searched Flinx's own. “You appear to me to ssuffer from a debilitating affliction common among your kind, Flinx LLVVRXX of the Ssaiinn. You are an incorrigible optimisst.”
“If I was not,” Flinx told him, “I suppose I would have given myself up for lost a long, long time ago.”
Was that a reptilian twinkle in the Emperor's eye? “You ‘ssupposse’?”
“I said I was optimistic.” Reaching up, Flinx stroked the back of Pip's neck.
“Mysself,” Navvur replied thoughtfully, “I find optimissm to be a mental sstate inconducive to ssurvival. That doess not mean it sshould not be encouraged. One thing iss ssurely rightful: if what you sshared jusst now with me and mine iss veritable, then as you ssay it truly will not matter if you live or die.” He made a gesture that pronounced first-degree judgment. “Accordingly, I have decided to let you li—”
He was interrupted by a screaming noble, hands and claws extended and teeth bared, who made a sudden leap straight for the human's throat.
The violent, unexpected onslaught triggered several synchronous responses. Although the attack was clearly aimed at the softskin in their midst, Navvur's bodyguards took no chances. Weapons were leveled as they rushed to fill the space between the assailant and the Emperor. High overhead Pip took immediate note of the sudden upsurge in her master's emotions, folded her wings to her sides, and dropped like a stone toward the hurtling AAnn. At the last instant she spread both brightly hued membranes and rocketed off to one side. Startled nobles and advisers ducked or flinched as she shot past just over their heads. She broke off the counterattack because Flinx empathically urged her to do so. Another party had already intervened on his behalf.
Launching himself forward, Lord Eiipul IX smacked into the side of the bounding assailant and sent both of them crashing to the glittering floor of The Eye. His interception of the assault was not the end of it. Tail flailing, the enraged noble who had launched the attack promptly turned his ire on his fellow nye.
Wanting to intervene but unsure of the proper protocol for doing so, Flinx could only stand by and watch as Eiipul took up the fight on behalf of his guest. He himself had fought AAnn before, had observed AAnn battling humans and thranx, had even seen