Working with the two commanders had proven to have its challenges, mainly the fact that they turned the project into a challenge between the two, in favour of an all-out brawl.

  Kenneth had visited them and discussed further about the fermentation tank and their design, and while the perfect design wasn't his expertise, fermenting fruits found out in nature and brought back by the hunters weren’t anything more than chemistry.

  On that part, they would at least listen to him; however, the design and material used, they were bull-headed about, and he more or less gave up after a certain point. Only so many times can you hit your head against the wall without suffering brain damage.

  Perhaps he was lucky and they actually put together something functional. Then again, knowing his luck, it would probably end in disaster.

  Well, he had to cross that bridge when he got to it, since he was currently on another.

  “And that is more or less how organ transplantation would work,” Kenneth showed them, his hands bloody, as he sewed the carcass up.

  “And what about the other kidney?” Nokset asked disinterestedly.

  “Well, when it comes to kidneys and a few other organs, most times it is best to leave the nonfunctional in, of course, hearts and other major organs are not on the list,” Kenneth explained, one of the few questions he’d gotten lately.

  Kenneth glanced at Nokoovo; she was here, she was paying attention, and at times asking questions, but the frequency had decreased.

  It had been a long time since Kenneth was asked to marry her, and he refused. He didn’t mean to hurt her if he did, but it wasn’t like they’d actually talked about it. She just showed up and pretended nothing had happened.

  Of course, he did the same.

  It was awkward as hell, and he couldn’t begin to imagine what she was feeling or thinking.

  ‘Maybe… I should just bite the bullet…’ Kenneth thought as he opened his mouth to speak.

  “Black Beak!!!” A loud yell interrupted them as Nokaljjour ran down the entrance to the building and stopped in the doorway, panting and covered in dirt. “It’s done, I’ve made it.”

  “Okay then… well, let’s have a look, shall we?” Kenneth said, turning to his students. “That’s enough learning for today, you all enjoy some rest, unless you wanna come see?”

  “What do you think? I need to be where I’m needed,” Nokset scoffed as he left.

  He had offered mostly out of courtesy, but part of it was about teaching them anyway, since they should eventually learn how to do this by themselves, the other part...

  “I have my duties, I’m sorry,” Nokoovo said, leaving the room.

  His eyes followed her until she was out of sight, then he walked over to Kolu and Nokstella and got ready to leave, Split following closely behind. However, before they and Nokaljjour could leave, Nokalccha came running down the corridor and suckerpunched her in the gut, looking worse for wear and a bit bloody.

  “My organs!” Nokaljjour groaned, staggering to the ground.

  Like nothing had happened, Nokalccha took her place and gestured for them to come. “My furman tank is ready and better.”

  Before Kenneth could say a word, Nokaljjour hit Nokalccha right in the oviducts. Both ended up on the ground, clutching their respective bruised areas.

  “What kind of coward hits another woman in her egg-maker?!” Nokalccha disapprovingly yelled.

  “You hit me first!” Nokaljjour yelled back.

  “Only after you kicked me down the stairs!”

  “Because you hurled a spear at me!”

  “I snapped off the tip and hit you with the flat end! And I only did that because you threw tiny sharp metal pieces on the ground right where I ran and mocked me while I was lying on the ground!”

  “Because you used my furman tank as a toilet!”

  “Because you…!”

  And on and on they went.

  “Nokstella, I hope you see this is what happens when people fight. It’s ugly and no one wins,” Kenneth said to her.

  “But fight fun,” Nokstella said in a confused tone. “Mama teach.”

  As ingrained as fighting was in their culture, Kenneth doubted he could dissuade the entire aspect of it here. “But Nokstel didn’t hurt you, did she? Like those two? There’s nothing wrong with play fighting, I did that two times with my father, but you have to learn when enough is enough, otherwise you’ll end up like those two.”

  She looked at Kenneth for a moment, looking thoughtful, then she moved out of his grasp and looked down at Kolu, “Play fight.”

  He looked at her with a mixed expression; however, now wasn’t the time for that. “Come now, Nokstella, we need to see their work. I assume I’ll be the judge of this feud.”

  Both of them stopped up and, in pain, managed to get up, at least avoiding trying to kill each other for a little bit.

  “When he sees my work, you’ll regret thinking you were better than me; we already proved that,” Nokaljjour said.

  “In your dreams. Mine is utter perfection and made from the best material,” Nokalccha snapped back.

