"Because of the Maelstrom?"

"That and the people."

"Is there a map that shows those cities and what's between them?"

"Maybe someone has a map like that but I don't."

"Has the maelstrom always existed?"

Wow, that's a weird question.

"No."

"How old is it?"

"Bit over a century - why don't you know this?"

"Because she's very lost."

"Yes, I am. How long is a year?"

"365 days?"

So about a season. So the Maelstrom is 25 years old actually. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." Unnerving that she didn't know in the first place.

If nobody asks she sees no reason to volunteer her tragic backstory.

That done with, Fifi is going to try out creative ways to fold napkins.

That's between her and the management. Pelape is here to clean things.

Management has learned by now that Fifi is worth her eccentricities, if barely.

She can try telling Eefa a story, if Fifi doesn't have any more comments. How about the account of the Tapai moon colony.

"Why'd they want to go there?"

"They wanted practice with living on places other than Amenta, and getting there with space shuttles, so they could get better at both of those things and learn more about what they'd need to know to live on farther planets and moons one day."

"Why?"

"There are more people on Amenta than here and they want more room and other planets would have that if we got good at traveling to and living on them."

Oh, people wanting to not live near lots of other people makes sense. Eefa nods.

"If they knew where I was they'd be working on that too but I don't think they do."

"That sounds nice."