level. Peters just grunted and shoved dirt around. About the time they were finishing up the second level Dee reappeared, which the other Grallt took as a signal to down tools and vanish, and the sailors followed suit with relief.
"More next
ande
, I reckon," Peters said as he stowed his broom in a closet on the second level, between the kitchen and the heads.
"Yes, none of these areas have been used in a long time, and they are very dirty," Dee told them. "We should finish this part by the end of the
llor
. After that, we will clean the area where you are."
"Oh, no," said Peters, an admonition rather than a groan. "We ain’t cleanin’ no enlisted quarters. That’s what seamen are for."
"I don’t understand," Dee admitted. "Should the quarters not be clean?"
"Yeah, sure, but not by us," Peters told her. "When the detachment gets aboard everybody’ll clean his own quarters, then turn to and get the rest of the space shipshape. You’ll see. Officers gonna have to clean their own space? Durin’ the trip, I mean?"
"No, of course not," Dee told him. "The three who helped you will be assigned to that area. They will clean, and make the beds, and so on."
"Stewards," Todd said with a grin. "All the comforts of home. The jaygees and ensigns’ll be pleased as Hell."
"Not if they don’t do better’n they did this time," Peters warned. "Enlisted can clean their own space, but we better go over this place again, and this time, you stick around, Dee. What we did ain’t good enough, and I need to be able to explain that to them yahoos."
"If you say it is necessary, then that is what we will do," Dee said resignedly.
"What next?" Todd wanted to know.
"Next is another meal," Dee told them. "Would you like to clean up before eating?"
"Oh, hell, yes," said Peters. "You can probably smell me ten meters off."
"Not quite that far," Dee said, suddenly looking very, very alien. He missed being able to read her facial expression; was that an impish joke or not? Her tone said it was. "How long do you need to clean yourselves?"
"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes," Peters told her.
She looked at her watch. "A little less than one
utle
. I will meet you at the, ah,
mess hall
you say? At the mess hall when you have finished. Can you find your way?"
"Not a problem," said Todd, and Peters nodded.
"Good. You might bring a sack," she suggested.
"A sack? What for?" Peters asked suspiciously.
She mimed pulling something over her head. "Several of my friends have been asking about you," she said. "You might need a sack." And with that she took herself off.
"Well, now we know what a grin looks like on a Grallt," Todd observed when she was out of earshot.
"Yeah. Funny lady. Come on, me for a shower."
* * *
When they arrived at the mess deck, bathed, shaved, and combed, Dee was sitting at a table near the entrance arch, already tucked in to her meal. She waved them over. "No sacks," she observed.
Todd and Peters exchanged looks. "It’s a little early for us," Todd explained.
"If that is what you choose. What would you like to eat?" Now they were sure what amusement looked like on a Grallt.
The waiter was hovering. "We still don’t know what’s good," Peters reminded her. "You’ll have to choose for us."
She gabbled at the waiter, gesturing at the two sailors, then addressed herself to her food, not speaking. Peters and Todd sat quietly, looking around. Several of the Grallt returned their looks, and one or two nodded heads in greeting. Silence continued after they got their food, Dee toying with the remnants on her plate and the two sailors eating steadily.
Finally the last blue leaf was gone. "Back to work, I guess," Peters said resignedly.
It was a long five hours. The workers were incredulous and resentful at the level of cleanliness the sailors insisted on. Dusting the top edges of hatch coamings seemed ridiculous to them, clearing out the grime under the sinks had them gabbling at one another at top speed, and they
"More next
ande
, I reckon," Peters said as he stowed his broom in a closet on the second level, between the kitchen and the heads.
"Yes, none of these areas have been used in a long time, and they are very dirty," Dee told them. "We should finish this part by the end of the
llor
. After that, we will clean the area where you are."
"Oh, no," said Peters, an admonition rather than a groan. "We ain’t cleanin’ no enlisted quarters. That’s what seamen are for."
"I don’t understand," Dee admitted. "Should the quarters not be clean?"
"Yeah, sure, but not by us," Peters told her. "When the detachment gets aboard everybody’ll clean his own quarters, then turn to and get the rest of the space shipshape. You’ll see. Officers gonna have to clean their own space? Durin’ the trip, I mean?"
"No, of course not," Dee told him. "The three who helped you will be assigned to that area. They will clean, and make the beds, and so on."
"Stewards," Todd said with a grin. "All the comforts of home. The jaygees and ensigns’ll be pleased as Hell."
"Not if they don’t do better’n they did this time," Peters warned. "Enlisted can clean their own space, but we better go over this place again, and this time, you stick around, Dee. What we did ain’t good enough, and I need to be able to explain that to them yahoos."
"If you say it is necessary, then that is what we will do," Dee said resignedly.
"What next?" Todd wanted to know.
"Next is another meal," Dee told them. "Would you like to clean up before eating?"
"Oh, hell, yes," said Peters. "You can probably smell me ten meters off."
"Not quite that far," Dee said, suddenly looking very, very alien. He missed being able to read her facial expression; was that an impish joke or not? Her tone said it was. "How long do you need to clean yourselves?"
"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes," Peters told her.
She looked at her watch. "A little less than one
utle
. I will meet you at the, ah,
mess hall
you say? At the mess hall when you have finished. Can you find your way?"
"Not a problem," said Todd, and Peters nodded.
"Good. You might bring a sack," she suggested.
"A sack? What for?" Peters asked suspiciously.
She mimed pulling something over her head. "Several of my friends have been asking about you," she said. "You might need a sack." And with that she took herself off.
"Well, now we know what a grin looks like on a Grallt," Todd observed when she was out of earshot.
"Yeah. Funny lady. Come on, me for a shower."
* * *
When they arrived at the mess deck, bathed, shaved, and combed, Dee was sitting at a table near the entrance arch, already tucked in to her meal. She waved them over. "No sacks," she observed.
Todd and Peters exchanged looks. "It’s a little early for us," Todd explained.
"If that is what you choose. What would you like to eat?" Now they were sure what amusement looked like on a Grallt.
The waiter was hovering. "We still don’t know what’s good," Peters reminded her. "You’ll have to choose for us."
She gabbled at the waiter, gesturing at the two sailors, then addressed herself to her food, not speaking. Peters and Todd sat quietly, looking around. Several of the Grallt returned their looks, and one or two nodded heads in greeting. Silence continued after they got their food, Dee toying with the remnants on her plate and the two sailors eating steadily.
Finally the last blue leaf was gone. "Back to work, I guess," Peters said resignedly.
It was a long five hours. The workers were incredulous and resentful at the level of cleanliness the sailors insisted on. Dusting the top edges of hatch coamings seemed ridiculous to them, clearing out the grime under the sinks had them gabbling at one another at top speed, and they
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