That finished things as far as the bartender was concerned, but Luke now found himself the subject of some unwanted attention. He abruptly became aware of his isolation and felt as if at one time or another every eye in the place rested a moment on him, that things human and otherwise were smirking and making comments about him behind his back.
Trying to maintain an air of quiet confidence, he returned his gaze to old Ben, and started when he saw what the oldster was talking to now. The Corellian was gone. In its place Kenobi was chatting with a towering anthropoid that showed a mouthful of teeth when it smiled.
Luke had heard about Wookies, but he had never expected to see one, much less meet on. Despite an almost comical quasi-monkey face, the Wookie was anything but gentle looking. Only the large, glowing yellow eyes softened its otherwise awesome appearance. The massive torso was covered entirely with soft, thick russet fur. Less appealing cover consisted of a pair of chromed bandoliers, which held lethal projectiles of a type unknown to Luke. Other than these, the Wookies wore little.
Not, Luke knew, that anyone would laugh at the creature’s mode of dress. He saw that other denizens of the bar eddied and swirled around the huge form without ever coming too close. All but old Ben—Ben who was talking to the Wookie in its own language, quarreling and hooting softly like a native.
In the course of the conversation the old man had occasion to gesture in Luke’s direction. Once the huge anthropoid stared directly at Luke and let out a horrifying howling laugh.
Disgruntled by the role he was evidently playing in the discussion, Luke turned away and pretended to ignore the whole conversation. He might be acting unfairly toward the creature, but he doubted that spine-quaking laugh was meant in gentle good-fellowship.
For the life of him he couldn’t understand what Ben wanted with the monster, or why he was spending his time in guttural conversation with it instead of with the now- vanished Corellians. So he sat and sipped his drink in splendid silence, his eyes roving over the crowd in hopes of meeting a responsive gaze that held no belligerence.
