She describes the fish to the people around her; one of the greys pipes up, "That's a garbage fish, there's no limit on private catch."

Amseli says, "That means it's fine to eat plenty of those."

"I understand. Good. I want to learn about Amentan animals later. I will be back in an hour."

He swims out past the perimeter of boats a hundred meters down and dives deep after spending a few minutes hunting down another garbage fish. Down until it's pitch black and almost silent, the machinery of the boats muted by the low natural sound of the ocean. A nice, deep ocean is soothing and comforting, almost as good as flying. There's very little that air-breathers could do to him down here... Except for those underwater metal boats that aren't very near here, perhaps.

He's back after fifty minutes, seeming more relaxed if you understand Draak body language. There are so many of them that presumably someone is trying to figure it out. Moving more slowly and sinuously, feathers laid flat, tail curled. He looks at the nearest Amentan where he came up and has his silver rod say, "Hello."

"Hello," says the nearest Amentan, one of the grey boat crew, slightly taken aback.

He peers around, looking for any blue hair on this boat.

"I want to talk to Amseli or someone else again but I cannot tell Amentans apart well yet. Especially when swimming. There are very many Amentans here!"

(The simulated speech is very choppy, especially the last word being emphasized like that.)

This boat doesn't have any blues. "Amseli's that one," says the grey, pointing.

"Thank you."

Back over toward the boat that has Amseli on it he goes.

There's a gentle, gentle thought-nudge that just says Hello.

Hello again, says Amseli.

I'm excited to take apart a pocket everything! When will it arrive? There's a giddy excitement at the thought. Taking something apart and learning how it works is just awesome. But right now I'm sure you have many questions for me. Feel free to ask them. If I don't want to answer I will say so.

"The first one's here now!" She reaches into a box at her side and offers it to him. "The next one will be here in a few minutes. We'd really like to know more about how you got here, but if it gets very technical probably one of the greens should be the one to receive the explanation firsthand so it doesn't suffer for my translation."

He takes it carefully into his clawed hands, and starts inspecting it from all sides.

I would be happy to talk to anyone like this if they are willing, unless they are annoying, but the light-bridge is a very, very, very valuable secret. It is a Treasure of the greatest kind. (Burning pride, mixed with greed.) I find it difficult to imagine you can offer me something that is worth sharing it.

What kinds of things might be worthy of the information?

I don't know. Right now it would take something I have not imagined. When I learn more, the calculus will change. Perhaps I will be convinced Amentans will be valuable allies against other aliens. I don't know yet, I don't understand you. If it were so, the cost would be payable. We know other aliens than you exist, and they are all mysterious and powerful. You are not the only possible destruction, but one of many. That is why I am even entertaining the option of telling you instead of going home.

Are the other aliens all hostile?

Not universally. Not counting Amentans, of those I have contacted directly, three were confusing but benign, one was aggressive and expansionist, one might have been a rogue bioweapon but wasn't truly intelligent, and one might have been aliens or might have been a disease. I have seen evidence of at least five other kinds and suspect many more exist but have much less information about those.

Is there not enough space to be had for expansion?

There is... Some space. (He leaks idle frustration. He's trying to work the pocket everything but big claws are not very good for that.) Oldhome is surely a grey wasteland of city-hives by now, like your planet. Newhome had many dangerous animals on it, but none as dangerous as humans. Or us. I have not had the chance to investigate other life-bearing planets, yours is the third.

Are there many empty lifeless planets? Some of our scientists are interested in learning to put life and air on planets that have none.

Yes, very many. That would be a vast effort, but perhaps many workers make impossible tasks possible. If I understand castes correctly more detail should be given to someone with green hair?

Yes, ideally someone with specific background in terraforming prospects.

Once I understand enough about how this works - a day or two in my lab - I will be willing to share my survey data of twenty barren planets more or less similar to this one. Or more, in exchange for Treasure.

Is that how many you have, in total, or how many the pocket everything is worth? We will be predictably more interested in some planets than others.

I have seen more than a thousand barren planets and planned to pick ones according to whatever criteria your people asked for. For example, one had truly beautiful giant diamonds. Mining them was difficult, but worth it. But I don't think you would be interested in that one, since you seek places to expand into.

Yes, we like diamonds but less than we like living space. One thing we need is a year length similar to this one.

There are some. They are often very very cold.

That's a challenge, but one we know something about how to address, while we don't know how to solve the problems caused by incorrect year lengths at all.