"She has a child, Katin, from before she met Makel. My understanding is that they were badly squeezed for the credit but they made it."

"Squeezed for the credit?" asks Ismat.

"In most countries in our world you have to buy permission to have a child."

     "I guess that's perfectly sensible, if it's scarce."

"Huh. Do we even have any there, then?"

"You're astoundingly rich. Which is how he found you, he looked up all the wealthiest female entrepreneurs and went a-calling. You have two so far and can afford more."

"Huh. I dressed in drag for a decade till somebody blackmailed me about it."

"Well, on our planet no one cares who's a girl and who isn't."

         "I liked her before I knew," says Merenre proudly.

"He did, it was awkward!" She kisses his cheek. "Lucky her. What's she do, though?"

"Nice mass-market furniture."

'"Huh, furniture. I didn't really consider furniture. I considered musical instruments but it turns out it's one of those fields where people pay themselves in passion and drive the wage down."

"This society might be too poor for good margins on furniture, I bet lots of people don't buy it new. Just going off the general tech level."

"Well, I went with jewelry. Good business to be in. I'll sell you people souvenirs when we have enough fountains or whatever your plumbing issue is."

"I'll look forward to it."

"Do you sleep?" she asks Rubelite.

"No. ...Yes? This sleeps, that is probably what matters for this conversation."

"It's what's going to be relevant, yeah."

"I lie down to do that. Will people who aren't me step on me if I'm lying down? I don't step on me but maybe that is different."

"I do not know for sure but I bet they will offer you a bed, and then people will be unable to step on you. That's how humans do it."

"Oh, that's a good idea."

She beams at her.

"Have I not been clear enough -"

"I'm not hitting on her! It occurred to me she might not need to sleep, or might not know she needed to, or might be concerned about the thing where we're both going to lose continuity of consciousness in a couple of hours!"

"That's a fancy word for sleeping."

"I was trying to point at a concept your society is too stupid to have invented."

"I'm probably very worried about me but I don't think that will get worse when I sleep."