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Not knowing what to do, Sarus kneeled behind her and stroked her back. Horas squatted beside her and gathered her hair, gently sweeping it away from her face as she dry heaved.
“I do not understand this reaction,” Sarus said. “She did not partake, and thepalpaswere fresh, not spoiled.”
Horas shrugged. He had no explanation.
Evangeline spat into the toilet and sat back on her haunches. Horas pushed a button to activate the flushing and cleansing mechanism.
“Are you all right?” Sarus asked, thinking that perhaps she was manifesting symptoms of some strange, mutated human disease.
She gave him a wan smile and rose unsteadily to her feet. Horas was right there to lend her his arm. Together they escorted her slowly to the sink where Sarus, at her request, handed her a glass of water. Evangeline rinsed her mouth several times before finally swallowing the water.
“Take … take those nasty things away. Please,” she begged, her voice hoarse.
“Of course, little flame,” Horas said and hastened to remove the jar to a cupboard where she did not have to look at it.
With a murmur of thanks, she took a deep breath. “Are there any more things like that in the basket?”
“I do not believe so. I’ll check,” Sarus offered.
He returned a moment later. “No, there is nothing else that should offend you.”
Evangeline sighed with relief and felt guilty for her adverse reaction. “Look, guys, I’m sorry. I never realized I was so squeamish. I don’t want you to miss out on something you obviously enjoy, but … just don’t eat them where I can see you. Please?”
“We’ll be circumspect,” Horas promised.
“Is there something we can provide for you?” Sarus asked.
“Some mint tea would be nice.”
“Mint tea?” Sarus echoed.
“Or ginger tea.”
“We do not know this mint or ginger,” Horas admitted. “I shall see if the palace kitchen can provide them.”
Evangeline sighed and shook her head. With a weak chuckle, she said, “Don’t worry about it, guys. Mint and ginger are plants I’m sure can only be found on Earth.”
“Would it comfort you to have foodstuffs from Earth?” Horas asked as Sarus dug through the basket and brought out some delicacies he thought their mate could ingest without difficulty.
She sighed. “Yes, I think it would. But that’s not possible.”
“Why wouldn’t it be possible?” Sarus asked. He brought the delicacies to the counter and began opening them, carefully sniffing each. He picked one that was similar to something Evangeline had eaten before and liked. Offering it to her, he said, “You’re a horticulturist. If anyone can make these things grow, surely you can.”
She accepted the morsel, sniffed it, and took a bite. It didn’t make her stomach rebel. She chewed and swallowed, then said, “But how would we even get the plants?”
“Have you forgotten how you arrived here?” Horas asked, exchanging glances with Sarus over her head as she ate the snack. “The exchange of goods goes both ways.”
Evangeline looked up, eyes brightening. Then she frowned, remembering the state in which she’d arrived on the planet.How would plants survive that?“Do you really think we might get some plants and seeds from Earth to grow here?”
“We Ahn’hudi eat few plants, as you know, but with the influx of human females as mates, we will need more plants and a greater variety of them to fulfill their nutritional needs,” Sarus said. He offered her another snack which she accepted and delicately tasted.
Horas added, “We Ahn’hudi eat few plants because most plants here are poisonous. We evolved to eat the flesh and eggs of the creatures that eat those plants and the creatures that eat those herbivores.”
She chewed and nodded. After swallowing, she said, “That explains a lot, actually.” Evangeline refilled her glass and drained it. “I can’t wait to speak with the science master general.”
While their mate finished the second snack, Horas glanced at the sheaf of printed information he’d begun reading when they first entered the suite. “I already put in a request to meet with him.”
Evangeline wondered when he’d done that. Then she realized her belly was full, pleasantly so. She shook her head, refusing the next morsel Sarus offered her. He popped it into his mouth and ate it, enjoying the mild burn of the spices.
