Chapter Three
After Brunch
Mav said, “It looks like everybody is through eating.” Zem, Bev, Sue and I each voiced an agreement with Mav’s assessment. Sue rubbed her fingers together a little and said, “The napkins helped, but I think I still need to wash my hands.” Pim, Mim, San and Pam swooped down from where they had been. We all grinned at them as Mim said verbally, “You know that isn’t necessary with us around.” Sue and I briefly flashed grins at each other. Then we grinned at the Nal as Sue said, “You guys are useful. But I know it doesn’t take all of you.” Pam said verbally as Sue and I held up the palms of our hands, “We already agreed. We all get a hand.” This caused us all to smile sentimentally at the Nal. Sue looked around to everybody as the Nal made quick work of Sue and I’s hands. Afterwards, Sue and I put an arm around each other’s back. We also held hands in front as Pim, Mim, San and Pam went over to Zem and Bev. The Nal didn’t take long with Zem and Bev’s hands either. Then they moved over to Mav and Til as Zem and Bev also got cuddly.
Sue said mainly to Mav and Til as they held up the palms of their hands, “I already told Bev, but Erik and I found out last night after petting some slightly musky smelling kipta that being able to clean hands were one of the Nal’s many, if less impressive talents.” Mav and Til lowered the palms of their hands at this point. Pim, Mim, San and Pam returned to their previous position as Sue added, “Not only did Mim remove the kipta smell from our hands, but she apparently turned some of it into perfume.” Bev said, “Mim can be so sweet. Just like Pam.” This statement got Pim and Mim circling around each other’s surfaces at differing angles. San and Pam did the same. Sue said to Mav and Til, “Don’t you two have a pair of planet Til Nal like Zem and Bev have Tal and Sas on planet Bev?” Til said, “We don’t really need any here. The maketakes make Nal as extensions of themselves and send them out to do whatever tasks may need to be done.” At the same time, Mav was looking at Zem and Bev. Zem and Bev were looking at Mav too. It seemed as if they were thinking to each other. Then they all gave each other slight nods. They all then turned to Sue and I as their smiles got a little wider.
Bev said, “I think it’s time we told you something we didn’t mention before.” Sue and I briefly shot each other surprised, happy looks. No doubt whatever Bev was going to say, there was a good chance that it was going to be some combination of pleasing and amazing. Zem and Bev smiled at the Nal. Mav and Til turned a little in their chairs and did the same. Sue and I grinned at the Nal with a bit of a look of anticipation on our faces. Pim and Mim started circling around each other’s surface at a little faster speed. San and Pam did the same. Bev said, “You guys can do the honors of telling Sue and Erik.” Mim said in an audible voice that seemed tinged with pride, “Pim and I had a child.” Sue and I’s mouth’s dropped open with delighted surprise as Mim added, “Whom you’ve met. Sas.” Pam then added with the same prideful voice, “And San and I also had a child whom you met too. As you can guess, it is Tal.” I said, “That’s wonderful!” Sue said, “I’m so happy for you!” The speed at which the Nal couples circled around their partner’s surfaces increased a little more. Sue and I looked at Zem and Bev.
I said with a bit of a plaintive tone to my voice, “Why didn’t you tell us!” Then Sue quickly added with a bit of a plaintive quality to her voice too, “I would have given them a better greeting if I would have known that!” Zem said, “That’s why we didn’t tell you. We knew that we were going to be bringing you to planet Bev. We also knew that if for no other reason, you at least Sue would have greeted them in a familiar manner because of that information alone.” Sue and I took on slightly puzzled looks as Zem added, “And just as we also assumed, the more you got to know Pim and Mim before we got there, the more likely it was to happen. It is a very slight matter. But most often it is the littlest things that end up making the biggest difference. So much of the human consciousness is influenced by subconscious animalistic urges. We of course don’t encourage the attitude. But humans on planet Bev consider Sas and Tal to be gods almost as much as Bev and I. Seeing how the humans have much more contact with them, they are a little possessive of them. Any number of problems could have arisen from the humans there seeing you getting chummy with them.”
