Don’t say anything about it to Althesire for now

Stewart decides that negotiations with Althesire are already complicated enough without adding the additional element that Stewart may have just impregnated the guy’s wife.

“See what you can find out,” he says to his sister. “With as sexual as this culture is, there’s got to be some protocol for how to deal with impregnating your host’s wife. Maybe they just exchange greeting cards, or something.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, Adella cannot help but smile. “A greeting card? Really? What would that look like?

Roses are red.

Water comes in a cup.

I slept with your wife,

And I just knocked her up.’”

The king’s glare tells her that he is not amused. “Just see what you can learn for me, just as soon as you have helped me with this conversation with Althesire.”

He turns to his host and smiles casually. Althesire returns the smile and beckons toward the assembled guests. “Our genitals are engorged and ready to service you.” He looks directly at Adella and says, “My own penis is rock hard, and I desire to pound it into your inviting cleft.” Returning his attention to the king, he asks, “Do you have a fetish for a gangbang, or would you care for a selection of quickies and casual fornication?”

Abandoning any hope of figuring that one out of his own, Stewart simply looks to his sister for the translation. Her face is red, and he is surprised to see her mildly embarassed for the first time since they arrived. He wonders if it has something to do with the words Althesire said directly to her.

“What is it?” he asks.

Adella shakes her head quickly, as if to brush off a distracting thought. “I’m not sure... He just used a combination of phrases that made me think—“ She shakes her head again. “No, I’m sure I just misunderstood. I think what he was saying is that everyone is very eager to meet you. He also reinforced how glad he is that I came along; no doubt he values my language skills.”

“And his question about my ‘fetishes’?”

“Oh...” Again she looks uncertain. “I think he is referring to the food. I think he wants to know if you would prefer a buffet-style meal, or if you would prefer a selection of appetizers and finger-foods.”

“You don’t seem as certain in your interpretation,” observes the king.

Adella nods. “Like I said, this language is all about context, and the same expression can have completely different meanings, depending on the context and how it is used with other phrases. His phraseology is a bit off from when we first met him. I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that this is a ceremonial occasion.”

Stewart looks at Althesire, who remains smiling, with a patient expression, as he awaits an answer to his question.