The Maze

by Paula Robinson

Illustration by Ron Chironna

“Seven Tentacles With Spots! What a pleasure.”

Diplomat Max Douglas ran a trembling hand through his dark, curly hair. Then he smiled warmly at the Segoori on the holophone. While not pretty—the Segoori looked like unshelled snails with a touch of octopus—Seven Tentacles With Spots was something of a friend as well as a diplomatic connection. Although neither species seemed to know much about the other yet, fledgling relations between man and the technologically superior Segoori were good. Max was all too aware of the value of Seven Tentacles With Spots’s friendship.

“It is pleasant to speak with you, Max Douglas,” the Segoori replied, eyestalks bending in the Segoori equivalent of a smile. “I call to invite you to a…” The Segoori seemed to search for a word. “…Birthday party.”

Max’s brows knit, but he quickly unraveled them and forced another smile. Earlier dealings with Seven Tentacles With Spots had taught him that social interactions with the Segoori could be unpredictable, even hazardous. Still, Max realized, it was his job to handle these things.

“I would be delighted to come,” he said as cheerfully as possible.

Seven Tentacles With Spots’s eyestalks bent further. “It is good that you will attend, Max Douglas. The party will occur on our ship tomorrow at 2:00 P.m. by your units. I expect you will bring a mate?”

Max blinked. “An escort, you mean?”

“Yes. A female escort.” The word was obviously new to Seven Tentacles With Spots.

“Certainly. I and my escort will attend your party tomorrow.”

The Segoori nodded, a human gesture for Max’s benefit, and moved to sign off. “I and my many guests will look forward to seeing the two of you mate. It will provide a most interesting novelty. We have not yet studied your reproductive behavior.”

The screen went blank before a horrified Max could shout, “What?”

He should have known better than to accept Seven Tentacles With Spots’s invitation before he understood its implications. But then again, refusing or hedging might have insulted his Segoori friend.

Pacing a long and rarely-used corridor, Max tried to decide what to do. He hadn’t even thought of whom to ask to the party. Now he couldn’t imagine any woman on the ship who would agree to go.

With one possible exception.

He went back to his room. “Sharon Frye,” he told his computer, and soon the ship’s xenopsychologist appeared on the screen.

“I have a big problem,” Max told her. “With the Segoori.”

“The Segoori? Oh, no,” she said, putting a slender hand to her dark-honey hair. “Not after last time.”

Max chuckled. He’d unintentionally given Seven Tentacles With Spots a bad cold during their initial meeting. The incident nearly caused an interspecies war. However, since the resulting mucus secretions had lubricated dry Segoori skin, Seven Tentacles With Spots had then interpreted the virus as a thoughtful gift, and human-Segoori relations had improved as a direct result.

“Yes, again,” he sighed, and explained the current situation.

Sharon whistled. “The Segoori keep things interesting. What do you plan to do?”

“I was hoping you could suggest something.” Max stared at her attractive image and felt his skin flush. He hoped it wouldn’t show on the screen. “You’re the expert.”

“Maybe, but we still don’t have much to go on. The Segoori aren’t in a hurry to tell us about themselves, and from what I’ve noticed, they aren’t studying our data any too fast, either.” She pouted thoughtfully. “I’m amazed they haven’t researched our sex lives, though. You’d think they’d at least be curious.”

“Apparently they are, but not as academically as we’d prefer.”

She laughed. “Which presents us with a problem. I assume you want me to come along?”

Max exhaled with relief. So she would go with him. But his nerves quickly retensed. “I just don’t know what to do if Seven Tentacles With Spots insists we, uh…”

“I know.” She laughed nervously. “We’ll just have to figure something out.” Pause. “I don’t suppose you know anything about Segoori reproduction?”

Max shook his head sadly. “The records they gave us don’t even mention it.”

“Delightful.” She sighed. “Oh, well. I suppose a diplomat and an alien shrink ought to be able to keep things from exploding.”

“I sure hope so. And, please, thanks.” He smiled dubiously and held up a diskette. “I’ll send you a copy of the call.”

“Good. I’ll talk with you later, then,” she said, and signed off.

The shuttle ride to the Segoori ship was awkward. Sharon wore a sapphire gown accented by glittering jewelry while Max sported his best tuxedo.

Neither had the least idea of how to handle Seven Tentacles With Spots’s expectations.

