Chapter 27: Helpful Stars

Jerwon scurried to the place he now called home as fast as his short legs could carry him--and for a guy of such small size, he sure could scurry. He blazed past everything and everybody, and considering how many people there were who were now signing up for the Galactic Maximus, he had to plow through a lot of people. The rare pleasure he took from his size was that he could easily dart around and through other people’s legs, and barely be noticed at all.

Not knowing the layout of Saturn Space Station 02 all that well, he almost got lost once before realizing where he was. Eventually Jerwon did make it back to the apartment where Greg and Dana, and now the Prepells sisters and himself, were all residing. He scurried up the stairs as fast as he knew how, and bolted into the room that he and Greg had been sharing. Without any other cares at all, he immediately began sorting through the tiny wardrobe he had, and began throwing clothes from the closet into two hungry suitcases that had been waiting for him.

“Whoa!” came a voice from the other room. “What’s the big hurry, Jer? You act like the apartment’s on fire!”

“I gotta pack!” he spat suddenly, and without ever turning his head to see who had spoken to him, he continued filling suitcases with clothes, toiletries, food, and other items. The person who was watching him was Tania, and to say that she was confused and amused would be quite true. Jerwon rarely acted like this, even in his most playful or hasty moods, so she had to know what was going on.

“I gotta know what’s goin’ on!” she stated. Jerwon turned his head, and suddenly realized that there was another person in the room there with him.

“Oh! Titania! How did you get in here?”

“Eh, I got bored with the tournament stuff that was going on outside,” she said lazily. “I decided to come inside and run some tests on the new power converter that Cat got. I swear, that woman doesn’t know the first thing about mechanics...”

“Interesting...” he murmured. “Well, I really don’t have time to talk! Here, read this letter, it’ll explain everything!” Hastily, Jerwon shoved the letter at Tania, and continued stuffing his cases full of things. Tania skimmed down the letter, but it revealed little about Jerwon’s bizarre behavior.

Dear Jerry,

Can’t talk long, Urgut’s being strict about breaks. All I can say is that me and the whole gang are going to be performing on the Io Space Station, and since we heard you were in the area, we thought you’d like to come on by and see us, for old time’s sake. The show runs from Sept. 5-12, so you should have plenty of time to get over here. Hope you’re doing well.

With Love, Ignus

“What does this mean?” asked Tania. “I still don’t know any of it.”

“It’s from my circus!” exclaimed Jerwon, a bit happier than what Tania was used to. He noticed her confusion, and decided to elaborate while he was packing his bags. “Okay, listen. I joined this circus when I was about eighteen or so--”

“Whoa!” she suddenly exclaimed. “Eighteen?! Jer, you don’t look much older than me! How old are you, anyway?” He paused, and seriously thought about it for awhile.

“It’s hard to say, in human terms,” he admitted. “I guess the closest I can come to is between 21 and 23 years old.”

“No way!!” she screamed. “Jerwon, yikes!! Didn’t anybody tell you that there’s such a thing as a growth spurt?”

“Don’t rub it in,” he grunted angrily. “You know why I’m like this. Don’t joke around like that.” Tania chuckled and poked the slightly-shorter guy in the shoulder several times.

“Hehehehe ... right, right. Anyway, you were saying that you joined this circus when you were eighteen.”

“ ... Right,” he mumbled, still sounding a bit peeved. “Anyway, I stayed there for awhile, and got myself a lot of really good friends--and some really rotten ones, too. Just the kinds of people that you can’t get along with, you know?”

“Like my sister?” grinned Tania. Jerwon shook his head.

“No, worse. I’m talking about really big jerks here. Cattia’s just a nuisance, but she’s okay. I’m talking about the people that nobody could get along with.”

“I see,” she said. “So anyway, why’d you leave? Being in the circus sounds like a killer way to live!”

“It was,” he grunted as he closed his stuffed suitcases, “ ... but I had to leave sometime. I needed to go on my Eidoleya.”

“The ... whaaat??”

“My ‘journey’,” he elaborated. “Eidoleya is the Leduadian word for ‘journey’. It’s sort of a ... uh ... well, a rite of passage. It’s ... really hard to explain...”

“I think I understand what you’re saying,” she replied. “It’s really great that you’re so adventurous: first by joining that circus, then setting out all on your own, and ending up with sis and Greg ... That’s really cool.” Jerwon smiled meekly, and lowered his head as he tried to hide a blush. Tania noticed this and just had to comment on it.

