Regi appeared thoughtful, which Dante put down as a win. “Do you think your mother is right that you would have been in danger from the gods if she told you?”
“I have not been an exalted long enough to speak on the issue. Usually one goes from being noticed by the gods to studying the will of the gods to becoming an exalted. We both skipped a vital step. However, given how Divashi has endangered the others, I cannot ignore the possibility.”
“Good point,” Dante agreed.
Regi studied the displays. The green glow stained his gray stripes. “I had thought my mother as offensive as your father. And now I do not know how I am supposed to speak to her or how I should soothe the wounds. She did not deserve my disdain.”
“If it makes you feel any better, there are plenty of people who would say the same about my relationship with my father. If anything, they would blame me,” Dante offered.
“Blame you for what?”
“For being hard to get along with. For backtalking him. For not understanding his grief when he lost his wife. For not respecting the difficulty of his position.”
Regi tilted his head to the side. “From what you have said, I do not believe his position deserves much respect.”
“I don't think so,” said Dante, “but as much as my father is not a nice man, there are plenty of people who believe he's a good man and that he is doing everything he is doing to keep people safe.”
Regi studied Dante. “You do not believe that.”
“No, but that doesn't mean I'm right.” Dante huffed. “Just like you and your mom. Welcome to reality where people screw up.” He almost welcomed Regi to the human race, but Regi would probably take offense. At the very least, he’d be confused.
“I should not make such egregious mistakes.”
Dante sighed. “You didn't want to talk about this, and I am exhausted and in desperate need of a hiding place where Ter can’t find me. What do you say we grab some food from the mess hall and have a picnic?”
“‘Picnic’ does not translate.”
“It means you grab food, put it in a container, and go somewhere pretty where no one can find you. Then you eat in private with someone you like.” That was translator safe.
Regi was silent for a time. “Neither the Kowri nor the Coalition has anything likepicnic. Is this a cultural custom of huumans?”
“Definitely.”
“Then I would enjoy exploring your culture. If I go into the mess hall, I will likely be waylaid. I will find a containerappropriate for carrying food if you will brave the mess hall and retrieve something compatible with our biologies.” They had found that Kowri and humans had very similar food restrictions and even preferences, although Dante did like more spice that Regi could tolerate. Still, they were similar enough that Dante could pick out food for both of them.
“Deal.” Dante smiled, and he was even happier when Regi smiled back.
Chapter Fifteen
Dante stared in awe at the clearing. Limbs from huge, old trees arched overhead, creating dappled islands of sunlight across the red-tinged grass. Because light from the planetary rings reflected through beads of dew, tiny rainbows danced through the shadows.
“Is this culturally appropriate for a picnic?” Regi asked.
“It's beautiful.”
Regi ducked under a branch and got a scattering of dew down his neck that made him shake. “Given your description of a huuman picnic, I had hoped this would suffice.”
“It’s perfect.”
Regi twitched. “Wishing for or claiming perfection is bad luck in Kowri.”
The reminder they were from different cultures was jarring. And that reaction told Dante he had gotten used to thinking of Regi like a human. A fuzzy, cute, protective, powerful human, which made him better than most people he’d known. “Ah... humans use ‘perfect’ to suggest we like something so much we wouldn’t change it... it’s only perfect for us.”
Regi gave a single nod, but that didn’t hide his discomfort. Mental note, stop claiming things were perfect, even when they were. The sun danced across Regi’s fur as the leaves shimmied in the breeze. Perfect.
Regi knelt next to the container he had brought. He took out a silvery cover and spread it out, but instead of crushing the grass, the blanket turned taut like a canvas cot and hovered aninch or two above the ground. Then pillows started to inflate along the edges of the platform. If Kowri marketed this on Earth, they’d make a fortune.
Then Regi started unpacking the food Dante had retrieved from the galley. Dante crawled onto the platform and pulled out a few thermoses of soup, setting them in the middle. Peaches chittered before rolling off his shoulder and waddling toward the far edge. Through a gap between two large trees, Dante could see the town, Kowri bustling through streets and a wide park-like area with a huge climbing, jungle gym area built over a blue pool. The buildings were sandy stone and sun-bleached wood punctuated with brilliantly colored trims and flowerboxes so that from a distance the town looked like a postcard.
