"I did hear that. I don't remember the pseudonym." He looks Lalita and Isabella over. "You need somewhere to be, then?"

"It would be nice," Lalita agrees.

"City folk have been talking to Federation people about joining up ever since they saw our first warp signature," he says. "I can't say it'll happen, I can't say it won't."

"I guess we'll just have to see," says Lalita.

"The ship is fine there for now, but it will get in the way of the priv getting all the sun it needs. There's room for it by the riverside, if you don't mind little twirlets climbing on it." He pats Viv between her horns and she giggles.

"I think it can survive the attention of little twirlets," he says, smiling. "Could you show me where to move it to?"

"On a map. Bit far to walk when supper's so soon, and the subway doesn't go there."

"A map would be fine."

Viv's father pulls a portable screen of some sort from his pocket, calls up a map, and shows the priv field and the riverside in question.

"I guess we can just live aboard the ship for the time being wherever it is," Isabella says.

"That's an option," he agrees. "And maybe move somewhere nicer after we've gotten to know some people and figured out how things work around here. Should we move the ship now, do you think?"

"What's the scale on that map? Can we walk back here to known friendly people after moving it?"

"Quote, 'bit far to walk when supper's so soon', end quote."

"So we eat first, and meet them after they've had dessert, perhaps."

"I'm sure we can make do," says Lalita. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," says Viv's father, and he picks up his daughter and heads away with her, presumably for suppertime.

Lalita reports this exchange to Isabella, including the cultural context, and heads back into the ship to move it down to the riverside.

She accompanies him, of course, and then they eat dinner, and then there is a long leisurely hand-holding walk to the priv field.

"This won't be so bad, I think," Isabella says. "Although I'm already wishing I'd had the sense to pack a few outfits while I was waiting for you after the locks failed. Perhaps I'll learn to love Davlian fashion."

"I can make clothes," says Lalita.

"Of course you can. Why would I ever have imagined that just because you have not previously mentioned being able to make clothes, you could have omitted to learn it?" she laughs.