"Captain, on earth you have these creatures, insects attracted to flames?" asked Londo.
" Uh, yes; moths," replied Captain Sheridan. "They are drawn to flames and bright lights, and get burned."
"Mariel is drawn to men of power in that same way. But trust me,...SHE burns them. We'll talk later."
Captain Sheridan stared at Ambassador Mollari's retreating back, a bemused expression on his face.
"Did he just warn me not to try to lure his wife away?" he asked the air surrounding him.
A small laugh from behind him caught his attention, bringing it to the person behind him in the hallway that led into the Zocolo. A woman in a uniform marking her as one of the cleaning crew stood there. Her eyes were sparkling as she spoke, humor evident in her voice.
"No, Captain. I believe he was warning you to be careful of his wife for your safety, not hers. He doesn't trust her not to try to lure you to your demise," the woman said.
"I'm sorry," said Captain Sheridan. "I didn't realize that you were there."
She smiled good-naturedly at him, not seeming to be bothered by his accidental overlooking of her presence in the slightest.
"Happens all the time," she said. " No apologies necessary." She maneuvered a small cart with cleaning supplies on it behind her. Cleaning staff seemed to be overlooked by everybody, unless there was a mess that could not be ignored or put off for a while.
"How did you know what he meant?" he asked her. "I've been dealing with Ambassador Mollari for a while, and I didn't catch what he was trying to say."
The cleaning woman stopped and looked at him.
"It's easy; his wife and I are the same species."
Captain Sheridan looked surprised.
"I didn't think we had any Centauri in Earth Force," he said. "I certainly didn't realize we had Centauri stationed here as part of the cleaning and maintenance staff."
The cleaning lady was grinning widely now, and looked as though she might burst out laughing at any moment. She began to push her cart down the hallway as she continued to talk to the Captain of Babylon 5.
I'm not Centauri," she told him. "I'm a woman, though."
Captain Sheridan watched as she made her way further down the hall towards the elevators. Suddenly, he called out to her.
"Wait! You said you were both the same species. Being a woman isn't the same as being a different species from males!"
The cleaning lady looked back at him as she pushed her cart into the elevator. She started to laugh as she replied.
"Oh, but it is," she said, winking at him. "Just ask Ambassador Delenn if you don't believe me."
She was still laughing when the doors to the elevator closed.