Page 107 of Commander’s Mate

Zared blinked.

“I did not command armies as a child.”

“I’m trying to imagine you as a child and failing.”

“I was smaller.”

“That’s not a personality.”

“My mother would disagree.”

I smiled.

“What did you do?”

“Work.”

“Alien childhood sounds terrible.”

“Farm work. Training. School. Fishing when my father had patience for it.”

“You fished?”

“Yes.”

“With what?”

“A line.”

“Wow. Advanced civilization.”

His eyes narrowed.

“You mock.”

“I cope.”

“I have noticed.”

I tucked one leg under me.

“Did you like it?”

“Fishing?”

“Home.”

The word sat between us.

“Yes.”

No hesitation.

“What did it smell like?”

He looked surprised.

“I don’t know why I asked that.”