“ ... Oh, hey, you’re not seriously having a crush on me, are you?”

“ ... No,” he mumbled. “It’s just that ... you said I was really adventurous.”

“Well, yeah. Aren’t you?” Jerwon looked up into her sparkling brown eyes, full of mischief and innocence, and blushed even deeper.

“ ... My name, Jerwon, means ‘adventurous’ in my language.”

“So I hit the nail on the head, eh?” she giggled. Jerwon smiled and nodded his head.

“Titania means ‘fairy queen’, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it has any relevance to my personality,” she admitted. “I’m more the brainy-complainy type than the sweet and innocent pixie. I know I look a little like a fairy, but trust me--I’m not sprite material.” Jerwon quietly nodded his head, and suddenly remembered that he had a few friends to see, and so with his haste and speed back in action, he resumed packing for his visit with his friends at the circus. Tania, seeing him scurry, chuckled and offered to help.

“No, I can do this by myself,” came a quick reply. “But you can help me carry these bags when I’m done with them.”

“Where to? I dunno if you have a ship or not.” Jerwon suddenly froze as Tania mentioned the word “ship”, and let out a wail of dread and misery as he realized something.

“Augh! I have no way of getting there! I don’t have a blasted ship!!”

“You mean you don’t have any way of getting there?!” she squealed. “No way! Jer, how did you get from place to place?!” The poor Leduadian, drooping and miserable, barely moaned out a reply as he buried his face in his bed.

“I hitchhiked, either by stowing away on ships or else getting on them the ‘legal’ way. The last ship I was on crashed on Earth, near where Mother Sayrah’s forest was. Everybody was okay, but ... I thought I was stranded forever...” He moaned and sunk even lower in the bed, completely hopeless. He was indeed in a dilemma, for there was no way he could get to the Space Station around Io without a ship, but Tania (as always) came to the rescue and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Hey, it’s no big deal!” she exclaimed. “We can just use the Tatania! Yeah! Cat won’t mind--I mean, it’s not like she’s going anywhere anytime soon, and besides, both Greg and Dana have a ship they can use. I don’t think they’ll mind if we borrow it. I mean, she is half-mine.” Jerwon’s miserable attitude vanished instantly, and the loveable Leduadian shot out of the bed and the depression like hot bread from a toaster.

“You mean it?! You’d do that for me??!!”

“Sure!” she sang. “I mean, you’re the only one around here who doesn’t treat me like I’m twelve years old, and besides, I really like you!”

“Tania, you are twelve years old.”

“Almost thirteen, pal!” she pointed fiercely. Jerwon held his hands up defensively, himself knowing what it felt like to be underestimated because of size and age.

“All right, all right. You’re a young lady to me, Titania, and I wouldn’t treat you any different. But really, I’m in your debt now. You have no idea what this means to me!!” He bolted forward and squeezed her in a surprisingly-powerful hug, but knowing his insane zest and excitement over what was going on, the strength of his embrace was understandable. Tania smiled and hugged him back, albeit with much less enthusiasm, and gave him a friendly punch on the cheek as she let go.

“Okay, okay. Enough of that. Now are you gonna come with me or not?”

“Come with you?!” he spat. “Tania, if you don’t move, I’ll steal your ship myself! Outta the way!!” And with that, Jerwon scurried out as quickly as possible, leaving behind a trail of dust as he zoomed out of the apartment. Tania called out to him, but by the time she opened her mouth, it was too late.

“Umm, Jerwon?”

Silence.

“Dummy,” she muttered, groaning slightly as she hefted his immense suitcases up off the bed. “He forgot his luggage...”

Jerwon finally calmed down long enough to direct Tania to where she should land the ship. Although over ten years apart in age, the two shared a mutual excitement in meeting with Jerwon’s old circus friends. At last the ship cruised to the ground. Tania opened the hatch. She walked towards the entrance but Jerwon sped by her, nearly knocking her to the ground. She regained her footing and watched him with a smile.

“You know, Jerwon, you act a whole lot like a kid.”

“It’s been a while!” he retorted. She laughed and gave him a playful wink. Jerwon cleared his throat, a little too loudly. “I ought to tell you some things before you meet them. Just so you won’t, uh, be overwhelmed.” He grinned nervously. Tania shot him a suspicious look. Jerwon swallowed; his Adam’s apple bobbled.

“What are you talking about, Jerwon?”

