"Well. In my world there isn't this situation at all with respect to what women can do."

"Do you ...do things?"

"I study our gods and give them advice and sometimes write books about what I learn."

"Oh! That's neat. Some people do that here, but they mostly publish under their husband's names, if they do at all."

"Rúmil writes his own books!"

"Abada wrote a book! It will probably be published after the pharaoh dies."

"...why?"

"- because it'd hardly be appropriate, right, for people to be picking over private things now. But once we're dead it's different, then it's history," says Abada.

"I suppose I won't ask what it's about then."

"It's about my life. But I shouldn't get more specific than that, yeah."

"Maitimo wanted me to talk to you all to see if any of you might be versions of people we'd know from home. If you are and we ever figure out how to get between here and there would you want to meet them?"

" - sure! That sounds really fun."

"I've liked all of mine!"

"What's your version of the pharaoh like?"

"He's not king yet because he and his husband are concentrating on their children but his grandfather will retire in his favor soon and he's suited to it. He knows everyone and likes them all and is practically everyone's friend, gives out well-chosen presents and keeps up with their lives and so on and keeps everyone's goodwill when he has to mediate a difference. Likes to have a lot of conversations all the time - we can do that, we're telepathic intraspecies, he's probably pretty understimulated here."

They all seem immensely cheered by this, and nod along. 

"The pharaoh's absurdly good at presents."

"He's great company, too, makes you feel really special."

"We compared notes once and realized we all thought we were his favorite."

"That doesn't surprise me. Did you tell him you'd noticed?"

"Laila did."

"When he's being sort of silly Laila tells him. Or tells Hemaka to tell him, if even she's not sure how to do it."

She's the only one I recognize.

"He thinks he recognizes you," she tells Laila.

"Gosh." She looks startled. "I didn't realize he had a wife?"

"He doesn't, just the husband -" Larya?

Uh huh.

"Erdellë Larya is an assistant of his. But since he's stepped back from work while the kids are small she's doing his job for him in the interim."

She looks fascinated. "But he's a prince, right? And she's - is she still not anybody in particular?"