Jajaqin stared. He may have squealed a scream of alarm, he couldn't be sure.
The human bared its teeth at him, swooping down from the branch and, planting a foot on his thorax, wrenched his hunting implement out of his grip in one swift tug. Dancing about him like a qinqabet, it snatched his knife out of his belt too. It squeaked something at him, so high pitched it almost hurt his ears.
His translator laughed, "I got your gun!" How did the damned gadget impart the amused tone?
Jajaqin stared as Human Gina leapt gracefully back into the tree. Graceful, not like a dancer or a waterfall, but graceful like the flight of that same qinqabet, a hungry blade slicing through the air, strong and sure.
The creature was talking to him. In his life's experience as a professional hunter, that was a new one. His translator made sense of its ear-tingling chirps. "What's your name, friend?"
"I am called..." he rattled off his name, then remembered how the creature had abbreviated its own designation. "...but just 'Jajaqin' is fine."
Human Gina looked around herself. Her body conformation was terrible, she seemed to have a front and a back and if that was indeed the case, was entirely blind to her rear. Right: rocky world. His own species had spent the first half of its evolution floating. Danger might come from anywhere, and his own shape and sense organ arrangement reflected that.
And she had surprised him anyway.
"So, Jajaqin. Are you wearing cameras or are they trailing you?"
"Wearing."
"Can you turn them off?"
"Briefly. There is a privacy interrupt available, but it is temporary and turns itself back on, if I don't turn it on myself." Human Gina turned around again, scanning the distance and apparently satisfied that no danger lurked.
"How are you enjoying the hunt so far?"
Wretched creature. "Not much." He peeked at his locator and noted that, indeed, no other hunter was close. They were alone.
"I have you and your companions at a disadvantage, you know. Because of how our respective species evolved, I'm far denser than any of you, generally stronger. I'm also faster on land than any of you."
"What is your point?"
"My point is that in a contest of strength and personal combat, I have evolved advantages that are extremely difficult for any person native to this system to beat."
"You are boasting."
"Nah. It's a fact. Not trying to be rude. I mean, a couple of people I have met in the system are actually from one of the Jovians, the big gas giant planets."
"You met a," and he heard the human's translator make a sound he couldn't describe.
"Yes, that's them. Wonderful people. Absolutely astounding singers. But if I were to try to visit them in their home, I'd just die. It wouldn't even take long. I would be at the disadvantage there."
"Again: what is your point?"
"I wanted to really challenge myself. The blob guy I fought a while ago, Algo - he was a serious challenge, at least at first. But one-on-one contests just aren't getting it done, so I decided to put myself out in front of a hunt."
"Why?"
"The payday is just too good, Jajaqin." She grinned at him again, a tiny mouth full of even tinier teeth. How did these creatures get enough food to stay alive? "I mean, you're not doing this for free, either. Are you?"
"I could have. I am a popular contestant in the hunts. I would be rewarded regardless. But no, I put up money for the privilege of hunting you."
Human Gina made an expression he hadn't seen before. Its eyes got wide and the corners of its little mouth turned down. "Really? I'm flattered!" She turned around again, scanning the distance. Jajaqin stole another peek at his locator. Still alone. "May I make a suggestion?"
He was perplexed and let it show, turning a deep magenta in his extremities. "I'm listening."
"Gang up on me."
"Excuse me?"
"Turn off your camera for a moment."
Wordlessly, he did so.
"How much time do we have when you do that?"
Jajaqin told her, pausing while her translator provided converted units.
"About five minutes. Plenty of time. Okay, listen: you hunters have spread out so that each of you might have a chance at taking me down on your own, right?"
"Of course. The purse is far larger for an individual than for a team."
"What is the purse for bringing back nothing?"
"Not much. I will make a decent profit, but only a fraction of what a successful hunt yields."
"Less than being a member of a successful team?"
"Much, much less, yes."
"So gang up on me. If you don't gang up on me, I'm going to use my natural advantages against each of you hunters, one at a time, and nobody is going to have any fun."
"You don't believe one of us can take you?"
"Do you remember the first words I said to you?"
Jajaqin seethed, embarrassed. "I do."
"I got your gun. I will get all your guns, I will get all your knives, I will throw all of your hunting animals into the trees. One. By. One. If you each come at me independently, I will take each of you out, nobody wins a big purse, the viewers get disgusted and nobody has any fun."
"Fun?"
"Nobody's in this to try to actually eat me, are they? Nonlethal weapons, right? I volunteered for this for the challenge, for the contest! So come get me! All of you!"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because this hunt is a game! And what's the point of playing if I can't lose? What's the point of playing if you can't win? Change up your strategy, all of you, because one-on-one, you won't get me."
Jajaqin considered. "Okay. That makes sense."
"Good." She looked around again. Clearly humans had evolved with their blind spots; Gina's regular check of her surroundings was natural and thorough. "You want your gun back?"
Jajaqin's camera beeped, warning him that whatever privacy he had needed was about to come to an end. "Yes."
Human Gina plucked his hunting implement up from the branch and tossed it high in the air. He followed its arc and moved to be under it, catching it deftly with his dorsal arm. But by the time he had clicked the safety off, the human had already leapt from the branch and was receding into the distance, far too fast for him to follow.
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