"Huh. And most humans don't have roles -"

"Not even the ones Eru dropped here, not systematically, it's just an occasional private thing instead. I have yet to hear about any worlds in which gender gets that treatment for use in analogies."

"Gender seems more - necessary - but I'd think so, I suppose. Your Earth's anthropologists will be falling all over themselves all over again - how about you, how are you -"

"I'm all right, I said."

"...okay."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"My alts are neat and have lots of cool stuff and you're going to be fine. I'm good."

"Good." She sits down. "Alts, is that the word?"

"In English, yes. Also they have universal translation."

"Mum must be going mad. - how many worlds -"

"219 but only a fraction are officially interesting."

"Officially interesting? Are we?"

"Ardas are, anywhere with alts is."

"I am not totally thrilled Ardas are plural."

"Yeah, and ours is second nicest, too. Rule seems to be that with the arguable exception of Space they're nicer the earlier a Bell drops in."

"Well, thanks for getting here so promptly."

"You're welcome, it was entirely a matter of skill and derring-do and whatnot."

- she smiled!

"Hers is nicest," she says, aiming a thumb at Boots. "Live Trees, she saved Epic's mom with the power of therapy, his parenting situation still wasn't cutting it so she basically adopted him."

"...that sounds like it'd work out. Uh. Fascinatingly. - I'm having a bit of trouble imagining you parenting a my mother, but I think it'd be good for him."

"It sort of happened in fits and starts. And Rúmil helps."

"That's good. ...ours is dead, did Isabella -"

"Yeah, she wrote it up for everybody. I haven't mentioned to mine yet and I don't think he's read it on his own either."