He took Kalus up as if they were old friends, and
insisted they share a bottle of wine to celebrate the day. Kalus hardly
felt like celebrating, and was half fearful of the liquor's effect on
him; but the other's friendly oblivion made it all but impossible to
say no. So at last, wearily, he consented.
The two went briefly to the botanist's rooms to fetch it, then turned
themselves again out of doors. There in the clear space by the tables
Kalus saw the two women: Kataya, who looked up from her work and smiled
faintly, and Sylviana, who did not smile, though she could not entirely
hide her relief at seeing him at all. But the embers of her anger still
smoldered, waiting only for a restless wind to stoke them again to
withering fire.
The two men moved to the crest of the hill which formed one border of
the grassy bowl in which the others had gathered, and sat beneath the
speckled shade of a young tree that grew there. From here they could
survey the company without feeling too close, and therefore inhibited.
Smith opened the bottle, and after taking several large gulps (despite
the assumed bravado he was nervous, and uncertain how to proceed) passed
it to Kalus, who was much more cautious.
In time he felt the liquor, though he was not overwhelmed by it.
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