(Untitled)

[dinosaurman]

((Backdated to the day of the chocolates.))

Grant was having a hard time getting his door open, between juggling his keys and a feline version of Laura Palmer. Finally he unlocked the door, put the cat down and invited Honor and Nimitz in. "Make yourself comfortable," he said. "Is there anything I can get for anyone?"

Comments

[honor_nimitz]

"As a matter of fact, she's my ancestress. Quite a woman, too--she founded the Sphinx Forestry Service, which protects treecats and preserves their habitat. She and her treecat, Lionheart, also were the first 'cat and human to form an adoption bond," said Honor.

"His telepathy has definitely strengthened over the time he and I have been bonded, which is, oh, almost fifty years now--I was a child when we found each other--and we can understand each other clearly now. It used to be just an empathic bond. It seems to vary here, how many people can understand him. The other intelligent animals here appear to have no difficulty whatsoever; it's only humans who don't always hear him. Back home, it's the very rare person he'll even attempt communication with, so I think something about this place or the people here makes it easier for him."

She smiled at his last question. "Almost anything. His diet is about 60% meat, and the rest comprises other proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains, and whatever else he can get his hands on. He's very fond of chocolate, though it makes him hyper."

[dinosaurman]

"Are there any other unusual animals on your planet? Well, I guess 'unusual' is a relative term, but you know what I mean."

"Fifty years? Wow. I think the longest I've ever heard of an Earth cat living is 20 years, and that was a very old cat. Hmm, telepathy among animals. That's interesting, and very helpful right now. If Nimitz wasn't here, I guess we'd be forced to play Charades or something."

The house elf came back with a tray of full of coffee and several different kinds of tea. "And other fruits and vegetables don't give him a problem?" Grant asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Chocolate can kill a normal cat, if eaten in large quantities." A concerned look crossed his face. "Laura only took one bite of that cookie, didn't she?"

[honor_nimitz]

Honor laughed as she selected a tea to brew. "Sphinxian wildlife is distinctly different from Terran, yes. The six limbs aren't unusual--the treecat has a larger cousin we call the hexapuma, for instance, which is much more aggressive and far less intelligent. As Sphinx is a very Earth-like planet save for its larger size, longer year, and heavier gravity, the life-forms there aren't perhaps quite so different as one would expect on an alien planet, but I have no doubt you in particular would enjoy studying them.

"Treecats are very long-lived. Their natural lifespan is several times that of an, er, unaltered human's." It struck her that she should explain. "I'm actually almost sixty. Most humans in my time take Prolong treatments to extend our lifespans to up to three hundred years. The unfortunate side effect is prolonged adolescence, I'm sorry to say.

"We've discovered a few fruits and vegetables that Nimitz has rather regretted eating later, but no, most don't give him problems. They're hardy little creatures. And Laura only took one bite of the cookie, which you can thank Nimitz for. He alerted me to the fact that strange things were going on in the room, and given the track record of sweets left out for others to eat, my reaction was to get the cookie away from her as quickly as possible." She looked at the cats. "Unfortunately, one bite, it seems, is all it took."

[dinosaurman]

"But nothing else has these abilities, then? I do spend a lot of time studying bizarre animals. When I'm not working on magical ones, I prefer the prehistoric variety." He waved at some of the books that covered the shelves by the wall. "I think someone else can study the alien life forms. I've got my hands full here."

"Really? We're about the same age, then. How long does adolescence as with this treatment?"

"Thank you, Nimitz," Grant said to the treecat. "Yeah, one bite can do a lot of damage. I saw the note on the table, and I recognized the name." He shook his head. "You'd think a chocolate chip cookie would be harmless."

[honor_nimitz]

"It's interesting," said Honor, "but I actually know next to nothing about the prehistoric creatures of Earth. I remember reading about them when I was a little girl--the dinosaurs, I mean--but I was always more interested in xenobiology, when I took time for the sciences. They're not for a woman of my temperament, I'm afraid. Sphinx has its own set of fossils, which I saw more of when I was in school."

She gave a rather pained smile. "Ten years is the average. I'm honestly surprised more people aren't killed by their parents before they reach their second decade. My mother and father were, I'm sure, tempted to murder many times."

[honor_nimitz]

((Gah! Please pretend Honor said "third decade," thank you . . .))

[dinosaurman]

"Well, if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask. What is it that you did on your home world?"

"Ten years as a teenager? What's the age of adulthood there?" Grant set his empty coffee cup on the table.

[honor_nimitz]

"I'm a military officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy--an admiral, in point of fact. As we're in the middle of a war, there's no shortage of work for me. Unfortunately.

"The age of adulthood probably varies more than it does in your time. Usually, full physical maturity is reached in a person's twenties. Emotional maturity is a dicier subject. Prolong alters brain chemistry enough that one may be an emotional adult before one's body stops growing, but I have unfortunately observed many adults into their sixties, seventies, and eighties who stubbornly refuse to believe anyone else exists in the universe." Her voice took on a bitter edge. "Perhaps it's just an affliction of the upper class, as most of those people have titles and money."

[dinosaurman]

"If you're in the middle of a war, what are you doing here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I think delayed emotional maturity is nothing new, treatments or not." He had his house elf clear away the tray. "How long do you think it will be before those two find some trouble?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

[honor_nimitz]

Honor looked away at Grant's question. "It's . . . complicated. There are politics involved in my not being on the front lines--it's a mess, and I needed to be away. But it's getting to be time to go back, so Nimitz and I are thinking we'll leave soon, possibly in the next week or so. As I'm from the future anyway, I believe I can arrive back home without too much time having passed. In any event, we'll find out soon."

She followed Grant's gaze and smiled at the two felines. "Given Nimitz's record, not long at all, I should think. Speaking of, do you have any idea how to turn Laura back into a human again?"

[dinosaurman]

"Oh. Well, good luck, then."

"I don't think Nimitz is the only one with a history of trouble. We can try transfiguration, but it's not my forte, and I don't think it will work. The cookies were probably laced with a potion of some sort, like a box of chocolates that was here a few months ago. If I recall correctly, those wore off after a day or so."

[honor_nimitz]

"Well, that's good, at any rate," said Honor. "Do you need us to translate for you anymore, or do you want to take it from here?"

[dinosaurman]

"I think I've got it from here. Thank you very much for your help, though." Grant stood up and offered to help Honor out of her chair.