Gaia watched it all without much investment. People were interesting in aggregate. Individually they required more effort than she usually had patience for, which was part of why the current situation was surprising her as much as it was. Rael required very little effort.
She wasn't sure if that was a quality of his specifically or if she had simply gotten used to him faster than expected. Both possibilities were worth considering.
"Can I ask you something?" Rael said.
"You're going to regardless."
"Probably." He turned his cup slowly on the table. "The place we're going tomorrow. You said something was left there a long time ago. How long?"
She considered how specific to be. "Before the current era."
"Before the current era is a wide range."
"Yes."
He waited, and when she didn't elaborate he let it sit, which she appreciated. Most people pushed. He had a way of making space without making a point of it, which was harder than it looked.