  Verbally, however, they were still going at it like feral cats.

  He had expected their trip to end at their workshops, but apparently, their work had taken them down underground, where more resources and manpower were available. Mainly the forge and blacksmith’s.

  “So, anything I should hear beforehand about your fermentation tanks?” Kenneth asked.

  “I’ve already gotten it working,” Nokalccha proudly said.

  “As have I,” Nokaljjour bitterly interjected. “I don’t know how much scrubbing and boiling I had my apprentice do, but finally I was able to use it for this.”

  “Cleaning is far easier with mine, shame really, ain't it, builder commander,” Nokalccha taunted her. “I’ve kept what you said in mind, Beak, and I’m keeping it over a low heat with a bonfire.”

  “We don’t light fires down here. That’s why the blacksmith forge has a chimney,” Split interjected.

  Nokalccha looked at her, annoyedly, “Shut your snout, disgrace! I was a blacksmith for five years. I know more about the flames than you ever will! It’s a small fire and won’t blacken the air.”

  “Besides, my workers have already begun construction for the new well and have opened a little of the ceiling. More than enough fresh air is coming down,” Nokaljjour added.

  “The ceiling we are all standing under,” Kenneth said with concern in his voice.

  Nokaljjour seemed to notice, “It won’t collapse with all the pillars spread out like this. It was opened up for the well. We’ll divert one of the streams up top so it runs down here.”

  “Yeah, about that, don’t you all already have a pool down here? What do you need a well for?” Kenneth asked.

  “That’s swimming water, not drinking,” Nokalccha interjected. “It needs to be cleaned, and what better way than with sand. The water gets absorbed and filtered by the sand before going through the walls in the well.”

  “Ingenious,” Kenneth said in astonishment. “Perhaps I’ll be as surprised seeing your fermentation tanks.”

  “Don’t praise that simpleton,” Nokaljjour said in annoyance. “She isn’t smart. She cut me off. I work with sand much more than she does. The only thing she knew about it was the grains stuck up her tail hole.”

  Nokalccha got up in her face and smirked, “Oh, you're angry because you can’t do what I can do. Metal is good, but a real bore for me, but perfect for you.”

  Well, it was clear something or other was in store, and the competition would take place in the blacksmith’s workshop.

  Outside, a small crowd was peeking inside, but at the arrival of the two contestants, along with some stern looks, they quickly made them scatter. However, it became quite clear it wasn’t the fermentation tanks that had drawn everyone here, but the sweet aroma that filled the air.

  “This is unusual,” Split commented.

  “Good smell,” Nokstella said as each sniff of the air made her scales darker.

  “Smells like floor juice,” Kolu added with a bit of a wag in his tail and a drop of saliva from his mouth.

  They were being too cute. “Well, let’s see how it’s gone and maybe you two can get a small sip.”

  “Really?!” Nokstella said with a sparkle in her eyes, as Kolu’s ears perked.

  “Yes, but only a little, and it has to be diluted. For small ones like you, it might as well be poison,” Kenneth explained, though he doubted either of them listened after they learned they could have some.

  However, the moment those doors opened, dry warm air radiated to the group. All the lizards in attendance didn’t seem to care much; even the human among them could bear with it, but the canine was already panting.

  “Why breathe so big?” Nokstella noticed.

  Kenneth crouched down, “It’s hot down here, more so in there for him.”

  “Like when go to tower?” Nokstella asked.

  “Better and worse,” Kolu said, walking to the side to escape the heat. Nokstella looked at him with a confused and saddened expression.

  “Yeah, he doesn’t have an easy time down here,” Kenneth told her. “Going in there is probably asking a bit much, so could you maybe keep him company out here, where it’s a bit cooler?”

  “Yes!” She determinedly said. “I make fun together!”

  “Okay, just remember to stay out of trouble, both of you, and if anything happens, just come running to me and I’ll take care of it.”

  His advice might have fallen on a set of deaf ears as Nokstella looked like a woman on a mission, charging ahead and grabbing Kolu, though he at least looked to have heard him, before disappearing around the corner.

  ‘Better get this over with quick.’

  Inside, the fermentation tanks were being kept watch over by the three blacksmiths, Noksuza, Nokroba, and Nokelbie, each tending to the fire under them, or more so the smouldering embers.

