"Excellent. We are pleased to have you in our company also," Chanath tells him, and moves closer to the buffet table to investigate its many offerings with their human friend.

"It has been going well," Faris answers, as his host examines a frosted, fried, circular dough with colorful flakes on top. "While our diplomats are in negotiations with the Federation ambassadors, many of our peoples have been permitted to visit the surface of Earth in the presence of local guides. The forests of California have drawn much interest from the fleet," he adds with a K'da grin. "Particularly the large trees growing there called sequoia."