Pei managed to squash the laugh that was about to leave her talkbox, and hoped the amused green she could feel tickling her cheeks would go unnoticed. ‘You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had any kind of Laru dessert,’ she said. ‘Can you walk me through them?’

The kid squirmed, clearly having hoped xyr introduction of the cart would’ve served as both hello and goodbye, but xe dutifully turned xyr attention to the treats. ‘We’ve got, um, crushcake, mellow-mallow pudding, sweet-and-salties, baby paws, and … mint crisps.’

‘Hmm,’ Pei said. ‘Very interesting.’ She was trying to make xyr more comfortable, but the remark was genuine. The festively decorated bowls and cups before her did look tempting. ‘Which one is your favourite?’

‘Umm … I like mellow-mallow pudding.’ Xe pointed a stubby toepad toward a bowl filled with something black and gelatinous, topped with swirls of … some kind of plant shavings? Or maybe spun sugar?

‘All right,’ Pei said. ‘Will you have one with me?’

The child shifted on all four feet, pawing lightly at the grass. ‘Oh, um … it’s for guests only.’ There was regret laced through those words, and it sounded as thick as the pudding appeared.

Pei threw a theatrical glance over her shoulder toward the office. ‘I can keep a secret,’ she said with a cheeky flick of her eyelids.

The kid finally brightened. ‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah.’

That was all it took for the Laru to transform. With a sudden burst of animation, xe grabbed two bowls of pudding, handing Pei one and keeping the other for xyrself. Pei noticed that xe had hung onto the bowl with a more generous helping. She had no problem with that.

They both sat down in the grass, Pei cross-legged, the youngster on xyr haunches. ‘Sorry, what’s your name again?’ Pei said.

‘Tupo,’ xe said. Xe cupped the bowl in xyr forepaws and began lapping up the pudding with xyr fat purple tongue, having no need for the alien spoons xyr mother had provided.

Pei, on the other hand, did need a spoon, and with it, she took a confident bite of the pudding. ‘Huh,’ she said through her talkbox as she swirled the stuff around her mouth.

‘D’you like it?’ Tupo mumbled, xyr own mouth partially full.

‘Yeah, I think I do,’ Pei said. The pudding had a strange consistency, more fluffy than creamy, and the taste did not fall into an easy category. Sweet and earthy, with a bitter tang that both surprised and encouraged. ‘I don’t think it’s my favourite, but it’s really good.’

Tupo looked pleased. Xe swallowed, and said, ‘That’s so weird.’

‘What’s weird?’

‘That you can talk while you eat.’

‘It’s weird to me that you can’t talk while you eat,’ Pei said, smiling blue. ‘Eating’s the only thing we use our mouths for.’

‘Not drinking?’

‘Well, drinking, too.’

‘And breathing?’

‘Okay, yeah, we can breathe through them. But I mostly do that through my nose, like you.’

Tupo looked at her for a moment. ‘Can I look close at your nose?’

Pei blinked. ‘Um … yeah, sure, I guess.’

The Laru stretched xyr neck all the way out, getting far closer to Pei’s face than was anywhere in the realm of comfort or good manners. Xe studied her face with keen interest. ‘It’s so small,’ Tupo said.

‘And yours is really big, to me,’ Pei said, as she experienced the best view she’d ever had of a Laru’s broad, fleshy nostrils.

Curiosity apparently sated, Tupo retracted xyr neck and went back to xyr pudding. ‘What kind of captain are you?’

‘Cargo,’ Pei said.

‘I thought you were maybe a soldier.’ Tupo sounded disappointed at her answer. Xe took another long lick of pudding. Xyr bowl was already about halfway empty. ‘My mom said she locked up a bunch of your guns.’

‘If two is a bunch, then yes,’ Pei said.

‘But you’re not a soldier.’

‘No. I get soldiers the supplies they need. That’s what most of my work entails.’

‘Do you go where they’re fighting?’

‘Yes,’ said Pei, matter of fact.

‘Is it scary?’

‘Yes.’

‘Have you ever been shot?’

Pei cocked her head at Tupo’s bluntness. Xe seemed harmless, but this wasn’t a turn she’d expected. ‘Yes,’ she said, her tone unchanged.

‘Did it hurt?’

‘What do you think?’

‘Probably.’

Pei laughed. ‘Probably.’ She looked at Tupo with affable admonishment. ‘Yes, it hurts.’

‘How bad does it hurt?’

While Pei did not need to be quiet while eating, she took a long moment to weigh that question. ‘Are you sure your mom would want me to be talking to you about this?’

Tupo licked some pudding from the corners of xyr mouth. ‘I dunno.’

‘Mmm-hmm. Maybe we should find something else to talk about.’

Tupo looked a smidge sulky about that prospect, but shifted gears. ‘If you’re a captain, where’s your crew?’