"We looked out of the ports, and saw a great procession of the Slan gliding towards our module.

   'WE COME IN PEACE, DO NOT FEAR US..' reverbrated in my head, so loudly that it felt like a chorus of giants were shouting at me!.

  'PLEASE!!'  I thought desperately..'CAN JUST A FEW OF YOU SPEAK TO ME AT THE SAME TIME?  IT IS TOO MUCH FOR ME, WHEN YOU ALL SPEAK TOGETHER AS YOU ARE DOING NOW...'

  'VERY WELL, JUST THE ELDERS WILL ADDRESS YOU
IF THAT IS YOUR WISH.'

   'WE ONLY WISH TO CONVEY OUR RESPECT FOR YOU, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WE ARE ALL OF ONE MIND.'  the smaller chorus continued.  'IS THIS MORE COMFORTABLE FOR YOU?'

   'YES, INDEED.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.'  I replied.

   We were now recording the exchange, and I was interpreting it as I went.  The delegation of Elders, as such they appeared to be, looked no different from the others, with the exception of having brighter looking hair.  They stood in front of the mass of Slan who had accompanied them.

   We had come out to greet them again.  I could feel the probes scanning my body and looked at Solon.  He, too, seemed to be experiencing them.

   'WE ALSO COME IN PEACE AND WISH YOU NO HARM OF ANY KIND.'  I smiled at them, and added in my Earth voice, "How are we supposed to tell them apart?  They all seem to be almost identical."

   "I cannot quite describe my feelings on being with so many of the alien humanoids at one time.  It was a deep feeling of being comfortable, and at the same time a sort of excitement.  It felt somehow like a long held desire being fulfilled.  But how  was that possible?

   "Ask them if there is a leader that our Captain can meet with?"  Tara seemed excited, also.

   'IS THERE ONE WHO WILL SPEAK FOR YOUR ENTIRE PEOPLE?  A RULER, OR SOME DESIGNATED LEADER?  OUR CAPTAIN WHO REPRESENTS ALL OF US, IS MOST ANXIOUS TO MEET WITH SUCH.'  I conveyed.

   'WE, THE ELDERS SPEAK FOR THE SLAN.'  About ten or so with the firebright hair stepped forward.  'WE WISH TO MEET WITH YOUR CAPTAIN ALSO.'

   'IT IS THE REQUEST OF OUR CAPTAIN THAT ONLY ONE OR TWO REPRESENT THE REST, IT IS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING TO DEAL WITH SUCH A LARGE GROUP.'  The Captain had been most particular about this point, as we did not yet know very much about them.

   I relayed their response, 'WE HAVE NO SUCH THING-- WE HAVE NO SECRETS FROM ONE ANOTHER.  SO IT IS HARD TO DO THINGS ALONE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'

   "The Captain, who by now had beamed herself down to the meeting site, stepped forward.  "Tell them that we will all act as representatives, all four of us.  Ask them if they will select four Elders to be their group."  She smiled expectantly at them, while she was speaking to me.

   'OUR CAPTAIN REQUESTS THAT YOU CHOSE FOUR...' I held up four fingers of my hand, and indicated our group.  'TO BE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TO US.'

   The Slan did not look at one another, but kept looking direcetly at us.  I could hear the dialogue among them, 'WE DO NOT DO THINGS IN THIS MANNER', 'BUT APPARENTLY THEY DO', 'LET US HUMOR THEM', 'BUT IT IS NOT SEEMLY', 'WELL, LET US SEE WHAT IT IS THEY WANT FROM US..'

   Finally, a chorus, of 'SO BE IT', was intoned.  Four of the Elders  stayed, and the others stepped back a little.

   "Please tell them that we appreciate it." The Captain's smile was even broader than before, if that was possible.  I could sense how proud she was to have this coup on her log of our voyage.  A First Contact of Peaceful Kind, and the subsequent learning added to the Federation's bank of knowlege, and her name as Commanding Officer of the event.

   "Looking back now, there was absolutely no indication of the trouble to come.  There was no warning feeling in the air, that I could sense, and I was the only one of our group to be able to pick up on their conversation, feeling tones, etc.

   "But, just as suddenly as the first life form had appeared, all of the Slan, turned as one, and vanished before our eyes!

   "What happened, Darla??"  "Where did they all go??" "Can you get them to return??"  "Why, for heaven's sake?"  Now the chorus was human, from my fellow officers.

   "Gosh, NO!  I know as little as you do about what happened!"  I protested, suddenly feeling anxious.  "Perhaps we had better get into our dink and wait to see what happens next."