you’re a friend, visiting from my hometown.”
“I preferred it when I terrified you.”
A while later, they walked down the busy street. People were walking home from the mosques or visiting. The aromas of home-cooked food bombarded Alissara’s nose from every direction. Loud and cheerful customers, as loud as the speakers blasting Arabic music, crowded restaurants and coffee shops.
Hala waved to one of the incoming cars. “Taxi!”
The car pulled over, and they got into the back seat. After a half hour of driving at a speed faster than walking but not by much because of the heavy traffic, they reached an old area. Not old like Hala’s building, old like the ruins of Ashbal on Korr.
“Ok, this is Khan el-Khalili,” Hala said and pointed to an alley too narrow to accommodate a car.
Alissara exited the car and entered the alley behind Hala. It had high walls made of yellow stone on both sides. Above the stone walls, there were old mosques and ruins of old castles. At the end of the alley, they reached a wide, open space with many stores. People crowded the area. They entered and exited the shops.
“We’ll smoke Shisha in one of the coffee shops,” Hala said.
Coffee shops were the places where people had tea and coffee, but what was Shisha? Patrons were everywhere doing many things, but which one was Shisha? Hala grabbed her hand and dragged her toward a small shop.
“This is a nice place.”
Alissara paced to keep her arm from getting ripped out of her body by the overexcited monster. They stopped at an empty table outside the shop and sat down. Alissara examined her arm to make sure it was still attached to her body and rubbed it for a while.
People were drinking tea, playing board games, and shouting at one another in a friendly manner. The joyous atmosphere lifted Alissara’s spirits.
Hala clapped her hands three times. Seconds later, the waiter showed up with a silver tray in his hand. His apron was wet with drinks and covered in stains. Something dangled above his right ear.
“Black tea with mint for two and a watermelon Shisha.” Hala asked.
“Coming right up,” he said and left in enthusiastic, wide strides until he disappeared inside the shop.
Their tea pot and colorful, glass cups arrived with the Shisha. Shisha was a large, glass container connected to a metal pipe that had a plastic hose coming out of it, and a clay stone on top covered with shiny material. The waiter put three flaming pieces of charcoal above the stone head and spread them around with metal tongs.
Hala poured the tea into the small cups with loops on the side and picked up the plastic hose from the waiter. She put it in her mouth, inhaled, then blew the warm smoke into the air and relaxed in her seat. The scent was nice, but Alissara didn’t recognize it.
“It’s flavored tobacco,” Hala said.
“Is it good?”
“Well, it’s tasty, fun, and relaxing. But it’s bad for your lungs.”
“ Your lungs,” Alissara said, with a wide grin, “We don’t have lungs.”
Hala put her index finger in front of her mouth and whispered. “Shush! Not so loud.”
Alissara giggled, snatched the Shisha hose from her, and inhaled the same way Hala did. Then she blew the smoke high in the air.
“Amazing! I coughed for three weeks when I took up smoking,” Hala said.
Alissara huffed and blew the air out. “I love it.”
Hala took a sip of her tea and motioned to the other cup. “Try it with tea.”
Alissara couldn’t insert her glove-clad finger into the small loop, so she held it on both sides with her fingers and took a long sip. “Tasty!”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning to do?”
Alissara drank tea, smoked Shisha, and blew out the smoke. She nailed down the sequence. “I’m learning about Earth while waiting for my mother to arrive. But I suppose it’s time to make preparations.”
“You won’t attack us, will you?”
Alissara chuckled. “No, I meant contacting your
“I preferred it when I terrified you.”
A while later, they walked down the busy street. People were walking home from the mosques or visiting. The aromas of home-cooked food bombarded Alissara’s nose from every direction. Loud and cheerful customers, as loud as the speakers blasting Arabic music, crowded restaurants and coffee shops.
Hala waved to one of the incoming cars. “Taxi!”
The car pulled over, and they got into the back seat. After a half hour of driving at a speed faster than walking but not by much because of the heavy traffic, they reached an old area. Not old like Hala’s building, old like the ruins of Ashbal on Korr.
“Ok, this is Khan el-Khalili,” Hala said and pointed to an alley too narrow to accommodate a car.
Alissara exited the car and entered the alley behind Hala. It had high walls made of yellow stone on both sides. Above the stone walls, there were old mosques and ruins of old castles. At the end of the alley, they reached a wide, open space with many stores. People crowded the area. They entered and exited the shops.
“We’ll smoke Shisha in one of the coffee shops,” Hala said.
Coffee shops were the places where people had tea and coffee, but what was Shisha? Patrons were everywhere doing many things, but which one was Shisha? Hala grabbed her hand and dragged her toward a small shop.
“This is a nice place.”
Alissara paced to keep her arm from getting ripped out of her body by the overexcited monster. They stopped at an empty table outside the shop and sat down. Alissara examined her arm to make sure it was still attached to her body and rubbed it for a while.
People were drinking tea, playing board games, and shouting at one another in a friendly manner. The joyous atmosphere lifted Alissara’s spirits.
Hala clapped her hands three times. Seconds later, the waiter showed up with a silver tray in his hand. His apron was wet with drinks and covered in stains. Something dangled above his right ear.
“Black tea with mint for two and a watermelon Shisha.” Hala asked.
“Coming right up,” he said and left in enthusiastic, wide strides until he disappeared inside the shop.
Their tea pot and colorful, glass cups arrived with the Shisha. Shisha was a large, glass container connected to a metal pipe that had a plastic hose coming out of it, and a clay stone on top covered with shiny material. The waiter put three flaming pieces of charcoal above the stone head and spread them around with metal tongs.
Hala poured the tea into the small cups with loops on the side and picked up the plastic hose from the waiter. She put it in her mouth, inhaled, then blew the warm smoke into the air and relaxed in her seat. The scent was nice, but Alissara didn’t recognize it.
“It’s flavored tobacco,” Hala said.
“Is it good?”
“Well, it’s tasty, fun, and relaxing. But it’s bad for your lungs.”
“ Your lungs,” Alissara said, with a wide grin, “We don’t have lungs.”
Hala put her index finger in front of her mouth and whispered. “Shush! Not so loud.”
Alissara giggled, snatched the Shisha hose from her, and inhaled the same way Hala did. Then she blew the smoke high in the air.
“Amazing! I coughed for three weeks when I took up smoking,” Hala said.
Alissara huffed and blew the air out. “I love it.”
Hala took a sip of her tea and motioned to the other cup. “Try it with tea.”
Alissara couldn’t insert her glove-clad finger into the small loop, so she held it on both sides with her fingers and took a long sip. “Tasty!”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning to do?”
Alissara drank tea, smoked Shisha, and blew out the smoke. She nailed down the sequence. “I’m learning about Earth while waiting for my mother to arrive. But I suppose it’s time to make preparations.”
“You won’t attack us, will you?”
Alissara chuckled. “No, I meant contacting your
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