“The circus gang,” he explained. “They’re kind of ... different.”

“Explain.”

“Well, first there’s my boss ... er, my former boss,” began Jerwon. “His name’s Urgut, and from what I remember he’s a real slave-driver. He’s big and looks a little bit like a pig. Actually, I think he may be one.” Tania clicked her tongue in disapproval, but Jerwon kept going as if he didn’t hear her. “Then there’s his daughter, who’s really beau ... I mean, nice. Her husband’s a jerk, though. His name’s Pod. Firie’s a jerk too, but Pod’s more of a jerk. Gretott is this really smart and really strong guy; you’ll probably like him. I guess the only one I need to warn you about is Najson. The guy is crazy. I’ll just introduce you to the rest when we meet them.”

“But they’re not dangerous, are they?”

“Nah, not really,” shrugged Jerwon.

A little uneasily, Tania followed the eager Leduanian through the Io Space Station. The station was a lot like the Saturn Space Station they had just been in. One major difference was that a crowd of people were gathered near a gigantic circus tent. The tent was a bright red color with yellow streamers spilling down from its dome. Humans and nonhumans alike entered the tent.

Tania began to feel a bubble of excitement swelling inside her. She turned to say something to Jerwon, but found to her horror that the little man had gone. She desperately pushed through the crowd and eventually found her way to the front. A fat round man was standing at the entrance. He wore a black blazer over a white shirt, and black pants. He had slightly pointed ears and a squished nose that made him look a little bit like a pig. He had a mass of dirty blonde hair sitting on his head and glittering gray eyes stared at her.

“Greetings, little girl!” he grinned. His round body was only slightly taller than her own. “Have you come to see the show?”

“Actually, I...”

“Tania! There you are!” Jerwon suddenly emerged from the crowd. He smiled at Tania, but the smile quickly vanished when he noticed the round man. “Oh, great. It’s you again.” The round man’s face broke into a grin.

“Jerwon! Jerwon Nodston! You’re here! I knew you would come! I take it you received Ignus’ letter, yes?” Jerwon scowled and muttered something in his own language.

“Tania, this is Urgut.”

“Hello,” bowed Tania.

“You brought a friend, eh?” laughed Urgut. “Well, the others are waiting for you inside. There is so much to talk about, yes?” Urgut paused, his dark eyes dim. “But we shall speak later, yes? Enjoy the show for now! This will be the first time you enjoy it from the stands, yes? Go on, go on. Free of charge!” They thanked him and entered the tent. Already the stands were filled by patrons of all shapes and sizes. Jerwon obviously knew nothing about this sort of thing, so Tania led him to a seat near center ring. In ten minutes the whole tent was completely filled. Urgut entered and bowed to an applauding audience.

“Boo!” hissed Jerwon. “Lousy stinking aeka!”

“Ladies and gentlemen! Nonhumans of all ages! Welcome to our show! We are pleased to be here at the Io Space Station! Let the show begin!” He cracked a whip that he held in his hands, and the audience went wild again. “Please welcome to the center ring, the Tight-wire Twins Ida and Ignus!”

“Ida and Ignus!” gasped Jerwon. Two young adults entered the ring by doing some complicated gymnastic move. They looked exactly the same, only one was built like a female. Tania glanced over to see Jerwon’s reaction. Tears were in his eyes and his small body was shivering. “They’ve grown,” he whispered.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t think I can watch this,” he muttered huskily. He stood up and pushed his way through the crowd. Tania quickly left her seat and followed him. Many patrons yelped in protest but they were ignored. Jerwon stopped outside the tent. Tania gently put her hand on his shaking shoulder.

“I remember when they were thirteen, Tania. Now they’re adults. I wonder how long I was with Sayrah...”

“I don’t know.” They could still hear the crowd cheering for the Tight-wire Twins. Tania turned to see what was going on. The twins climbed down from the tight-wire and bowed to the audience. “Hey, Jerwon?” She paused but he didn’t answer. She found to her disgust that she had disappeared yet again. “Jerwon?”

“Over here,” he called. She walked towards the sound of his voice and stopped at a tree. “I’m up here!” Tania craned her neck up. Jerwon was sitting on a branch, kicking his legs happily. He looked absolutely delighted to be there.

“What are you doing?”

“I always get up trees when I’m feeling down. It relaxes me. There’s only one problem: I never know how to get down.”

