Government Men by Gary J. Davies
PARTS OF YOU THAT REMAIN! THEN WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT, UNICORN!”
"We have something to talk about now!” replied Pru. "You said a minute ago that you wouldn't eat me, but you've been eating me already! For even in your own view, my brothers, sisters, and I are one. Therefore I ask that you keep your word and return what you have already eaten of me.”
"CONVOLUTED UNICORN LOGIC. YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED, NONE OF YOU!”
Bates and the others had been following the Great One's conversation with the unicorn with great interest and very little understanding. What feud? What was going on? Why would returning eaten unicorns do anybody any good? Bates sensed that the argument that he was hearing was vitally important to their quest to save Earth, but without understanding it, he could only stand by hopelessly. "What is all this, Pru?" he asked the unicorn quietly, so that he would not be overheard by the dragon.
But the dragon did hear him. "YEAH COUSIN! WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN TO YOUR APE BUDDIES THE REAL REASON YOU JOINED THEIR QUEST? EXPLAIN WHY WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT DEMATERIALIZING COMETS AND SAVING LITTLE APE LIVES! IT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT, ISN'T IT UNICORN?”
"On the contrary, I hoped to save them also," protested Pru.
"WHY? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THEM TO DIE OUT AND MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING BETTER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. I STILL HAVE PLENTY OF DINOSAURS STASHED AWAY FOR A RAINY DAY, OR I COULD KEEP ON TRYING WITH THE WHALES OR WITH OTHERS! I SAY GOOD RIDDANCE! HUMANS? OF WHAT USE ARE THEY TO SUCH AS YOU, OTHER THAN TO USE THEM? YOU HELPED SAVE ME FROM THE COMET, AND YOU SAY NOW THAT IN GRATITUDE I SHOULD RETURN YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS! THAT'S IT ISN'T IT?"
"They still exist. You cannot mask from me the unicorns within you. Return them, or you have eaten me and broken your word!”
"THEY ARE NO LONGER YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS."
"And they are not you; they are us! They are unicorn! Release them to me, or you break the Law as well as your word."
"MORE CONVOLUTED LOGIC! IT'S NOT ME THAT BREAKS THE LAW! I'M JUST TRYING TO SET THINGS RIGHT! WHEN I HAVE YOU ALL, I'LL RELEASE YOU INTACT AGAIN, AS YOU WERE IN THE BEGINNING! THAT'S MY PLEDGE!”
Pru's voice was stern. "That past existence I have forsaken! It was my choice, and mine alone! I may have broken the Law, but your interference breaks the Law anew and more greatly!”
In answer, the dragon turned his head skyward, and a tremendous blinding plume of flame shot thunderously at least a kilometer into the air, as the Earth shook in return! The mortals in the Team shielded their eyes and ears and turned away from heat of the blast.
"There is one more thing to consider, if your anger does not blind you to all reason!” said Pru to the dragon in her piercing, clear, sing-song voice. "As your existence is entwined with mine through eternity, so is ours entwined with these humans. A human with farsight has seen it. You are a Great One, you too dream among the many future paths! Have you seen nothing of this in your own dreams?"
The dragon's head drew much closer to the group and looked them over, Narbando, Elizabeth, and Janet in particular. "YOU ARE RIGHT! THESE I HAVE SEEN IN MY DRAGON DREAMS!” Suddenly its red tongue snaked out of its mouth and wrapped around Janet! Bates was terrified that the tongue would pull her away and rough her up as it had Winnebago, or worse, but instead, it seemed to merely circle her body gently for just a moment, and then withdraw.
"THIS ONE BARES THE TWO THAT ARE MOST KEY TO MY FUTURE!”
"What does he mean?" asked Janet, when she had caught her breath.
"Twins!” explained Pru.
"Liz and Don?”
"No, the twins to come," explained the unicorn. "Since last night. You've probably been too busy to notice, Janet. You're pregnant again with twins!”
Bates and Janet looked at each other in shock. "Fudge Winkies!” she said.
