In the previous chapter:

There was no previous chapter, silly.

In this chapter:

We meet another Smol.

We meet her Snekfrens.

They are on an Adventure.

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“No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat's cradle is nothing but a bunch of X's between somebody's hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X's..."

"And?"

"No damn cat, and no damn cradle.”

― Kurt Vonnegut, 'Cat's Cradle'

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Maria wriggled forward as her narrow shoulders scraped against the rock that closed in around her like a massive fist. If she'd been prone to claustrophobia, her current position would have triggered a nice little panic attack. But any potential fear was quashed thanks to the earlier mapping by camera drones. She knew there should be a larger cavern coming up right about...now.

The petite woman popped out of the narrow channel of rock into a larger chamber. Maria took in a deep and grateful breath as she pulled her legs out of the crack, then reached back to the rope around her leg and tugged out the small pack tied to the other end. The bright nano-LEDs woven into her headband created huge impressionistic shadows as she looked around the roughly-hewn walls.

As Maria stretched her cramped arms over her head, the commbead in her ear spoke. The translated voice was underlaid with a rumble that was best described as a purr-hiss.

"[It looks like you're in the antechamber. Do you have any injuries?]"

"Just a scrape or two, Hrathra," she replied. "Nothing worth noting. Looks like Reshy's mapping is accurate so far."

Another similar purr-hissing voice now spoke. "['So far', [Maria]? I suppose I should be flattered.]"

She grinned and looked around some more. "I see the cave-in. That must have been how the Karnakians got in here way back when."

"[I'm sure they didn't get in the way you did,]" said Hrathra'sstah. "[That crevice would be too small for even the skinniest Jornissian.]"

"It would be too small for most humans as well. I guess I should be grateful for being teensy."

Maria did another scan of the room. Along with lighting, her headband held an array of micro-lensed cameras that let her alien colleagues see what she saw. "Those dark marks near the ceiling...do those look like soot to you? It must be from their torches."

"[That would be my guess as well,]" replied Hrathra. "[It would fit with the age of this place.]"

Maria slipped on her pack and stepped carefully along the uneven floor. It was coated with countless years worth of dust and debris, making the footing uncertain. Some small alien animals had made a home of this place over the years, so there were also petrified feces to avoid.

She reached the tunnel leading out of the antechamber. It was thankfully much bigger, as this path once allowed Karnakians into the central chamber of this ancient place. The floor became markedly smoother as she progressed, until eventually it became polished. There was still a lot of animal crap around, so she didn't let up her careful stepping. It wouldn't do to slip and crack her head in a place where nobody could get to her without rock-boring equipment.

The tunnel walls also became smoother, until eventually they widened out again in a large hemispherical room carved into the granite. In the center sat an eroded-looking altar formed from a single block of cloudy crystal. Whatever sacred objects it once held were long gone, but mere trinkets were not the reason Maria was here.

No, she was here for what else was in the chamber. She set down her pack and pulled out of it a larger LED work-light, then set the latter on the floor. One press of a button filled the chamber with artificial daylight and she blinked in the sudden brightness.

Then she smiled as she saw the walls. They were covered with a dense crazy-quilt array of angular runes interspersed with drawings. They were all painstakingly etched deep into the solid rock, either by some ancient implement or by some long-dead Karnakian's claws.

It was appropriate that ancient Karnakian script reminded her of chicken feet. The pictures were not in any realistic style; they showed stylized Karnakians performing incomprehensible rituals. Everyone faced either to the right or to the left as in paintings from ancient Egypt.

Hrathra's voice reached her again. "[If I'm correct then you're the first sapient being to directly view these carvings in...at least [fifty thousand years]. How do you feel?]"

These carvings had been buried and forgotten for tens of thousands of years before the great cities of Mesopotamia were even a twinkle in someone's eye. It was one thing to point into the star-speckled vastness of space and say 'The universe is eleventy-nine million zillion years old'. That was all well and good, but such a statement was just a number. The brain didn't have anything to hold on to.