“If we improvise something, then they may be insulted later when they finally look up the facts,” Max said to break the silence. “Maybe we—”

“You’re not suggesting that we actually…?”

“No! I wouldn’t presume.” He had no doubt that she could tell he was blushing; even his hands were red. Sharon was quite a desirable woman, but until recently he had thought of her as simply a colleague. He found the change of perspective unsettling.

She relaxed slightly. A small, tense chuckle escaped as she said, “Look, I know this is a difficult situation, so I want you to understand. Unless we absolutely must to avoid a war I’d rather not, er, you know. It isn’t that you’re unattractive, and you’re very nice—”

“I know. Same here.” Max smiled understandingly while his face burned furiously. He thought he detected the beginning of a similar blush in her lace. He hoped that was good.

They settled back into their seats and pretended to relax for a moment, until Max caught her gaze and they both burst into laughter.

“What we won’t do to keep the aliens happy,” she sighed dryly.

Helplessly, they laughed until their stomachs hurt.

Fortunately for Max and Sharon, all the guests at the Segoori party wore personal translation units. Also to their benefit was the fact that most Segoori food was toxic to humans. They were glad to avoid many wiggling, foul-smelling mouthfuls.

Max noted with further relief that no exchange of gifts seemed expected. He wasn’t sure that the artwork and gemstones he’d brought in the shuttle would have been considered appropriate. Then again, he was never sure what, if anything, was appropriate to the Segoori. Giving gifts to fellow human beings was chancy enough; giving presents to aliens who seemed uninterested in understanding human motives was dangerous. So much depended on luck.

His relief was shattered when Seven Tentacles With Spots loudly announced his and Sharon’s presence. The Segoori guests hushed and quickly gathered nearby. Apparently their host had informed them of the expected mating, and they were eager to witness it.

This time, when Max looked at Sharon, there was no question that she was blushing.

Eyestalks bent, Seven Tentacles With Spots slithered beside Max. “We are honored that you and your escort will mate for us,” he said. “Please proceed.”

Sharon’s eyes widened and her skin lightened several shades. When she cleared her throat all she could manage was, “Mate? Wha, what, exactly, do you mean, honored host?” Several Segoori glanced curiously at each other, then at their translation units.

She’s stalling for time, Max thought frantically, and wondered how he could do the same. But, seeing the forest of eyestalks focused on him, he looked at Sharon and blurted, “Please do not worry, darling.”

She blinked, her brow furrowing, and waited.

Max boldly faced his audience. “Perhaps you did not realize that my, ah, wife, was raised knowing she and I would marry for political reasons…”

Eyestalks peered intently as he spoke. Sharon made herself smile, although the look she fixed on Max was piercing.

“…And so she has always known that I am sterile. Therefore we do not engage in coitus.”

“Coitus?” one guest asked, his translation unit a rich bass.

“A birthday celebration that does not involve sexual union?” another guest added in a lighter tone. “Who ever heard of such a thing?”

“Oh, but we do have a mating ritual,” Max assured the guests. He glanced at Seven Tentacles With Spots. The Segoori’s eyestalks were quivering. Not a good sign. Going to Sharon, Max pulled her to him and said, “Let us proceed.”

She avoided the staring Segoori eyes. “What are you going to do?” she whispered, her voice low enough to evade the translation units.

“Just play along,” he whispered back.

“Be careful,” she warned.

“Shut up.”

She gave him a sharp glance, which he ignored. More loudly he said, “You are my mate.” He reached into a pocket and withdrew his wallet. Handing her several sizable bills he added, “Since I cannot impregnate you, I give you this currency so you may obtain fertile sperm from a physician and— uh—”

The astonishment and dismay on her face were quickly chased by rage—all immediately masked by a diplomatic smile.

“I mean, donor sperm, to be medically placed in your uterus, so we may later celebrate the joy of a new life, just as we today celebrate the life of our gracious host, Seven Tentacles With Spots.”

For a moment the room was locked in a stunned silence. Max glanced from one set of eyestalks to another. Slowly, the stalks began to bend.

“Then let us go quickly, husband,” Sharon said. The pressure of her fingernails on his wrist informed him of her disapproval as she dragged him from the room.

Max turned to smile and wave before she yanked him through the door.

On the way to the shuttle airlock they heard a loud noise from the party room. It took them several seconds to realize it was the sound of Segoori translation units cheering wildly.

