“Yeah, but nothing out of order.”
“Uh-huh. Let me turn up the magnification a little and see if—” Banner watched as Harcraft turned control buttons, skillfully increasing magnification without losing the held of view. Suddenly, the object exploded into iridescence. “What—”
“Watch,” Harcraft said. He bumped the magnification as much as he dared.
“The Ankorbadian fleet,” said Banner between clenched teeth.
They spent the next hour scanning the ship’s micro-library for anything at all on Ankorbadian religious practices. There was nothing. Arnold awoke in another hour and seemed remarkably free of hysteria.
“What do you know about our friends’ religious holiday?” asked Banner. “We checked the library without any luck.”
Arnold scratched the side of his face. “Lemme think. Yeah, I remember. They go home to celebrate spring, like you said.”
“They all go home?”
“Uh-huh. They got to. Only time they can mate. Only place, too.”
“How long they stay? I’ve heard it’s about one of our months, but we have to know exactly.”