“Because someone could pretend to be me and use my name to purchase things that I would then have to pay for.”
Kaspian digested this. “Commerce is complicated here.”
“Yes. That's what comes with technology. But it's easier when you've been raised with it. Every generation has it easier than the last.”
“That is evolution.”
“No, evolution is nature changing physical aspects of a race. What we do is called revolution. It's technological advancements. Innovations. Sometimes it can include evolution, but generally, evolution takes a long time while revolution is fast.”
We drove in silence for a few minutes while Kaspian absorbed my poor explanations of modern human life. Honestly, I enjoyed the silence while it lasted. I had never talked so much in all my life. And it ranged from fun to strenuous topics—straining my brain when Kas asked about things I didn't know or didn't know how to explain. Like the composition of cement, the reason we kept such large plots of land bare for golfing, or why people dyed the fur of their dogs. I'll never figure out that last one.
“It was night when I left Aravult. Now, it is night here,” Kas murmured. “And yet, it is nearly as bright as day.”
I glanced at him. He was staring out the window, but now I knew what he was staring at—the lights.
“It's only like this in the big cities,” I said. “A lot of people think it's too much light. They call it light pollution. It fucks with the wildlife because the animals that live in the area don't know when it's time to sleep. Insects too. Like moths.”
“Moths?”
“Never mind. It's just bad for nature when we fuck with the light. It gets dark for a reason. But humans learned early on that there's safety in light. It keeps the predators away. That stuck with us, passed down through the generations, and now many people are afraid of the dark. Even now, when we know how to protect ourselves.”
Kaspian chuckled. “That's a wise fear for humans. You don't have our eyesight. I imagine darkness is a type of blindness for you.”
“Extreme darkness, yeah.” I pulled into the Spaghetti Factory's parking lot. The building loomed on our right, its roof crowned with enameled blue tiles. For a chain restaurant, it had style.
“Oh, that's beautiful.” Kas got distracted by those tiles, just as I predicted he would.
“Wait until you see inside.” I parked.
Kas was out of the truck before me. We headed for the heavy front door with its big brass handle, and he opened it for me. Inside, a rush of air conditioning greeted us before the hostess did. As Kaspian stared at the décor, she led us into the restaurant and up to a table by a window with a river view, as I requested.
Kaspian was still taking it all in when she left.
“Nice, huh? Kinda the opposite of my place.” I followed his stare to the ceiling, covered in metal tiles. “Every inch has something adorning it. It's called Victorian, this style. It was popular a long time ago, but some humans treasure historical items. They call them antiques and greatly value them depending on their condition.”
“It's a lot.” Kas returned his stare to me. “I like the calm of your home. This feels . . . anxious to me.”
I grinned. “Yeah. I think so too. I like it for a few hours but then I want to give my eyes a rest. Okay, so let me help you with the menu.”
I went over the selections since Kaspian couldn't read them, and helped him pick something for dinner. He went with an extra large portion of pasta and so did I. I was hungry. I would have had a cocktail, but I was afraid that, combined with all the carbs, it would make me fall asleep on the drive home. So, in addition to my spumoni at the end of the meal, I ordered a cup of coffee. Kaspian wanted a cup as well, so I ordered him a decaf.
“What is this decaf? I heard you say it before. But you got something different.”
“Caffeine is a stimulant that's found in coffee.”
Kaspian lifted a brow. “I enjoy stimulation.”
The laugh burst out of me. “Not that kind of stimulant. It's a drug that stimulates your brain. I don't know if it would even affect you, but caffeine makes humans more alert. After such a long day, I thought I might need some for the ride home. But you do not need to be any more alert than you already are. So, I ordered a decaffeinated coffee for you. They've removed the caffeine.”
“A drug. Medicine?”
“Kind of. It doesn't cure disease, only sharpens the mind.”
Kaspian went quiet, turning his attention to the view. I wondered what he could see with his enhanced sight. All I saw were lights reflecting off the water and the nearby bridge. But whatever he saw held his attention until our dessert arrived. Then he focused on the food.
“I love that you're a foodie,” I said.
“Good food stimulates the senses like nothing else. I'd wager even your caffeine doesn't delight as much.”