Sue and I took on more understanding expressions as Zem added, “And you know that we feel it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Bev then said, “We could have simply asked you not to get all huggy and kissy with Sas and Tal in front of the humans there. But simply withholding that information until later seemed to be a better way to go.” Sue then said to Bev, “Did Sas and Tal start out as baby Nal?” Bev said, “Yes. They were quite cute.” Sue got an excited look on her face and said to the Nal, “I have to see some pictures!” I was grinning with eager anticipation too as the Nal stopped circling each other. Pam said, “Sure thing!” Mim said, “We’d love to!” Pim, Mim, San and Pam transformed into four screens. The screens were three foot by four foot. On each, there were a number of pictures. The first ones showed Mim and Pam when they were pregnant. They were a slightly larger diameter than Pim and San. Mav and Til turned a little more in their seats, with grins still on their faces of course, to view the pictures too. A couple of the pictures showed the actual birth of Tal and Sas. In one picture, Mim was sitting on what I figured was a cloth covered gurney in the examination room. Zem and Bev’s grinning faces were nearby. Pim was next to Mim with a few loving tendrils around Mim. He and the tendrils had a soft white glow to them. Bev was holding her hand below where Sas was emerging from Mim. Sas was only about an inch and a half in diameter. There was a little clear fluid on that part of Mim and a little fluid soaking the cloth below her. In the Pam screen, there was a similar picture of Pam, Til and Mav. A baby Tal was emerging from Pam. He too was about an inch and a half in diameter. Some of the pictures were of Pim and Mim with a cute little baby Sas. Others were of San and Pam with a cute little baby Tal. Some of the other pictures either showed Zem and Bev with Pim, Mim and Sas. Others were with Mav, Til, San, Pam and Tal. Some of the pictures had Zem, Bev, Mav and Til in the pictures with the Nal families together. A few others were of Tal and Sas together. Some of these pictures were taken outdoors, a few in space, and some in what I took to be Zem and Bev’s or Mav and Til’s living quarters.
One of the pictures on the Pam screen showed a mass of what must have been a couple of hundred Nal. I would guess that Pam and Tal were somewhere in the middle of it. A similar picture showed on the Mim screen. There was one picture that was mostly Bev’s grinning face with her hands cupped near her face. She held who I took to be the baby Sas in her hands. There was a similar picture with Til doing the same with who I took to be a baby Tal. One of the pictures on the Pim screen showed a picture of Panny holding the baby Sas in his hands and giving her a lick. It was so adorable. Sue had her hands clasped over her chest at this point with a happy, sentimental look on her face. Sue said, “They’re just adorable!” I said, “They’re so cute!” At the same time, Pim, Mim, San and Pam said, “Thank you!” We looked over the pictures for about a minute and a half. During that time, we all discussed the various pictures a little. Sue then said, “How did they come to be.” Pim said to Sue, “You might say, through Nal sex. Obviously, our dear Reall wanted them to be gestated and born in a kind of similar way as they or you might.”
Bev smiled at Sue and I and said, “It is a much nicer way to do it rather than simply having them create one like a maketake would.” Pim, Mim, San and Pam reformed into Nal spheres. Not surprisingly, Pim and Mim started doing their Nal hug thing by circling around each other’s surfaces at differing angles. San and Pam did the same thing. Mim said, “I told you that Bev and Zem are wonderful.” San said, “As are Mav and Til.” Sue said, “Now I really need to give Sas and Tal a hug and a kiss!” Zem, Bev, Mav and Til gave us sentimental smiles. Bev said, “That can be arranged.” This caused Sue and I to beam wide grins. I glanced at Bev and Til. Looking back at Bev, I said, “Doesn’t it bother you that they should be able to reproduce while you don’t.” Bev said, “Not really. Our intellectual instincts hold more sway than maternal instincts. Besides, if we feel motherly at all, we can just go into virtual reality and do the whole baby thing.” Sue looked at the Nal and said, “Did the opportunity to reproduce make any of the other Nal jealous?”
