The Mystery of Ireta_ Dinosaur Planet & Dinosaur Planet Survivors - Anne McCaffrey [201]
More out of a wish to distract himself, Kai approached Perens, the Mazer Star’s navigator. “Why do dinosaurs fascinate you and these others so much? They are smelly animals, crawling with vermin, not very intelligent, and I can’t give them any marks for beauty. To me they are nothing but mammoth walking appetites. If Ireta wasn’t also blessed with a vegetation explosion, they’d’ve died out long ago of starvation.”
Perens, a dapper little man with a pencil-thin moustache, which he stroked lovingly, grinned at Kai. “Didn’t you get the capsule history of Old Terra in your tutorials?” When Kai nodded, Perens continued. “Well, the only thing I remember about it in any detail was the chapter on prehistory. The rest was sort of wars and power struggles, no different from what we have today in the Federated Planets, only more intense because it was limited to the one small planet and, generally, to one or two continents. But I remembered the dinosaurs and the Mesozoic age. I remembered because they had lasted, as a viable life-form, for more millions of years than we have!” Perens smoothed his moustache absently. “I’ve always wondered what kept the dinosaurs going for so long on Old Terra, when Homo sapiens, operating in a much shorter time scale, came so close to pulling the plug on itself.” Then he shrugged and grinned ingenuously at Kai. “Dinosaurs are big, they’re ugly, and they’re fascinating. Raw power, a force of nature, majestic!”
Just then, Lunzie appeared beside them, in her hand a tray with glasses filled with her special Iretan brew. Nothing could have been more welcome. “Muhlah! You’ve been well occupied, Lunzie.” He turned to grin encouragingly at Perens. “Hope you’re a drinking man because this stuff may be a local brew but it’s good!”
Lunzie raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. “But it’s planet-brewed, Kai, not processed.”
“I’m learning chapter and verse like a good Disciple,” he said, toasting her with his glass. He had the touch of the liqueur on his lips when he stayed his hand. “It won’t react with Mayerd’s medicine, will it?”
“If it might, I wouldn’t have served you.”
“In that case—” and Kai knocked back the entire glass, holding it out for a refill.
“Hmm. My, how the pure have been corrupted!” But she complied before she moved on.
Perens was cautious. He merely wet his lips, then judiciously ran his tongue over them. Then he took a tiny sip, washing the liquid about his mouth. Kai watched him with a certain respect, for the spiritous beverage had a bite to it. Finally Perens condescended to drink.
“Not bad at all. I wonder what she uses. If you’ll excuse me,” and Perens slipped away in pursuit of the medic.
Kai wandered over to Trizein, who was lecturing Maxnil and Crilsoff on the evolution of the families of hadrasaur, noting that one had traded a keen sense of smell for improved vision. The two officers were listening with every outward show of interest, but Kai noticed that they were sipping the liquor in hefty swallows. Maxnil caught Lunzie’s attention, miming the need for a refill. As Lunzie apparently had few qualms about serving her beverage to the group, the evening shortly assumed a rosier aspect for Kai, and by the end of the evening the cruiser contingent had to be issued bedding for none of them could have been trusted to pilot the others back to the Zaid-Dayan.
A variety of claxons eventually roused them all. Recalls became shriller summonses as the polite first request was ignored by sound sleepers. The comunit became equally insistent in Kai’s dome. With groggy fingers he opened the toggle and grunted acknowledgment.
“Governor Kai, Commander Sassinak’s compliments, and she is sending the pinnace to collect you for an important meeting here. And, sir,” the polite voice of the communications duty officer added, “would there