Fineprint

"Maybe it's just a human thing," Dennis said, as he pushed awkwardly through a patch of thick ferns. "On Earth, we have this thing called democracy, it's a political system but also kind of an ideology where the opinion of each individual matters and is taken into account. Doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, weak or powerful, every person gets their say. We tend to care what people think, their opinion of us. It's kind of jarring to me, the way that you dismiss people offhand."

"You sound like you don't approve," Xhe replied, an accusatory tone in her voice.

"I wouldn't presume to know what's best for Borealans, but do you really just see Yuta and anyone below your rank as...somehow of less value?"

"You misunderstand the concept of a pack, Ambassador. If I am the hand, then the pack are my fingers. I do not care to hear the opinion of a finger, the finger must work alongside the others in order to accomplish the task, but what is a hand without fingers? Impotent, useless. Every Borealan has value in our society, everyone had a place."

There was a loud crash in the jungle ahead, and Yuta put her hand up, waving for them to stay back. She unholstered her weapon, reaching into the leather bandoleer that was strapped across her ample chest and pulling out a brass cartridge, sliding it into the chamber and locking the bolt with a click. Dennis and Xhe crouched behind the cover of a nearby root, listening intently, Yuta's round ears swiveling and twisting in every direction as she scanned the forest.

Another crash. Crowds of frightened birds erupted from the treetops, screeching angrily as they dispersed into the air. There was a loud call, a battle cry like the roar of a lion that echoed through the trees. It was answered by three other voices, then by Yuta, who snarled her reply. Were they positioning each other?

There was another tremendous crash, this one sounded closer. Dennis saw the canopy shake above him, leaves and twigs raining down on his head. Yuta braced herself against a tree, raising the rifle in her muscular arms and aiming it into the dense trees. Dennis couldn't see more than ten feet in any direction, it was like being snowblind.

"It is coming this way," Xhe whispered, and Dennis felt a twinge of fear in his belly. What was it, some horrific alien monster that would haunt his nightmares? He should never have asked to see the jungle, what an idiot he had been.

A huge, dark mass snapped the trees a short distance ahead of them like twigs. Splinters flew through the air like shrapnel as the great trees fell, their shattered trunks cracking like gunfire. They crashed through the branches of their neighbors, thudding to the ground and bouncing as it rained debris. Xhe covered Dennis with her body as a torrent of twigs and leaves rained down on them. He felt her grip on his arm as she pulled him to his feet, hauling him backwards as the sound of rifle shots pierced his ears. Before them a monstrous beast tore through the foliage, as big as an elephant, maybe larger. It had a segmented body like a spider, its comparatively small head perched on the end of a giant abdomen that was covered in beautiful, pearlescent fur that shifted hues as it moved. Its face was adorned with terrible, hooked mandibles that dripped strings of saliva. Dozens of beady, insectoid eyes peered at him, dull and expressionless. It motored its many legs, as stout as the trees that it was knocking down, trashing the plants around it and sending up torrents of soil in a furious rampage.

It was as if someone had taken a tarantula and blown it up to terrifying proportions. How could anyone hunt such a monster?

As if to answer his question, Yuta pulled back the bolt on her massive rifle, chambering another round. The creature turned towards her, its jagged mandibles flexing menacingly, strands of what might be slaver or venom dangling from the pointed shears. It lunged, powering through the jungle like a freight train. Nothing could impede it, it smashed through trees and tore up roots as if they were little more than matchsticks. Yuta stood firm and aimed her rifle, the great beast was going to squash her!

A shot rang out through the jungle, and the monster was felled. It dropped as if someone had pulled out a rug from under it, skidding to a halt on its face, its long legs twitching grotesquely as they curled towards its hairy body. Running on pure adrenaline, Dennis broke free of Xhe's grip and jogged over to Yuta, the barrel of her gun trailing a wisp of smoke. She let out another call that was answered by the rest of the pack, much closer now, they must be running towards her position.

Dennis gazed at the dead creature, it was even more enormous up close. Its whole body was covered in the soft, downy fur that he had so admired on the Patriarch's cape. Even its segmented legs, which still twitched reflexively, were coated in the fur. He felt no urge to check its pulse, its head had been destroyed by a well-placed round from Yuta's rifle. Vomit-colored goop oozed from a wound that looked like a small explosion had gone off, blowing away one side of its face.

