Treecat Wars (43 page)

He twitched his whiskers, amused at the image that came to him that moment. <
Yes, Keen Eyes. Who would have thought the lights in our night skies were other worlds, each as vast and wonder-filled as our own? But they are, and they have many surprises, the two-legs who move between them. I think it will be a long, long time before we even begin to truly understand them all. But we
will
understand, and it will be scouts like you and me who leap from light to light all across the two-legs’ netwood and bring that understanding back to the People.
>

Notes:

Ante Diaspora — the notation Ante Diaspora (or AD) indicates the T-year counting backwards from 2103 CE, Year One of the Diaspora. That is, the year 2102 CE would be the T-year 01 AD.

bark-chewer — treecat term for wood rat.

burrow runner — treecat name for a Sphinxian chipmunk.

cluster stalk — treecat name for terrestrial celery.

condor owl — a nocturnal flying predator of the planet Sphinx. An average adult condor owl’s body is 1.4 meters (4.5 feet) long, with a wingspan of 2.9 meters (9.5 feet) and a body weight of 5.4 to 6.35 kilos (12-14 pounds). Despite the name assigned to it by the Sphinxian colonists, it is actually mammalian and is covered with fine down, not feathers. It has very acute vision and is fully capable of taking even an adult treecat if it can surprise it. Indeed, it has been known to take considerably larger game and is considered a dangerous threat even to humans. Unlike Sphinxian “birds,” it has only a single set of wings but four sturdy legs, each ending in a set of powerful talons.

crown oak — a deciduous, hardwood tree which looks much like a
really
big white oak but has large, arrowhead-shaped leaves. It also sheds its leaves
twice
in the course of a planetary year, once shortly after the end of spring and again at the end of autumn. The summer-autumn foliage turns a bright, deep gold, rather like terrestrial maples, before falling, hence the treecat name for it. The spring-summer foliage does
not
change colors before it falls. Average height of a mature crown oak is 80 meters (263 feet), although some as tall as 102 meters (335 feet) have been reported.

death fang — treecat name for hexapuma.

death gleaner — treecat name for peak vulture.

death-wing — treecat term for condor owl.

Diaspora — humanity’s expansion to the stars, dated from September 30, 2103 C.E. and the departure of the first manned interstellar vessel from the Sol System. 2103 thus became officially Year One of the Diaspora.

fox bear — a species native to the Beowulf System. Fox bears are collie-sized, ground-going marsupials whose vaguely bear-like bodyform and tall, mobile ears gave rise to their name. They have powerful, otter-like hands and are considerably more intelligent than dogs, though still short of full sapience, and have been trained as service animals for centuries.

golden ear — treecat name for range barley.

golden-leaf — treecat name for crown oak.

grass runner — treecat name or a Sphinxian range bunny.

gray-bark — treecat name for red spruce.

green-needle — treecat name for near-pine.

ground runner — a generic treecat term for small, non-arboreal prey animals.

Gryphon — Manticore B-V, the fifth planet of Manticore B, a G2-class star which is the secondary component of the Manticore Binary System. The planet of Gryphon is the sole habitable planet of Manticore B and has an orbital radius of 11.37 LM and a gravity of 1.19 Old Earth standard gravities.

hexapuma — a six-limbed Sphinxian predator. Hexapumas are very quick for something their size and extremely territorial. There are several subspecies of hexapuma, which vary in coloration depending on the season and the climatic zone in which they are found. The largest species are located in Sphinx’s temperate zones, and adults of those species can be as much as five meters (16.4 feet) long with tails 250 centimeters (8.2 feet) long and weigh as much as 800 kilograms (1,763 pounds), more than most terrestrial horses.

horn blade — treecat term for prong buck.

ice potatoes — a Sphinxian tuber, about twice the size of a terrestrial Irish potato, edible by humans. It is a winter-growing root with a rather nuttier taste than potatoes.

lace leaf — treecat name for near-lettuce.

lace willow — a willow-like tree found mainly along waterways or in marshy territory. It is relatively low growing and bushy, with very long, streamer-like leaves. The leaves have a pierced look, because they form insect-trapping openings (thus the name “lace willow”).

lake builders — treecat name for near-beavers.