But things which were created, such as this chamber...they grounded the imagination and let one feel the weight of countless eons. When facing such a timeless infinite void, most would shudder and turn back from the edge.

Maria, in contrast, felt like a starving woman sitting down to a endless buffet. She would never, ever, run out of new things to discover. She spread her arms and showed her teeth to the abyss of time as her voice echoed in the room. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings! Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Then she dropped her arms and spoke in a more normal tone. "Seriously, boss, I can't thank you enough for letting me do this."

"[I still don't like putting you in such danger, even if the risk is minor. But it was the only way.]"

"A skinned elbow or two is more than worth it. Speaking of which, I should get to work."

She rummaged through her pack and withdrew some tools that would have been considered somewhat primitive even back on pre-Contact Earth; a ream of blank paper and a charcoal stick.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"[Coil up for a moment, I'm looking at the detailed scans...ah. Do you see the picture of the two supplicants before the altar?]"

Maria swiveled her head until she saw the appropriate picture. "I see it. The one with what looks like a big apple on the altar?"

"[I don't know what an [apple] is, but you are looking at the correct picture. That square patch of glyphs to its left, I'll need all of that.]"

"You got it, boss." Maria retrieved a chunk of powered nanofabric from her pack. A few shakes and it snapped into a rigid step stool. Because of the curvature of the ceiling, the requested carvings were at an awkward angle. But Maria managed to get the first paper sheet to completely cover the block of carvings. The soft scribbling of her charcoal filled the quiet chamber as she created a rubbing of the inscription.

The next couple of hours were filled with taking more rubbings under Hrathra's remote direction. At the end, Maria packed away her things and took one last lingering look around the chamber before heading back out and setting out on another painful crawl through the crevice.

On the other side of the long, narrow passage Maria clasped the edges of the crack and pulled herself halfway out of it. As she pushed to get herself further out, two red-and-brown muscular arms gently wound under her armpits; with a casual yet fearsome strength they pulled her out of the crevice and then set her on the ground.

She was now in the large and echoing cavern where the team (well, the trio) had set up their base camp. It was a naturally-occurring cave, with nary a tool-mark to be seen on the granite walls. But there was a relatively flat portion where they'd put their equipment, and the team had plenty of LEDs to keep the place nicely lit.

Maria smiled up at her giant helper. "Many thanks, Reshy, but I had it."

Resh'skk rolled his silvery eyes and gave a Jornissian snort, then nudged his snout at a tear in the elbow of her shirt. His tongue blepped out and back from his mouth as he scented for any blood. "[You've hurt yourself. Come with me.]"

"I can put on a damn band-aid, thanks very much..." She trailed off as the snake-like alien gripped her arm with that same irresistible strength and towed her over to his own pack. He muttered annoyed Jornissian phrases to himself, too quietly for her translator to catch, as he applied a bandage to her slightly-bleeding wound. Resh'skk had a pleasant countenance for a Jornissian, with a chubby, python-like head and a warm red-and brown camouflage patterning on his huge body. But his demeanor tended to be grumpy and put-upon in spite of his friendly appearance.

As he fussed at her elbow, another equally large and emerald-green Jornissian untied Maria's pack from her leg-rope and sorted through it with many a pleased hiss. She pulled out the rubbings and her hissing went up an octave while her hood scrunched up in happiness.

"[Yes! By Sotek’s nethers, these should do nicely.]"

This was her boss, Hrathra'sstah. Renowned scholar and archeologist, expert at alien languages, best-selling author, and famous throughout much of the galaxy. What with her unblinking red eyes, scaly green eye-ridges, and viper-like skull, Hrathra's expression was locked into what looked like a perpetual angry scowl. Upon her first meeting with Maria, the human had thought she'd somehow pissed off the snake-woman.

