He ripped the tape out of the speaker and hurried along a dank corridor to Ahnu's office, not even pausing at his favorite spots to rub against the cool, dripping walls. He found his chief relaxing in an adjoining chamber by submitting to a massage.
"Not now!" complained Ahnu at the first mention of Earthmen. "Wait till we hear from Zoya. I want to enjoy having my scales oiled in peace!"
Ullo spitefully dropped the tape into a pot of scale-grease on the way out, but dutifully returned to his work.
Late one night, however, he was reminded of the scout in system LL-255-13. The emergency buzzer beside his sleeping pool awoke him with an urgent summons. The number on the screen beside it indicated the communications chamber now reserved for Zoya Lar-Tul.
Still dripping, Ullo pumped down the corridor, encountering his chief at the last turn. Ahnu was irritated.
"What can they have spoiled now?" he demanded, as if he suspected Ullo of having had a tentacle in it. "It was a perfectly simple arrangement!"
"Perhaps something unexpected came up," suggested Ullo.
"What could be unexpected? It was utterly simple!" said Ahnu explosively. "If he beats them to it, he reports from the ship. Otherwise he destroys it and goes back to report from his base!"
He slap-slapped irately into their destination, wondering audibly why he had to come down here and direct people's eyestalks for them.
"Because, Great One," replied Viri Nol-Rin, a trifle more abruptly than was consistent with proper respect for Ahnu's position, "the televisor at Zoya's base has gone dead!"