Lowland vulture — a winged Sphinxian scavenger. Lowland vultures average approximately 90 centimeters (3 feet) in length with an average wingspan of 2 meters (6.5 feet) have been verified, with two pairs of wings and powerful talons. Lowland vultures are found primarily in coastal and lowland areas (as the name implies) but are closely related to the much larger peak vulture.

Manticore — Manticore A-III, the third planet of Manticore A, a G0-class star which is the primary component of the Manticore Binary System. The planet of Manticore is the inner habitable planet of Manticore A (orbital radius of 11.4 LM) and the capital world of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. Manticore has a gravity of 1.01 Old Earth standard gravities.

Manticore Binary System — the home star system of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, consisting of Manticore A, the GO primary component of the system, and Manticore B, its G2-class companion star.

moss-drying — treecat name for south.

moss-growing — treecat name for north.

mountain eagle — a bird analogue of the planet Sphinx. It was two sets of wings and a single pair of powerful, talon-tipped legs. An average adult mountain eagle’s body is 1.0 meters (3.2 feet) in length, with a wingspan of 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) and a body weight of 4.1-5 kilos (9-11 pounds). The mountain eagle is a very efficient hunter, but prefers small prey and seldom attacks treecats.

near-beavers — a Sphinxian mammal approximately 51 centimeters (20 inches) long. Although the colonists have named it the near-
beaver
, it is actually closer to a six-legged otter in basic body form. Unlike terrestrial otters, however, the near-beaver is an industrious dam-builder. Various species of near-beaver are found in virtually every Sphinxian climate zone except the high arctic.

near-lettuce — a native Sphinxian plant very similar in size and shape to terrestrial head lettuce, although its leaves are perforated in a lacey pattern. It is edible by humans and is quite popular in salads, with a flavor which combines that of terrestrial lettuce and onions.

near-otter — a Sphinxian mammal approximately the same size as a treecat. Although they look very similar to the Sphinxian near-beaver, they have clearly carnivore teeth without the tree-gnawing incisors which gave the near-beaver its name. They do not build dams, but they are very fast, strong swimmers and skilled hunters and fishers.

near-pine — an evergreen tree with tough “hairy” seedpods and a rough, deeply furrowed bark. The seeds are about the size of peanuts and have a strong, nutty flavor. They can also be crushed for oil. Average height of a fully mature near-pine is 62 meters (203 feet) although at least one specimen 76 meters (249 feet) has been recorded. After the crown oak, near-pine is the tallest Sphinxian tree. Mature trees are branchless for the lowermost third of their height.

net-wood — treecat name for picket wood.

peak bear — a six-limbed omnivore found primarily in mountainous territory. It stands about a meter (3.3 feet) tall at the shoulder and can be up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in length and weighs up to 550 kilograms (1,212 pounds). Although not as territorial as the hexapuma and not a pure carnivore, the peak bear is a ferocious hunter and is considered the second most dangerous land animal of Sphinx.

peak vulture — a large, winged Sphinxian scavenger. Peak vultures may be as much as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and wingspans of up to 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) have been verified. They have two pairs of wings and very powerful talons, and it is not uncommon for them to kill small game rather than relying solely on carrion. Peak vultures are found primarily among mountains (as the name implies) but are closely related to the much smaller lowland vulture.

peak-wing — treecat term for Sphinxian mountain eagle.

picket wood — a deciduous tree which spreads by sending down runners from its lower branches. Each runner eventually becomes its own nodal trunk, sending out branches of its own to form huge, extensive networks of branches and trunks which are all technically the same tree. Picket wood has very straight, very rough-barked trunks which are a deep gray and black. Leaves are long and splayed, with four distinct lobes. They turn a deep, rich red before falling at the end of the year. The average height of a mature tree is 35-45 meters (114-148 feet)

Post Diaspora — the notation Post Diaspora (or PD) indicates the T-year counting from 2103 CE, Year One of the Diaspora. That is, Year 2103 CE is considered Year 01 PD.