But she quickly learned that was just a combination of convergent evolution and a misfiring of human pattern recognition. Hrathra was in reality a bubbly, talkative sort who was a pleasure to work for.

Hrathra turned and gestured to the central work-station they'd set up in the camp's center. In obedience to the command from her implant, a holographic display appeared of the altar chamber that Maria had just vacated. She zoomed the display to the first section of carvings and held up the rubbing next to it while checking its accuracy. Hrathra's hood scrunched in even further. "[Excellent work! I knew I kept you around for some reason.]"

"Oh really, boss? And what about the nights here in the cave? I seem to recall both of you getting quite snuggly on a few occasions."

Hrathra gave a hissing chuckle. "[True. You also make a good space heater.]"

"[So these rubbings will be adequate?]" asked Resh'skk as he finished applying an oversized bandage to Maria's minor scrape.

"[It's as good as we can get,]" replied Hrathra. "[The paper is hand-made, as was the charcoal. [Maria] is a sapient being and not some drone, and she made the rubbings with her own hands. If the [Karnakians] don't allow these into the Claw’s Sanctum, I guess I'll just have to hire a team to go and steal the Harsak-cursed thing.]"

Resh'skk's countenance did not alter in the slightest. "[Ma'am, I do know several colleagues from my time in the service who would be of use in such an effort...]"

Maria reached up and slapped Resh'skk on the shoulder. It felt as if she'd smacked a foam-padded concrete pylon. "Dude, she's joking. You are joking, right boss?"

Hrathra'sstah quirked up one edge of her hood in the Jornissian equivalent of a cheeky raised eyebrow. "[That's for me to know and you to find out.]"

Once her arm was free of Resh'skk's grip, Maria trotted over to her pride and joy.

Just as Indiana Jones had his whip and Xena her chakram, Maria Vargas had her Überduffel.

She'd bought it after finding out she’d passed the tests and was officially in the OIH placement program. Many an unsuspecting traveler on board that particular Zephyr station suddenly found themselves buttonholed by a five-foot-nothing Latina and mercilessly quizzed on the benefits of their chosen luggage and what environments they'd put it through.

Maria had been very thorough in her shopping research. She'd made a spreadsheet, with color-coded cells. In the end, there was really only one choice in spite of its considerable expense.

The Überduffel.

It was what you got after giving a bunch of bored Teutonic baggage engineers lots of double-strength coffee and access to alien technology. It was made of a dark gray canvas which was woven from nanotube filament and other, more esoteric materials. Thanks to that it was damn near indestructible. Both fireproof and waterproof, the Überduffel also turned knife blades with ease and shrugged off normal bullets. The whole thing could be rolled up tight enough to tuck into a pocket. Its interior was profusion of pockets, pouches, zippered compartments, nooks, crannies, and straps that meant you could damn near turn the thing inside out and not lose a single piece of gear. It could be configured to sling off of one shoulder or worn like a backpack. Maria usually opted for the latter, even though the size of it when full made her look like an ant hefting an oversized load. What with how much crap she toted around in it, trying to hang the Überduffel off of one side of her petite body resulted in her Jornissian colleagues making all sorts of concerned hisses and trying to carry it for her.

Screw that noise. She may be tiny, but she was at least gonna carry her own stuff. Maria pulled a fresh shirt out of the Überduffel, and while she donned it a disquieting thought struck her.

"Hey boss? The Karnakians won't let us take any advanced tech into the sanctum. Does that include my commbead?"

"[Yes. I'm afraid they're quite insistent on that. They'll deactivate my implant as well.]"

"What? That's bullshit."

"[It's progressive on their part. [Centuries] ago they used to surgically remove the implant of any disciple who wished to commune with the Claw.]"

"So without my translator or your implant...how in the nine merry levels of hell are we gonna talk to each other when we're in there?"

"[We'll make do with simple gestures. You’ll just have to squeak when you want my attention.]"

