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“Yes,” Tolly agreed and tapped the display until he found miesua and ordered four cases. Four! I wouldn’t consume that much in a year.

“That was thoughtful, thank you,” I said and Narmuna purred briefly before stopping and looking around to make sure he wasn’t in trouble. I couldn’t blame him. Until you got a feel for what the Massoc considered disruptive, it could be nerve racking.

“There’s a chill box in the galley,” Tolly added. “We can set it to your preferred temperature.”

“Are you almost done here?” Tulm asked. I could tell from the tension in her hands that she was anxious.

“Yes,” I said.

“I don’t like being rushed,” Tolly grumbled.

“We can always buy more items at another station,” Narmuna said. “We’re only here because it was closest. In fact, our next stop is Telmaru Station. It’s so large it should have everything we can’t find here.”

“You’re correct,” Tolly said. “Unlike here, they have an entertainment corridor.”

If he was trying to upset Tulm by insulting her station, it didn’t work.

“Yes, that’s an excellent idea,” she agreed. “The sooner you leave here, the quicker you can reach Telmaru Station.”

I almost snorted but kept my amusement to myself as Tolly picked me up. Tulm turned and led us away, moving so fast we were jogging back to the bay. Her hands only relaxed as the shuttle hatch was closing behind us.

“The Massoc entry in our unibase referred to them as particular,” Tolly said as he settled me in his lap. “I think we should expand on it.”

“I agree,” Narmuna said as he started up the shuttle. When he was finished communicating with the station’s bay controller, he looked back and focused his gaze on me. “I think you should help us write it. It’s clear you have far more knowledge of Massoc culture than we do.”

The corners of my mouth lifted at being asked to share information. Maybe they were starting to realize I wasn’t an idiot.

Chapter 11

Tolreum

“So we’re all in agreement,” Narmuna said.

“Yes,” Mieshorum said. “Opal is just as intelligent as the rest of us. I don’t understand how other owners haven’t realized their humans are smart.”

“Our species can be willful,” I reminded him. “Look at how long it took for us to come to terms with having to trade with other species."

“Almost an entire century," Narmuna said with a rumble of agreement. “I studied that period of our history thoroughly while in the final solar of my cresh education. We wanted to be perfectly independent, but the universe doesn’t distribute natural resources evenly. Monarch Sorarchus finally persuaded the Apogee Assembly to agree to the first trade agreement but only after she and her mother before her kept campaigning for decades.”

“Except we were open to seeing Opal as she truly is. I think the ancestors brought her to us because they knew we would figure this out,” Lexarit said. “They knew we’d treat her as she deserves.”

“But now that we all know and agree, what do we do?” I asked. “We can’t put a collar on her and pretend it’s acceptable. But she can’t be in Talin space without being owned, by us or someone else.”

“We should give her choices,” Mieshorum said. I could hear the reluctance in his voice.

“Not yet,” Narmuna said.

“I don’t want to give her options either,” I admitted. “I’m scared she’ll decide to leave us. Even if we give her as much wealth as we can spare, she’ll be in a great deal of danger no matter where she goes. There’s no truly safe place for humans except with us.”

“Tolreum’s right,” Mieshorum said. “But if we don’t give her the freedom of choice, then we’re no better than the Talins who regard humans as inferior.”

“I’ve been thinking about this and believe I have an idea,” Narmuna said. We all gave him encouraging rumbles of agreement.

“Tell us,” I urged.

“We make her a partner in our ship,” he said.

We all went silent at Narmuna’s suggestion. It was so outrageous I wasn’t even sure how to react.