Tangle in the Dark - Kassidor

“Ah,” Alan said. “How’d he take it?”“Oh he whined and said he didn’t have time for it, whichis my whole point. He also can’t forgive me for the times I’vestepped out on him, but all he wants is for me to be dedicatedto his project like he is.”By now Alan had a bunch of rock-worm chops in thebreading bowl, “Want me to keep them separate or do youmind-rock worm in yours?”“Alan, I’m not under sentence, I don’t have to eatanything. I only do it for the social value.”“Eating is one of the parts of my sentence I enjoy themost.”“That and your cherubs,” Ava said.“You’ve learned a lot from them.”“A lot more fun things than having to eat.”“Oh the eating’s fine,” Alan said. “My sentence includesboth ends of the alimentary canal.”“All I can do is say I’m sorry.”He got the rock worm chopped in the pan with themooliuk. He turned them, then turned back to her. “It’s theuniverse I created,” he said, "at least I won’t be erased aftertwenty decades.”“You did sentence your population to eternity in three-dreality, not just the duration of this mission.”“Yeah, but I think it’s a better three-d reality than mortalsfaced on Earth.” He put the onion slivers in the pan.“True,” she agreed. She watched him for a few seconds,69