"Smart-ass," muttered Maria.

"[I heard that.]" Hrathra glanced back at her own body. "[And technically I don't have an ass.]"

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The problem with Karnakians was not that they were huge and fearsome apex predators. It was not that they could move faster than a human could easily track. It wasn't even that their feet were tipped with sizable and razor-sharp sickle-claws which could disembowel a human in a single vicious swipe.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

(The Karnakians would hasten to add that they would never do such a terrible thing, ever.)

No, the real problem with Karnakians was that they had no chill. Their attitude was always jammed at 100 percent no matter what they did. When it came to things like 'big floofy hugs' or 'cheerful optimism' such behavior was tolerable. But when it came to things like 'first impressions' or 'calling in the Armada on a newly discovered sapient species before one has all the facts', that all-or-nothing behavior tended to make things...complicated.

And it was quite true that humanity hadn't covered itself in glory during what could be only described as the 'clusterfuck' of First Contact. But it was equally true that the Karnakians had made a few decisions that could only be called 'mistakes in judgement'. The net result was that during her five years in Hrathra'sstah's employ, Maria had met maybe six Karnakians in total. And three of those were on board the Zephyr Station where she'd done her training.

Now she was on the planet of Krr'gritz which was the hub-world in this particular collection of star systems, or ‘Blessing’, as the Karnakians called it. Here Maria had seen at least a thousand of the raptor-like aliens in the space of ten minutes after disembarking. She had to keep reminding herself that she was with a pair of good friends and that none of these Karnakians bore her any ill will.

The planet itself was a place of near-perpetual rain. Everything was built for the constant deluge, from the buildings made of solid worked stone to the extra-wide gutters to the drains running down the center of the wide cobblestone boulevards. Her two scaled colleagues did not care if they got wet; Krr'gritz was more tropical than most planets, so the warm rain felt nice to them and slid right off their scales. Maria had an umbrella for herself, just big enough to cover her and the Überduffel on her back. She felt a little less silly when seeing the fluffier Karnakains toting around their own version of an umbrella, which was more like a shop awning in size and shape. Maria quickly got used to lots of stares from curious raptors, along with lots of fanged smiles.

Hrathra'sstah and Resh'skk formed a defensive perimeter around her as they proceeded, placing their long bodies on either side of the small human. At first Maria took minor offense at their behavior; she was an adult, after all. But then a careless Karnakian came at a dead sprint through the crowd. It was only the alien's version of a brisk walk, but he was so fast that Maria could only see a white feathery blur before-

Resh'skk's muscled arm thumped into the raptor's downy chest. "[Mind your speed, please.]"

The offender did his version of a gawk at Maria. "[Oh, my! Certainly, I'm very sorry!]" He ducked his snout in a quick bow and trotted around them, giving the trio a wide berth.

"Thanks," Maria muttered to Resh'skk.

"[It's just my job,]" he responded with a little flare of his hood.

After that little incident, Maria no longer felt offended.

Eventually they came to one of the largest buildings around, a wide and single-story affair with a tiled ski-slope of a roof that reminded Maria of a Japanese temple. A pair of Karnakians guarded the only door into the place, and they both performed the same quick bow as the team slithered or strode up the shallow stairs to the entrance.

Maria had learned enough modern Karnakian writing to read the alien script on the marble lintel over that entrance. That script told all and sundry that this was the Most Sacred Temple of the Thirty-Third Path of the Great Spirit, the Last Resting Place of the Mortal Remains of Ta'irrl'qc, and Please Do Mind Your Footing Because the Floor Inside is Quite Slippery when it is Wet.

She expected one of the sect's middle management to meet them. Instead they were met inside by a figure which Maria had seen only in holos, a regal-looking Karnakian with feathers the color of a bright new penny. This was the Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light, First-Claw-and-Matriarch-of-the-33rd-Path Ck'Trrk'Ka. Her substantial plumage fluffed out in pleasure as she greeted the three of them, her trilling voice echoing off of the marble walls and floor of the entryway.

