Chapter 10 An Opposing Point of View

The next morning Team Possible found L'ao in the gym, doing exercises. At the moment she was attempting to fly while carrying barbell weights. Her wings flapped and she strained to lift off. The weights did not seem to give her any problem to hold; they merely held her to the ground.

Finally she gave one long, powerful stroke of wings, and lifted off a foot or so. Then she settled back down and with a long breath put the weights down.

She turned to the watching humans. "Whew, that was a strain. But I did it!"

"How much weight was that?" asked Francis.

"Oh, uh... three hundred fifty pounds," she replied, picking them up to return them to their resting-place.

"So... you can fly holding an average-sized human?" asked Ron.

"Oh, easily, and for hours," she replied, making the "shrug" gesture with her wings. She put the last of the weights up, and dusted off her hands. "We Dae are stronger than most humans, and our life span is about a hundred thirty years, so I'm not yet at my physical peak."

"If it isn't rude to ask, how old are you?" asked Kim.

"Twenty-three," was the answer, to which Kim nodded.

"I was thinking about that number," she said.

L'ao smiled at her. "Your judgment is sound, as I gathered when I researched you before coming here. Since you have had all night to sleep on it, will you help my people return home?"

"I... haven't decided yet, to be honest," replied Kim, unhappily, "I still want to know more about you and your people. I don't mean to sound suspicious, but to have an... alien... for want of a better word, come to me and tell me what you've said is a huge sitch, and I want to be sure to do the right thing for both our races."

To her surprise, L'ao was not offended. "I think that is wise. I have promised peaceful intent, and to accept your judgment, but you have no evidence of my real purposes. There are still nineteen days before the portal can be opened, and I hope to persuade you by then."

She looked around at the humans surrounding her. "If I am to stay here, I need to go to my camp and get the things still there. I brought with me a couple of books I hope will be useful."

"Should you not wait until dark?" asked Yori.

L'ao shrugged with her wings again, and smiled. "No, I am hard to see like this." And her skin and hair changed to sky blue, but her eyes stayed blood red.

"That is still a cool trick," commented Ron, with an accompanying 'YEAH!' from his pocket. Rufus had been watching the proceedings with interest. "Want something to eat before you go?"

"No, I rarely eat before noon. Our digestive systems are not fully functional for a few hours after we wake. I could go for a cup of coffee, though."

"I've got just the thing!" said Ron, and headed for the kitchen.

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After L'ao left, Kim went to her office to catch up on paperwork. The holographic training system Wade was working on was getting expensive, and so far had nothing to show for the money. She had decided to consult with Francis and get his thoughts on continuing when Wade appeared on her monitor.

"Well, there's one more mystery to add about our guest," he said without preamble.

"And that is...?" replied Kim.

"By the laws of aerodynamics, she shouldn't be able to fly. Her wingspan is too small to lift a body of her weight, never mind anything she's carrying."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "But what about a hang glider? The wingspan on those is about the same as hers."

"Yeah, but they don't flap, just provide resistance," he answered.

"I guess that's something you'll have to ask her, then," said Kim.

Wade started to answer when there was a knock on the door and Monique opened it.

"Kim, there's a Mr. Kinnett here to see you. He says it's about L'ao," she said.

"Well, by all means send him in," said Kim. Wade vanished from the monitor as she swiveled to face the door. She took her papers and stacked them neatly to one side. "By all means" was a code phrase for everyone to listen to the conversation, and form opinions which would be discussed later.

Mr. Kinnett proved to be a man in his early forties, clean-shaven with a touch of gray in his dark hair. He was about five and a half feet tall, wearing a dark suit and carrying a briefcase. He appeared to be very serious, almost grim. His dark eyes regarded Kim warily.

"Please sit down," said Kim, "And tell me what I can do for you, Mr. Kinnett."

He did so and put his briefcase beside his chair. "Thank you, Miss Possible. I represent an organization known as the DaeWatch." At Kim's raised eyebrows he smiled grimly. "I see you've heard of us. I do hope Princess L'ao hasn't poisoned you against us already, and you are willing to listen to me."

"I'm willing to listen, Mr. Kinnett. Please continue." she replied coolly.

"The Dae are dangerous, and a threat to Mankind," he stated flatly.

"That's a bit harsh for a race numbering less than a thousand, don't you think?" replied Kim.

"Miss Possible, you really have little idea of what They are capable of. The DaeWatch has opposed them for centuries, and we DO know." said Kinnett. "They are outwardly polite and deferential, but that's just a cover. In reality they are treacherous, and will lie, cheat, steal and kill to attain their goals."

"Kill?" asked Kim, curiosity piqued.

"Yes, kill. They are very intelligent, but evil. They like to work behind the scenes and manipulate humans to do their work for them, but will act directly if needed," he replied. "Many of humanity's wars were secretly directed by them."

Kim frowned as she sat back, but made no reply.

"Miss Possible, I know all the Dae on Earth have gathered someplace in the nearby mountains, but I don't know why. I also know Princess L'ao came here last night, and I know she spent the night here. What I don't know is what she wants from you and your organization.

I know the reputation of Team Possible, and I respect your high success rate in completing assignments. If she wants to hire you for her race's protection, I can double your fee if you will not," he said.

Kim narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Kinnett, Team Possible does not work for profit. We help people. If I decide to help her, it will be the right thing to do."

"Ah, so you haven't taken on the mission yet?" he asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

"I haven't made up my mind what to do yet. I wanted to get more facts and hear both sides of the story before I did," she replied.

He nodded. "Very good." He opened his briefcase and brought out a folder of papers. "These will tell you all about the Dae, and what we know of their goals." He put it down on Kim's desk and stood up.

"Miss Possible, I should warn you that assisting the Dae will get you into a lot of trouble that you may not recover from," he said.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Kinnett?" asked Kim, steepling her fingers.

"Certainly not. It's a warning. Do the right thing for humanity, and refuse her requests," he answered.

"I'll make up my own mind, thank you, Mr. Kinnett," she said, in a voice that would freeze hydrogen.

His continence turned cold in its turn. "Good day, Miss Possible. I do hope the next time we meet, you will know the truth." He turned to the door.

"Mr. Kinnett, I'll tell you that as of now Princess L'ao is under my protection, and if you or your people take any action against her while she's here, Team Possible will come down on you like a ton of bricks. Do I make myself clear?" she said.

"Crystal, Miss Possible," he replied, and was gone.