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came upon the creek bed display. I wanted to get a few more stones, so we dropped our bags and started looking for unusual ones.
    â€œWell, what do we have here? Young people being productive, perhaps?” said a voice behind us.
    I looked up to see Officer Kikess standing on the sidewalk.
    â€œFather, what are you doing here?” asked Ruen.

Chapter 6
    Father? Officer Kikess is Ruen’s father!
    Tata and I looked at each other and then at Ruen. She stood completely still; quite unlike her usual bubbly, bouncy self. What else is she hiding from us? I wondered.
    The time had come to be proactive, I decided. “Officer Kikess, how nice to see you again. Ruen has been helping us understand your world. She introduced us to this meditative area yesterday, and helped me understand the therapeutic uses of stones. Today we’re gathering a few more for my collection.” I hoped my statements would defuse the tense tableau a trifle.
    Kikess studied the three of us, for a moment. In particular, he lingered on Ruen. “Daughter, you never gave any indication of who your companions were. I know you said you were with friends yesterday, but perhaps you should have given me some information about who they were—considering Tata and Nara are off-worlders.”
    Officer Kikess didn’t sound like a fan of ours—quite a reversal to our previous discussions.
    I interrupted. “Officer Kikess, Ruen has become one of our few friends. In fact, I consider her to be like a younger sister. We would never do anything to harm her.”
    Ruen smiled after hearing my comments. At least I’d cheered her up.
    â€œFather, I did not realize you needed to know this information. Tata and Nara are older than I am, and will look out for me. I took them to the Space Museum today. We had a lovely time.”
    A slight exaggeration or two, but I let the statement stand.
    â€œThat is an excellent place for learning. Ruen, it is time we left for dinner.”
    They took their leave, and Tata and I watched them walk down the street. Adding Officer Kikess to my life posed some difficulties. Although, to be fair, I’m sure Ruen had doubts about being involved with children of ambassadors. Or perhaps I was wrong, considering her desire to be a space explorer.
    â€œHome,” said Tata.
    â€œYes. I’m tired. Searching that museum used up my energy, and I need my dinner.”
    Our trek home, although not long, proceeded at a slower pace than normal. Both Tata and I spoke little; our thoughts consumed our energy.
    Dad had again decided to make dinner. Sometimes we used some of the frozen food dinners we’d brought along and just heated up, but usually one of us created something.
    â€œHow was your day?” he asked, stirring a pot.
    â€œConsidering Tata’s truth serum, our discussion with Ruen at lunch about being a couple, our excursion to the Space Museum, and then our discovery at the creek bed site that Officer Kikess is Ruen’s father, not so eventful.”
    Dad laughed. He understood my sense of humor.
    â€œOkay, I know about Tata’s truth serum, but the rest you’re going to have to explain—in words of one syllable.” Dad continued to be a diplomat—even in his personal life.
    â€œRuen has decided that Tata and I are now a couple. Apparently, standing together on the dais in The Temple of Enlightenment is a proclamation kind of thing. I tried to tell her it wasn’t our doing, but she only said whatever, or maybe it was perhaps. Doesn’t sound like a Basilian type of comment to me.”
    â€œI’m finding we know so little about their culture,” Dad said. “In many ways, they are very different from the Arandi.”
    â€œWell, I didn’t have enough time to really discover the Arandi before we were kicked off their planet.”
    â€œI agree. My task on Basili is quite formidable. But tell me about the Space