“So how do you get down?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I fall, and sometimes I wait until someone gets me.” Tania smiled and leaned her back against the tree. She heard a soft tune being sung, and after a while realized it was Jerwon. She listened to his words but they were in his native tongue and she couldn’t understand.

“What was that?” she asked once he finished singing.

“A little song that I learned back when I lived with the other Leduanians,” answered Jerwon.

“And what were you singing?”

“‘I’m back to where my heart belongs, back to my only home. This is where I do belong, I do return to home. Mountains high or valleys low, wherever my body may go, this will be my only home.’”

“That’s beautiful.”

“Yeah ... Hey, I’m gonna get down now.” Without warning, Jerwon jumped out of the tree and landed only a few inches from her. He dusted himself off and shook his legs. “Let’s see if the show’s over yet.”

“Jerwon, I thought you said you couldn’t get down.”

“I meant I can’t climb down,” he explained. Tania and Jerwon went back to see what was going on. A man with red skin was standing in the center ring juggling flaming torches.

“Who’s that guy?”

“Firie. I hate him.” Jerwon turned back and climbed up the tree again.

“Jerwon! Come on now!”

“You tell me when they’re done. I’ll just sit here for a while longer.” Tania groaned but did as he asked. The sun sank into the sky and the air grew cold. Tania’s eyes drooped.

She awoke some time later. Jerwon was tapping her on the knee. She glanced inside the tent and found that all the patrons had left. It was now night and the circus tent looked so abandoned without the crowds. Tania and Jerwon entered. Jerwon took the lead and brought Tania to the back of the tent. Attached to it was another tent where a small group of people were sitting together. From Jerwon’s reaction, Tania was certain these people were his friends from long ago. Jerwon stood at the entrance shaking excitedly. Tania gently gave him a push inside. A girl and a boy ran towards him and attacked him with a hug.

“Jerwon! Grampa said you’d be back!” cried the girl. She had long brown hair tied in pigtails. Her face was beaming and she wore a simple green smock. The boy standing next to her had a squished nose like Urgut, only it made him look cute. His hair was a dirty blonde; he too wore a green smock. Jerwon glanced at the children and tears suddenly glittered in his eyes.

“Kitti ... Rurwen ... you guys look so grown up...”

“I’m eight!” declared the boy proudly.

“And I’m six!” added the girl in delight.

“Three years,” whispered Jerwon. “I’ve been gone for three years.” He glanced up at Tania. “Oh, I need to introduce you. This is Tania, you guys. Tania, this is Rurwen and his sister Kitti.” Tania smiled and shook their hands. Five more people came up to greet Jerwon. Jerwon eagerly introduced them to Tania, and even pointed out Firie and Pod.

“It’s so good to see you, buddy,” said Ignus.

“You’ve got to see Najson,” added Ida. The twins had short black hair and wore identical blue jumpsuits, their blue eyes were bright and mischievous. If it weren’t for the fact that Ida was a female, they would’ve been identical.

“Oh, Najson!” gasped Ellayne. She had long black hair and purple eyes, and was very beautiful. Her two-piece green outfit gave her the look of an exotic dancer. She at once flitted to another section of the tent. Her friend Marigold followed her. Marigold had curly blonde hair and gold eyes; she too was gorgeous, and she wore a two-piece yellow outfit much like Ellayne’s.

Gretott was a tall, bald man with rippling muscles and an even stronger mind. Only a loincloth covered his body, leaving all of his muscles to be in plan view; he did not seem pleased with the costume. He quickly took Tania to one side and spoke to her. She was a bit surprised he knew about her, but once he began telling her of all his scholarly learning, she wasn’t surprised any longer.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” said Gretott sadly. “Come on.” Kitti took Jerwon by the hand, and Rurwen took Tania’s hand, and they followed Gretott to the back of the tent. Firie and Pod sat together staring at them grimly. Firie’s skin had a red tint to it and there were burn marks all over his body. His head was free from hair and his serious face bore little emotion. A pair of black pants covered his legs. Pod had dark brown hair and gray eyes, and he had scars all over. His face looked very much like a boar’s would, if a boar were human. He wore a brown shirt and brown pants and held a whip in his hands.

“The shrimp’s back,” noted Firie.

“Where’s Najson?” asked Jerwon. Firie pointed to a man dressed in a daredevil outfit, which consisted of black pants and a black jacket, with an elaborate design on the front. The man’s face was covered in soot and he had a mess of red hair. Ellayne sat near him trying to make him eat. He ignored her, and instead drank from a brandy bottle he held in his hand. Jerwon’s face fell.

