The Aliens of the Flaming Red Sun/11 Crime and rescue

Proxima Centauri and the Aliens of Porrila/New Section 1 They’re horrible snobs
The tramp and the boy got onto the boat. Elderly Brown Tentacles started shuffling his way towards the hot crowded miserable area where those who paid cheap fares had to go. The boy raced to the expensive section and went straight to the railings. Then Blue Tentacles dipped his tentacles into the muddy harbour water, spread the mud all over himself and hooted with pleasure. “Stop that noise! It’s very bad manners!”, a grumpy Patrician Centaurian near Blue Tentacles exclaimed very loudly. “That uncouth boy can’t be one of us!” another Patrician added. “Haven’t you got a mudbath at home? Why in the Sun’s name do you make such a fuss?” a third Patrician asked. Blue Tentacles flinched visibly and then he struggled to compose himself. He managed to apologize in a fairly Patrician manner but didn’t get it quite right. The Centaurian who’d called Blue Tentacles uncouth wagged a tentacle really disapprovingly. “So you are one of us. Stop being so immature. Say sorry the way a boy your age should.” How long had Blue Tentacles been away from others of his own class? First he’d been in prison. Then he’d been shut away at home with his family. He tried to work out how a boy his age should behave with his own class. Blue Tentacles could just hear some Patrician whisper, “The boy is one of us but he looks feeble minded. Please be nice to him.” Blue Tentacles almost wished he could slip through the railings and disappear. At that moment elderly Brown Tentacles raced up panting. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you. Come with me. It’s not safe here.” Blue Tentacles had never travelled anywhere except in an expensive section or an expensive vehicle. Well he had once travelled cheaply, when they took him to prison. The boy went quietly with his elderly friend to the area where the poor folk were. Soon he was crying and complaining that it was just like prison. He wanted to go back to the expensive area. “Let’s go back, Brownie?” “We can’t.” “Why not?” “I haven’t paid the fair for that part.” “It’s awful here. It’s like the prison.” “I can’t afford expensive places.” You’re horrible!”

The old fellow could have kicked himself or strangled himself with his own tentacles. Of course he should have thought what the Patrician boy was used to. He could have got enough for expensive fares. That would have meant a bigger prison sentence if he was caught. As it was the boy was losing affection for him by the minute.

Eventually young Blue Tentacles looked up towards the railings in the expensive section. There was a boy near his own age happily dipping bright yellow tentacles into the water. Old Brown Tentacles didn’t dare to try and stop him. Soon both boys were by the railings getting wet. “Just act like you’re a Patrician and I’m your servant. That should work.” The old fellow advised quietly. Old Brown Tentacles had never been on the expensive part of a boat before. He didn’t know what to expect. Attendants came checking for Centaurians who shouldn’t be there. The two had a scary time bluffing their way through. The other boy wasn’t as lucky as he spoke in an obvious Plebeian manner. The attendants checked carefully if he had paid the proper fair. When they found out that he hadn’t one of them just pushed him through the railings into the sea.

Proxima Centauri and the Aliens of Porrila/2 /Crime and rescue