Pam said, “What Nal that have done so only did so at the request of the Reall. Otherwise, it isn’t something we care to do. Despite the pleasantness of it.” It was at this point that Tal and Sas came swooping in. Sas went directly to Pim and Mim. Tal went directly to San and Pam. As you might expect, Pim, Mim and Sas started circling around each other’s surfaces at differing angles. San, Pam and Tal were of course doing the same thing. We all watched them with big grins on our faces. After a few extended moments, they ended their greeting. Tal and Sas then floated over near Sue and I. Pim, Mim, San and Pam still circled around their partner’s surfaces. Tal was nearest to Sue. He said verbally, “I understand that our origin surprised you.” Sas then said, “And that you had something for us.” Sas then extruded fur. Tal did the same. We all laughed. I then took hold of Sas in both hands and Sue took hold of Tal in both her hands. I said to Sas with a sentimental voice, “Your parents are so dear to us. That makes you dear to us too.” Sue said to Tal, “It’s so wonderful!”
I then gave Sas a brief kiss and cuddled her against my cheek. My eyes were lightly closed with a happy look on my face. Sue also gave Tal a brief kiss and cuddled him against her cheek. As Sue did so with her eyes lightly closed and a happy look on her face too, Sue said with a sentimental voice, “We haven’t known them for long, but no doubt your parents are wonderful too!” Til said with a sentimental voice, “You can take our word for it. They are.” Apparently, Pim, Mim, San and Pam couldn’t take any more. They became all furry too. San headed for Til and Pam headed for Mav. Pim headed for Bev and Mim headed for Zem. Fairly quickly, everybody was happily cuddling a Nal against their cheek. At about the same time, I said to Sas, “We saw pictures. You were so cute as a baby!” Sas said, “Thank you.” Sue said to Tal, “You were just adorable!” Tal said, “I’m sure you were adorable as a baby too.” Sue said, “Thank you.” Then Sue held Tal a little ways from her face. Sue had him cupped lovingly in the palms of her hands.
As Sue looked at Tal with a bit of an amused look on her face, Sue said, “Though I doubt if there were diapers to change with you.” Everybody held their Nal a little way from their faces as we all looked at Sue. What Sue said made everybody laugh. The Nal also emitted telepathic humor. Sue quickly joined in on the laughter. After the laughter, I said to Sas and Tal, “When Sue and I come to live on planet Bev, you’re going to have to tell us all about your childhoods.” Sas said, “I can’t wait.” I then handed Sas to Sue and Sue handed Tal to me. Sue said to Sas, “As Erik said, your parents have become so very dear to us.” Then Sue kissed Sas and cuddled Sas against her cheek. I cuddled Tal against mine. The other Nal floated up out of Zem, Bev, Mav and Til’s hands. They started to retract their fur and circle around their partner’s surface at differing angles as they floated up a little farther. Sue then said, “No doubt you will be too.” At the same time, as I held Tal against my cheek, I said, “I hope you weren’t a naughty little Nal.” Everybody chuckled. Pim, Mim, San, Pam, Tal and Sas emitted telepathic humor.
Panny and Lika were laying on the counter top and looking at us with interest. Tal said, “I may have been a little. But it isn’t even in a baby Nal’s nature to be very naughty.” Til said with a sentimental look on her face and tone in her voice, “He was just a little dear.” Then Til held out her hands and said, “And It’s been too long sense I’ve given the dear a hug.” I held Tal out a little further in one hand. He floated out of it and went over to Til. All of us were wearing sentimental smiles. Sue looked up at Pim and Mim and said, “Mim, Pim. There’s room for two more over here.” They floated over to Sue as Til and Mav were giving Tal a good cuddle. Zem and Bev put an arm around each other’s backs and cuddled together as they looked at Sue cuddle Pim, Mim and Sas with sentimental smiles on their faces. Sue had Sas in one hand against her cheek and Pim in her other hand against her other cheek. Mim was cuddling herself just under Sue’s chin. I of course had to get in on some of Sue’s action. So I put my cheek on the other side of Sas and put an arm around Sue’s back. With my other hand, I caressed Mim a little under Sue’s chin.
