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But grilled bread did not make for a filling meal. There were no leftovers from my Door Dash last night, so once more I headed for the snack machines, vowing to learn how to use the other cooking machines once we returned to Baltimore. I’d shaken loose a packet of Oreos and a bag of Doritos when I heard footsteps approaching.

“Wait your turn, Pfton. A packet of Skittles will fall down with just a little more effort.”

“Bwat, what are you doing?”

I spun around, Skittles forgotten. Abby stood a few feet behind me, human paper currency in one hand.

My heart once more did alarming gymnastics in my chest. “I am getting lunch,” I told her. “Do you want some? I can give you Oreos and Doritos, and if you wait just a moment I can also provide you with Skittles.”

My stomach growled in protest that I was giving away my hard-earned food, but Abby was obviously here for the same reason, and my need to provide nourishment to her was greater than the gnawing emptiness of my digestive system.

“You’re stealing.”

I blinked, taking a few seconds to translate the word mentally. “I am not stealing. These machines are here and full of snacks for us to eat. That they require skill and sometimes force to obtain is the price of the food.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What?”

I frowned, wondering if I had chosen the wrong words. “Back home I fish or grow my own foods, or purchase them from others in the tribe who have more skill at things like hunting or baking. Here, the barter or buying is very different. The foods in this snack machine require us to shake or hit the machine in certain ways. The correct method has taken a while to learn. While I am not good at many things, I have excelled at this.”

And I was very proud of my abilities with the snack machine. Others on the team would often walk away without success, and now came to me if they wanted a bag of Cheetos or oatmeal cookies.

“Bwat, that’s not the way this works.”

She walked up to the machine, placed her paper currency in a slot, then pushed a series of buttons. The spiral holders turned and a bag of Fritos dropped down. And so did the Skittles that were barely connected to the holder. I reached into the bin and handed both the Fritos and the Skittles to her, in awe at her skill.

She took the Fritos but handed the Skittles back. “You need to pay for the snacks. Money is inserted in the slot, then you push the letter and number buttons for the snack you want and it’s delivered to you.”

“My way is effective too.” I didn’t want to minimize her ability, but I was desperate for her to at least acknowledge one of the few things I’d been skilled at in my entire life.

“Your way is stealing.” She held up a hand to stop my protest. “Bwat, there is a very nice woman whose job is to put the snacks in this machine and collect the money from it each week. Filling these machines is her business. She pays money for the snacks, and the difference between what we pay and what she bought them for is her income. She needs that money to pay for her housing and heat and food and car insurance. When you shake the snacks loose without paying for them, she loses money. If she keeps losing money, then there will be no more snacks in the machine, and she might not be able to afford her own food or her rent or her car payment.”

I was horrified at this information. “I…I believed this was a skill test. I did not know I was stealing and that a human female might not have housing because of what I was doing.”

Abby reached out and put a hand on my arm. “I know. You’re such a kind person, Bwat. I know you would never do something like that intentionally. This was an accident. I don’t blame you. You and the other orcs are new here, and it will take you a while to learn our ways.”

I shook my head. “That does not make my actions acceptable. I have stolen. We orcs have stolen. There are few crimes worse than theft in an orc tribe.”

Her hand was warm on my arm. She stepped in closer to me, and for a second I thought she might actually embrace me. Then with an intake of breath, she dropped her hand. “It’s okay, Bwat. Just don’t do it again. And please let the others know as well.”

“The others have not stolen as many snacks as I have. They are not skilled at shaking loose the snacks. I am the best at this. I am the best at one thing, and that one thing is being a thief.” My voice cracked, and I struggled to breathe, feeling as if I were on the edge of passing out.

“Bwat.” This time Abby did embrace me, wrapping her arms around the lowest point of my waist and resting her head on my chest. “You are a good man. You are a good orc. I’m sorry I said you were stealing. This was just a misunderstanding, a difference in culture.”

Somehow in spite of the terribleness of my actions, the warmth of her body and kindness of her voice soothed me.

“What can I do to make this right?” I asked. “Should I indenture myself to this human female for five years? Go to the police and be jailed for five years?”

She laughed, and the sound thrilled me in spite of my distress.

“No, silly. Take up a collection with the other orcs on the team. Maybe two dollars per snack item? Then give it to the woman when she comes to fill the machine. I don’t know what her schedule is, but the security guards will know. If you pay her and give her cash, then all will be well.”

“I will do this.” Bending my head I inhaled the soft aroma of flowers and spices from her soft brown hair, struggling to keep from burying my face in the silky locks. Gently, I placed my hands on her back, holding her close but making sure that she could back away with the slightest of movements. Surprisingly she stayed against me, her breathing steady. Relaxed. Warm.

I could stay this way, in her arms, forever.

But it was not to be. With a sigh Abby pulled away from me, clutched her Fritos close, and smiled.

“Umm, I hope you all have good away games the next two weeks. I mean, that you…do….well.”