Noticing I’m almost finished, the head waiter says, “That’s enough for now, 4711; you’ve redeemed yourself. Tomorrow you’ll be back on serving duty.”

“Thank you,” I say. I turn and hurry back to the assembly room, but this time the door is locked, and I can’t gain entry unless my commander requests me. I stand outside the door and wait. I wait for hours until the doors open again. I push my body to the side with my back against the wall so that all the males can pass by. My Commander catches my eye, and I hope I give him a look to let him know I tried to get back on time. I think he wants me to be here to learn and to be able to discuss it later. I know he values me as a sounding board even if I don’t have anything useful to suggest, and I feel like I have let him down.

I follow the males back to the officers’ dining room and serve drinks. At first, no one notices me, but when I’m offering drinks to the commander of the other fleet, he stops me.

“So, you are the other Water woman,” he says in a tone that immediately puts me on the defensive.

“Yes,” I answer him in the Silver language.

“And you speak our language?”

“I do.”

“Say something more. Say something long and complex.”

I look for my Commander. I don’t know if I should answer him. I finally find my Commander’s cobalt eyes through the small crowd, and he nods that I should answer. “Forgive me; I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to answer without my Commander’s permission. I can tell you about the Water planet if you would like? Or I could tell you about farming roots on your Home Planet, which is where I was before I came here.”

I can tell the other commander is very impressed by my language skills. “I cannot believe the rumors are true. Volunteer 4711, do you know you are famous on the Home Planet?”

“I don’t know what you are referring to,” I answer.

“Oh, that’s right, my Water woman told me, you are not allowed a computer or access to know what the galaxy thinks of you.”

I don’t correct him. I allow him to continue talking. I want to see where this is going.

“It seems as if there is a dispute as to whether your Commander took you illegally or not.”

“I know nothing about it except that I’m grateful to be here,” I say and bow deeply. “Now, if I may, I must work for my place.” I remain bowing until he dismisses me and the other commander makes me wait. No doubt, to prove to his Water woman I am a slave.

After half a minute, he dismisses me, and as I walk away, I hear him say to his first officer that I have been beaten into submission and that this adds to the negotiations. I have no idea how I could have anything to do with combining the fleets, so I assume I have misheard him.