"[Welcome to our humble temple! Please follow me and I'll get some towels for you.]"

Maria shook out and then stowed her umbrella into its proper place within the Überduffel. She had to jog double-time to keep up with her compatriots. They headed in a direction perpendicular to the door, and from what she could see there wasn't any door leading directly into the temple's center.

Ck'Trrk'Ka opened a door and led them into a cheerful little office. "[It's the rainy season here on Krr'gritz, as you doubtless noticed.]" She grinned as she handed the Jornissians large towels. "[During the dry season it only rains every other day.]" She then looked at Maria. "[Do you require a towel as well, little one?]"

"No, Reverend Matriarch. I'm fine, thanks."

"[So you were able to find the ruins of that 7th-Path temple after all.]" Ck'Trrk'Ka stated as the Jornissians toweled off.

Hrathra rooted through her own pack and retrieved a small data stick. "[I said I would. We have a full holographic scan of the dig site for you.]"

The Matriarch accepted it with a little bow. "[You have our eternal gratitude. Of course, we'll have to keep this technology in the outer layers of the temple. I understand you wish to carry actual recordings of these glyphs into the central Sanctum.]"

"[We do,]" replied Hrathra. "[My assistant will show you.]" She swiveled her head to Maria and smiled. "[It is only right that she presents the recordings to you, as she was the one who did the actual work.]"

One of the nicest thing about working for Hrathra was that she didn't hog credit from her employees. Maria had already retrieved the rubbings from the Überduffel, and now she stepped forward to spread them out on the office's central table. She described her process in detail, and used the holographic map to show the Matriarch the path she'd taken to reach the central chamber.

"[Amazing,]" murmured the Karnakian after Maria was finished. "[And you wish to take similar recordings of the glyphs on the walls of the central Sanctum?]"

"[Yes. We would use the same rubbing process, of course. We will also write down the glyphs on the Claw itself. That last part, of course, will not involve any physical contact.]"

"[Excellent,]" continued Ck'Trrk'Ka. "[Well, I have no complaints. It's only fair that we live up to our side of the bargain. I imagine you're anxious to proceed. Unfortunately we can only allow two people to be present in the central chamber at any time.]"

"[I'd like my [Human] assistant to be the second,]" said Hrathra as she placed a green-scaled hand on Maria's shoulder.

The human looked up at her. "Are you sure, boss? Reshy might want to see it too."

Resh'skk gave a staccato cough that was the Jornissian equivalent of a belly-laugh. "[I've been dragged through enough temples and whatnot to last several lifetimes. Go ahead, [Maria]. You deserve this.]"

"Aw, thanks Reshy. I knew you weren't a complete grump."

Maria rolled up the rubbings, adding a few layers of fresh paper to the outside of the roll. The group headed out of the office, still moving parallel to the outer wall. They turned a corner and kept going. Maria knew from prior reading that the inner hallways of the temple were laid out in a big square spiral, leading like the layers of an onion towards the center.

At that center lay the innermost Sanctum, wherein rested the Sacred Toe-Claw of Ta'irrl'qc, the founder of the Thirty-Second Path. Maria had seen pictures...well, claw-made drawings of the relic. It was a Karnakian rear claw inscribed with millenia-old glyphs which transcribed the very last words of Ta'irrl'qc himself. The knob of bone at the Claw's root was encrusted with precious gems. The whole thing rested on a velvet cushion in a gold-and-crystal box. Both of the latter items were painstakingly made from scratch by hand (or rather by claw).

They reached a room with many large cubby-holes set into the walls. The next door was guarded by a couple of bored-looking Karnakians. "[You may leave your baggage here,]" said the Matriarch. "[Please ensure that all holographic storage media are off of your persons before proceeding.]"