Sharon sat with her arms and legs tensely crossed as the shuttle disengaged from the Segoori ship. Nervously, Max pretended to be busy with his pocket computer.

What had she expected him to do? She hadn’t exactly been a fount of helpful suggestions, had she?

Some time later she said, “Well, at least they liked our little show.”

Max untensed. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you too badly. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

She nodded. “There’s so much we don’t know about the Segoori. It’s hard to deal with them.”

“I’d call it impossible.” Max rubbed his neck. “You see why I wanted your help.”

She nodded, but then a touch of anger darkened her eyes. “I can’t say I cared for the way you said ‘shut up,’ though.”

“Sorry. It wasn’t intended as an insult. I was afraid the Segoori might see that we were improvising.”

She snorted. “I’ve no doubt they knew that much from the start.”

“Eh?”

“The Segoori are throwing us into bizarre situations to see how humans react,” she explained. “Like we’re rats in complex mazes. They want to see how clever we are.”

Max was about to laugh in agreement when he realized she was serious.

Funny; he hadn’t thought of that before.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t so funny. Man was no threat to the technologically superior Segoori. How better to learn an alien’s psychology than to toss it into confusing scenarios and watch how it reacted?

Sharon was watching him with concern. “Max?”

He smiled to reassure her. “Your comment about rats in mazes really bugs me.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure who the Segoori guests were applauding. Was it Seven Tentacles With Spots, for creating the maze, or us, for figuring out how to get out of it?”

She smiled thoughtfully. “Both, probably.”

“Yeah.” He stared at the floor. He was supposed to be a diplomat; why hadn’t he seen that? He focused a frightened glance at Sharon. “I don’t like the way your theory affects my relationship with Seven Tentacles With Spots.”

“All of a sudden he doesn’t look so harmless.”

“He never looked harmless, but at least he seemed to like me.”

She laughed sharply. “Welcome to xenopsychology.” Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she added, “Don’t feel bad. This is only your second encounter with the Segoori. You’re doing quite well. Seven Tentacles With Spots wouldn’t have invited you to his party if he didn’t like you.”

“Or think I’m an interesting specimen,” Max grumbled.

She removed her hand and shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“It does to me.”

“How unprofessional.”

Max blinked. She was right. As a diplomat, his prime duty was to establish steady relations with the Segoori, not to seek their approval.

But then, did the rat-in-the-maze theory even apply? Or was it a paranoid notion that could poison his future dealings with the Segoori?

The stakes were much too high.

He was about to voice his thoughts when the shuttle signaled its arrival to their ship. Moments later the airlock chimed, and they exited into the corridor leading back to the living quarters.

“Would you like to get some coffee?” Sharon asked. “I can tell from the look on your face that you need to talk.”

“Talk? Woman, you have me so confused I can hardly think!”

She chuckled. “Just doing my job, mister.”

“How professional.” But he smiled at her sideways. Glancing down at his tuxedo he said, “I’ll take you up on the coffee, but we should probably change clothes first.”

Agreed.” She nodded up the hallway. “I’m over in the next wing. Meet you here in ten minutes?”

Max agreed, returning the smile, and then went in his room. Once inside he shrugged off his jacket, loosened his tie—and gasped, noticing the message light on his computer.

Fearing the result, he punched the PLAY button.

Sharon’s friendly expression fell as he stepped into the hall to meet her. “Max! Is something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing a small antimatter implosion wouldn’t cure, at least temporarily.”

“Hm?”

“Seven Tentacles With Spots called.”

“Uh-oh…

“To thank us for making his party such a success.”

Her shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed. “That’s not so bad,” she said cautiously.

“…And to invite us both to his niece’s bris.”

She frowned. “His niece? Is that possible? You mean, on them, the females have…?”

He shrugged emphatically. “How would I know?”

“Are we expected to… participate?”

He shrugged again.

“Oh, God.” She stared thoughtfully at the floor. “When?”

“Tomorrow morning. At 2:30 a.m. Sharp—so to speak.”

She cringed, whether at the pun or the time he couldn’t tell. “That isn’t even four hours!”

“I know.” Insanely, he found himself starting to laugh.

She grabbed his shirt sleeve and yanked him in the direction of the cafeteria. “Come on. We’re going to need that coffee.” Giggling, he let her drag him along.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Max Douglas and Seven Tentacles With Spots appeared earlier in “The Gift,” in our January 1995 issue.

Content

The Maze
by Paula Robinson