“Well, I mean, they’re not useful once the milk dries up. We make a bit of cash selling the meat to the local delis, but for the most part, our income lies in the milk production.”
“Fascinating.”
Leigh took my hand in hers and got up from the bed, tugging me towards the door. “Come on. Let’s go out there before we give Dad a coronary wondering what we’re up to in here.”
I did not quite understand how human curiosity could affect her father’s heart function, but I did as she instructed and left the room with her. Harrison glowered at us as we walked past, though I noted that his hands were empty of knives. We would not face the same fate as the cattle if he was not armed. That fact reassured me.
I followed Leigh down a set of perpendicular landings, each barely big enough for my foot. I had been so concerned about her wellbeing the previous evening that I hadn’t paid much attention to the odd structure. Would not a ramp be better on the knees?
When we reached the bottom, she directed me to a room that had a large, white box in one corner, cabinets both along the floor and hanging from the ceiling, and another, smaller box with four circular spots on the top panel. A large, round table sat in the center of the room, and the floor was tiled with white squares.
I paused, uncertain what we were doing there. What was the purpose of this room?
Leigh released my hand and walked to the large box. She opened it, revealing a food storage unit. My mouth watered at the thought of food. I hadn’t eaten since before the crash.
“Do you like eggs?” she asked with her head inside the box.
I gave my nanites a moment to translate. Eggs: protein balls produced by an animal. Viable eggs held young, but often they were opened and cooked for consumption before the youngcould gestate. We had such things on Xalan. I grinned and nodded. “Yes. I like eggs very much.”
“Great! I’ll cook some omelets for us all.” She exited the storage box with several small containers in her hand. “We’ve got some fresh veggies from the farm down the road and of course plenty of cheese.”
Cheese: dairy product. Can be firm or soft. Some contain molds, but this is … intentional? Interesting.
Leigh’s father entered behind us and sat at the table. I followed his lead and sat across from him, crossing my arms in front of me as he did. He observed my mirrored posture and grumbled, turning his back to me. Leigh continued food preparation, ignoring the both of us.
“Do you want sausage, T’raat?”
The question confused me. I thought our protein was to be the eggs. “Two proteins?” I asked.
Leigh turned away from the smaller box with the circles on top, which I noted had become her cooking area. One of the circles glowed bright red as she set a rimmed metal plate with a handle on top of the circle. “Sure. Why not? It’s good with sausage in it.”
“You must be quite wealthy to afford such luxury,” I stated.
The peals of laughter that erupted from Leigh startled me, and her gruff father grunted, hunching down in his seat. I did not understand Leigh’s amusement, nor her father’s increase in aggravation.
“I have said something … humorous?”
“I’ll say you did!” Leigh shook her head as she cracked the eggs into a small bowl, stirring them with a wire device before dropping the innards onto the metal plate. “We’re far from wealthy, T’raat. We get by, but only just. Still, you’re a guest—from outer space, no less—so this is a special occasion. It calls for a little excess, I think.”
“Guest my ass,” her father said. “Now that you’re better, Leigh, I think we should call my sister and have her come take him where he belongs.”
Leigh whirled around and put her hands on her hips. “Dad! Don’t be rude. We should at least feed him before shipping him off to the intake center. You know Aunt Ann has to follow AARO protocol; she’ll have to detain him and quarantine him and all that stuff. At least let the poor guy experience a bit of hospitality before getting the government involved.”
“If he needs quarantine, he shouldn’t even be here!”
The last was said with a shout as he rose from his seat and pounded his fists on the table. Tension filled the air, and I got the impression that perhaps not all humans were as welcoming of Xalanites as our emissaries would have us believe.
“My presence upsets you, Harrison,” I said with a frown. “I shall leave.”
“No!” Leigh stopped chopping produce and brandished the knife at her father, a curious turn of events given his use of a knife the previous night. “Dad, please, let him stay. Even if it’s just for a few days, it would give him a chance to adjust to life here on Earth without bureaucracy messing things up. Besides, we lost a farm hand when Billy’s family moved to New York; I bet he could help you with chores around here.”
Harrison’s jaw worked as he considered her words. “He doesn’t have any experience …”
“Oh, come on! Look at him: He’s strong and physically able, and that’s all you really need. We can teach him the rest. I mean, he’s not dumb; he flew a spaceship across the galaxy and landed without harming a single solitary soul, man or cow or otherwise.”
“Crash landed,” Harrison corrected. “He’s here by mistake, and he’s just going to be a drain on our limited resources.”
The exchange made me uncomfortable. I did not like being a subject of contention between father and daughter. I rose to get their attention, and they both grew quiet.