Maria stowed her Überduffel with a little pang of regret, then patted herself down to make sure that she had nothing on her but the roll of paper and her charcoal stick. "What about my commbead?" she asked.

"[You may keep it in for now,]" replied Ck'Trrk'Ka. "[As Ta'irrl'qc's Sutra [Five Hundred and Nine] states…?]" She cocked two of her four eyes at the sentries.

"[Communication is a most high expression of the Great Spirit's purpose,]" chorused the two guards in unison. They now stood much straighter as they realized they were under scrutiny.

The Matriarch's head-crest rose in pleasure. "[Exactly.]" They passed between the guards and continued winding their way into the temple.

Maria cleared her throat. "Reverend Matriarch, may I ask a question?"

Ck’Trrk’Ka’s crest rose even higher. "[Of course.]"

"If communication is such a high expression, why not allow my commbead into the Sanctum, or let Hrathra keep her implant active? I'm not complaining, I'm just trying to understand."

"[Understanding is always something to strive for. Ta'irrl'qc's Sutra [Three Hundred and Eighty] states that 'Only by the work of your own claws shall you achieve Enlightenment'. We of the Thirty-Third Path have interpreted this Sutra to mean that as we progress towards his own achievements we must divest ourselves of anything that has seen the touch of the machine.]"

Hrathra let out an amused hiss. "[I am very grateful for this opportunity, in spite of the restrictions. We'll just have to make do.]"

They passed several more doorways, each flanked by more guards. Maria wondered if there were hidden scanners in the walls just in case somebody tried to sneak in some bit of contraband tech.

Along the hallways were many alcoves, each just big enough to hold a single Karnakian. In each alcove was a small altar-like table holding a lit candle. Each alcove also had a separate phrase inscribed into the wall above. Maria could translate a few of them, and knew that they were the various Sutras of Ta'irrl'qc. Most of the alcoves were occupied, and each Karnakian within turned to give the small group a curious couple of eyes before turning back to ponder their alcove's Sutra.

Maria wondered if any of them resented these heretical aliens barging into their midst. It took many years of meditation and testing for a Karnakian disciple to be deemed worthy enough to reach the center of this temple, and here they were just waltzing straight through like they owned the damn place. At least the Matriarch led them, which Maria hoped took the edge off of any resentment.

They then came to a large room which held a bound ledger. The book looked comically oversized, even for giant aliens. It sat upon a tilted plinth and was about the size of a car. The Karnakian standing next to the plinth was a lean-looking male with green and gray mottled feathers. He gave off an impression of a fussy mustiness; if he’d been human, Maria figured he would have been one of those eccentric members of the British gentry who putter through their half-decayed mansion while wearing spectacles and fingerless gloves.

"[May i introduce you to Ti'Krrh, Keeper of the Ledger,]" said the Matriarch as she gestured towards the male. He gave them all what was probably supposed to be a welcoming grin, but seeing all those razor-sharp teeth just sent shivers down Maria's spine and erased any impression of fussiness.

Ti'Krrh grasped the huge cover of the ledger and pulled it open with obvious effort. There was a white silk marker as long as a bedspread which showed the most current page in the tome. This particular parchment-like page was filled halfway across with the vertical scrawls of Karnakian signatures.

The Keeper produced a waxy stylus with a magician's flourish. "[Please sign.]" As Hratha took the stylus and made her way to the book, T'Krrh kept on chattering. "[This is all quite exciting! You're the first non-Karnakians to be admitted in...oh, well over [two hundred years], isn't it Matriarch?]"

Ck'Trrk'Ka responded with a single regal nod.

When it came time for Maria to sign her name, she took the stylus and turned her head so that she could sign 'normally' but still fit her signature into the vertical space provided. She handed the stylus back to T'Krrh and was proud that she managed to not flinch at the contact of his taloned hands with her fingers.

