“Maybe.” Milly sounded dubious. “But it’s a big universe and you’ll have no way of knowing where they take us.” She didn’t add, Maybe you’ll just forget about us and go back to an easy lifestyle, but it was expressed in her posture, or so Atlanta thought.

“No, I wouldn’t give up on that,” she assured Milly and Skidoo, then blushed, embarrassed. All of this seemed so meaningless right now. Who knew what would happen?

Milly and Skidoo were watching her, Skidoo sprawled every which way now over the chair, Milly much more upright. Atlanta wished she knew enough about their species to read their expressions and body language. What were they thinking? Was it the same?

Atlanta had not thought much of the fact that Skidoo and Milly had appeared together. The full range of the pair’s relationship was graphically brought home to her when, while exploring a few hours later, she walked in on Skidoo and Milly intimately entwined amid the racks of vines. The throb of the ship’s heart echoed here in the humid warmth; the air smelled of greenery and the vanilla scent of Skidoo’s skin lotion and a slight undertone of musky sweat and sex.

She gasped but the pair took no notice of her other than one of Skidoo’s tentacles beckoning to her while another made a lewd gesture indicating exactly what the invitation involved.

Water globes crunched beneath her feet as she backed out of the room, stammering excuses. She knew that mores varied from place to place and that what she thought was normal might be highly abnormal in another place. But knowing that was different from actually confronting an act that on her planet was not to be shared in public.

There were certain things you found out in order to be polite and interact with other gentlebeings: how they preferred to be identified, and what was taboo in their culture. (Usually eating, fucking, and defecating were the unholy three, but it could be anything, including talking or showing the soles of one’s feet or wearing the wrong color combination.)

It hadn’t occurred to her that these things might differ so she was the one at odds with the situation. Somehow that realization underscored how alone she was, and how unexpected her future.

She didn’t want to talk to Niko about it, so she did what everyone else seemed to do: consult with Dabry.

“Should I go apologize?” she asked him.

His lips pursed. “Well,” he said. “It would be the polite action if you thought they were upset. Based on my experience, Skidoo won’t be bothered in the slightest, and if you bring it up, she’ll use it as a reason to invite you to join again.”

“But she’s a Tlellan and Milly’s Nteti!” Atlanta objected. “How is it even possible for them to have sex?”