"Romeo!"He blew out a breath before his gaze landed on Eli."There is a human here."
Silence descended, then Romeo smiled."Yes, I know."
Humbert stared at Eli, and Eli's eyes were so wide Thano suspected they'd dry out soon.
"Mom said I couldn't come."
Romeo chuckled."I see.Will she come by and get you soon?"
"Maybe, but I wanted to see.Byrd says he has the shop."
Thano sighed.They'd never get to the non-fiction books.Humbert would have a million questions.
"Eli, this is Humbert.Humbert, say hi to Eli."Romeo gave Eli a small smile."I think I've mentioned him a time or two."
Eli nodded."Nice to meet you."
Humbert's already round eyes got rounder."You know me?"
"Eh...no, but Romeo has mentioned you."
Humbert pulled out the chair next to Tuur."Do you know any stories about bears?"
Eli looked around the group."I...eh...know Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
Grunting a bear grunt, Humbert all but slumped in his chair."Romeo has already told it a hundred times."
"Romeo has been pestered into telling it a hundred times."Romeo sounded grouchy, but his eyes were sparkling.
"Don't you know another bear story?Bears are the best."
Tuur nodded in agreement, and Thano rolled his eyes.Eli caught the motion and laughed.It made Thano shiver for some strange reason.
When silence fell anew, Humbert looked expectantly at Eli.
"I don't, sorry."
"Not a single bear story?"
The whiny tone annoyed Thano.It wasn't Eli's job to keep Humbert entertained."If he says he doesn't know any, then he doesn't know any."
Eli gave Thano a questioning look, and Humbert flinched.
"I know a fable."
"What's a fable?"
Romeo took a sip of tea and grinned at Eli over the rim of his cup."Welcome to my world."
Thano didn't know what he meant, they all lived in the same world, and for some reason, it annoyed him that Romeo was looking at Eli the way he did.He'd come here with Thano.
Eli looked at Humbert for a second, assessing his face.Maybe it was the first time he'd seen a non-human-passing bear.The ears could be a little unnerving.Since Humbert was sitting down, Thano didn't think his bear feet were distracting Eli.
"A fable is a short story, really short, with animals in them, and there is a moral lesson."
Humbert groaned."Mom says things teach me lessons all the time, most often when I've hurt myself."
Eli laughed softly."In the before times, long, long before the world changed--" He winced and glanced at Romeo, who shrugged."--they used fables to teach people things.LikeThe Boy Who Cried Wolf."
