Page 18 of Alien Abduction for Experts
A knock on the door made me turn away from the weird and wonderful plants. The little green alien entered again, carrying a tray with a large carafe and a plate of cakes almost the same colour as her. At least I thought it was cakes.
"Professor Z will join you in just a moment. For now, please help yourself to refreshments."
I pointed at the grass green cakes. "What's that?"
"A delicacy from my home planet. You'll love it."
She left before I could ask her to expand on that vague reply. I gave the guys a questioning look, but they shrugged.
"Let me scan it," Havel said. "I want to make sure it's edible for both humans and Kardarians."
I gave one of them a sniff. Delicious. Notes of cinnamon blended with something similar to chocolate. As soon as Havel gave me the all clear, I took a bite. Flavour exploded in my mouth and I gasped. The cake may have looked dry, but inside it was moist. I moaned a little. Best cake ever. Maybe with the exception of Piki cakes.
"They're okay," Xil munched, chewing with his mouth open. I still had to teach them some table manners. "Nothing special."
"Nothing special? They're amazing!"
Oh well, more for me. Havel and Matar didn't look impressed either. Those guys were lacking some taste buds for sure.
The door slid open without a knock to warn us. The green female entered, this time carrying a glass container, no, an aquarium. Why on Earth was she doing that?
She sat it down on the table and arranged a tiny speaker next to it.
"Thank you, Myla."
Professor Z's voice came through the speakers and my eyes widened when I realised what that meant. I leaned a little closer and there he was, three inches long, sitting in the centre of the aquarium. He looked like a shrimp, just a bit more alien. His colours were so bright they seemed unnatural. He turned to me, looking at me from his white eye stalks. Somehow, I felt his humour. I bet he was used to this reaction.
But seriously, the headmaster of the IGU was a three-inch shrimp? How was that even possible? How was such a tiny brain capable of being intelligent enough to rise to this position?
Myla left the room, and the sound of the door closing gave me a good excuse to look away from the shrimp, I mean, Professor Z. I exchanged a look with Havel opposite me. He was just as shocked. I wondered if this was known on campus or a secret. It had to be difficult for Professor Z to establish his authority when he had to be carried everywhere.
"I appreciate you taking the time to see us," Hex said, gathering his wits faster than me and the guys. "Have you taken any steps about Professor Katila yet?"
The headmaster swam over to the other side of the aquarium to look at the Gemi'i. Now that I could see his back, I gaped at the stinger at the end of his tail. It looked poisonous and deadly. Maybe he wasn't all that harmless after all.
"I have asked my assistants to go through the evidence you provided and gather some of our own as well. It's already been confirmed that you spoke the truth about the attack near Kitt-Y-6. That on its own is a grave crime that will be punished. I have ordered for Professor Katila to be taken into custody until we establish how to proceed. Of course, we have to be discreet. She's one of our highest-ranking members of staff and I don't want this to have any effect on the IGU's reputation."
"We understand," Hix said. "Will we be able to see her?"
"You want to visit her? After what you allege she did to you?" Professor Z's surprise was evident from his voice. I really wanted to know if this was his actual voice or if the device was more than just mere speakers and somehow translated his brain waves into sound.
Hix and Hex nodded emphatically. "We want to give her the chance to apologise. And to say goodbye. It will be good to draw a line under it all. Finish this chapter to start completely afresh."
Professor Z wiggled his appendages. "I will grant you ten IG minutes with her. But you have to be quick. She-"
The door burst open and Myla stormed in. "Sir, we're under attack!"
Matar
Ijumped to my feet and pushed in front of Trish, hiding her behind me. The alarm and fright in the assistant's expression were real.
"What do you mean, under attack?" Professor Z asked calmly.
"A rebellion, no, a mutiny! They're on their way here, they want to unseat you and put someone else in charge of the university."
Z laughed. "They can try. Who's leading them?"
"Members of various faculties, mostly intermediate and support staff. I only saw a few professors. But one of them, Sir, it's-"
