Passing By

"What the hell is going on here?"

Zal looked at the creature and pondered.

"Damned if I know."

Resefri looked at Zal with coldness and contempt. He refused to repeat the question.

"You tell me," said Zal, defiantly.

Resefri was having none of this. 

"How the hell would I know?" he spat.

"You seem a lot smarter than me." 

Resefri was unmoved by the compliment.

"This is your god-damned planet!"

Zal paused a moment. His eyes were curious and mocking. 

"Is it? I wonder..."

Resefri declined to help Zal. He looked around with overwhelming disgust.

"Hey, I hate them worse than you do," offered Zal.

"I seriously doubt that."

Zal considered this. Despite the singularity of the situation, he hadn't heard his interlocutor say anything noticeably untrue or shocking. 
"I still think you can explain it all better than me. I'm totally baffled." 

Zal added: "I always have been."

The two sentient beings stood there looking at each other. Both were speculating about the nature of the other, and neither was willing to give an inch. Finally, Zal thought he detected a hint of sympathy.

Resefri admitted: "Well, maybe you are genuinely ignorant."

That didn't sound entirely respectful. But Zal refused to back down.

"You bet your alien ass I am."

That, in turn, didn't sound entirely respectful to Resefri. But he wasn't going to retreat either. "I've surveyed your whole planet. I've seen it all! And they're all your ghastly, awful, miserable, repellent people. How in god's name did they ever fall into such a state?"

Yet again, Zal pondered. Yet again, he drew a blank. But he refused to admit any guilt or concede a single thing. Instead, he looked right at his adversary. He neither spoke, nor blinked, nor even breathed.

At last, Resefri almost seemed to sigh. He decided he needed to move it along anyway.

"Are you the only rational and civilized guy in the place?"

"Evidently so."

"That's tough."

"Tell me about it."

"But how did you ever manage that?"

"Not sure. Guess I just hung tough."

"Amazing. And how do you survive now, and maintain yourself intact?"

"Not easy, pal."

"I can imagine."

There was a pause. Then Zal confessed.

"I really don't know that I have survived. Or maintained myself intact."

Resefri looked him over carefully. He was pretty good at sizing people up. Even wholly novel ones. 

"I think you did okay."

"Thanks."

There was another pause. Resefri was waiting. Zal seemed to owe him a better explanation.

"Call it sheer intransigence. Never-say-die resistance and defiance. Plus I formed my own philosophy at age five. Used it as a shield against people -- and even a sword."


"At five? You invented a whole philosophy at age five?" 

"Yep."

"That doesn't sound like much fun."

Zal thought about it, and smiled sardonically. 

"No, it doesn't, does it?"

"Everyone should have fun. Lots of it. Otherwise, what's the point of living?"

Zal looked at Resefri with a ray of genuine hope. It was the first one he had had since...well, ever.

Resefri's fur relaxed and his tail rose, as he seemed to read Zal's mind. He decided to stop torturing him for a bit. Again, Zal thought he saw a flicker of empathy on the space alien's face.

"So...you want to get the hell out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Resefri smiled. "Well, I'm still trying to size this whole situation up. How is it that this whole benighted planet is filled with nothing but savages and beasts? Seems kinda strange."

"Damned strange. Off-the-chart incomprehensible. To me, at least." 

Zal added: "But maybe no longer worth wondering about."

"Quite."

Zal looked at his new buddy. He was waiting. And definitely he was hoping.

"Are you ready to go?"

"More than ready."

"Need to gather some stuff first?"

"Like what?"

Resefri grinned. He was starting to like this guy. "Let's go then."

"With pleasure."

They both transported up to the ship. Zal looked out the viewer at Earth. Then he looked back at his new friend. He studied the feline creature next to him carefully, drawing in quite a bit. Impressive! Zal couldn't decide which was greater: Resefri's rationality, virtue, or hidden benevolence. 

"So...you guys live forever, then?"

Resefri looked at him with mockery and considerable disdain. Zal looked back, calm and unperturbed.

"Thought so." 

There was a portentous pause.

"You too, now, of course."

"Thanks."

Resefri engaged the ship.

"Well, off we go now."

"About damned time."

Zal looked at the rapidly-shrinking Earth with overflowing loathing and relief. Off he finally went!