"What do you intend to do with me when we get there?" Lois asked.

He looked at her in surprise. "Feed you I guess. I'm sure my mother is preparing something for your arrival. My father left before us and will tell her about you I am sure."

"You live with your parents?"

"There isn't enough land to expand on. We have to live in the buildings we have."

"Of course, I didn't think about that. So how is it that you know English anyway?"

"For one thing, Kryptonians have been coming to your planet for centuries."

Lois came to a complete stop, her mouth hanging open, "What?"

"We blend in perfectly. Your sun gives us powers, but it's not like we're little green men."

"You mean you look like this all the time?"

He grinned, "Did you think we were wearing costumes?"

She looked indignant. "No, but I mean you could have transformed yourself."

"Not unless you know something we don't. The people on Mars can, of course, but—"

"There are people on Mars?"

"Not anymore," he said sadly. "There's just one survivor. He is a friend of my father's."

"Oh," she said and started walking again.

"And second of all, they have known that they wanted brides from Earth for over 20 years now. Before we got it neutralized with lead, there was poison in the ground. It took the lives of a lot of the women and girls; men and boys too but not as many. Your makeup is the closest to ours out of all the planets, making you ideal for reproduction, no offense. It was required that we all learn your language. That wasn't an easy choice. There are so many languages on your planet, but we went with one of the most commonly spoken, so I've spoken English all my life."

"How many languages do you have?"

"Just one. We speak that too at times, but we are making an effort to use English more often for your sakes."

"Hmm," she said.

"Do you mind if I ask a question now?" he asked. He remembered the pocketbook that had almost hit him in the head.

"Sure." She wondered what question he could possibly have for her.

"What's your name?"

"Lois," she answered slowly. If he had any designs about winning her over with his alien charm, he could forget it. She still didn't trust him or anybody else on this planet.

They fell to silence until Kal-El stopped walking.

"This is it?" she asked, looking up at the crystal structure that loomed before them.

"This is it," he affirmed. He didn't know why he was nervous when he asked, "Do—do you like it?"

"It'll do. I don't plan to be here for long," she went in before he could ask her what she meant by that.

True to his prediction, Lara had made her something to eat. It looked like a hamburger. Lara was smiling warmly at her. "I'm Lara. Welcome to your new home. I've made one of your delicacies on earth." Jor-El also gave her a short welcome.

Lois said a small thank you and sat down. She took a bite out of the sandwich. She did her best not to make a face of disgust. She didn't want to do anything to offend these people. She wondered how something that looked so much like a hamburger could taste so different from a hamburger. "It's delicious," she told the eagerly waiting woman.

Lara smiled in relief. "I'm glad." Jor-El said something to his wife and they left the room.

"Would you like some?" Lois asked Kal-El, hoping to split the sandwich with him.

"No, thank you. I already ate. I have some things I need to take care of. Make yourself at home and I'll be back shortly."

She watched him leave the house. Then she looked back to the makeshift hamburger. She was starving. As much as she hated to, she forced herself to finish it all.

Lois took a closer look around the room. The room was not cluttered with knickknacks or anything else that did not have an obvious purpose. It seemed clear that this was a society that was founded on usefulness and not emotion, which made sense when one thought about how they got their brides in the first place. She got up and took a walk around the room. She heard voices coming from the room his parents had gone into.

She was sure the "make yourself at home" did not extend to eavesdropping on his parents, but she had to learn as much as possible about this place, so she could make a proper escape.

"I am glad that he has chosen a bride," Lara said. "I was afraid that he wouldn't."

"I just hope that he has chosen well. The ship will leave in two weeks to retrieve the other women. He should have waited for more selection."

"Why two weeks?"

"Their scientists want time to evaluate the results."

Lois walked away before she was caught. She had heard what she needed to know. When that ship left to get the other brides, she planned to be on it.