After Til and Mav did a little more cuddling, Til held out Tal in her hands and said, “You’re all such dears.” I parted from Sue and Sas a little. At the same time, I stopped caressing Mim. Sue held out Pim and Sas. Tal went up to San and Pam. Mim moved near Sas and Pim. San, Pam and Tal started circling around each other’s surfaces at differing angles. At the same time, Sue said, “I can’t wait until Erik and I have a family like yours.” Sas said, “I would say that you are going to have a much larger family.” Sue and I briefly beamed wide grins at each other before turning them back to Pim, Mim and Sas. They floated up and started circling round each other’s surfaces at differing angles too. Then they started to move toward San, Pam and Tal as Sue said to them, “By the way. How old are Sas and Tal.” Mim said, “They’re only about sixty years old.” Pam added, “They’re practically still babies!” We all laughed a little as the Nal emitted telepathic humor. Then the Nal merged into a single group and started circling around each other at differing angles.
Zem said to Sue and I, “For some years after we brought humans to planet Bev, Pim and Mim simply had extensions of themselves taking care of things on planet Bev. But we knew that it would be better for the humans there to have their own Nal to look after them. So after Sas and Tal were old enough, we sent them to take over.” I said to Zem, “Are Tal and Sas married?” Bev answered and said with a grin, “Of course. I’m assuming you would like to see some pictures.” This caused grins to spread to everybody. Sue said excitedly, “Of course we would!” The Nal split up. Who I took to be Pim, Mim, San and Pam floated over to where they had formed into screens before. Who I took to be Tal and Sas stayed behind as they circled around each other’s surfaces at differing angles. The other Nal formed into screens again. A number of pictures appeared on them. The first one I was drawn to was a picture of the moment of marriage. Both Bev and Mav were dressed as Examiners and holding up both their arms at a fairly high angle. They too were on a bit of an appropriately sized platform.
Tal and Sas were floating about six feet in front of them at mid body level. Both Tal and Sas were emitting a very colorful and beautiful aura around them both. There were also sparkling lights here and there in these auras. Zem in his official Reall uniform clothing was standing off to the left and back slightly from Tal and Sas. Near Zem was who I took to be Pim and San. Til was standing off to the right and back slightly from Tal and Sas. She was wearing pretty much the same kind of clothing I had seen a picture of her wearing at Zem and Bev’s wedding. It was also the same kind of clothing Bev had worn as a Presenter at Sue and I’s wedding. Near Til was who I took to be Mim and Pam. The wedding appeared to be taking place on some sort of asteroid. This seemed to be inside a colorful, slightly orange colored nebula. There where wisps of red and blue off in the distance. Though the vicinity of the wedding was free of these gasses. As we looked at these pictures, Tal and Sas stopped circling around each other. Instead, they each extruded a number of pencil thin appendages and embraced each other with them. Not surprisingly, they started glowing white as they did so. Sue saw the picture I was looking at too.
Sue said to Bev, “Why are you and Mav doing the ceremony.” Bev said, “We figured that a male and female from each of us couples would perform the ceremony.” Bev then smiled at Zem lovingly. Zem looked at Bev in the same way as Bev caressed Zem’s cheek and said, “My darling insisted that I perform part of the ceremony.” Zem and Bev then kissed each other lovingly. While they kissed, Til smiled sentimentally at Sue and I and said, “That settled the decision for Mav and I. But I enjoyed being one of the brides maids.” Sue and I smiled widely at Til and Mav. They kissed each other lovingly too as Sue and I went back to looking at the pictures. Just as in Zem and Bev’s wedding photo, there were others seated in seats a little ways from the ceremony. Except in this photo, here and there, Nal were floating near or being held by the seated Reall. This audience too went out of frame. In another picture, more of the scene was in view. There were probably a couple hundred Reall seated in seats. Amongst the audience, there were some other alien couples here and there. A couple I recognized. Others I didn’t.