The chamber beyond the Ledger room was larger and held several Karnakian-style stools. "[Your colleague must wait here,]" said Ck'Trrk'Ka. "[Beyond the next door is the final place of bathing, presided over by Second Claw Ter'yeik. He will direct you in what to do. You must remove all clothing, bathe yourselves, then don the sacred woven robes that the Second Claw provides. Only then will you be allowed to pass into the inner Sanctum.]"

Resh'skk didn’t bother with the stools, and instead coiled himself into a comfy pile near the door. "[Have fun, [kiddos]. Make sure you take lots of pictures.]"

The Matriarch's crest fell a bit in worry. "[There is no recording equipment allowed...ah, you’re making a joke, yes?]"

The Jornissian just smirked.

Maria clutched her roll of paper more tightly as she and Hrathra passed through the door. Beyond lay a white-tiled and steam-filled space which made sweat instantly pop out of Maria’s forehead.

Hrathra glanced at her curiously. "[Your face has gone all shiny.]"

"Yeah, it's like a steam bath in here. I'm gonna sweat like crazy if we stay in here too long."

Her employer gave a Jornissian laugh. "[No wonder you [Humans] need so much water.]"

Maria set the roll of papers and the charcoal onto one of the benches along the walls as a white-feathered Karnakian came through the mist towards them. Maria knew enough to recognize a warm-climate Karnakian. He had more cream-colored scales visible than usual, especially on the legs and arms. As opposed to every other Karnakian so far, he was naked save for a small leather pouch at his hip.

The newcomer bowed. "[Greetings! I am Ter'Yeik, Second Claw of the [Thirty-Third] Path and assistant to the Reverend Matriarch. We were told of your impending visit and have prepared garments for you. Please disrobe.]"

Maria had known this was coming, but still hesitated. She was a bit shy about getting buck naked in front of strangers, no matter how alien. She took a deep breath and stripped out of her shirt and trousers. After folding them neatly and setting them next to her paper, she shucked out of her underwear and then turned to face the others.

In the meantime, Hrathra had also stripped off her clothing. Since she was a warm-climate Jornissian, her own emerald body was more streamlined than Resh'skk's. She glanced at Maria before turning to Ter'yeik. The Karnakian gave them a once-over, looking for any contraband.

"[We're ready,]” said Hrathra. “[What is required for bathing?]"

The Second Claw led them over to a shallow brass bowl that looked like a huge brazier. It was filled with a finely-ground and crystalline green powder.

"[As neither of you are [Dorarizin], you may use this bathing powder without concern for toxicity. We clean all of our feathers with this, but for both of you it will be sufficient to place some on your faces. This will count as 'sacred bathing' as per Sutra [Eight Hundred and Six].]"

First Hrathra, then Maria reached in and got a little of the powder on their fingers. Maria smeared a bit on each cheek like camouflage makeup while Hrathra coated the tip of her snout.

Ter'yeik turned to Maria. "[I must now, with regret, ask for your commbead.]"

This was worse than being naked. But she just smiled and fished the translator device out of her ear before handing it to Ter'yeik. He bowed deeply and trilled a bunch of nonsense at her...and the expected translation never came. Her brain gave a mental lurch, as if she'd put out her foot for a step that wasn't there.

He turned to Hrathra and trilled some more, and in response Hrathra nodded and closed her ruby-red eyes. After a bit, the snake-woman opened them again with another Jornissian nod. Ter'yeik reached into his pouch and withdrew a wand-like device. He waved it around Hrathra's head before letting forth a pleased chirp. Maria figured that this implant de-activator was probably the only advanced bit of tech allowed this deep inside the temple.

Ter'yeik trotted off through the steam and returned with a pair of robes fashioned from undyed, homespun fabric. He handed each of them a garment suited for their body shape. It was clear that the disciples hadn't put much tailoring effort into them. Maria’s robe was really more of a shapeless hooded poncho, while Hrathra's robe was like a giant tube-sock with the toe cut out.

