* * * * *
At first, Steve Burton thought he was imagining things. Or, that Fitzhugh was pulling some kind of practical joke, based on a corny old nightclub joke.
"A wolverine, an elephant, and a blue bat with four arms walk into a bar."
Yet, he was not hallucinating. And, Fitzhugh was nowhere to be seen. All he _could_ see was Barry, holding Chipper in his arms, riding on the neck of a bipedal pachyderm!
"Capt. Burton! Capt. Burton!" shouted the boy: "Have I got a story to tell _you_!"
Obmuj set the boy down on the ground, so he could introduce the Cragmoloid and his two companions. When Barry was finished, Steve introduced himself and the rest of the cast-aways.
"This is my co-pilot, Dan Ericson, and his wife, Betty. To my right? Our resident engineer, Mark Wilson, and his wife Valerie."
The three mammalian humanoids nodded their heads, in greeting, as one.
"Barry said you came through the same worm hole that we did," observed Logunn (trying to break the awkward tension).
"Uh, yes, that's right," replied Steve: "We've been marooned here for going on three years. Or, at least, that's what we call a certain unit of time..."
"We know what a standard year is," grumbled Obmuj: "We have humans where we come from, as well."
"But, none of them has ever heard of planet Earth?" inquired Mark.
Ta'enka'erf shook his head, adding: "Judging by the relative primitiveness of your own spacecraft, I doubt you've heard of Coruscant or Emperor Palpatine, either."
"Primitive?" echoed Dan.
He started to bristle with injured pride, but Betty quickly calmed him down with a reassuring right hand on his left shoulder. And, to further calm him down, Steve diverted the topic of conversation back to the missing Fitzhugh.
"Would your own ship be able to help us locate him?"
"I'll get on the comm-link and see," replied Logunn.
* * * * *
At the same moment, Platoon Sgt. Vindeezel was being treated by the medic of the platoon. The latter applying a bacta-pack over the cauterized stump that had once been the sergeant's right hand. He and the two other survivors of Squad A had made it back to the landing craft being guarded by Squads C and D. Whereupon, the senior-ranking PFC was given a brevet promotion to corporal, prior to his contacting the PRIDE OF CORUSCANT.
With the new corporal's comm-link held before his face, Sergeant Vindeezel gave a brief oral report about their encounter with the rebels.
"Recommend...deployment...of our full...contingent, sir."
"You seriously think there are that many, planet-side?"
"Yes, sir! Especially,...since we...still have...no word...from Squad...B."
"Very well, Sergeant. Leave the rest of your platoon, down there, to keep the landing site secure. You return to the ship to get a bionic prosthetic. That way, you can help us return planet-side. In force!"
* * * * *
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE CIRCUS...
Fitzhugh sat with his back resting against the palm of Lee's left hand. As her right hand was currently feeding him chicken soup through an eye-dropper!
"Mmmmmmmm-mmmmmmm! You're right, madam. That _is_ good. Yet, with all due respect; you seriously expect me to believe that is _all_ you eat? Every single day?!"
"Well, not for breakfast, obviously," replied the widowed trapezist: "But, yes, half of our lunches and dinners do consist of it. You see, when this circus' prior owner, Mr. Ekim Ydarb, ultimately had to declare bankruptcy, it was bought by the Llebpmac Health Food Company, who saw it as a golden opportunity to increase the sales of their more nutritional foodstuffs. Hence, the introduction of popcorn with melted corn-oil margarine and/or sea salt. Plus, sugarless carbonated beverages with real fruit flavoring. All for the healthy snacking pleasure of our audiences!"
"Good Lord," muttered Fitzhugh: "A dietetic Chautauqua show!* "
"Open wide, Alexander," Lee said, as she approached his little mouth with more chicken soup.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" was all he said in reply (grasping the tail end of the eye dropper like a baby with a bottle).
* * * * *
MEANWHILE AT S.I.D. HEADQUARTERS...
Officer Kazuma knocked on the door, then waited.
"Come in!" Inspector Kobick called out.
"Sorry to bother you, sir. But, we've been getting a series of strange reports from the national forest just outside the city."
"What kinds of reports?"
"Sonic booms; explosions; and unidentified flying objects."
Kobick took off his glasses.
"The national forest, you say?"
The officer merely nodded.
"Get me my car!"
tbc
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
*Chautauqua show: a form of tent show that was popular in the United States from 1903 to 1930. Sort of half-carnival (a.k.a. "fun fair") and half-outdoor revival meeting. What with the inspirational music performances alternating with public lectures on theology and so forth. The name is supposedly derived from a pioneering institute in summer and correspondence schooling established at Chautauqua (pronounced "Shuh-taw-kwuh") Lake, New York.