His heart was pounding like a drum, he was afraid but also excited, he had never seen anything like this before. He was not an outdoorsy person, he wasn't even good at fishing. To see such a monster dispatched up close was incredible, invigorating.

"You're amazing!" he exclaimed to Yuta. The Ranger recoiled at his outburst, confused by his alien speech. "Xhe! Did you see that!? Right in the fucking head!"

"I saw," she replied nonchalantly, walking over to them.

Dennis reached out a hand and touched its head cautiously. It was still warm, the downy fur felt like cat hair, soft and fine. The eyes were black and glassy like those of a spider, the thick, powerful mandibles tipped with blade-like fangs. As he stroked the fur, the shifting hues mesmerized him, the colors refracting the shafts of light that penetrated the canopy.

"It needs an English name," Dennis decided. "Rainbow spider!"

"Do you like this animal?" Xhe asked him. He turned to her, his eyes wide.

"This is the most incredible creature I've ever seen! I can't believe you hunt animals like this. It looks big enough to eat an elephant."

"I will have you a cape commissioned from its fur. You are small, it would not require much material."

Dennis thought for a moment, standing over the felled creature with his arms crossed.

"I have a better idea. If I gave you a necktie, could you reproduce it with rainbow spider fur?"

"Most likely."

Dennis grinned. That would impress the Patriarch and his brood at the upcoming banquet.

***

They traipsed back through the jungle, the pervasive humidity hardly bothered Dennis now. He was electrified, he felt alive. Maybe he had a thing for hunting, it was the most fun he had had in years. He hopped deftly over roots and shrubs, trailing after Yuta and Xhe. Now that the hunt was over, the other Borealans in the pack had made their way back to the village on their own. If he had to guess, the rainbow spider had a large territory just like many apex predators on Earth. There shouldn't be any danger of running into other critters.

"How will they get the carcass back to the village?" Dennis asked.

"They will cut it into segments. The head and legs can be detached at the joints and carried back, but the abdomen must be skinned here, it is too large to move."

They cleared the jungle, emerging past the ancient, gnarled trunks and into the harsh light. The heat hit him like a physical barrier, it really was cooler under the canopy. Yuta called out to the village, perhaps indicating a successful hunt, the villagers shouting back their indecipherable responses. The group moved into what looked like a large longhouse built from wood in the same style as the fishing village. Monstrous skulls and bones decorated its awnings, and there were two huge femurs that lay upright on either side of the entrance like pillars. They looked to Dennis like replicas of dinosaur fossils, but they must have come from a real, living animal.

Yuta entered, and Xhe ushered him inside after her, closing the door behind her. There was a long wooden table that ran down the center of the building that looked as if it may have been hewn from the trunk of a single, gigantic tree. Chandeliers with candles hung from the roof, illuminating the gloomy interior in a yellow, flickering glow. Dennis guessed that they did not have access to electricity out in the jungle, but could they not improvise using solar panels or even a portable generator? Was it a conscious choice on the part of the Rangers to reject modern technology? Xhe had suggested that they chose to distance themselves from the larger Borealan civilization, perhaps they were the Borealan equivalent of homesteaders or survivalists?

Dozens of Rangers were seated at the table, all clad in similar attire, tanned leather and decorative flair in the form of beads and feathers. Xhe and Yuta sat, Dennis hopping up onto a stool between them.

"What's happening now?" he whispered to Xhe.

"They are feasting in honor of the successful hunt. The...rainbow spider, is revered in ancient Borealan culture as an avatar of power and strength. When one is killed, it is tradition to consume the meat in order to gain its power. Of course, nobody truly believes that in the modern era, but traditions are hardy and live on."

At the head of the table was the Alpha who had greeted Xhe when they had first arrived. He was seated in a veritable throne, its wooden frame decorated with ribs, feathers, and skulls. The door was flung open, and two Borealans dragged a giant, hairy leg through the entrance. They heaved it up onto the table, slamming it down on the polished surface. It still twitched reflexively, its dead nerves firing, and it leaked viscous goo from the tear where it had been cut from the body of the spider.

