Page 81 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Claiming the Vegimal Property

Captain Kaga was inclined to agree; he kept a respectable distance
between himself and the thrashing Vegimal. “Did you talk with the
human?” he asked.
“Didn’t want to. Too busy.” spat the leader. “But he kept
following us. After we fought a tough battle with the Laxapigna
band—and lost, rot their roots!—we had to rest up for a day. Then
we talked. Nothing else to do. Talk is for old roots like the
Igmalavex—not us!”
“What did you discuss?” asked Kaga.
“Bah! Couldn’t understand him exactly. That talking box you
have: it’s no good, alien. Someday it will get you in big trouble!”
“But what did you tell him?”
“That what is ours is where we are, obviously! We wouldn’t be
there otherwise! Where we are not, who knows? We will not give up
our spot without a fight, and if we want another spot we will fight to
get it. Then it is ours. That should be simple to understand, even for
you rootless aliens! Now, let us go: we are very close to the Gimlarba,
who have a very good spot, indeed! And we cannot travel much
longer without gaining good soil.”
“One more question,” said Kaga. “Where and when did the alien
leave your group?”
“Ah, that was one day after the battle with the Laxapigna. The
Melgoza tribe passed by us then. He went off with them.”
“All right,” said Captain Kaga, stepping back a few more paces.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for the interruption, and I’m sure it hasn’t
sapped any of your strength.”
He set the weapon to restabilize, and freed the Vegimals from their
semi-paralysis. They immediately got back up on their limbs and
began galloping forward.
“Onward!” yelled the leader. “The Gimlarba are just over this hill! I
can smell the soil!”
The Vegimal horde swept past Kaga, howling raucously. He
followed them, despite the urgency of his mission. As he came to the
top of a low rise, he saw the invaders rush into a clump of stationary
Vegimals who were waiting for them with free limbs tensed.
The battle quickly resolved itself into groups of two or three
interlopers trying to uproot one of the defenders. The Gimlarba
appeared to be dug in deeply and had arranged themselves in a
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