Bates fainted dead away.
****
"We have something to talk about now!” replied Pru. "You said a minute ago that you wouldn't eat me, but you've been eating me already! For even in your own view, my brothers, sisters, and I are one. Therefore I ask that you keep your word and return what you have already eaten of me.”
"CONVOLUTED UNICORN LOGIC. YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED, NONE OF YOU!”
Bates and the others had been following the Great One's conversation with the unicorn with great interest and very little understanding. What feud? What was going on? Why would returning eaten unicorns do anybody any good? Bates sensed that the argument that he was hearing was vitally important to their quest to save Earth, but without understanding it, he could only stand by hopelessly. "What is all this, Pru?" he asked the unicorn quietly, so that he would not be overheard by the dragon.
But the dragon did hear him. "YEAH COUSIN! WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN TO YOUR APE BUDDIES THE REAL REASON YOU JOINED THEIR QUEST? EXPLAIN WHY WE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT DEMATERIALIZING COMETS AND SAVING LITTLE APE LIVES! IT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THAT, ISN'T IT UNICORN?”
"On the contrary, I hoped to save them also," protested Pru.
"WHY? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THEM TO DIE OUT AND MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING BETTER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. I STILL HAVE PLENTY OF DINOSAURS STASHED AWAY FOR A RAINY DAY, OR I COULD KEEP ON TRYING WITH THE WHALES OR WITH OTHERS! I SAY GOOD RIDDANCE! HUMANS? OF WHAT USE ARE THEY TO SUCH AS YOU, OTHER THAN TO USE THEM? YOU HELPED SAVE ME FROM THE COMET, AND YOU SAY NOW THAT IN GRATITUDE I SHOULD RETURN YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS! THAT'S IT ISN'T IT?"
"They still exist. You cannot mask from me the unicorns within you. Return them, or you have eaten me and broken your word!”
"THEY ARE NO LONGER YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS."
"And they are not you; they are us! They are unicorn! Release them to me, or you break the Law as well as your word."
"MORE CONVOLUTED LOGIC! IT'S NOT ME THAT BREAKS THE LAW! I'M JUST TRYING TO SET THINGS RIGHT! WHEN I HAVE YOU ALL, I'LL RELEASE YOU INTACT AGAIN, AS YOU WERE IN THE BEGINNING! THAT'S MY PLEDGE!”
Pru's voice was stern. "That past existence I have forsaken! It was my choice, and mine alone! I may have broken the Law, but your interference breaks the Law anew and more greatly!”
In answer, the dragon turned his head skyward, and a tremendous blinding plume of flame shot thunderously at least a kilometer into the air, as the Earth shook in return! The mortals in the Team shielded their eyes and ears and turned away from heat of the blast.
"There is one more thing to consider, if your anger does not blind you to all reason!” said Pru to the dragon in her piercing, clear, sing-song voice. "As your existence is entwined with mine through eternity, so is ours entwined with these humans. A human with farsight has seen it. You are a Great One, you too dream among the many future paths! Have you seen nothing of this in your own dreams?"
The dragon's head drew much closer to the group and looked them over, Narbando, Elizabeth, and Janet in particular. "YOU ARE RIGHT! THESE I HAVE SEEN IN MY DRAGON DREAMS!” Suddenly its red tongue snaked out of its mouth and wrapped around Janet! Bates was terrified that the tongue would pull her away and rough her up as it had Winnebago, or worse, but instead, it seemed to merely circle her body gently for just a moment, and then withdraw.
"THIS ONE BARES THE TWO THAT ARE MOST KEY TO MY FUTURE!”
"What does he mean?" asked Janet, when she had caught her breath.
"Twins!” explained Pru.
"Liz and Don?”
"No, the twins to come," explained the unicorn. "Since last night. You've probably been too busy to notice, Janet. You're pregnant again with twins!”
Bates and Janet looked at each other in shock. "Fudge Winkies!” she said.
Bates fainted dead away.
****