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Terosm made a pleased sound.

"What kind of objects?"

"Anything nearby. A cushion. A toy. One of the attendant's shoes."

Pluralis's eyes widened. "This is so cute."

"I do not know what any of those behaviors mean."

"Neither do I, but my pet does the same."

I found myself thinking of Lucca stealing berries from my cutting board that morning.

"Did you interact with him?" I asked.

"For an hour," he said.

"And?" Pluralis asked, looking extremely excited, which was saying a lot for our species.

Veyr hesitated. "He sat on my feet."

That settled it, as far as the table was concerned. Pluralis practically glowed.

"Oh, you're finished," Pluralis said.

"I have not made a decision."

"You have," I said.

"I have not," he insisted.

Terosm turned to me. "How long did you take to decide on Lucca?"

"Fourteen minutes."

Silence. Then Pluralis said, "Fourteen?"

"He yelled at me."

That only made the situation worse. I continued eating while the others laughed. Lucca's heartbeat tapped against my wrist. Steadier now. Good. Veyr looked down at their meal.

"The placement attendant said some of the humans become distressed if you visit repeatedly without selecting them."

"They do," I said. Veyr looked at me.

"You've seen it?"

"I saw it often when I was choosing."

The placement facilities had improved significantly over the centuries, but some realities couldn't be designed away. Humans understood what adoption meant. They understood that one person could leave with an owner while another remained. They waited. Waiting had consequences. Pluralis's expression turned more thoughtful.

"My Mara asked about Earth again last night."

That shifted the conversation.

"What about it?" Terosm asked.

"Why they destroyed it."