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occasionally back at the crouching human, then sorting through fragments of
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shattered globe. Even-tually selecting a couple of choice shards, he began
trim-ming and adjusting them. Evan watched as the alien's mouthparts cut
through the tough material as though it was paper. He could easily imagine
what they could do to his own flesh if Azure took a sudden dislike to him.
More speculative glances in Evan's direction. The globular fragments had been
cut and glued into four sec-tions, two straight and curved, two round and
bubblelike. These four became one under Azure's skillful claws.
When he was finished the result was handed to Evan. It was a remarkably
polished piece of work and might have come out of a machine instead of an
alien mouth.
Evan slipped the straight bars over his ears and hooked them together in back
of his head. The twin hemispheres they were connected to in front fit neatly
over his eyes. They were a bit large and probably gave him the aspect of a
giant bug, but he wasn't much interested in appear-ances.
The brown silicate screened out most of the sun's rays and the painful
reflections of the surrounding growths. For the first time since he'd been
forced to abandon the
HW, he could see clearly and without difficulty. A light, warm rain began to
fall.
"How did you know?" He bent again and allowed Azure to climb back onto his
shoulders and remesh. "How did you know?"
"The purpose of the thin material wrapped around your face was
self‑evident and obviously inefficient," Azure replied. He gestured
toward the strip of plastic now lying crumpled on the ground. "I thought
pieces of Eria fruit would serve better. It is better?"
"It's wonderful. Can't thank you enough." He sur-veyed the terrain,
luxuriating in being able to open his eyes fully for the first time in days.
"Which way now?"
"We are not finished here yet."
"Whatever you say." What else did Azure have in mind for him? Another pair of
glasses, perhaps, fashioned from some darker material?
Azure directed him through the forest until they were confronted by a small
pool. This one stood by itself, with no visible outlet. As might be expected,
the water was murky and rich with diatomous swarms.
"Get in," Azure told him.
"What?" Evan eyed the soupy broth uncertainly.
"Immerse yourself‑and be sure to keep your head above water."
"Why? What's the danger?"
"No danger. Just a precaution a soft form needs to take."
Evan leaned over and tried to penetrate the mystery of the pool. "What's going
to happen to me?"
"You need protection. The pool will provide it." When Evan continued to
hesitate, Azure added, with a hint of exasperation, "Have I done anything to
cause you harm?"
"No‑o‑o‑o." Evan considered. It was only water. He could
always get out fast if that seemed necessary.
He stepped in and slowly assumed a supine position, his head resting on the
dry bank. Warm water began to leak in around his light clothing. Something
began to irri-tate his legs.
He reached down to scratch but was forestalled by Azure, who had crawled onto
the shore near his head, still plugged in to his tall soft friend.
"Don't do that. Relax and let the froporia do its work."
Evan did as he was told, though the crawling sensation intensified and it was
an effort to keep his hands at his sides. It wasn't painful; merely
uncomfortable.
He lifted his head to look down at himself.
A thin layer of silica was forming on his body. As it took hold, his clothing
was split and torn from beneath. The loss of the light undersuit didn't upset
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him too much. It was frayed and torn already anyway. The process was
fascinating
to observe. Millions of microscopic creatures were cementing themselves
together no more than a centimeter above his skin, in much the same way corals
form barrier reefs, only the process was occurring infinitely faster.
He twisted and turned slightly. Where there was resis-tance, the froporia
allowed more room for movement. He began to work his way down his own body,
moving the thickening formation farther from his skin at joints and creases,
flexing his muscles individually where possible. When the coating was a
centimeter or so thick, growth ceased.
Obeying Azure's instructions, he lay as still as he could for several hours,
whereupon his friend said, "You may get up now."
Evan glanced down at the creamy white wrapping encasing him, tried to bend his
legs. The formation was as unyielding as metal. "How?"
"How indeed? I forgot."
"You forgot?" Evan fought to keep any suggestion of panic out of his thoughts.
If he'd been deceived all this time and had gone and packaged himself for
leisurely consumption . . .
Azure trundled forward and grasped Evan by the shoulders. With unexpected
strength, he pulled the encased human clear of the pool. Then he began working
on Evan's body, cutting and secreting fluid at the joints. As soon as Evan
divined what he was doing, he offered 'suggestions and instructions.
First the right arm was loosened at shoulder, elbow, and wrist, then the left.
The fingers were last and Azure moved on to work on the torso. Eventually the
work was completed and the alien resumed its position on Evan's shoulders.
"I'm going to stand up now," he informed his seg-mented friend. It took a
little work, as stiff as his new suit was. Prism had provided him with new
armor. It was creamy white and light as a graphite composite. He won-dered if
it was as tough as it seemed.
"The froporia are strong indeed," Azure assured him. "That is how they protect
themselves, by encasing those who would eat them. Out of the water, they die.
We have fashioned you a new exoskeleton out of many smaller ones."
A walking graveyard, Evan mused. Not a pretty thought, but he wasn't about to
give up his new armor out of sorrow. Besides, the pool appeared as full of
life now as it had been when he'd first lain down in it.
Not that he doubted Azure, but he was curious to see just what his new suit
was capable of. He found a rock that weighed a good five kilos and with some
trepidation dropped it on his right foot. It bounced off without so much as
scratching the smooth white surface. A good beginning. He picked up the rock a
second time, raised it over his head, and slammed it down on his big toe as
hard as he could. His wince was purely mental. Once again the rock bounced
harmlessly away. Whatever the white substance was composed of, it had very
little give.
He stared down at his uninjured foot, wondering what other surprises his
primitive friend held in store. Perhaps even something like a "talker" that
could pinpoint the location of the Ophemert beacon. He fingered his new
silicate sunshades and grinned.
Inside the safety of a suit again Evan felt more like his old confident self,
even if that suit had been grown in an alien pond by diatomous fauna instead
of having rolled off the assembly line of one of Samstead's factories.
"There are those dangerous creatures which can pen-etrate a froporia shell,"
Azure informed him, "but they are not common. I regret having to leave your
head exposed, but being a soft thing I assume you require the constant
ingestion of gas to sustain life."
"I have to breathe, if that's what you mean." He tapped his armored chest.
"This will do nicely, thanks."
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