Sotet walks briskly across the room and detaches the conical device from the window grate. The interactive 3D city slowly fades away.

“Well, that was fun! Right?” Sotet calls over his shoulder. There is no answer. Adahlia has fallen asleep. With an understanding sigh, Sotet saunters toward the cot and maneuvers so that he can slide Adahlia onto it without too much trouble. She barely stirs.

Sotet climbs to his feet once again. He stretches up on his talons, and holds out his wings, a yawn escaping his beak.

“Gee, that even made me a little tired. Of course, I have been pacing for much of the day. And only a smidgeon of breakfast.”

“Then, it’s a good thing I brought your favorite stew,” a soft voice calls from the direction of the cell door.

Sotet turns to see Kotoro standing on the other side of the cell door. She holds a large platter, with a silver cover; from which wafts the smell of Oftvork stew. An oftvork being a rodent-like creature about the size of a possum, but whose meat would be comparable to venison. Sotet is over the moon with joy—at seeing his mate.

“Kotoro, my love. What are you doing here? This is not a place for you,” Sotet exclaims, rushing to the cell door. He reaches through the space in the bars and cups Kotoro’s face. She smiles back lovingly, her golden eyes seeming to sparkle.

“My place is where you are, Sotet. I will not be kept from you by anyone,” Kotoro replies firmly. She glances over Sotet’s left shoulder. “Is that the girl? Adahlia? She is rather small for a human.”

Sotet chuckles softly. “She’s only a little girl. Little in world cycles, I mean. She will grow….I assume.”

Kotoro’s face becomes filled with worry. “Does she know what is to come? Have you told her about the trial?”

“She is aware,” Sotet replies sullenly.

“Oh, Sotet….I wish you had been more careful,” Kotoro trills with heartfelt sorrow.

“Yes, my love. As do I. I only did what was right. I had no inkling of what trouble would befall us all. I simply did not wish to see Adahlia hurt. The villainous girls had threatened to harm her. I acted rashly. Whatever happens….I hope you….And our clutchlings will forgive me.”

“I have forgiven you already. Fore, there was nothing to forgive. That does not mean, I cannot lament for your safety. And want you home. Doing what is right….Protecting life….Can never truly be considered wrong. Or rash. We must hope that the Monoch will see this as well.”

Sotet leans forward and Kotoro does the same. Their foreheads touch.

“A mate who is wise as well as beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky?”

“Sotet,” Adahlia’s voice calls from behind them. Both shrikes separate, and Sotet turns to look at Adahlia. She is beaming from ear to ear. She takes in every inch of Kotoro; especially admiring the female shrike’s elegant silver and gold robes, and fine emerald jewelry. Kotoro stands a full foot shorter than Sotet, but is no less striking and powerful looking. Kotoro’s brown feathers are mottled with small white and black spots; reminding Adahlia of human freckles.

“You did say she was beautiful. I had no idea what to expect.”

“Yes. She is beautiful. And now...Who's hungry?” Sotet grins mischievously. Kotoro shoots him a snide—but loving—glance.

_

_

“You eat meat?” Adahlia says with slight surprise. She stares down at the steaming stew heaped on her small plate.

“Well…Yes,” Sotet answers—equally surprised that she is surprised. “Why did you believe we didn’t?”

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Adahlia furrows her brow and hooks a finger under her chin in a thinking pose.

“I don’t know. I guess your culture just seems so much more progressive than human culture. More humane. I guess, I thought that eating meat would be against your principles or something.”

“Well, not all that progressive…I’m afraid. We still eat meat quite regularly. But we are cognizant not to take any animal in the prime of life. We grow many farm beasts in staggered groups. Babies and juveniles are never culled unless they are near to death. Runts and those born with genetic abnormalities. Nothing diseased. Only after an animal reaches the end of its prime fertility do we take them to slaughter. This approach to farming helps with preventing things like inbreeding, genetic drift, and things of that nature. Keeps the populations natural, diverse and healthy. Without the need for much meddling from us. The farm beasts simply do what they do…Until they can’t do it anymore.”

Kotoro smiles over her goblet. Sotet simply winks. Adahlia is none the wiser.

