John had received them and taken them through a long corridor which had rooms for guests. He informed them that they were proceeding to the conference room where a meeting with the aliens had been arranged. The Crocodile Race people had been told of the ensuing meeting with the Earthlings. They were equally excited to meet the Earthlings.
They all stopped at a door which John opened and ushered them inside. They were asked to take a seat at the conference table against their nameplate placed there.
Their friends, the Orbs, were asked to wait in the adjacent room for about an hour.
After ensured that they were all seated at their respective seats, John excused himself saying that he was going to bring the Crocodile Race people to the conference room.
The students and Sherpa were excited that they were to meet the Alien race which looked like crocodiles.
After about Soon he returned to the conference room with the four Crocodile Race people.
"Please take a seat," he said to the 4 Crocodile Race people indicating that they sit on the other side of the conference table so that they would be facing the students.
He went towards the main chair and occupied it. The chair adjacent to him was occupied by Aarvin
Tina could feel that the 4 Crocodile Race people were feeling awkward. It could be due to their spacesuits or maybe it was due to them being apprehensive in meeting the Earthlings.
The leader of the 4 Crocodiles introduced himself and his team. His name was 'Ken' and he was the pilot of the spaceship. His second in command was 'Aan' who was sitting beside him. The third one was called 'Tab' and he managed the engines of the spaceship. The last one was 'Guy' who looked after the computer system, conversations with other races when in flight and when necessary. As their leader introduced them, they all got up from their seats one by one.
Tina had managed to identify the Clumsy Crocodile as here he swished his tail and almost fell off his chair while trying to get up. The tail was indeed a nuisance. Luckily, she had a long plaited string and she thought she would help the clumsy chap by tying his tail to his chest area in the form of a loop so that it does not cause harm.
After the introduction by the Crocodile Race was done, Aarvin introduced Sherpa and the 10 children as well as himself and John to the alien race.
Tina thought that she had better do something about that swishing tail. All the other Aliens could manage their tails but Guy was just too clumsy.
"John, that Alien called Guy seems to be heading for problems due to his unmanageable tail," said Tina looking concerned. "He is likely to fall and hurt himself and some plants or people of this Magical World."
"I want to help. It is a temporary solution but it will help him from falling or hurting himself and others," said Tina while getting up from the table.
The Aliens could understand what she was saying. Did they use telepathy or something else?
She got up from her chair and gestured Guy to step away from the conference table. She then looped the plaited string around Guy's chest and the two ends she tied by making a loop to his tail.
"Guy! You will not fall now," she said with a smile.
Guy was zapped, he had never expected anyone to help him in such a manner. He looked at his leader, Ken and seemed to be exchanging some sort of message telepathically or with eye contact. Ken sought permission from all for the 4 guests to go back to their rooms in order to remove their spacesuits as these were very uncomfortable.
Everyone agreed and the 4 guests left to visit their rooms for a bit.
Wonder what they actually look like thought Tina and gestured with raised eyebrows to her fellow students.
All the students were smiling and looked at Tina with an astonished look on their face as if they knew something that she was unaware of.
Just then Zoya looked at her and with an ahem sound, as if she was clearing her throat, she winked at Tina.
Tina raised her right hand twisting it inwards as if asking a question.
Nanu also looked at her in a strange way.
Tina wondered why her friends were behaving in such a strange way. She had not done anything special. She was just being kind and wanted to help. What was the matter with her friends?
Within a few minutes the 4 aliens returned and behold, they were no longer looking like crocodiles but like the hosts. In actual fact, they looked like the heroes of romantic novels i.e. tall dark and handsome types.
"Wow, you look just like us!" exclaimed Zen. "But who is who and how come you look like us?" he asked.
They sat down against their designated nameplates and now there was no confusion. They looked very much like the Earthlings and the people of the Magical World.
Ken started to laugh as if it was a big joke.
"Sorry, I am not laughing at you all but at the shocked expressions on your faces," he smiled.
"Actually, we are called the 'Crocodile Race' but we are not crocodiles in any manner whatsoever," he added. These crocodile suits are to make us look ferocious so that the other aliens do not trouble us." It was an idea of our forefathers to wear these spacesuits which would give us a ferocious look. It would ensure that no one attacked our world and our people. We are actually called the 'Garhyals' meaning 'Crocodile', hence, the Crocodile Race.
"The kind gesture of Tina here, made us realize that we were not among suspicious aliens but among our own people, our own friends. So, we decided to come in front of you as we actually are." Ken added with a smile.
Our story begins 7000 years ago when the Earth was at a very high stage of scientific advancement. The Earthlings had their spaceships and were exploring the space beyond the Earth and the Moon.