  “Do you want to declare me the winner?” Nokaljjour said with confidence, gesturing to the fermentation tank on the left. “It’s clear my design is the better of the two, even this early on. With the wide base and use of a thin layer of iron, the heat can easily reach inside.”

  Well, a fermentation tank didn’t need to be pretty, and one shaped like a pyramid with scaffolding and handles near the top could certainly work. However, there were some flaws: “So how is the steam, more exactly the vapour collected?”

  “Simply like this. Watch,” she pointed to the near top of the fermentation pyramid, where a noticeable black line was, which suddenly had a drop of liquid run out and onto the scaffolding.

  “Uh-huh, I see,” Kenneth said with a bit of hesitation.

  “And that’s not all,” Nokaljjour said.

  “Really, you had more bad ideas than this?” Nokalccha asked in a mocking tone.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “As I was saying, the top comes off rather easiiiilllly!” She said, struggling to get it off, groaning as she did, but he doubted it was due to how heavy it was.

  With a slight clank and a pop, the top came off, and a wave of steam escaped, looking like a mushroom cloud as she showed off the interior. “As you can see, the narrow top is where the steam gathers, and the plates here make sure the drops run out into the collection tray.”

  “I see,” Kenneth said.

  “And now for you, Beak to pick me as the winner,” Nokalccha proudly said, stepping in front of Nokaljjour.

  “Confident are we?”

  “In me winning, glad you agree. Of course, a look is all one needs to know I’m superior in every way,” She boasted.

  Well, he could see why she felt so proud of her creation. Unlike Nokaljjour’s fermantation tank Nokalccha’s was made entirely of glass. It had a vague hourglass shape to it, with the middle being narrow and the bottom and top being wider, but similarly to the other fermentation tank, this one had a pyramid top for the steam to gather and glass trays inside for it to collect.

  “First off, I have to say hats off for this construction of the tank, must have taken you ages to get this kind of shape, and well, everything else,” Kenneth said in astonishment as he stepped a little closer.

  “Years of grueling labour under some decrepit Zillo and you learn a thing or two,” Nokalccha said with pride in her voice.

  “Just one question.”

  “What is it?”

  “Where are the, I assume, small air holes?”

  “What do you take me for, some novice. It is perfectly sealed all around.”

  “Aside from the obvious elephant in the room, how exactly do you get any of this out?” Kenneth questioned with dumbfoundedness in his voice over the lack of foresight.

  She waved it off, “Easy, I break it at the neck once it’s done and pour the plant blood out. After that, I can easily mend it and make it as good as new.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Kenneth said, trying to remain calm in the face of this idiocy. “You made a glass container with no air holes of any kind, filled it with liquid, and set it to evaporate.”

  “Fancy talk aside, yes, now come and give me the win, my design is superior, as is all my glass work,” She said, tapping her bubblegoggles.

  “Put out the fire, now!” Kenneth instructed with urgency in his voice, though, as no one really did anything, he had to do it himself, walking over to Split and pulling some saline solution from a bucket-sized mug.

  “Seems your master design isn’t to his liking,” Nokaljjour mockingly smirked.

  Nokalccha crossed her arms and hissed, “And he didn’t sound too pleased with yours. At least mine got compliments.”

  “Everyone, stand back,” Kenneth said with firmness in his voice as he doused the embers. “Crises averted.”

  “Explain what was so wrong with my Furman tank?” Nokalccha demanded.

  “First of all, it’s fer-men-ta-tion, second, I do hope you understand glass,” Kenneth pointed to the fermentation tank. “It’s enclosed and is filling with vapour, or steam, to avoid the fancy talk.”

  “So what? You wanted it that way,” Nokalccha said. “Don’t blame me if you can’t be clear on what you want.”

  “Okay, let me explain this to you as simply as I can: there isn’t enough room in there.”

  “Aren’t you being ridiculous now?” Nokaljjour questioned.

  “There’s so little plant blood in it. What is it you are so worried about?” Nokalccha questioned in visible annoyance.

  “Okay, this might be hard for you to grasp, but I’ll come out and say it,” Kenneth said with veiled frustration. “A liquid inside an enclosed space does not fill as much space as steam or a vapour, kind of like your gut when you're not sucking it in, same space, different size, and that’s dangerous because--“

  “Crack!”

  Well, you know what they say, showing is better than telling, and the glass fermentation tank would agree, as it, in a manner of speaking, exploded right in Kenneth’s face. The resulting blast of glass sent everyone running for cover.