A few of these too had their own Nal in attendance. Though the size and appearance of these alien Nal varied slightly. The seats the biological audience were setting in rose up slightly the farther back they went from the ceremony. Just like in a movie theater. Near the back edge of this audience, there were many more Nal. I would have to assume that the distance they were from the ceremony was practically meaningless. So they probably congregated here to give the biological audience a better view. From the distance they were, they could have probably zoomed in on Bev and Mav’s chromosomes if they wanted to. Another picture showed the point where it was customary for the married couple to kiss. The beautiful aura that had been around Tal and Sas had turned into a dark force field. They were inside, embracing each other with tendrils. Despite the darkened force field around them, they glowed a brilliant white. Other pictures were the usual ones of the happy couple with various people and other Nal. Though mostly, the other people were various combinations of Zem, Bev, Mav, Til, Pim, Mim, San and Pam.
After looking the pictures over, I smiled up at Tal and Sas and said, “It looks like you had a very wonderful wedding.” Tal and Sas started to reabsorb their tendrils and darken. Zem and Bev smiled up at them too. Mav and Til started to turn back as Pim, Mim, San and Pam started to turn back into normal shaped Nal. As all this was going on, Sas said, “It was wonderful.” Mav and Til were smiling up at them too as Tal said, “We Nal have no such tradition for ourselves. But we could hardly do better than a Reall ceremony.” Sue said, “I know exactly what you mean.” I said to Tal and Sas, “I hope you two had to have a shotgun wedding.” We all laughed again as Pim, Mim, San and Pam emitted telepathic humor. Tal and Sas circled around each other’s surfaces a little faster as Tal said with a loving tone to his thought, “Of course.” No doubt they were expressing loving emotions that we couldn’t detect. Sue grinned at Zem and Bev. I did too as Sue said to them, “Speaking of shotgun weddings.” Guessing what Sue was about to say, Zem and Bev’s grins widened a bit as Sue said, “I think Til and Mav should see a picture of what you did the next morning after Erik and I spent the night together.”
Zem and Bev laughed a little. Which Sue and I quickly joined in on. Mav and Til looked both excited and curious. Til said to Bev and Zem with a grin, “What did you guys do!” Zem said in a kidding around manner, “We had to make sure Erik did the honorable thing.” This of course caused Sue and I to laugh a little more. Zem and Bev chuckled a little more too. After the laughter, Bev looked at Pim and Mim and said, “Mim, Pim. You guys know what picture to show them.” Pim and Mim each formed into one seamless screen about seven foot high and nine foot wide. They formed about seven feet behind Mav and Til. At the same time, San, Pam, Tal and Sas came over above Sue and I. Mav and Til turned around a bit with big grins on their faces to look at the screen. A life sized picture came up of Zem and Bev standing in the livingroom. As you remember if you read the first book, Panny was on Bev’s shoulder. All of them of course dressed as hillbillies. Zem had a shotgun and was wearing a wide brimmed straw hat. Panny had a little shotgun and appropriately sized, wide brimmed straw hat. Zem and Bev of course had a couple blacked out teeth. Mav and Til busted up laughing. The rest of us laughed too. The Nal also emitted telepathic humor.
After a little laughter, Til and then Mav turned to Zem and Bev. Til managed to get out between laughs, “It’s so adorable!” Mav managed to get out, “Seeing that, I’d get hitched too!” Mav and Til briefly looked at Sue and I. We were of course laughing too. After a bit more laughter, Sue looked at Zem and Bev and said, “Can we show them the rest of it?” Bev said with a little chuckle, “Sure.” As Mav and Til went back to looking at the screen, the picture turned into a playback. (It was so wonderful, I figure it is a story worth telling twice) Zem and Bev appeared to be having a little trouble keeping from busting out laughing themselves. Then they did their best to take on a more serious expressions. Bev said in a hillbilly accent, “Look Paw! I told you that feller done deflowered our little Suzie May!” Zem said, “Yer right Maw.” Zem then held the barrel of his shotgun in his other hand and said, “Our little Suzie May might be over the hill. But yous two er a gettin hitched!” The playback then froze. Mav and Till busted up laughing again. Our Nal also emitted more telepathic humor. Mav and Til turned back to the rest of us and we all shared in each other’s laughter. The sight of each other’s joviality only added to the laughter.
