Terran Times 02 - Deal with a Dhemon (28 page)

Viola Grace

from over there?” Sam sighed with relief as Shalin scampered off to the couch and grabbed her robe for her. Once she had carefully tucked herself into the sleeves and knotted the belt at her waist, she sat up a little further.

“What time is it? Did I miss breakfast?” She slowly maneuvered her legs out from under the sheets and stood up, feeling the robe flow around her ankles.

Shalin giggled, and enchanting noise. “The servants brought your breakfast in an hour ago. It is only fruit, but there is enough for two.”

Sure enough, there was a covered tray on the table. She moved over to it, lifting the dome, and perused the selection of unfamiliar fruit. It looked tasty.

“Shalin, would you help me figure out which one of these I should actually eat?” Sam smiled at the enthusiastic clapping that followed her suggestion.

“I only got cereal for breakfast. I didn’t eat it.”

With a scramble and rustle of skirts Shalin jumped onto a chair near the table and started to explain the food. It was divided into colors, and with only a few twists by her tiny fingers, the little lady of the house had moved it into complete disarray.

“These are sweet, salty, sour, tangy, and bland.” She named the fruit, first in Alliance, then in Dhemon Common, then in the local dialect. The 66

Deal with a Dhemon

fruit lesson continued and Sam found that there were a lot of similarities in the taste buds of humans versus dhemons.

After breakfast, Shalin and her mother dragged Sam out for a walk. They visited the market place, teaching her the local dialect and introducing her to the vendors. The faces she saw were curious but not hostile, and they set her at ease.

They stopped for lunch in the village, and before Sam knew it, it was closing on the dinner hour. They returned to the estate, and changed for dinner. Shalin was delighted that she would be seeing her ‘Uncle Kassil’ once more.

Sam straightened and viewed herself in the mirror. This was as good as it was going to get. If only Etion were here to do her hair. She walked the long way down the halls to the parlor, and froze just outside of the doorway, out of sight.

Kassil’s booming voice was unmistakable. He was laughing at something that had been said before she had gotten into earshot. Her hand reached forward, and then her fingers curled in on themselves and fell to her side. Best to get this over with.

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