“That’s a really interesting approach,” Adahlia says. She takes a tentative spoonful of her stew and chews slowly. The taste is obviously good because she smacks her lips. “Wow. This is…Delicious. What kind of animal is it? What does the farm beast look like? Is it like a cow?”

“No…Actually,” Sotet begins. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Of course, I want to know,” Adahlia responds. “Why else would I ask?”

Kotoro gently interjects. “Humans sometimes have different ideas about what kind of meat is either good or bad to eat.”

“Well, it’s not as if this is actually coming from my own world,” Adahlia exclaims. “From what I can smell, hear, taste…Your world is a lot less polluted, dirty, and smelly than where I come from. What could possibly be wrong with this meat?”

“The creature from which this meat was taken is very similar to a mouse or rat…But comparable in size to an opossum. So…In human terms….A very large rat,” Sotet explains.

Adahlia looks down at her plate with concern. She looks at Sotet. Then, she glances at Kotoro. Then, she smiles.

“Psyche! Bet you thought I was just gonna throw up or something. This is actually quite good. Knowing where the meat comes from doesn’t change that. Besides, it isn’t a rat. It’s just comparable to one. Dig in, Sotet…My good buddy. We’ve got to keep our strength up.”

Sotet chuckles for the tenth time in as many hours. From the moment he was placed in this cell, he had thought he’d never laugh again. Adahlia really is a good friend to have.

“That we do, Adahlia. That we do,” Sotet trills softly. He clasps Kotoro’s wingtip, and they both smile warmly.

“That device you used before,” Adahlia begins—swallowing a mouthful of Oftvork stew. “What was it?”

“Device?” Sotet says between a bite of food. A morsel of meat is clipped by his sharp beak, and falls onto the folding table set between them. With the speed of a woodpecker, he pecks it back into his mouth with the tip of his beak. Almost immediately, he remembers his audience and gives Adahlia a small embarrassed shrug.

“Yes,” Adahlia continues unfazed. “The device you used on the tour? The one with the snowglobey thing on the end? What is it? How does it…Do what it does?”

“Oh, of course…The Olance Tube! I should have explained,” Sotet replies. He withdraws the Olance Tube a second time.

Kotoro tenses and trills softly. “Are you sure it is wise to show her this, Sotet? Perhaps, wait for a better time. Say…After your trial. We do not want to heap more hot coals upon your head. Not with Zorobo just down the hall.”

Sotet recognizes the wisdom of his mate’s words—as well as the silliness of his former actions—and puts the Olance Tube back in his plumage pouch. He offers Adahlia an apologetic smile.

“I am sorry, little one. But, Kotoro is quite right. I may have made things more difficult for myself by even showing you the Olance Tube. I will only say…It creates an interactive representation of a location based on perimeters the operator provides. I can’t say any more than that. I do apologize. I feel so silly for having ever brought you here. I wanted to show you our splendor…Our beauty. This….Was not what I had in mind. You should not be here like this. You should not have been treated in this way. How is this any better than having let those girls do as they wished to you? I am such a fool!”

Sotet climbs to his feet and moves toward the window. As he stands facing the window; he crosses both wings behind his back. Sorrow hunches his shoulders.

Adahlia stands and moves to Sotet’s side. She hugs him tenderly. She looks up into his large golden eyes with nothing but love in her heart. He returns her gaze with a wistful smile.

“I do not blame you, Sotet. These have been some of the most adventurous days…Of my whole life,” Adahlia states. “I don’t regret meeting you. You shouldn’t have any regrets either. I’m your friend, Sotet. End of story. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you. I promise.”

Adahlia offers Sotet her pinky. He looks down at it, but does not understand. She motions for him to release his wings from their crossed position. As soon as he does, she grips his wing with one hand and coils her other pinky around the feather at the tip of his wing—having noticed that his wingtips contain a bodily structure which allows them to grip things. Sotet realizes she is performing some kind of ritual and returns her gesture by gripping her pinky with his wingtip.

“I never break a pinky promise,” Adahlia says.

Sotet only nods. Kotoro watches from across the room.