Gengor was up before dawn that morning, his stomach demanding food. He hadn't needed to worry about physical needs while on the ship. As much as he loved to eat, the desire for food could be a burden as well as a pleasure. He waded in the water and caught a few fish by scooping up water in his jaws. Not very efficient, but fun. He circumnavigated the island at the water's edge nibbling on what he could find and eventually came back to the dock by the wreck. Two rabbits were grazing nearby. Sounds of men working echoed from within the building. They were hammering and making a lot of noise.

"They probably won't notice me then," Gengor thought. He walked as lightly as possible toward the rabbits. He was very hungry and just the thought of how they might taste was overwhelming. They spooked as he approached and ran straight into the open doorway of the building. He followed without thinking and came directly into the view of a worker on his way out.

"What the hell?" the man yelled. He turned and ran back into the building shouting, "Close the outside doors. Now!"

Gengor was temporarily intrigued to watch the heavy steel doors moving on their tracks. The motor whirred and the doors slid shut with a loud thud.

"No!" Gengor thought. He howled with disappointment. All he could think about was how hungry he was. Not only were the rabbits inside, but he could smell the enticing aroma of meat from the men's lunch cart. He lunged at the door. It was made of steel but would be no match for his strength and bulk.

* * *

Jejlard sailed the Luca Luna back toward the wreck and construction site. Everyone was quiet, lost in their own speculations. Tajlon jumped to his feet first as they rounded the tip of the island, and the dock came into view.

"We may be too late." he said, pointing past the wreck to the building site.

"The warehouse is under attack!" Hal said and grabbed his rifle.

Gengor was pounding and scratching at the door which was about to cave in. They could hear the metal ringing out with each strike of his huge, clawed feet. He was also tearing at the structure with his upper limbs and the door facing was starting to come apart.

"Wait, Hal," Jejlard said placing a hand on Hal's shoulder. "Let me try to scare him off first."

"I vote for an autospy in this situation," Hal said. "I'm betting the guys inside the warehouse would too."

"Just give me one try." Jeliard raised his rifle an took aim. Gengor was a moving target, but his actions were quite predictable. Jejliard focused on the rhythm of his attack and aimed a fraction above Gengor's head. It would be high enough to miss anyone in the building. The shot hit true and grazed the top of Gengor's head. He turned in surprise. Jejliard fired again, this time at the ground by Gengor's foot. Soil and rock spat up. Gengor retreated and looked confused as he searched for source. Tajlon secured their boat to the dock and jumped ashore with the tranquilizer gun.

"Tajlon, watch out!" Hal yelled and ran after him. "We don't know if trank will work on this beast."

"Only one way to find out."

"Crazy kid," Hal murmured.

Jeliard paused to grab more ammunition and ran to catch up.

Gengor saw them and was startled into evasive action. He ran behind a stack of boxes next to the building.

Hal and Jejliard split up to cover both his exits. Tajlon picked the side by Hal away from the doorway and waited with his gun ready.

"Come out and surrender," Hal said as loud as he could. If this was the alien from the ship, it was smart. "Surrender and you won't be harmed."

"Seriously?" Jejliard asked.

"I don't know how smart this guy is, but if it's the alien, Greyla said he talked to her," Hal said.

"She didn't tell me that," Jejliard said. "I should have been more thorough in my debriefing."

Gengor growled from behind his cover and could be heard scratching on the metal wall of the warehouse.

"Why didn't you share that information earlier?" Tajlon looked at both of them. "It's sentient then."

"It'll be dead if it doesn't surrender right now," Hal said for the alien's benefit. "I can blast right through those boxes."

Gengor stormed out from the boxes and tried to run past Tajlon and Hal. Tajlon fired his tranquilizer gun and hit a broad leg muscle. Gengor looked down, pulled the dart from his leg and stared at Tajlon. They were only a few feet apart.

"Don't even think about it," Hal said.

"You're about to take a nice long nap. I suggest you get back on your ship," Tajlon said. "I just hit you with a sedative. It won't hurt you."

Gengor roared in anger but looked at the two men aiming their weapons at him. He headed toward the wreck and climbed into the gaping hole. He looked back and stumbled as the tranquilizer began to take effect. He fell against the inside wall of the hull and melded back into the ship. Only Jejliard was at a vantage point to witness it.

"He disappeared!" he said. " He just disappeared before my eyes."

***

Jejliard walked up to the gaping hole in the wreck and peered in. There was no sign of the alien. He inspected the wall where he’d watched it dematerialize.

“Nothing,” he said to Hal and Tajlon who were watching from a safe distance. He stepped inside the doorway.

“Please be careful in there, Dad,” Tajlon said.

“We need to seal up this hole today,” Jejliard said. “I want to take a quick look around first. Find me a line, Hal.”

