Chapter 23
Casnar and James were escorted downtown by the asari security officers. They passed by several outlets for vending pharmaceuticals and exotic flowers of a medicinal quality, there in Nohman, and Casnar took note of the shops as he looked around….He turned his chin over his shoulder to check that James was still close behind, walking with his Asari escort, "….This place has Camfydora blossoms," Casnar's officer indicated a shop coming up on their left with several cases marked by signs in asari characters, barriers over each display case, and Casnar could see the flowers on plants inside these displays.
James stopped as they came to a halt in front of the herbal store. He tried to read the characters on the signs—both among the plants and above the entrance, "….You can find what you're looking for in here….and here," the asari officer looked up into Casnar's eyes as he glanced down at her, the officer touching her breast just so that it seemed an innocuous caress, but was far more inviting….The others did not see it.
Casnar looked up at the sign, hesitated, "….Thanks….I'll keep that in mind….I'll take my associate inside, we'll be out in an hour about. Feel free to wait."
The officer and her colleague watched both Human and Drell go indoors.
Casnar glanced at James as they entered the shop and mingled among the plants in their protected display cases….The shopkeeper was working on filing a theft report when she saw them and frustratedly pushed the data tablet aside….She came around from a counter to approach them by a tall, slender trumpet of a plant reaching to the ceiling of the shop. "Do you have a washroom," Casnar turned to her approach. Her lips scowled—she appeared a "little" put-off, but pointed to the rear of the shop. Casnar grabbed James by the arm and pushed him towards that direction, shooing him from touching the trumpet plant, "….We'll be right back—"
"You'd better not be screwing each other in there."
Casnar and James froze, staring at each other.
Casnar removed his hand from James's arm as James looked ready to start laughing, "….That's really what happens here?…." Casnar frowned at the shopkeep.…The asari blushed purple as he and James left her in the middle of the shop.
"There's an exit back here is my bet," Casnar's voice was lowered for James's hearing only, "….We'll give them the slip and be off….One hour, before we need to be back on the Luminos."
"You're just going to slip them like that?"
Casnar nodded, dipping his crests under the leaves of plants hung in pots from the ceiling with James doing the same, "….It's illegal for the security agents to take any kind of offerings from foreigners here in Nohman, Thessia even….Go figure, the species itself encourages corruption and indentured servitude….But for those officers outside, it would result in 'disciplinary hearings'….They won't come looking for us unless they feel we're that much of a threat."
"Am I going to get in trouble for this?"
"Only if we get caught."
"Have you noticed I'm Human and you're a yellow drell compared to all the asaris here?"
"'Golden lilac', actually," Casnar found the doorway for a washroom and went passed it, "….That's my 'color' label….Not yellow, and where there's Asaris, there's bound to be servants of differing species."
"Like slaves?"
"Don't get too worried about the details, Vega….Ah, the exit….This way." He was right….Passing the washroom, they found the stock and loading area of the shop and went through the doors to the open air of the markets. The two ran through the rear of the shop's outer loading area and hopped up to climb over the wall blocking the establishment from a quaint, clean alleyway on the other side of it.
"This is reminding me of my teenage years, being a kid with nothing to do besides run wild and get in trouble."
"You think this is wild?…." Casnar stared incredulously at James, "….On Rakhana, you would hear about the trouble I caused with my brothers before my father started putting down his thumb on us."
"You old, Jefe?"
"What's a jefe?"
"It means 'Boss'—" James paused, "….Where are we going?"
Casnar set the timer on his omnicuff, "….I don't know, let's explore…." They emerged from the alleyway and walked left along an adjacent promenade.
Their view of Nohman so far was unobstructed sky, save for a few monolithic towers that punctuated the port heavenward, but the port itself was full of gardens and picturesque in its 22nd-century "advanced state" of Asari technology….As was to be expected, Casnar and James received a few interested looks from the asaris walking the promenade under the azure sky with them….They were the only non-Asari species present, aside from a few pets being walked along the gardens….Casnar ignored the rude stares, whereas James started to feel uneasy.
"We really don't fit in here, Soterios."
"Relax," Casnar waved his hand, dismissing James's worry, "….Play cool….Asaris love variety."
"I don't know about that," James tugged his collar up, trying to ignore the stares, "….Isn't Thessia kind of….I don't know….'purist'?"
With a derisive snort, "…Watch—We'll pop inside this little establishment," and he waved James to follow him into a shop on their left, the doors sliding apart for their entrance. Casnar pushed a curtain aside….The smell of burning wicks met their nostrils and Casnar sniffed the smokey aromas, "….Not bad," they had entered a smoke lounge and walked in deeper.
"What can I—Hello," the shopkeep had come from a backroom and was looking at them from under a curtain she'd moved aside with her arm, "…You're not from around here…." She came towards them from under the curtain, letting the cloth fall into place and waver some as she stepped over the carpet in slippered feet, "….Are you here to pick up an order for someone?….What might I help you with."
"You have Teresha?"
"I have over eighty specimens….Do you have a preference?"
"I'd like to sample what you have out of the Dagaba family of leaf, if possible."
"Good choice," she smiled, "….A connoisseur I sense?" She gestured to some long-based chairs for them to seat themselves upon.
"I'm partial to options," Casnar smiled back as he took a seat—and so did James.
As they sat and waited, the shopkeep went to a table filled with holders in an array of labels, and each container possessed a different dried roll of Teresha leaf….She selected a few, and placed these on a tray, trimming after rolling the leaves and preparing these for Casnar….When this was done, she brought the tray over to him.
Casnar selected one and held it up, looking at her "Pre-Central Era" dress, designed with the cropping in fashion on Thessia at the waist and shoulders as she lowered a flame she had produced from a wick, and lit his leaf with it….He nodded his thanks as she backed away, smiling demurely at him. As he pulled on his end of the rolled leaf, brightening the lit point, "….From Malanga," the asari bowed her chin.
"That's a 'clean' drag," Casnar glanced at James in the next chair over, "….Try one, the leaves are good….Not like that 'weed' crap Humans dull themselves with, lacing with additives to boost the narcotic potential and drive one towards insidious addiction," he wrinkled his lips at the thought, "….This is stimulant….Think tea, but the caffeine fills your lungs, opens the alveoli, pumps more blood through, and awakens as well as relaxes your mind from paranoia, tension, even fatigue of life."
"I'll pass."
With a deep chuckle, and after another pull, "….Looking at that ink all over your head, I'm a bit surprised." James smiled back as the shopkeep stepped away to attend to a pot sitting on a thick pad on the table.
"'Don't judge a book by its cover'….I may look like a meathead…." The shopkeep came back and offered James a mug of hot tea, causing him to pause as he looked questioningly up at her from the steam over the mug in hand.
"Thank the lady," Casnar leaned back into his long chair, watching James make an impression of uncertainty as he looked at the mug, his hands having not yet moved to accept the offer from the elegant asari.
"I don't usually drink tea unless I'm with my grandmother….Rest her soul."
"Well, you're with me," Casnar nodded to James, "….and I'm older than you, so I'll have to do….Drink tea for your 'grandmother'."
James glanced at Casnar, "….Okay…." He chuckled and took hold of the mug, "….Thank you," and the shopkeep nodded and stepped away again.
Both men reclined into their chairs and relaxed, Casnar with his Teresha leaf-roll, James with his mug of tea.