“Najson? Is that you?” Najson stared at him, swaying slightly.

“Jerwuh?” he slurred. “I thought you were dead.”

“What happened to you?”

“I’m a drunk, stupid! What’s it look like?” He took another drink from his bottle. Ellayne rubbed the man’s shoulders. She turned to Jerwon with a grim smile.

“He’s been like this for almost three years now. The crowds dwindled a lot when you left, Jerwon. For a while we hardly had any business at all...” There was a pause as Ellayne bit her lip. “The Iddle Brothers are gone too.”

“You’re kidding!” gasped Jerwon. “They were friends of mine,” he told Tania. “They were kind of like the clowns of the show.” He turned back to Ellayne. “So what made Najson like this?”

“The crowds, for one,” answered Marigold. “And ... the last time he did a stunt, he was hurt very badly. The doctor said he couldn’t do a stunt again for a month. You know Najson: his life revolves around his stunts.”

“So I drank the rest of it away,” muttered Najson. He tipped his bottle again, taking a big drink.

“But then who’s your new daredevil?”

“I am,” hissed a voice. Tania and Jerwon stiffened. They heard something rustling on the ceiling. They glanced up, but there was nothing there. “Behind you, geniuses.” They turned and gasped. Standing before them was a tall creature that looked a lot like a human male. One difference that was obvious right away was the fact that he had two horns poking through his black hair. His legs were hairy with sharp talons instead of toenails. He wore a pair of tattered black shorts, which bore a similar design to Najson’s outfit. His skin was as dark as Jerwon’s, and his eyes were a beady red.

“What are you?” awed Tania.

“None of your business, girly girl,” it hissed.

“His name takes ages to say, and isn’t even worth pronouncing,” explained Ida. “We just call him Dole.”

“Dole?” repeated Jerwon.

“Doleikakeisaulahaoffi,” hissed Dole. Jerwon coughed loudly.

“You’re right. Dole is a lot easier.” Dole regarded the Leduanian coldly. He poked the little man with a talon. “Hey! Watch it, buddy!”

“You watch it,” retorted Dole.

“Behave,” warned Ida, glaring at them both. Dole growled something in another language and slunk off in a dark corner. He stood with his arms tightly crossed, glaring at Jerwon with his red eyes. Jerwon tried desperately to ignore him as he turned his attention to his friends.

“So what’s been going on, you guys?”

“Other than nearly losing all our business, having to do without you and the Iddle Brothers, and Najson turning into a drunk, not much,” shrugged Ignus. His sister cuffed him on the head. “Ow! Ida, what’s the matter with you?”

“You invite Jerwon over for a nice little reunion, and then you have to ruin it with all this bad news! Stupid little...” Ida paused and glanced warily at the children in the room. “The worst part is that he brought this new friend.”

“It really is too bad you have to see us all like this, Miss Tania,” sighed Gretott. “Jerwon would be the first to tell you that it wasn’t always this way.” Jerwon’s head bobbed up and down in agreement. “Please don’t think this is all because you left, Jerwon. Things weren’t going well even before you left.”

“I remember,” nodded Jerwon, “but how is it different now?” Dole made a rude noise from his corner.

“Surprise, surprise. You leave us for three years, and you show up and actually care about what’s going on.”

“Why wouldn’t I? These people are like family to me!” snapped Jerwon. “Why should you care, anyway? You came here after I left!” Dole was out of his corner and looming over Jerwon before the surprised Leduanian could blink twice.

“I care because they’re my family now, too.”

“What is different now?” asked Tania. Dole turned his gaze on her.

“Are you a part of the circus, girly girl?”

“No...”

“Then stay out of this. It’s none of your business.”

“It’s okay,” assured Jerwon. “She’s with me.” Dole snorted and turned to the others for confirmation. They more or less gave a nod. Najson merely took another drink from his bottle. Dole took a seat, and motioned Jerwon and Tania to do the same. They did so and Kitti and Rurwen sat next to them.

“About three years ago, I joined this circus. Najson was a hopeless drunk and couldn’t do any of his stunts, so I stepped in. It was the first time in my life I experienced ‘family’ ... but that’s another story. A few months after I joined up, the Iddle Brothers got into this huge argument and decided to go their separate ways. I won’t go into all the details; it wasn’t very pretty, I’ll say that much.

