now, my friend. Happy Kiz-Mah ."
"Happy Kiz - mah !" Kris slurred and raised his glass. Lan noticed that Prez wasn't drinking, and raised an eyebrow at the water in his glass.
"Still feeling a bit ropey," Prez said, grinning. "No bad behavior for me tonight."
Lan reached into his satchel and pulled out the small bag. "This festival lasts for a long time."
"The best thing about it," Kris slurred, draining his glass. "It lasts until you forget about it. Like two weeks, sometimes more."
"Yeah," Vaxel said, slicing into the cake and plopping a huge slice onto his plate. "Or until you get sick of eating." He chuckled and threw his ponytail back over his shoulder. "Like that ever happens."
The noise of Vaxel's chewing made Lan feel nauseous again. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. The presents. He touched the beads in his hair. "To return your kindness," he said. "Some gifts from Aldor. They are small. I did not have time to pack many things."
Prez took the bag and peered inside at the thirteen figures. "What are they?"
"They are representations of the Mishaqueh . They are..." He searched for the right word. "Tenets. Of Aldorian central philosophy. You may choose the figure you like most."
Glitch picked up one of the elaborately-carved miniatures and turned it over in her hands. "Wow, these are beautiful! What's this one? I love it already. Look at his funny little smile."
Despite the nausea, Lan smiled. "The closest translation is mischief . His other is... I do not know how to explain it. A state of... serious contemplation."
"Mischief. I like it! Thanks, Lan." She grabbed him in a squeeze and kissed his cheek. "Very me, don't you think?"
Kris lined the figures up in a crooked line and helped himself to some cake. Vaxel poured out more mukkesh and soon the conversation fragmented, discussing the figures and philosophy in general as they tried to decide which figures best suited them. Lan dutifully forced himself to eat a slice of cake, trying to focus on the conversation through the burst of images that were racing through his mind. Brown ku-tah hands holding a screwdriver. A broken android. Photographs of people and places he didn't know. Depressed, he remembered how excited he'd been when he'd first met aliens whose minds he couldn't read. He longed for the peace of silent thoughts again.
"I'll take this one." Prez was holding the one Lan was sure no one would have wanted, the robed figure of faolomisha in her silent wail of loneliness. "What's its pair?"
For a second, Lan was swept away by sadness. "It has no pair. It is alone."
Prez shrugged and slipped the figure into his pocket. "Very appropriate, then."
"Don't be so blue-brained, Prez." Kris draped himself around Prez's neck, his eyes glazed with mukkesh . "You've got, like, us . We're all together."
Prez laughed. "Of course we are."
But Lan felt the darkness start to open up again, and looked at the captain, his eyes suddenly blurring. There were too many emotions in the room. He felt as if his head was a SaltBall being blasted from one maislak to another on the field of play. He stood up suddenly, and his head swam for a second.
"I must retire," he said and it was all he could do to stop himself fleeing the room. Forcing a bow, he remembered his manners. "Happy Kiz-Mah . And thank you once again for the gifts."
***
They stared at the door, open-mouthed. Finally, Vaxel shrugged and poured the last of the mukkesh into his glass. "He's a weird one."
Prez fingered the figure he'd selected and looked at its twisted face with a frown. "He's just different. Leave him alone."
"Hey! I wasn't saying anything bad. Don't get your knickers in a twist."
"So, the eye-candy thing didn't work out?" Glitch said, a twinkle in her eye.
Prez snorted. "I never used those words. Don't be ridiculous. He's perfectly competent. As if I'd..."
"As if you'd what ." Vaxel roared with laughter. "Pull the other one. Of course you would."
There was a silence as Prez
"Happy Kiz - mah !" Kris slurred and raised his glass. Lan noticed that Prez wasn't drinking, and raised an eyebrow at the water in his glass.
"Still feeling a bit ropey," Prez said, grinning. "No bad behavior for me tonight."
Lan reached into his satchel and pulled out the small bag. "This festival lasts for a long time."
"The best thing about it," Kris slurred, draining his glass. "It lasts until you forget about it. Like two weeks, sometimes more."
"Yeah," Vaxel said, slicing into the cake and plopping a huge slice onto his plate. "Or until you get sick of eating." He chuckled and threw his ponytail back over his shoulder. "Like that ever happens."
The noise of Vaxel's chewing made Lan feel nauseous again. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. The presents. He touched the beads in his hair. "To return your kindness," he said. "Some gifts from Aldor. They are small. I did not have time to pack many things."
Prez took the bag and peered inside at the thirteen figures. "What are they?"
"They are representations of the Mishaqueh . They are..." He searched for the right word. "Tenets. Of Aldorian central philosophy. You may choose the figure you like most."
Glitch picked up one of the elaborately-carved miniatures and turned it over in her hands. "Wow, these are beautiful! What's this one? I love it already. Look at his funny little smile."
Despite the nausea, Lan smiled. "The closest translation is mischief . His other is... I do not know how to explain it. A state of... serious contemplation."
"Mischief. I like it! Thanks, Lan." She grabbed him in a squeeze and kissed his cheek. "Very me, don't you think?"
Kris lined the figures up in a crooked line and helped himself to some cake. Vaxel poured out more mukkesh and soon the conversation fragmented, discussing the figures and philosophy in general as they tried to decide which figures best suited them. Lan dutifully forced himself to eat a slice of cake, trying to focus on the conversation through the burst of images that were racing through his mind. Brown ku-tah hands holding a screwdriver. A broken android. Photographs of people and places he didn't know. Depressed, he remembered how excited he'd been when he'd first met aliens whose minds he couldn't read. He longed for the peace of silent thoughts again.
"I'll take this one." Prez was holding the one Lan was sure no one would have wanted, the robed figure of faolomisha in her silent wail of loneliness. "What's its pair?"
For a second, Lan was swept away by sadness. "It has no pair. It is alone."
Prez shrugged and slipped the figure into his pocket. "Very appropriate, then."
"Don't be so blue-brained, Prez." Kris draped himself around Prez's neck, his eyes glazed with mukkesh . "You've got, like, us . We're all together."
Prez laughed. "Of course we are."
But Lan felt the darkness start to open up again, and looked at the captain, his eyes suddenly blurring. There were too many emotions in the room. He felt as if his head was a SaltBall being blasted from one maislak to another on the field of play. He stood up suddenly, and his head swam for a second.
"I must retire," he said and it was all he could do to stop himself fleeing the room. Forcing a bow, he remembered his manners. "Happy Kiz-Mah . And thank you once again for the gifts."
***
They stared at the door, open-mouthed. Finally, Vaxel shrugged and poured the last of the mukkesh into his glass. "He's a weird one."
Prez fingered the figure he'd selected and looked at its twisted face with a frown. "He's just different. Leave him alone."
"Hey! I wasn't saying anything bad. Don't get your knickers in a twist."
"So, the eye-candy thing didn't work out?" Glitch said, a twinkle in her eye.
Prez snorted. "I never used those words. Don't be ridiculous. He's perfectly competent. As if I'd..."
"As if you'd what ." Vaxel roared with laughter. "Pull the other one. Of course you would."
There was a silence as Prez
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