Once they were dressed, Maria retrieved her rolled-up rubbings and charcoal. Ter'yeik gave them each a once-over, nodded again, and opened the door exiting from the steam-filled chamber.

"That was almost as bad as air travel," said Maria as they walked and slithered down the short hall to the inner Sanctum.

Hrathra gave a long hissing-purr, then smiled and reached over to squeeze Maria's shoulder. The human had been in the Jornissian's employ long enough to know when Hrathra was really excited about something. Right now, the alien was about ready to vibrate right out of her scales.

The door at the end of the hallway sat firmly shut and was made of a single giant slab of hardwood. Hrathra waved towards Maria, then at the door handle. The young woman smiled at the opportunity to be first into the room, and reached out to grasp the horizontal handle of the massive door. It was right about at her eye level. She tugged with no effect, so Hrathra's hand settled next to hers. Together, they pulled the door open.

At a wave forward from Hrathra, Maria darted into the room. A hissing bark from her boss stopped her dead in her tracks, and she realized that she still held the rubbings. She unrolled them and handed the sheaf of papers to the Jornissian, then looked around the room in excitement.

It reminded her of the ruined temple she'd infiltrated, but much less ruin-y this time. The shape of it was not as hemispherical, but the upper edges of the room's walls curved inwards to form a sort of four-sided dome overhead. The walls were again covered with glyphs, and one block of them in particular had already caught Hrathra's attention. She was shuffling through the rubbings while reading the symbols, hiss-purring to herself and damn near wriggling in pleasure.

Maria smiled at her boss's enthusiasm, and continued looking around the Sanctum. The human's good mood lasted for the time it took her to finally look towards the center of the room.

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“Baos! De..Ter...DaCLaH;! Iz;..gun! DaCLahiZ! Iz;? Iz? TotLEe Gun! Baos!”

Hrathra'sstah chuckled at the clear enthusiasm in her intern's voice, but was far too engrossed to turn around. Now that there was no translating from her implant, the cuteness of [Maria's] odd staccato and warbling speech could be fully appreciated. She had to admit, the little alien had won her over. Hrathra told herself way back when that her reason for requesting a [Human] assistant was so that she could expose the newest species of the Senate to the full majesty of Galactic history. But if she was honest with herself, her request had been more to one-up her colleagues...especially that dry-scaled bastard Ssstalh'tra. Thinking of his jealousy alone had been worth the endless training in [Human] care and handling that she and Resh'skk endured.

But somewhat to her surprise, [Maria] had proven herself and was now a valued member of her team. Hrathra would never again judge someone based merely on their size.

And speaking of Ssstalh'tra, he was going to soil himself when she published the results of this expedition! Hrathra could now prove just how little sacred [Karnakian] writing had changed over time. They'd get some rubbings from these glyphs, and the side-to-side comparison would be undeniable. As a bonus she and [Maria] would also transcribe the glyphs from the Claw itself, which would prove Hrathra’s theories of Karnakian language development beyond any reasonable doubt.

"Baos! ;HoLEiE; SheEtTT! Dachahizgun! Da?Mit!Baos!!"

Hrathra shook her hood and huffed in mild irriation. ""

"BAoS!"

There was limit to how much she'd put up with, no matter how cute [Maria] was. She spun and glared down at her assistant. ""

[Maria] danced up and down in front of her, her dark eyes wide as her homespun poncho flapped about her bare legs. She darted forward and plucked at Hrathra's arm, then pointed towards the center of the room.

"ITTZ?...;GUN!"

The Jornissian sighed and patted [Maria's] head to calm her assistant. ""

Hrathra trailed off as her eyes followed her assistant's pointing finger. In the room's center lay a single block of milky-white quartz.

And upon that block was no gold-and-crystal holding case, no velvet cushion. There was for sure no Sacred Toe-Claw of Ta'irrl'qc with its root all encrusted with precious gems.

The block was empty.