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"I should hope so We're known all throughout this region, in both the Republic and Daina; we do advertise, after all" She gave him a curious look "You told me yesterday that you've lived around here for about a hundred years now, right? Surely you ought to have heard about us, either on the Orb Network, or on video ether?"

"I stopped watching video ether a long ti his head "Trust me; it really does rot your brains And as for an orb … well, I have other ways of getting information"

"You're full of secrets; did anyone ever tell you that?" Mericlou observed, giving hihed

It was not gentle elf-like laughter, like Mericlou was used to Rather, it cah, if she could believe what she was hearing Even the h, thankfully, was short-lived: ending alan

"I shouldn't have done that in there," Aldrec said at last, after they had made some distance from the marketplace "I hope I didn't embarrass you"

"It's okay," Mericlou half-lied "Well, it's just that I've never heard an elf laugh like that It was a little strange to me, but I think you scared the life out of a few people back there"

"Well, what you said was funny," Aldrec said "And besides, people -humans especially- are easily upset by the unusual Of course, that's not soh, and his eyes wandered upwards into the sky

"Nothing ever really changes"

Mericlou, not noticing that Aldrec had stopped, bu him from his reverie

"I'm sorry!" Aldrec reached out quickly to steady her They had struck each other softly, but its suddenness took Mericlou unawares

"It's okay," she said, gently pushing his hands away "Were you daydreahed sheepishly

"About what?" Mericlou said

"Nothing important"

"No, really!" Mericlou replied, insistent "I', honest," Aldrec assured her, but the slightly disappointed look in the android's pretty aht," he said, deflated, and partly reluctant "It was just a thought about yesterday It's an old ht It's oes every few years"