“I honestly don’t know. Some humans eat when they’re bored, so I guess I’m just wondering if that’s a Xalanite trait, too.”
“Why would I be bored? You have the television programs to entertain me, plus you are providing me company as well.” I gestured at her whole person, listing the most enticing of her features. “You are quite pleasing to look at. You have a nice shape. Only two teats, but I understand that to be a common trait for human women. Your skin is smooth and looks soft to touch, and your eyes are a nice shade. I believe the color is called green here. Even without the television, I could easily entertain myself just watching you use your device.” I smiled, hoping I did not offend with my words. Detective Timber seemed quite easily offended.
She sat open-mouthed for several moments before her phone chimed, interrupting us. She held up a finger to me as she brought the device to her ear and exited the room. I could not make out everything said through the closed door, but when she returned, I noted a slight slump to her slender shoulders and an expression on her face that I couldn’t quite interpret.
“Well,” she said, “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”
Was this a test? “I am afraid I don’t know the correct answer,” I admitted.
“There’s no right or—You know what? Never mind. I’ll pick.” She sat on the edge of the bed and tapped her phone. “That was my AARO contact. There’s some serious shit going down right now with the Xalanites currently on Earth. A few have been assaulted outside the intake center. At the moment, it lookslike some right-wing nutjobs have targeted them, but we don’t know why yet. So, unfortunately, the AARO can’t spare anyone to come and take you there until they’re sure the threat is neutralized. You’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”
I listened intently, nodding when she finished. “I understand. And what is the bad news?”
“You don’t consider your fellow Xalanites being assaulted to be bad news?”
I shrugged. “I do not consider being stuck with you, as you put it, to be bad news.”
Timber leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. “N’kal, this is serious. There is a faction of my people who are inciting violence against your people. If they find out where you are, they could easily come after you as well.”
Was that all she was worried about? “Oh! Well, do not fear. If these nutjobs of yours come, I will protect you.”
“That’s not—Look, N’kal, it’s literally my job to protectyou. You shouldn’t have to protect me.” She pulled out a small booklet and opened it. Inside was a plastic card with a photo of her, and next to the card was a small metal ornament. “See here on the shield? ‘To serve and protect.’ This is what I do for a living. I protect people. You’re an alien person, but you’re still a person. And, since you landed in my jurisdiction and we’ve developed some semblance of a rapport, the AARO, and consequently my superiors, have decided that it’s my job to protectyouspecifically.”
“And this job protecting me is the bad news?”
She groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Okay, I misspoke. Let’s forget the good news and bad news thing.”
“What is the good news?”
Timber grinned and fished a different booklet from her clothes. This booklet had tiny slots filled with more plastic cards of various colors. She took out a black card and held it up. “OnceI explained your, uh, unique dietary needs, the AARO sent a local agent to give me a stipend to cover your food expenses. We’re about to eat like kings.”
Once the nanites finished translating, I shuddered at the description of “king.”
Leader. More than just a leader, but royalty. A leader chosen by right of birth to take up the mantle of ruler of their domain, their kingdom.
Xalan had recently become a kingdom.
“Can I eat like a normal human instead?” I asked.
The detective laughed. “Are you kidding? With as much money as they’re giving me, you can eat however you want.”
Though her words comforted me, I found my appetite diminished by the time she found a menu to show me on her phone. I selected a few items, and within fifteen minutes, the DeliverEats driver knocked on our door, food in hand. Efficient.
I noted that Timber only ate a small amount in comparison to me. I asked her how she expected to protect me if she didn’t eat enough to fuel her. She waved her fork at my plate.
“How do your people function with so much food in you? If I’d eaten even half as much as you have since you arrived, I would probably be in a food coma for a couple of days. Too much food can make us humans sluggish and sleepy. We’ve gotta keep trim and fit to do the kind of work I do, so I limit my intake.”
“You do not eat enough?” My brows knit with concern.
She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I eat plenty of protein and vegetables. But junk food, sugar, candy … I tend to skip all that.”
“Shoo-garr?” I rolled the word around in my mouth, waiting for the nanites to translate it, but apparently there had not yet been a comparable word found in Xalanite. Since my translations all came from Amber of Earth’s contribution to theXalanite people, I could not translate new words as well. Unless I gave Timber some nanites of her own …
Before I could offer to inject her with the tiny machines, Timber elaborated.
“You guys don’t have sugar on Xalan? Well, it’s hard to describe if you don’t have anything comparable. Basically, it’s concentrated sweetness. Powdered calories. It’s terrible for you in its pure form. Some humans develop a disease called diabetes where their bodies can’t regulate the sugar, and too much can make them really sick.” She paused. “But I guess notallsugar is bad. I mean, natural sugars in fruits are kind of good for you.”
“I would like to try some shoo-garr.”
