Page 66 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Settling the Strike on the Plateau

High above them two or three Oolyakooans were slowly circling.

“Okay, Lugo,” said Kaga, as they sat down on opposite sides of the

representative’s desk, “tell me what’s going on. Just what is this

situation you’re dumping on me?”

Lugo winced; the years had added a few lines to his face. “First let

me explain what I found when I arrived here two years ago. The

previous officers had difficulty relating to a species that spends most

of its time in the air or in hard-to-reach nests. If the PKU had any

sense, they’d assign avian representatives like Ploon to work here; at

least there would be something in common. Anyway, the trade

agreement was satisfactory to both sides, and there was no

motivation on our part to learn anything further about Oolyakooan

culture. It turns out, of course, that the terms of the agreement were

very much determined by cultural factors.’’

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