Hal found a good length of rope, attached it to a post on the deck and tied the other end around Jejliard’s waist.

“What do we tell them?” Taljon asked. The men inside the building were trying to get the door open with a cacophony of cursing and clanging of hammers.

“The limited truth. We don’t know what we’re dealing with, but at least it's back on this ship,” Jejliard said. “Tell them they are not to leave the island until they are interrogated. Tajlon, use the radio on the Luca Luna and put in a call to Colberton. Just leave him a message, level two security problem on Turodey.”

"I thought we didn't want to involve the general," Taljon said. "He will kill it, Dad."

"Not my first choice, but I'm not sure we can contain the situation and lives are at stake here," Jejliard replied.

“Got it.”

***

Jejliard went inside. He found a couple of sandy foot prints the creature left on the flooring. They stopped right inside the door. There was no trace of sand farther inside except along the wall. Lying against the bottom of the wall was the dart Tajlon shot him with. Jejliard picked it up and put it in a pouch on his belt. He ventured a few feet farther and investigated the maze of corridors and multiple levels of grid work. No wonder they got lost in the dark when it was full of water.

He went toward the middle of the ship until the light grew too dim to see well. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could pick out the shape of a desk and control console. A faint light was glowing off and on.

“The ship still has an active power source,” he thought. He ventured closer and saw a panel of levers and dials. There were markings he couldn’t make out.

“Hello?” he called aloud. “If you can hear me, I propose a truce. Let’s learn from one another. It’ll do you no good to go up against the military forces which will soon be descending upon this island. They can blow you and this ship to pieces. And they will if you threaten us again.”

A raspy voice came back through a speaker on the desk. “You don’t scare me.”

“We’re sealing the hull today. It’s for our mutual protection. Do you understand?”

“I don’t care. Go away."

"I'll come back another time. I really think we should start over. I can forgive what's happened. You're all alone here. It would be better for you to try to make some friends."

"I'm not alone. I have Widhbo. Well, he may not be my friend any more…,” his voice grew weaker and trailed off.

“We can at least have a truce,” Jejliard hesitated not sure if he was making any progress. He didn’t know how to respond to the mention of Widhbo.

“Truce for now. I'm very sleepy."

“Alright. I’m leaving.”

The mention of Widhbo puzzled Jejliard. He decided it was best to leave well enough alone and get off the ship. He found his way out without a problem and removed the rope. Hal was helping the crew get the heavy doors apart. The workers were rattled but had sustained no injuries.

Hal fielded their immediate questions. "The situation is under control for the present and the creature is back on the ship. We are calling in reinforcements from the BTP Security Division and will be sealing the hull. "

"What was that monster?" someone called out.

"Truth. We don't know.," Hal said, "You are not to discuss the events witnessed here today with anyone who is not directly involved or authorized by Mr. Castonea. Please remain calm and we will arrange for your transportation off the island."

While Hal worked on a plan to seal the hull, Jejliard went to check with Tajlon back on the Luca Luna.

"Were you able to get through to Colberton?" he asked.

"I just left a message. Nothing back yet," Tajlon said. "You think he'll come?"

"He'll be here." Jejliard sat down and pondered what had happened with his head in his hands.

"What is it, Dad? Were you able to make contact?"

"Yes, I spoke with the creature. Actually, it talked to me using the ship's communication system. The ship still has a power source."

"What did it say?"

"He agreed to a truce for now.” Jejliard paused. “I offered to start over and be friends.”

"That's encouraging."

"Yes. He also said he was not alone and mentioned the name Widhbo. I can't make any sense of it. Even if I believed the legend, which I don't, the Widhbo is supposedly here to protect the planet from him, not befriend him.”

***

Tajlon debated what he should do. Widhbo had sworn him to secrecy from his early childhood. He’d never had a reason to break that promise. It had all seemed surreal up until now, and he’d taken a lot of ridicule from his father about talking to Nova telepathically. He was certain telling tales of aliens from another dimension and a crashed spacecraft would have sounded like a childhood fantasy as well.

It was a real danger now. From their encounter on the sunken wreck and Greyla’s kidnapping, to their experience on the beach last night, it had progressed until the alien walked among them and threatened the lives of several men today.

“Dad, we need to talk. There’s a few things I haven’t told you.”

“What sort of things,” Jejliard asked.

“Things I knew you’d never believe from a kid.”

“Pertaining to this situation?”

“Yes. I’ve known about the spaceship and alien since I was a child. Honestly, I assumed this one died in the crash. Obviously, it didn’t. I know Widhbo too. It’s his ship.”

Jejliard looked hard at Tajlon trying to digest what he’d just heard. He pulled his chair closer toward Tajlon. “I’m listening.”