Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Dev told himself with an air of fatality. Lifting an arm, while aware that the gesture itself might constitute some inexcusable breach of alien protocol, he pointed at the slightly taller of the two bodyguards and addressed it directly.

“Did you look back at us yesterday, just before boarding your vessel? If that was you, I was wondering why you did so?”

From height and behind a transparent dome, the alien peered down at him. Its companion shifted his stance. Reed’s expression tightened, Pavesi looked surprised, and Katou-Zimmer made a slight choking sound. But a wide smile broke out on her husband’s face, and he nodded encouragingly at Dev, his neatly trimmed beard bobbing slightly.

The bodyguard did not reply. Vantolos did.

“If Oktonc did as you say, then it was only out of curiosity. Did you think your kind the only sapients afflicted with inquisitiveness?” Vantolos did not turn to look at the individual under discussion, but a tentacle rose to point backward in the taller bodyguard’s direction. Dev was exceedingly pleased with himself for having identified the alien correctly as Vantolos continued.

“Unlike the Olone, my people, the Kaijank are less inclined to pursue interests that do not directly involve day-to-day survival. But they are not entirely lacking in curiosity. What I find interesting is that an individual of your primitive kind would take sufficient notice of such a small thing to find it worthy of comment.”

For the first time, Dev realized, they now had English-equivalent names for both alien species. Emboldened, he pressed on. “Curiosity has always been an acute component of my personal makeup.” He indicated the being who had been identified as Oktonc, who instead of gazing into the distance was now staring directly back at him. While the attention was a bit unsettling, Dev forced himself to ignore it. “It was the first time one of your bodygua—one of the Kaijank had shown any interest in us outside of formal proceedings.”

“Keep it going, son.” From nearby, an approving Jakob Zimmer whispered to him.

Dev needed no urging. At any moment, Vantolos might decide to terminate the exchange and return to his vessel. “I just wondered why neither of the Kaijank had taken the time to do something like that before.”