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Ray's done as much as he can do with the Lemurians right now. When he gets back to New York, he's going to recommend one of the OSU scientists as a possible ambassadorial attache, and get a real diplomat to talk to the Lemurians on an ongoing basis. Their physical nature is sufficiently different from human as to keep them well away from the Uncanny Valley, unlike the Deep Ones, who were exactly close enough to human-seeming to disturb the living daylights out of all the candidate ambassadors before Ray. It shouldn't be a problem.
For now, though, he's got to get back to New York. He's not really looking forward to another cross country drive, so he and Jhalak are going to take a stab at Amtrak once they've driven back to Portland from Port St. Helena. Ray figures a train ride that long is a perfect opportunity to help Jhalak increase her English comprehension- it's time for a trip to the bookstore. One of the little independent places, say- the Nye Bookhouse looks about right. He should be able to load up like nobody's business here, since they sell used books as well as new, and the store owner doesn't seem too freaked by the cheerfully yammering Jotok on Ray's shoulder.
The collection of books Ray pulls from the shelves at the slightest sign of interest from Jhalak is wildly eclectic. Pretty nearly every single section of the store yields at least two or three candidate volumes, if not more. "You do realize that I'm going to have to carry all of these with me," Ray warns as they head into the science fiction and fantasy section. "We may have to put a few of them back."
He turns towards the shelves, and a pale blue volume catches his eye. The title, Castle of Wizardry, is almost as generic as it's possible for a fantasy novel to get; the author's name is nothing Ray recognizes. But the tiny note on the book's spine that this is Book 4 of The Belgariad?
".... oooh boy. We have a problem."
For now, though, he's got to get back to New York. He's not really looking forward to another cross country drive, so he and Jhalak are going to take a stab at Amtrak once they've driven back to Portland from Port St. Helena. Ray figures a train ride that long is a perfect opportunity to help Jhalak increase her English comprehension- it's time for a trip to the bookstore. One of the little independent places, say- the Nye Bookhouse looks about right. He should be able to load up like nobody's business here, since they sell used books as well as new, and the store owner doesn't seem too freaked by the cheerfully yammering Jotok on Ray's shoulder.
The collection of books Ray pulls from the shelves at the slightest sign of interest from Jhalak is wildly eclectic. Pretty nearly every single section of the store yields at least two or three candidate volumes, if not more. "You do realize that I'm going to have to carry all of these with me," Ray warns as they head into the science fiction and fantasy section. "We may have to put a few of them back."
He turns towards the shelves, and a pale blue volume catches his eye. The title, Castle of Wizardry, is almost as generic as it's possible for a fantasy novel to get; the author's name is nothing Ray recognizes. But the tiny note on the book's spine that this is Book 4 of The Belgariad?
".... oooh boy. We have a problem."