prong-buck — a vaguely deer-like Sphinxian herbivore with a powerful, elongated neck and a single, branching horn growing from the center of its forehead. They range between 2.5 and 3.4 meters (8 to 11.2 feet) in length and stand between 90 and 124 centimeters (2.9 to 4.1 feet) at the shoulder. They are found in virtually all Sphinxian climate zones, although the mountain-dwelling species tend to be larger than their lowland cousins, and prefer to browse on the foliage of trees rather than grass. The prong buck’s horn is sharp edged and quite capable of dealing with any predator much smaller than a hexapuma or peak bear.

purple thorn — the treecat name for a low, densely growing, thorned plant which is nearly impenetrable and almost impossible to eradicate. It has small, very bitter-tasting berries, but it is a necessary component of treecat diets, since the berries provide critical trace elements required for full development of their empathic abilities.

quick heal — a family of therapies which accelerate healing and recovery times. It reduces tissue healing times by a factor of four but is only about half that efficient at speeding the knitting of broken bones.

range barley — a native Sphinxian grain. Range barley is an alpine grass with a bearded head. While edible by humans, it has a rather astringent taste which is not widely popular. It can be ground into flour and baked or be more coarsely ground and made into a porridge.

range bunny — human name for a small, ground dwelling Sphinxian animal, approximately two thirds the size of a treecat. It runs with a distinctive “two-stage” leaping motion, hence the name, despite the fact that it doesn’t really look very much like a terrestrial rabbit.

red spruce — another evergreen, this one with scaled, very dark blue-green leaves and a pyramidal form. Its seedpods are smoother than the near-pine’s, but the seeds themselves are bitter tasting (to humans, at least; Sphinxian critters like them just fine). It is called “red spruce” more because of the almost russet color of its wood, which is prized for decorative woodwork. Average height of a mature red spruce is about 17 meters (56 feet).

ribbon-leaf — treecat name for lace willow.

rock raven — a cliff-nesting Sphinxian bird analog.

rock tree — a Sphinxian hardwood, so called because of the extreme hardness and density of its wood. A mature rock tree stands about 13 meters (42 feet) in height. It has long, slender, sword-shaped leaves of a particularly rich, bright green which turn dark purple in the fall. It is noted for its very straight trunk. The brown rock tree is the most common species, named for its light-brown, rather rough bark. The next most common species is the yellow rock tree, named for the deep, golden yellow natural color of its timber. Various species of rock tree can be found in almost every Sphinxian climate zone, although it does not like mountains.

rockfur — treecat term for moss growing on rocks.

snow hunter — treecat name for peak bear.

Sphinx — Manticore A-IV, the fourth planet of Manticore A, a G0-class star which is the primary component of the Manticore Binary System. The planet of Sphinx is the outer habitable planet of Manticore A (orbital radius of 21.15 LM) and has a gravity of 1.35 Old Earth standard gravities.

Sphinx Forestry Service – The Sphinx Forestry Service (SFS) is a Sphinxian planetary agency charged with the combined functions of wildlife and natural resources protection, exploration, environmental conservancy, and law enforcement. It is an arm of the planetary government, not the Crown, and consists of a very small cadre of fulltime professional Rangers assisted by a larger force of part-time sworn volunteers.

spike thorn — a native Sphinxian flowering shrub which fills much the same niche as azaleas or laurels, attaining a maximum height of about 3.6 meters (12 feet). Its leaves are dark green and spade shaped, and it produces very sharp thorns up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length. Its blossoms, which come in many different colors, are vaguely tulip shaped and are prized for the flavor their pollen gives to honey produced by imported terrestrial honey bees.

stag horn fern — a Sphinxian fern-like plant which actually greatly resembles the Old Earth plants of the same name but is found almost exclusively in highland locations. Sphinxian stag horn fern grows a bit taller, reaching heights of up to 2 meters (6.5 feet). It is a seasonal plant, dying back in late fall and winter, but is far more cold-hardy than its Old Earth namesake. It prefers shady growing conditions and is often found in association with picketwood.

Star Kingdom of Manticore — a star nation consisting of the three habitable planets of the Manticore Binary System. Those planets are Manticore (the capital world) and Sphinx, which both orbit the primary stellar component of the Manticore System; and Gryphon, the sole habitable planet orbiting the secondary component of the star system.

sun-rising — treecat term for east.

sun-setting — treecat term for west.

swaying frond — tree cat term for Sphinxian stag horn fern.