Nathaniel took a piece of bread from the plate as it was offered to him. His muscles were quickly recovering, and he found himself able to sit up fully before taking a bite.

The bread was chewy and grainy, and had a pleasing taste. It seemed quite wholesome, and a lot better than the emergency ration bars he'd been living on since being stranded here.

He considered thanking the creature, or saying how much he liked the bread, but he realized that any such words would be pointless, and remained silent.

As he finished his first piece of bread, the dry substance was beginning to soak up what little saliva he had left, leaving him coughing a little.

"Water?" the lizard asked, grabbing the empty cup on the nearby table.

"Yes, please," Nathaniel said, after clearing his throat.

The lizard hurried off to get more water, leaving Nathaniel with the plate of bread.

Looking around the room in his seated position, Nathaniel wondered where his clothes had gone. It had taken his mind time to clear and realize that under these covers he was in his underwear. Now his eyes were searching for his garments and the sack of survival equipment that had been strapped to his back. His mind eased as he saw his pack and clothes stashed discreetly in a shaded corner of the room.

When the lizard returned with a full cup of water, Nathaniel thought of how to communicate his desire for his clothing. He took a good, long drink before asking.

"I'd like my clothes," he said, gesturing toward himself, then at the clothing. It didn't seem to get the message across, so he reached his arm over and gently gripped the hem of the lizard's shirt, repeating the word "clothes."

The lizard looked down at his hand on the garment for a moment before coming to an understanding.

Turning from Nathaniel, the lizard went directly over to his belongings and returned with his jacket. "Clothe," she said, handing Nathaniel the khaki jacket.

It was half of what he wanted, so he repeated his request for Clothes, this time grabbing the cuff of the lizard's shorts.

The lizard complied and returned with his pants. When she returned with them, Nathaniel took the opportunity to expand their communication, describing the garments collectively as "clothes," and then referring to each one separately as a "jacket" and "pants." The lizard was very receptive and learned the words immediately.

"Well, there is yet hope," Nathaniel mused to himself, realizing that he may someday be able to communicate with these aliens.

As Nathaniel turned back to his bread, the lizard halted him by grabbing his wrist, wishing to get his attention. "Vinsra," she said, pointing to herself with her other hand.

"What, you want the bread?" Nathaniel asked, unclear about her statement.

"Vinsra," she repeated, stepping back and motioning toward herself with both hands, waving them up and down her sides.

"That's your name?" Nathaniel asked. Pointing at her, he said, "Vinsra."

Vinsra smiled with her sharp teeth and shivered a little. Then, she pointed at Nathaniel, asking for his name.

"Nate," he said, pointing at his chest. He figured his full name and rank would have been harder on Vinsra and could cause confusion.

"Nenuska, Nate," Vinsra said with a smile.