Vinsra was good at finding work for her alien guest, though she would have gladly waited on him hand and foot to learn the knowledge he possessed. Hers was a mind ever yearning for further education, hence her humble station as a rural school teacher.

Nate had spent several days teaching Vinsra Basic English for communication, after which he asked for a job, feeling it in his best interest to make himself useful. Sitting around and being waited on by his host was simply intolerable, though she was reluctant to let him do anything else.

At first, Vinsra set him to work around the farm, digging some rooted vegetables with a number of hired hands. The Lesher laborers said nothing to their strange co-worker, but soon came to respect him, as they found their workloads diminished.

Seeing things were going well, Vinsra took it upon herself to find her guest more profitable work. It just so happened that her neighbor was having new irrigation pipes installed, and required an extra hand.

After a short introduction and a lengthy explanation, Nathaniel was put to work on the digging, under the curious eye of Vinsra and her neighbor friend, the petite Miss Leeza, a reddish-scaled lady with a perky brow and narrow eyes.

The two Lesher women chatted amongst themselves, perfectly comfortable in the hot sun. It seemed unseasonably warm for the middle of autumn, in the high eighties Fahrenheit at midday, though it was ideal for their cold-blooded physiology.

As Nathaniel stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead, Leeza blurted something out in her native language.

"She say you work good," Vinsra translated.

"Thanks," Nathaniel said, catching his breath.

Feeling the roughness of his throat, Nathaniel looked around for his water jug, and spotted it fifty feet behind him. He was surprised by the length he had traveled between breaks. The work kept his mind preoccupied and helped aid the passage of time.

Retrieving the hefty glass jar of water, Nathaniel downed the entire quart, his thirst only partially quenched by the liquid. He handed the empty jar to Vinsra, who handed it to her companion, who hurried off to refill it.

As her friend left, Vinsra turned her talkative attention to her human guest. "She curious about water," she said, trying to use her limited English.

"Curious that I drink so much of it?" Nathaniel asked.

"Some, but curious about water," she repeated, taking her finger and wiping a bead of sweat off of Nathaniel's forehead.

"Oh, my sweat? Well, that's how my body regulates its own temperature. I'd explain in greater detail, but I doubt you'd understand my words yet."

Vinsra pondered his statement, clearly ignorant of his meaning.

"It will be nice when your English vocabulary grows enough to warrant a real conversation," Nathaniel commented, sticking the shovel into the dirt again. “If I’m stuck here that long.”

A few minutes later, Leeza returned with two jars full of fresh water and set them down beside Vinsra.

"The plumbers have started laying out the lengths of pipe already. Will he be done digging before they catch up?" Leeza asked.

Vinsra shaded her eyes from the sun and stared across the pasture, spotting a small stake in the grass a hundred feet distant. "It depends. Are they being paid by the hour or by the job?"

"By the job. My laborers always work on quotes. It keeps them fast and efficient," Leeza said.

"Well, in that case, it's anyone's game," Vinsra mentioned.

"Tell him I'll pay him double if he beats them to the mark," Leeza said.

"I'll try," Vinsra replied. Turning to Nathaniel, she tested her English. "Leeza say you end fast, get more."

"If I dig this ditch faster I'll get paid more?" Nathaniel surmised.

"Yes, if you dig more fast than pipe, you get this," she said, holding up two fingers.

"Double, or twice as much," Nathaniel replied.

Vinsra nodded, then practiced saying "double" a few times, making her tongue accustomed to it.

"You know, I wouldn't mind learning that language of his," Leeza mentioned. "It could come in handy if more of his kind show up. Where did you say he came from?"

"We're not entirely sure," Vinsra said. "He's tried to explain, but our communications are still limited. It has something to do with the sky; that is clear."

"You'll be opening the school again in a few weeks, won't you?" Leeza mentioned. "Perhaps you could teach a class about his language."

"It's hard enough to get our young people to sit still and learn our own grammar," Vinsra mentioned with a lighthearted smile.

"You should teach it at University," Leeza said.

"Oh, wouldn't I like that," Vinsra said, "but I'm a simple farmer's wife. My place is here, among my people, teaching the next generation the fundamentals, so they might have a chance at choosing their own path in life. I chose mine, and I'm satisfied with it."

"True, but I still remember you sitting across the lunch table from me in eighth grade, telling everyone how you were going to skip out of here and make a name for yourself; become an educator for the Hierarchy, a minister of public affairs, or even aide to the Regent. What ever happened to those haughty goals?"

"Life happened, Leeza. Reality and responsibility got the best of me."

"Well, I think you've got a little more reality than you bargained for in this guest of yours," Leeza said, motioning toward Nathaniel, who was now twenty feet further down the pasture. "You will let me know when you learn anything new about him, won't you?"

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, and perhaps learn something yourself?" Vinsra invited.