The color drained from Dennis' face at the grotesque sight. One of the Borealans who had dragged it inside unsheathed a curved knife from his waistband, leaning over to cut a piece of wet, oozing meat from the limb with the crescent blade. It looked vile, it oozed orange-green ichor, its spongy flesh raw and moist. The Borealan walked up the length of the table and handed the chunk of meat to the Alpha, bowing in reverence. The leader stood, lifting the meat to his lips and taking a huge, wet bite with his sharp teeth. He chewed, making a point of savoring the flavor, then swallowed heavily. He declared something to the room, and they cheered, reaching towards the center of the table to pull away pieces of flesh. Yuta lunged and dug her curved claws into the meat to pull it away in handfuls, while Xhe was a little more dainty, picking away two more modest pieces. One for her and one for Dennis.

She dropped the morsel of pale flesh on the table in front of him, and it splashed his suit with fluid, jiggling like jello as it settled.

"Humans can't digest raw meat!" Dennis hissed. Xhe shrugged, chewing the spider meat as orange liquid dripped from her lips.

"If you care so much what people think of you," she mumbled through a mouthful of flesh, "then eat it. If you don't care what they think of you, then don't. They can't force you to do anything that you don't want to."

Dennis considered, eyeing the unappetizing hunk of meat warily. What if it made him ill? Despite the fact that it was raw, he knew very well that the diet of the average Borealan was not inedible to a human thanks to his tourist guide. It lacked the nutritional value required for humans to be healthy in the long term, but they didn't eat or drink anything that was poisonous to him. At least that he knew of.

Oh well, he wouldn't get anywhere on Borealis by shying away from new experiences.

He lifted the chunk of meat in his hands and sank his teeth into it, Yuta looking on approvingly and Xhe letting slip a smirk. The fowl juice filled his mouth, the flesh rubbery and wet, not at all palatable to a human. He chewed, trying to keep the greasy meat down as the Borealans around him dug in. Dennis gave up halfway through the chunk, but he had tasted it, and that was enough. The Borealans had almost stripped the limb clean before long, it had an internal skeleton unlike any of the arachnids or insects from Earth that it resembled, the jointed bone lying on the table in a pool of congealing fluid. After a while, the Alpha called in more Borealans from a back room that was sectioned off from the main hall. It must have been a kitchen or some other food preparation area, because they brought out trays laden with assorted meats and gourds. It seemed that the spider leg was only the appetizer, or a ritual that must be completed before the feast could begin in earnest.

The waiters, because that's what they obviously were, placed the trays along the middle of the table. The Borealans waited until every dish was in sight before beginning their meal. It was a free for all, they grabbed slabs of meat and bloated gourds in a frenzy, yet there was enough for everyone. Despite the speed at which they claimed their food, not one Borealan took more than their share. There was a complex social hierarchy here that was way over Dennis' head. He allowed Xhe to pick out food for him, worrying that he might upset this careful balance, and she placed meat before him that she thought he might like. This meat was cooked, thankfully, and it looked good. He picked up something that resembled a shank of ham, but the meat was darker and juicier, glazed in some kind of sauce that made him think of honey mustard. His bit into it, pulling away a mouthful in his teeth and chewed. Human cooked meat would be sweeter than this, perhaps flavored with barbecue sauce, this was salty and oily as his guide had described. It was excellent all the same. The texture of the meat was exemplary, it was tender and soft, practically falling off the bone.

Again he was amazed by the size of the portions that the Borealans ate, their calorific intake must be four or five times that of a human, growing exponentially with their size and muscle mass. This one shank alone would be a meal for him, yet they were piling up stacks of meat, tearing into it with a hunger and ferocity that reminded him vaguely of Cola's attitude towards sex. Get as much as you can, while you can...

The food was basic but well cooked, and he leaned on the table after finishing his share, his belly full and heavy. Yuta had eaten several kilograms of meat in one sitting, and she looked about ready to pass out, as did everyone else. Xhe had not gorged herself and was still relatively alert.

One by one the Rangers left the table to sleep on fur rugs towards the walls of the longhouse, lying down either alone or in piles. Xhe stood, stretching her long body, her muscles flexing beneath her revealing dress.

"It would be polite to leave now. Are you satisfied with your jungle outing?"