“After those days, things just slowly went downhill. There really wasn’t any one thing to blame--it just sorta happened. People got used to seeing these old reliable people, working day in and day out to make others happy, and all of a sudden, they’re gone. People feel like they can’t rely on anybody anymore, and they start to leave. And ... then there’s that other factor that we all have to go through, growing older. Three years don’t seem like much, but ... well, you know what I mean.”

“ ... Not really,” mumbled Jerwon. Dole snorted and continued.

“Anyway, with you gone, and the Iddles gone, and Najson drunk as a skunk ... well, it’s been a slow descent. Things aren’t as flashy as they used to be. Everybody feels like they’re walking on eggshells, and things just seem empty. I dunno.” Dole snorted and scratched his nose, leaving Jerwon and Tania to think things through.

“It’s not as bad as he makes it out to be, Jer,” said Ignus with a carefree smile. “We’ve been through worse than this--at least, that’s what Urgut said. Course, I can’t ever remember this company being so down.” There was silence amongst the “family” of performers as they all reflected on what had been said, and what had happened to them in those three years that had passed, and not a one of them seemed too enthusiastic.

“Doggone it!” spat Ida. “This wasn’t meant to happen! You all are just a bunch of sore losers! Did we invite Jerwon back to visit us just to make him feel depressed?”

“ ... No,” came a few mumbled answers.

“Well then, why are we all sounding so morose?? Really! Shouldn’t we--I dunno--have a celebration of some kind?”

“I’m always in the mood for a party,” smiled Marigold. “And you’re right--we all sound just a bit too depressed. I mean, jeez! We’re a circus troupe, aren’t we? Let’s at least welcome our brother and his friend with a little more cheer!” The curly-haired blonde stood up and began dragging everybody else with her, probably guiding them where she thought a good place to party was. Everyone’s spirits were not lifted well, even after her passionate speech, but they at least followed her. Najson and Ellayne lagged behind, as did Jerwon and Tania.

“Nice group of people,” she noted. He shrugged, and tried to smile as he took her to be with his friends and family. He wasn’t about to let a bit of depressing news ruin his fun!!

Tania woke up in a small cot, having vaguely remembering the get-together that the circus performers had put together for Jerwon. She recalled that most of it had been reasonably fun and sweet, and perhaps a little wild for her tastes, with a little too much liquor being passed around. She might or might not have passed out at one point--everything really was a big blur to her. With a mighty yawn and a stretch to match, she slipped out of the cot and grumbled as she realized she had slept in her clothes.

“Ah, well,” she grunted, “it’s not like anybody will care. They all wear stuff even shabbier than this.” With that said, she walked outside to see if anybody was cooking breakfast yet, or even if they were awake yet. Io Space Station, while resembling the one revolving around Saturn, was a little colder and more mechanical than its planetary counterpart. The temperature itself was bland, but there was something about its mechanical emptiness and sharp architecture that made Tania’s human makeup shiver.

But her stomach won over everything, and even though she didn’t need the food, Tania went in search of breakfast anyway. Nine years of eating meals was a tough habit to break, and though she could go for a whole year without having to eat (thanks to her mechanical implants), the girl still felt compelled to have breakfast. There was indeed somebody cooking nearby, but Tania was surprised that it was Jerwon.

“Hey!” she called as she spotted his greenish hair. “Morning there!” Jerwon silently waved at her with his tongs, and continued poking and prodding whatever it was that was grilling.

“Morning. You’re up early. Most everybody else is asleep. They all stayed up late to clean everything up. The show’s going to last for six more days, so everybody has to be prepared. But it doesn’t start until five in the afternoon, Io Time, so we still have plenty of time.” Tania smiled and inhaled the deep, rich scent of sizzling meat on the grill, and couldn’t help but moan in ecstasy.

“Mmmm, that smells good! I didn’t know you could cook, Jerwon!”

“I can’t,” he said, “but this stuff is easy. Most everybody will eat bacon and eggs, at least from what I recall, so that’s what I’m making. It’s been so long since I’ve seen everybody that it was my pleasure to cook for them. But if you want to talk to a real chef, go see Gretott.”

“That smart strongman, right?”

“That’s the one. He could make gruel a veritable feast. But he never eats his own meals.”

“You have one strange family, Jerwon!” exclaimed Tania loudly. He chuckled and flipped the eggs over, revealing a delicious golden side to the yellowy food.