Blasphemy (part 5)
Theem Seeker of God looked at her quizzically, holding up a bony finger.
"Pissed?"
"Drunk," chuckled Walder from the other side of the table, waking up from his stupor long enough to make the attempt at humor.
"Angry," Maggie growled, and Walder slid back into seeming unconsciousness. "Upset."
"I understand." Theem Seeker of God waved his hand, which seemed to be the equivalent of a human nod.
"I didn't, at the time. Anger is one of the responses that can happen when a species realize they are no longer alone in the Universe. You expect it from races that have large stockpiles of arms and munitions on the ground, or in orbit. The Laasko didn't have visible weaponry, which made the response unusual."
Maggie picked up her glass, and swirled the port under her nose.
"They were annoyed enough to send out one of their largest ships, pushing it dangerously close to their limits to catch us. Under normal circumstances, we'd have just popped into hyperspace and gotten away. That's standard First Contact protocol for an unexpected incursion into a system with a 'naive' civilization. It's also the standard protocol prior to contact with a species that appears unusually aggressive."
She sipped at the dark purplish fluid, fortified and strong. Theem Seeker of God waved two of his hands, a show of emphatic understanding.
"And you could not do this. What do the protocols call for in this case?"
Dugar refilled his own glass with port. As the decanter emptied, another one of the bartender's tentacles stretched out from behind the bar. Wrapped with small cloths of yellow and orange, the locals knew that it was the fourth tentacle that returned Theem Seeker of God's staff. Theem Seeker of God grasped the staff with two of its hands and carefully set it on the floor. On the way back to the bar, the tentacle carried the empty decanter. A second tentacle (red and black stripes, number twelve) passed the first halfway, bringing a fresh supply of port to the table. More wagered credits changed hands, flippers, and other appendages amongst those sitting at the bar.
"The protocols call for leaving, using whatever methods possible."