"Yes, thank you Xhe. Today was the most fun I've had in a while."

She nodded and began to walk back to the door. Dennis trailed after her, careful not to step on a sleeping Borealan's tail. They made their way out of the ornate longhouse, and back over to where the shuttle was sitting. Again, the pilot had remained with it during the entire day. Dennis was starting to feel bad for him, but it must be part of his job. Shuttles were still a rarity on this planet, after all. As the craft rose and banked over the village, Dennis reflected on what he had learned of the Borealan culture. Despite the race to modernize in the crowded cities, there was still a significant number, perhaps even the majority of the population who were still living rustic and quasi-tribal lifestyles. If the Patriarch did not take steps to include them in his projects, then they would run the risk of being left behind. Buying starships was all well and good, but bringing electricity and plumbing to remote villages was more important for the long-term development of the planet. Perhaps he would bring it up with him someday, the Patriarch seemed very open to new ideas, especially when they came from the aliens that he strived to emulate.

The day had taken its toll on Dennis, his muscles and joints ached from romping around in the high gravity. But despite his fatigue, he felt strangely fulfilled, and it wasn't just the shank talking. The hunting trip had been exciting, he had solved the mystery of the iridescent capes, and he had overcome a challenge by eating the disgusting spider meat. When his new tie was ready, he would wear it with pride. He imagined the faces of his colleagues back on Earth when they learned that the fur had come from a giant spider monster that had been dispatched before his very eyes. He relaxed into the seat, closing his eyes as the shuttle drifted lazily over the lake.

CHAPTER 5: BANQUET

Dennis adjusted his new tie, the downy, shining fur standing out brilliantly against his black suit. It was the focal point of the outfit, a uniquely Borealan touch to a human style that conveyed status as much as sophistication. The rainbow spider fur was worn only by those of high standing in Borealan culture. His participation in the hunt, however passive it had been, and his position as ambassador to Earth qualified him to wear it. He turned to Xhe, who was standing behind him as he preened in front of the mirror.

"How do I look?"

"It is appropriate," she replied, appraising his tie. "I do believe that you are the first human to wear this fur."

Dennis beamed and polished the UN badge on his lapel. The Patriarch had finally requested his presence at a great banquet to be held in the ivory spire, one day before the eclipse came and the planet fell into winter. Xhe would be attending as his aide and translator. Although the Patriarch spoke good English, many of the regents and Alphas who would be dining with them did not. Xhe was dressed in her usual flowing, gossamer gown. Dennis got the impression that there were no situations in which she did not want to look her best, be it attending a banquet with the Patriarch or trekking through a muddy jungle.

"I have one more thing for you," Xhe said, reaching into a small bag that sat on the dresser. She withdrew something wrapped in a mauve cloth. She handed it to Dennis, and he peeled the fabric back to reveal a set of shining silverware. A fork, a knife and two sizes of spoon, their handles elaborately decorated. His eyes lit up.

"Where on Earth did you find these? Er, sorry, it's an expression. I mean where did you get them?"

"As I had suspected, some of the cargo offloaded from an old UNN ship that my Lord Patriarch had purchased some time ago included these items, they had been languishing in storage. Borealans have no need of cutlery, nobody who saw them knew what their purpose was, and so they were confined to a warehouse. Fortunately, after I put out the request, one of the warehouse managers came forward and informed me that he had seen tools matching the description. It was a simple matter to locate and procure them."

"Xhe if I could reach, I'd hug you."

Dennis had everything that he needed to represent humanity. A snappy suit, a fine tie, appropriate silverware and topics of conversation. He was ready. He retrieved the stasis unit containing the Kobe beef from his belongings and tucked it under his arm, following Xhe out of the door.

***

The pair were admitted to the ivory tower by Royal Guards clad in red armor, and they ascended the winding staircase up into the structure. On Earth, Dennis had worked on the eighty-second floor of a skyscraper. Even under the crushing gravity, a six-floor climb was not a big deal, but he was concerned about losing his footing on the oversized steps and falling. He stuck close to Xhe, knowing that she had the cat-like reflexes required to catch him should he slip. They reached the top floor and were admitted to a grand dining hall through two giant doors made from dark, varnished wood.