That Evening

Gaga and Niko sat on a hill overlooking the camp. Gaga had just finished telling Niko what had happened that day, and was waiting to see what his reaction would be. He didn't think that Niko'd be angry, but he was worried that he hadn't done something to make it work out better.

"Well." said Niko. "That was an interesting adventure."

"You mean you're not upset? I did cause quite a commotion."

"Of course I'm not upset. You can't help what you look like, or how people react to you. Actually, this is a good thing. I was wondering how to explain you to the villagers without jeopardizing safety. This is as good a solution as any I could come up with, and it happened by complete accident."

"But…but…"

"But you're worried about the propriety."

"Yes, I mean, we're not really a couple…and it doesn't seem right for Onua-san to have to pretend that we are."

"For Onua to pretend? What about you? You've no objections to being seen as her boyfriend yourself?"

"Oh, well, er…I didn't mean…it's not that I dislike her company in any way, in fact, I enjoy it greatly, but it isn't right to be deceiving the villagers this way." He looked flustered, turning red.

Ah, so your objection is not to the fact that they view you as a couple, but to the fact that you aren't a couple. Niko thought, but he said only. "I see."

They sat there for awhile in a comfortable silence. Eventually Gaga spoke. "Niko-san, why does Onua-san have a weapon? So far as I can tell, everyone in your caravan does, but you are not a warlike people. Why do you carry weapons?"

"Ah, now that is a good question. You may not have realized this Gaga-san, because you do not travel as much as we do. Gypsies such as us are not all that well-liked in many societies. In many cases we are viewed as a passing nuisance at best, and a hated plague at worst."

"But why?"

"Why? Because we're different. We keep late hours; we hold loud parties; we flaunt our bodies and our skills to anyone who will watch; we don't work at dull, boring jobs all day; we move around constantly, never settling down. Many of the conservative peoples find our way of life disturbing, to say the least. And because we owe allegiance to no-one, we are not protected by the laws of the countries we visit, even though we are bound by them. Because of this, we can't count on the protection from dangers that citizens can. We must defend ourselves."

"Oh, I…I see." Gaga had never thought about it before. Niko sighed, then let himself fall backwards to lie on the grass and watch the clouds drift across the sky.

"That is why we all carry weapons. Each of us tries to master the use of at least one weapon, as well as some kind of hand-to-hand combat. Thus, we are never helpless. Some of us even wear some kind of light armor under our clothing, though that is rare, since armor is expensive."

"Do you wear armor, Niko-san?" Gaga joined him in lying down.

"No. I decided a while back that if my sword skills were not enough to keep my skin whole, it wasn't worth keeping. Onua does though."

"She does?"

"Hmmm, yes. The ribs of her corset are overlapping steel."

"Niko-san! I don't know which is more disturbing, that Onua-san wears armor, or that you are so free with talking about her underthings!"

"You asked. Besides, if I can't talk to you about such things, who can I talk to them about? You are, after all, my best friend."

"You shouldn't talk about them at all!" Gaga tried to look angry, but eventually he couldn't help grinning. "You haven't changed a bit in the fifty years it's been. You're still just as frank now as you were then." He paused, and then asked, "Am I really your best friend?"

"Of course. You're the only one besides my family that can really make me think, about normal things that is."

"What do you mean?"

"You see things differently than do most gypsies, or for that matter, most humans. You ask questions that I hadn't thought about before, about things that most of us take for granted. It's most refreshing." He grinned. "Even if you are older than dirt."

"Hey! At the moment, I'm younger than you!" Gaga sat back up, feigning annoyance. He couldn't really get angry at Niko, he was too affable.

"Oh? Then you had best mind your manners, youngling!" Niko sat up as well, grinning.

"Yes sir, oh mighty gypsy leader sir! Your wish is my command, Nomasdina-sama!"

"In that case, I wish that you would call me just plain Niko. If we're best friends, it's only right."

Gaga hesitated, and then smiled. "…very well, Niko, if you'll call me simply Gaga."

"It is a bargain, then?"

"It is a bargain." They shook hands solemnly, and then laughed as Niobe rang the dinner bell and they headed back towards camp.