The Circle is Complaint

Uskua starts to head off to take care of Mon'Fargret's order, but she is stopped by Bina, who orders a glass of wine. Mey'Luskar teases her about it and then orders a cocktail.

"I think that'll do it for now," says La'Brissa with a sigh of satisfaction. She glances at her Bolgan companion and adds, "You can let your whiskers hang now. We're going."

The Bolgan thanks her hastily and hops out of her chair.

La'Brissa starts to put her tablet and art supplies away and then thinks better of it. Taking a cautious step toward Bina and Mey'Luskar, she asks modestly, "Do you want to see it?"

Mey'Luskar glances at Bina with horror.

"Only if it's finished," replies Bina with a grin. "You know!"

La'Brissa chuckles. "Right. 'Hr'vòyna-män.' (Incomplete state.) Got it."

"I hope I can see it when it's done," adds Bina.

"I hope I get a chance to show it to you!" replies La'Brissa as she folds up her drawing tablet.

"Well, I don't care so much about hr'vòyna-män," puts in the Besteeng woman. "Do you mind?"

Blushing (and failing to hide her discomfort), La'Brissa shows her the picture.

"Well, isn't that special?" comments the Besteeng woman. "I hope to see it hanging somewhere! Maybe even here!"

Bozz's little companion, who has been watching with intense curiosity, approaches. When La'Brissa slams the tablet shut warily, he bows in elaborate Yangae fashion and says in polite language, "If it pleases the lady, one wishes to see the work of art."

La'Brissa eyes him with disbelief and then shows him the picture with a (rather awkward-sounding) polite reply.

He studies it with furrowed brows. Then he hums dismissively and says, "There is...some ability, certainly, but I do not see why this would be special."

"No, you probably wouldn't," retorts the Besteeng woman with mock sweetness over La'Brissa's gasp. Pointing at the picture, she adds, "This one is with the Scarlet Revival. Perhaps you've heard of them?"

"Um, no," replies the newcomer. "I am familiar with the Scarlet Order, but..."

"Even redder!" replies the Besteeng woman with a wide smile.

The newcomer is dumbfounded. "But...then...why is she...?"

The Besteeng smiles even wider. "Now you begin to see!"

As she says this, the sky, which had been darkening much too quickly for the hour, loses its patience. Rain begins to pelt against the windows on one side of the building.

"Oh, roots and sod!" moans La'Brissa. "Why do the Herg...goth...um...?" She glances at Bina anxiously.

"The Yangae authority always kept the weather under control," observes Mey'Luskar, still chewing on her monacta. "Or so I'm told."

"But the weather is the breath of the planet," retorts Bina melodically. "Pray, let her live!"

The newcomer shifts his wary gaze between the picture and the actual pair. Then he says something in an unfamiliar language.

"You see?" clucks the Besteeng woman.

"There's more," says the Bolgan impatiently. She points a claw at Bina. "That one's a priestess!"

The newcomer's dark eyes widen to their limit.

Bina takes a mouthful of her food, taps on her unadorned chest, and says with difficulty, "No, I'm not!"

"She is!" whines the Bolgan. "I've seen her before! Lady, can we go now?"

"That's very interesting," retorts the newcomer in a low voice. He hands the tablet back to La'Brissa and slinks back to his group.

Just then the front door bangs open, and someone comes in in a flurry of soggy griping. Lirassa soon comes into view bearing her pack, a mass of soaked tresses, and a lot of ill will. Cursing in Brekka, she heads straight for Ham's table and plops herself wetly into a seat.

With a wail, the Bolgan immediately bolts out of the pub.

"So now she leaves me the bill," mutters La'Brissa between gestures of annoyance.

Steam Flash

Responding to Zeton's suggestion, Ham surreptitiously pulls out his scanner and starts to fiddle with it under the table.

Just as he's about to engage it, there is a loud, booming Yangae, "Oh, really?" from the direction of the three newcomers. The massive Zentryl stands and dusts off his arms dramatically, then turns and approaches the party. There is a wide smile on his face and fire in his eyes as he levels his gaze on Ham and crosses his arms.

"Ybandya!" he says with saccharine sweetness, leaning toward Ham. "Yany thok-mobar tu-roko tcok-jus-thok-ij tu-gar. Tu-margh-jakijny?"

(I'll e-mail El Tigrez the translation of the Biton.)

"That's right, Bozz," says the Atlan-type humanoid in Yangae with a very wimpy-sounding voice as he moves behind his much-larger companion. "He's up to something! What's he got under the table?"

Plant Goo

Things continue quietly if uneasily. Most of the party, having ordered lightly, get their food and drink fairly soon. Meanwhile, La'Brissa, having gotten another bapf, takes a sketchpad out of her bag, squints in the direction of Bina and Mey'Luskar, and starts scribbling away. (Bina grins modestly and tries not to move too much. Mey'Luskar huffs with irritation.) Her Bolgan companion continues to shift around edgily, even getting up and pacing a couple of times.

The two spacers finally finish up and get ready to leave. The Foldorian spacer gives the party a totally uninterested (or at least unreadably blank) glance as he gathers himself together. The orange and green alien scowls but avoids making any kind of eye contact.

Just at that moment, Uskua comes in with the two dishes of monacta for Bina and Mey'Luskar. Bina oohs with delight and then quickly reassumes her pose for La'Brissa's benefit. Mey'Luskar looks excited and worried at the same time.

The alien spacer perks up and takes note. "What in the world...?" he says in his nasally tongue, his aquiline nose wrinkling.

"Monacta," replies the Foldorian spacer indifferently. "Hergoth food. Are we going or not?"

"I know what monacta is, my friend," retorts the colorful alien. His angular face wrinkles. "How could I not? Rotten plant goo wrapped in leaves?" He makes a strange noise. "At least they say it's plant goo. Did that Bolgan really prepare it, or did he have his wench run over to the park and peel it off an old tree?"

"Watch it!" snarls Uskua.

"Hey!" says Mey'Luskar. "Don't knock it till you try it!"

"Very good!" offers Bina encouragingly.

The alien wrinkles his face and makes a strange noise again. Then he says to his companion, "Too bad you didn't do a better job of civilizing them." He glances at Mey'Luskar. "Now they're even corrupting your own!" With that, he turns to go...just as Zeton comes in. Almost colliding with the tall Lybolt, the alien looks him over and says, "Another victim, I see! Are you with that lot, too? And what's with all the packs? Are you going camping in the park?"

Throwing an almost apologetic glance at the party, the Foldorian spacer continues on his way to the counter. The alien turns to follow him.