  “Who’s not dead?” Split asked once it had calmed down.

  “If I say yes, will you clean up this mess?” Noksuza said, picking a piece of glass out of her arm.

  “Thank the gods above and below for that fat tail you got. Easier for me to hide behind,” Nokroba said, getting up and looking at Nokelbie. “Nothing hit me.”

  “Stuff it up your tail hole and give me a hand standing, my leg was hit,” she replied, reaching out her hand.

  “Urg, did I kill Black Beak?” Nokalccha said, holding her bleeding arm and notching his body with her foot.

  Nokaljjour walked up to the other side with a few pieces of glass stuck in her body, looking down. “Stood close, so took the brunt of it. But better him than me.”

  “Thank you for the concern,” Kenneth said, both of the commanders standing over him jolting as he got up and dusted all of the glass off him, not a scratch to be found, “I don’t think I need to finish my sentence from before, I think we all can agree, when I warn you people, you better listen!”

  “Urg, it was that simpltons fault,” Nokaljjour scoffed.

  Nokalccha hissed. “Call me a simplton again and I’ll shove glass up your tailhole!”

  “Shut it both of you!” Kenneth sternly said like a parent done with their children fighting in the back of the car. “I don’t care who’s fault it is--!”

  “The simpleton...”

  “Shut it! When I tell people to back away, it might be a good idea! I ain't saying it because for funs and giggles! Now I hope you remember this pain because that’s a result of you two fighting me on this, because it didn’t cross your minds that I might know a few things that you don’t!”

  “Are you done playing dominant?” Nokalccha asked in a bored expression.

  Kenneth’s eye twitched manically for a second. “Sure, right after I poke a needle into your body... And everyone, STOP picking those damn pieces of glass, unless you want to bleed to death!

  His voice boomed with such fury that most stopped picking at the glass pieces.

  With his racing heart beginning to settle, he walked across the sand and shards-covered floor over to his back to get the right tools. “I’ll remove them and patch you all up. Do say if anyone got it in the neck or another place that’s serious.”

  “Papa...”

  Kenneth’s head snapped to the door the moment he heard Nokstella’s voice, and his heart instantly sank when he saw her bleeding. Without a second thought, he rushed over to her, “Nokstella, what’s wrong? Where were you hit? Was it a big piece of glass?”

  With Kolu standing behind her, he looked at the mess inside, “It wasn’t glass. When we heard that sound, she ran to see if you were harmed, and then suddenly, the door flung open, it hit her, and she was tossed back into me.”

  While Kolu explained, Kenneth had inspected Nokstella, and, true, it didn’t look like anything more than a nosebleed. He got a little cloth from his back and stuck it up her nose for now.

  “When you are done, are you going to help the actual hurt people?” Nokalccha impatiently asked.

  Kenneth glared back at her.

  “Eerie, but that ain't more than a bad punch when fighting,” Nokjjour shrugged. “Besides, it’s you who said we could die, so why waste time on a little bleed like that?”

  “Be glad I took an oath.”

  Nokjjour seemed to take some offence as she began to walk, “Forget this, you are starting to be as bad as the other heeeeeeeee...ler”

  She took one step, then stopped while fighting back a tear.

  “Forgot there was glass on the floor, didn’t you?” Kenneth said with reduced sympathy.

  “Bawahhahahah!” Nokalccha laughed. “Not so fun when it’s your feet, is it?”

  “If you want someone to blame for that, then it’s your own fault, or whoever knocked the door open and hit Nokstella and Kolu.”

  “I didn’t hit the door,” Split said.

  “Doesn’t really matter who hit it. It was all an accident, a moment of panic, no real point of blaming anyone,” Kenneth said, ready to work.

  However, as he passed, Split spoke once more, “I was closest to the door and I didn’t hit it.”

  The gears in Kenneth’s head turned for a moment as he looked around at where everyone stood, none of whom were even near it, “…could it have been the shockwave?”

  His eyes naturally and curiously wandered to the door, and he noticed Kolu crouching over a puddle of blood. A trail of it, in fact. He looked around again to see with absolute certainty that everyone was still in the room, “Nokstella, Kolu. Did someone happen to be outside the door when the glass went flying everywhere?”

  “Me not see,” Nokstella said, with Kolu adding. “We were around the corner when everything went loud, but I think after I heard someone run.”

  Kenneth quickly went out and inspected the trail, ‘This doesn’t look like a little cut. They were hit in a bad place.’