Pim and Mim turned back into their normal shape and rose up into the air farther. San, Pam, Tal and Sas floated over to them. They all started to circle around each other’s surfaces at differing angles as a group. After about thirty seconds, the laughter started to diminish. Til said with a mirth filled voice, “That was so cute!” Mav added, “I wish we had been there!” We all laughed a little more. Then Mav said, “How did you guys come up with that idea!” Zem said, “It was just something that came to me. Though of course, I wasn’t actually going to make them get married.” Til said, “It sure looks like you had a fun time.” Bev said, “We sure did.” Sue said, “Bev was apparently visiting you guys when Zem and Erik found me in the examination room. Ever sense I went with them to meet Bev, things have been so unbelievably wonderful.” Til said, “Bev told me you were a pleasant surprise when she got back to her place. I so love surprises.” Mav said to Sue and I, “Instead of sitting here and going over everybody’s wedding photos and things, how would you like to feed some of our animals?” We were all still grinning as Sue said excitedly, “That would be fun!” Excited myself, I added, “We will be the first humans to ever feed a dinosaur!” Mav said, “Among other creatures.” Bev grinned and said, “I have to get something first.” As Bev got up and went over to the maketake machine, Zem grinned at Sue and I before turning his attention to Bev. Bev picked up a couple small objects from the maketake machine and brought them over to Sue and I. Bev held out her hand to Sue and I. In the palm of Bev’s hand were a couple black capsules. They were a little smaller than capsules of medicine humans usually take were. Bev said with a smile, “I guess this would be as good a time as any to give you these.” Sue smiled at Bev and picked up the capsules. Sue said to Bev, “What are these for.” Bev grinned and said, “A lot of things. There are a few microorganisms on this planet that could possibly cause a bit of an allergic reaction should you be exposed. These will also help us keep track of you when you’re back on earth. And as Erik pointed out, pizza isn’t very healthy, even though it tastes good. This will even help with that.” Sue handed me one of the capsules. We smiled at Bev as I said, “You’re the boss. That is, after Sue.” Sue grinned at me and we briefly kissed each other as Bev, Zem, Mav and Til chuckled at my remark.
Then Sue and I took our capsules and washed them down with our tasty drinks. Bev went back to stand near Zem with a hand on his far shoulder. Sue and I smiled at each other as we sat our glasses down. Both of us knowing that anything Bev gave us had to indeed be good for us. Mav said with a smile, “Let me get things set up.” Mav looked at the maketake machine and apparently thought something to it. Because about twelve Nal appeared in it. They levitated out of the maketake machine. All but one levitated a little farther up near the ceiling. Zem stood up. He and Bev put an arm around each other’s lower back. Mav and Til also stood up as a rectangular basket of what appeared to be various fruits and vegetables appeared in the maketake. Sue and I stood up also as one of the maketake Nal removed a basket. When it did that, another basket appeared. Which it levitated out also. While this was going on, Sue smiled at Mav and Til and said, “Your animals are pretty big. I hope they don’t get too eager.” Til said to Sue, “You will be in no danger. And if any get too naughty, we’ll just move them away.”
This caused Sue and I to briefly look at each other with slightly surprised, happy expressions. Sue was probably thinking the same thing I was. Which was that moving such large creatures off must be quite a feat. Though Sue and I had long past gotten over being too surprised by anything the Reall or Nal could do. One of the Nal levitating a couple baskets was already moving around the side of the house as another Nal was removing a second basket from the maketake. Mav then added, “I think they will behave themselves.” Zem said to Bev as they started walking toward the front of the house, “The forlix are a lot of fun.” Sue and I held hands as we stepped back from the table and waited for Zem and Bev to walk up near us. I said to Mav, “I take it you have some predators around here too.” Sue and I started walking between Mav and Til and Zem and Bev. Pim, Mim, San, Pam, Tal and Sas followed us. Til answered and said, “Unfortunately it is a necessity.” Mav then said, “You may recognize one of the types if you see one. The Tyrannosaurus Rex. But if any of them are around and approach, one of the Nal will chase it off so it doesn’t spook any of the plant eaters.”
