"Because they wanted to. And their partners were up for it too, except in Helen's case, Amariah was very upset with Kas about that."

"What for?"

"Amariah missed the first thirteen years of Helen's life, isn't actually subjectively old enough to have a thirteen-year-old daughter, and feels like she's been robbed of her firstborn."

Felicity shrugs.

"Do you want to meet any of your niblingoids?" inquires Elspeth.

"Kerron in particular might make sense to have visit. He has a witch-ingot ability that lets him detect goals and intentions and the like, so if you decided to be obnoxious to him he could leave, first, if he wasn't in the mood."

Felicity snorts.

"Let me know if you'd like him invited over."

"You can, I guess."

"Now, or another time?"

"I don't care."

"I'll ask him tomorrow; his sleep cycle may have been thrown off by being in a space plant."

He shrugs.

"Aianon makes all kinds of interesting plants. It's something of a specialty of his."

"What a hobby."

"It's useful, anyway. But he did get stuck in Origin when he was there ecoforming the Saturn there and Jane broke."

"But now he's learned to freecast so he's going to make a treehouse palace for Tab."

"I bet it'll be pretty."

"I imagine so. Jane will be able to show you pictures on your computer, if you like, once it's done."

"Mm."

"Corona says I shouldn't offer you one of her gems yet."

"Mmh," says Felicity.

"On the grounds that its primary purpose would be to let her take you back if you wandered out of the universe, and he judges that you aren't yet likely interested in coming back."