  He quickly rushed inside and turned to Split, “You quick right, I need you to run out after whoever got hit outside! They are losing a lot of blood!”

  “I can’t,” she replied.

  “Why not?!”

  Split lifted her right leg, showing the bottom of it with glass sticking out.

  “Dammit!” He said, taking one last look around, with no one seeming to be in critical condition, before suddenly grabbing his bag and turning to leave; however, Split held firm on her grip. “What the hell, let go.”

  “Take what you need, but my order’s---“

  “This is life or death!” Kenneth yelled. “I don’t know everything I’m going to need, and with that much blood loss, it’s only a matter of time!”

  Both kept their grip firm and tight, but after a moment, Split’s scales lightened and her eyes softened along with her grip. Kenneth wasted no time rushing outside following the trail of blood.

  It stretched for a long distance, far longer than he’d expected. And the people he ran past, most of them didn’t even seem to have noticed a bleeding person running past them; if anything, it was Kenneth who made them aware with his running.

  “Is that the Black healer?”

  “Where is he running to?”

  “Is he fleeing that disgrace?”

  “Is that blood?”

  The comments were only fleeting, but he couldn’t believe so many people could be so caught up in their own world that they didn't notice a bleeding person running down a crowded street. He had to slow down at times and jump out of the way to avoid collision.

  ‘How the hell does someone lose this much blood and still keep running fast enough for no one to notice?’ Kenneth questioned. ‘Where are they even headed? Someone losing this much blood... You think that at a certain point, there would be more adrenaline on the ground than running through their veins, unless they are powering through. Perhaps whoever it is is running toward Nokset.’

  Kenneth looked up and across.

  From where he stood, he could barely glimpse the white pyramid; however, the trail of blood continued down the street, so if he cut across, he might be able to intersect, but it was a gamble, for all he knew, the person could have become delirious and didn't know up from down.

  ‘Enough time wasted,’ Kenneth thought as he continued following the trail of blood ending at the public underground pool. ‘What did they jump in?’

  He quickly scanned the vast area, but it was filled with people, none of whom appeared to be wounded.

  “Kenneth!”

  He quickly snapped his head, wondering if perhaps someone had found the wounded person; however, it was just Nokkrik swimming toward him, along with a shadowy, dark-grey scaled man, and Nokguvo walking along at the edge.

  “Always good to see you. Did you come to relax? Ohh, I shouldn’t forget that’s my lifepartner Hofuhg or Nokhofugh when you say his name,” Nokkrik chuckled. “Of course, I brought the children, all ten of them, they do so enjoy playing here, why don’t I inter--“

  “Shut it!” He snapped, partly out of breath.

  “That's a bit uncalled for,” Nokkrik offendedly said.

  “Sorry, but I don’t have time! There was an accident, and someone is bleeding, and I followed their trail of blood to here. Did any of you see or hear anything?!” Kenneth quickly explained.

  It was said very loudly, but the sound of children playing, fighting, and everything else drowned him out.

  “Don’t ya think we would have noticed if someone bleeding jumped into the water?” Nokguvo asked absurdity, filling her voice.

  “Don’t know, did you notice the trail of blood behind me?” Kenneth replied, walking around trying to locate whoever was wounded, noticing faint traces of blood in the water.

  “Well, who is it?” Nokkrik asked in a worried tone, swimming along the edge beside Kenneth, only now noticing the reddness in the water as she quickly stood up.

  “Don’t know, just know they are hurt.”

  Nokkrik quickly turned around and went over to her own and probably others’ oblivious children and quickly got them out of the pool, none the wiser, pretending it was a game. She was a very sweet woman, but she also knew how to act in a crisis. Her lifeparter and Nokguvo as well, as they went around searching in the water and informing the older ones.

  Yet when all was said and done, the pool was completely vacant, with no one in it.

  ‘None of the people around here are wounded, and whoever is hurt isn’t here. But then, could they have left? But why,’ Kenneth internally wondered.

  “Ya know ya got a lot of people worried,” Nokguvo said to Kenneth, not noticing her coming up to him. “And no one is bleeding.”

  “Yes, I was wondering that same thing, but it doesn't make sense. If they are delirious from blood loss and stumbled here in a panic, why can’t we find them?”