We had walked around the back corner of the house by now. I saw the Nal levitating baskets of food up to the upper balcony. One of the big creatures with the wicked looking horns saw them also. It started moving toward the house.
Mav saw this also as he appeared to think something. An arc of a wall about six feet tall appeared. This didn’t seem to be tall enough to me. It didn’t appear to be any thicker than the glass of their houses. This wall was about twenty-five feet from the front of the house. It was about seventy-five or eighty feet long in front. Though the ends arched back toward the lake about fifteen feet at the ends. Sue said to Mav and Til, “Did you forgo transplanting insects like Zem and Bev did on planet Bev?” Til looked over at Sue and said with a slight smile, “We don’t like those things either.” I looked at them and said, “Sue and I saw a couple insects like beings on the Pol-Wim who Zem said were called Trelin. Their appearance doesn’t put you off at all does it?” Mav said, “Not much. But we’re use to them. And they are very nice beings. Despite their appearance. Though there is a human saying that would apply to any other being. Even if they were possibly more advanced than us in some way. If I had a sister, I wouldn’t want her marrying one.”
This made everybody laugh. As Zem and Bev reached the bottom of the stairs on the side of the house, Zem and Bev paused and turned toward us. Zem said, “Interestingly enough, even the Trelin don’t like those small creeping, flying and biting things either.” Til added, “As you can imagine, their home world had no shortage of insects.” Zem and Bev started up the steps. Sue and I let Mav and Til go next. As Sue and I did so, Bev turned a little to look at Sue and I and said, “They make worlds for themselves like we do. Even they forgo the insect based ecosystems.” As Mav and Til started up the steps too, Bev grinned at Zem and said, “Race ya!” Bev then ran up the remaining steps. We all briefly laughed as Zem took off after her. Mav and Til briefly glanced at each other with big grins and did the same. Sue and I quickly glanced at each other with big grins before doing the same. Bev reached the top first. As she ran up onto the grass covered landing at the top of the steps, she turned to Zem with her arms raised above her head and said, “I win!” Then Zem grabbed Bev around the middle of her body and picked her up as Mav and Til reached the platform at the top of the stairs. Zem turned Bev in the air as she laughed. Zem said to Bev, “You didn’t give me enough warning!”
While this went on, Mav held up his arms and said, “I win!” Sue and I reached the top of the stairs as Til hugged Mav. They both laughed. Then Mav hugged Til and lifted her off her feet. Seeing how I wasn’t all that serious about beating Sue, she beat me to the platform by half a step and threw her arms up in the air too. Sue said, “I win!” Zem sat Bev on her feet. They continued to laugh as they watched us. I grabbed Sue and picked her up and swung her around also as we laughed. Mav sat Til on her feet and they laughed at Sue and I. Then I set Sue down. Panny and Lika had heard the commotion and had run from the back patio. They scampered up the stairs as the Nal were levitating baskets of goodies for the animals up toward the side of the balcony facing the field. Zem, Bev, Mav and Til were grinning at us as I said to Sue, “That’s not fair! I have a lot more upper body muscle mass!” Zem, Bev, Mav, Til and Sue chuckled at my feeble excuse. Then Sue pushed herself away from me a little and grinned as she pointed at her breasts. Sticking out her quite ample bosom a little, Sue said, “What about these!” Zem, Bev, Mav and Til laughed a little. Which Sue and I quickly joined in on. Then Sue and I embraced each other.
As Panny grabbed onto my lower leg and Lika grabbed onto Sue’s, Mav said, “I think Sue has a point.” Mav turned his grin to Til and said, “I’m surprised you can move so fast too with your handicap sweetest.” Til said, “Tha