Breakfast had been made and eaten. Plates of savory sauteed searooms with herbs and onion, mounds of fluffy, scrambled eggs from the hens in the hold of the cat, thick slices of crusty, toasted bread dripping with whipped honey had all been washed down with numerous pots of tea.
The only sounds during the meal had been the smacking of satisfied lips, and the licking of honeyed fingers. Now the talk resumed about what the course of action should be.
Birdie was the first to stand up. She presented her views which weighed in on the side of finding out more about the hobrim and helping Durgash to relocate his people. 'So, is anyone with me on this,' she asked, 'or are Pio and I going to have to pilot this ship alone?' A light went off in her calculating mind: 'Hmmmm . . .I wonder if our percentage of ownership will go up if we do take this on ourselves?!'
Pio could almost see the thoughts playing across the her friend's face, and laughed out loud. 'Hey, Bird!' Leave the others to decide for themselves now, and come help me gather up the dishes and do the washing up.' She held out a sponge in one hand and a dishcloth in the other.
'Your insignias of ownership and authority!', said Pio, smiling.
Bird took the items and started to help with clean-up, revising all the while her opinion about not having a crew to whom she might delegate or 'share out' duties.
They were elbow deep in sudsy water when one of the others rose up to speak.
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Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
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