  “Perhaps whoever you were chasing didn’t stumble here,” Nokhofugh replied, Kenneth not having noticed him either. “A bit before you arrived, I did hear a splash like someone jumping in. I didn’t think much of it, but perhaps they were trying to stay hidden and wash off the blood.“

  “Why would they do that. I’m a doctor, a healer, with how much they are bleeding, they won’t recover on their own,” Kenneth couldn’t fathom.

  “I can’t imagine why someone would run from you, given what Krik has told me about you. But truth be told, I don’t know you, but I’ve heard of you, and... well, it can swing either way if you listen to rumors, considering the people you surround yourself with,” Nokhofugh shrugged. “But perhaps whoever it was was scared of getting in trouble and ran.”

  “Regardless, it doesn't change anything.”

  “Ya are dumb, if they are not here, they are at the healer,” Nokguvo said.

  “I’ve talked with some of the others, and they are starting to look for anyone who’s hurt, starting over at him, “ Nokhofugh said.

  “Well then, I should get a move on,” Kenneth said.

  “Where’s that disgrace that follows you around?” Nokguvo asked. “She could be of some use with her legs.”

  “Oh, her she...” Suddenly, Kenneth remembered. “...is at the forge riddled with glass.”

  “Huh... sounds like a fancy death,” Nokhofugh muttered.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to go back to the forge with the blacksmiths and others. Tell Nokkrik I’m sorry for snapping at her and thanks for the help,” Kenneth excused himself and hurried back.

  He hadn’t been gone for more than a couple of very long minutes, but most everyone didn’t exactly welcome him back with a hurray, more a ‘we are in pain, what took you so long, jackass’ of course translated in the Nok tongue.

  There were a few bad cuts here and there, but all in all, everyone would recover, despite cursing like an old sailor at having to be poked and sewn up.

  But eventually, everything calmed down, and Kenneh gave a hand cleaning up the glass, Nokstella helping despite him trying to tell her not to so she wouldn't cut herself. Though she was a child in all the worst ways, stubborn and unwilling to listen, and Kolu too, though it seemed more so for his and her sake than an active choice, but at the very least, Kenneth was happy they were this kind-hearted.

  “So, whoever was bleeding vanished?” Split asked.

  “More or less.”

  “Sneaking around without me noticing, getting a bad wound, and escaping from a pursuer, fighting through pain, huh, sounds like someone for me,” Nokalccha said, resting alongside Nokaljjour while everyone else was cleaning.

  “Of course, that’s what you’d be thinking about you, simplton,” Nokaljjour said.

  “Well, maybe you’ll find them, there are people looking at least, hopefully Nokset gave a hand,” Kenneth said, more or less wrapping it up. “So then, shall we finish this contest?”

  “Finally talking about something that matters,” Nokalccha said with gusto.

  “Why did I expect anything else?” Kenneth said.

  “I know,” Nokaljjour agreed. “Now, get on with it and declare me the winner, and remember my fermentation thingie, which didn’t almost kill everyone.”

  “Oh, yes, focus on the one flaw in my design,” Nokalccha snapped back.

  While they bickered, Kenneth went over and tasted Nokaljjour’s brew first, the fruity part, and then the bit collected in the tray.

  “It had fermented decently and tasted good. Tastes a little like wine. And the collected part has a good alcohol concentration.”

  “Why don’t you give me this victory already?”

  “However…” One word to wash the smugness across her face away.”It tastes metallic, and when using a fermentation tank with mold and penicillin, we want a controlled environment, not one filled with well, for starters, small pieces of iron.”

  Kenneth moved on to Nokalccha’s brew while she celebrated eagerly and tasted both the part with the fruit and some of it gathered at the top, of which little was still intact.

  “Well, the bottom is very good. Tastes phenomenal and has fermented really well. As for the other good concentration, and well, no iron, a clean taste. Of course, don’t need to mention the down sides.”

  “Who wins!” Both of them yelled.

  “Well, neither,” Kenneth said, much to their chagrin. “We need to make something that works, but this doesn't, design-wise. Glass does have potential, but done wrong is dangerous, which is why now that you both are listening, I suggest we begin using stai--“

  “Nothing to do about it,” Nokalccha interrupted, sounding like she wasn’t listening.

  “We know what we have to do now,” Nokaljjour added, sounding exactly the same.

  “Always the same, always annoying.”

  “It does have its moments, I will say, learning from what you did before.”

  Both then said to each other, “I’ll win with the next one!”

  Kenneth just slapped his forehead in annoyance. “Oh great, here we go again.”