Like I said, I didn't make it. Copper Flame made it. But I'll show it to you!

River produces her grabstick by flying back to Seeker's ship (which lets her in) and returning with it worn around her neck on a black cord. It turns out to be a very fancy motorized extendable baton with a grabber on the end, not a telekinesis device.

That is less impressive than any of the Amentans present were hoping, but they can announce on the internet that it might be for sale anyway, people have bought weirder things.

(Bloom is not quite entirely silent about her amusement.)

I don't have anything really fancy. You'd have to ask Seeker for things like that. And I don't think I want to sell my grabstick after all unless it'd get a LOT of money.

It might be a lot, but it's also fine if you don't want to sell it. We don't necessarily know what seems fancy to you, and vice-versa!

Pocket everythings are very fancy, the internet is very fancy. Seeker makes these things that trap a Song of Healing inside them! You press the top down and it heals the closest animals some. There's shakesticks that pulverize stone but leave metal and gems unharmed. There's things that let non-Sapphires breathe underwater or let anyone breathe bad air for a while. There's hot and cold machines. I don't think those are as fancy, but they're good. There's trained insects that'll clean your cave. There's special lights that help plants grow better. There's probably other things I'm not thinking of right away.

Some of those we have things that might be similar. The healing object sounds amazing, though. And maybe the insects, depending on whether they're good at the parts of cleaning that matter to us and aren't themselves aversive.

Bloom! River calls, and then sends her a rapid summary.

I know of the Song-Traps, Amseli. The mechanism is subtle. The trapped Song is not as potent as what was put into it, and it is lost when opened. But they can be used again and again, music suspended in nothingness to be loosed when needed. A useful instrument indeed.

Depending on how quickly and how well it works on Amentans I could see it being very useful to emergency response or to convalescence.

I am capable of the least form of the Song of Healing. It has noticeable effects only over the course of most of a day. Greater forms are much more dramatic. It would be interesting to make the experiment.

It won't be hard to find volunteers.

I will wait for my southern hosts to arrange it.

Bloom is very patient, River says. Maybe a bit too patient.

You need more Earth in you, child. It does not do for a great and noble member of the Kin, the bearers of great power and responsibility from Sun and Earth, to rush around so.

Knowing what you want and going and getting it is greatness, too!

Then challenge others more often, instead of fleeing for another territory dropping tribute behind you at the first sign of opposition, like some manner of herbivore.

RUDE!

Bloom flicks her tail. If you criticize my way, I will criticize yours.

The Amentans aren't quite sure what to say about this exchange.

Anyway what else should we talk about?

Has the Moot been scheduled? wonders Amseli.

It starts in thirty-seven days! Our days. Thirty-six of yours. People have been talking endlessly about aliens, it's exciting.

We agree! I don't suppose there's any way to send people to attend it?

The ship doesn't belong to me, you have to ask Seeker. I bet someone'd try to kill whoever went there though. You're Tailless.

Well, that sounds like we shouldn't try, then.

Well, if an Elder says you're not to be harmed, fewer people would try. Maybe even nobody. And the Elders are pretty good at protecting things. You'd scare people a whole lot just by being tailless aliens on our planet though.

We wouldn't want to frighten anyone. Are tails specifically important?

They do a lot of body language. But everyone called the humans 'tailless' or 'no-tails'. It means 'scary and dangerous and bad' now.

I see.

I'm kind of scared just talking to you! But that's never stopped me before.

Is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?

Can't think of anything. Oh, wait. Don't touch me without warning and don't surround me on all sides.