159 A Matter of Age

At the end of the corridor, Da'kea pulled me aside so that all of the males from the ship could enter first. Then, when the door was quickly closed behind them, he turned to me and my men.

"Do you know the traditions and significance of what you are about to do?" he asked, looking down at me, and I could feel his concern coming through his armor.

"No," I answered with a shake of my head. "But I am interested in seeing the skeletons of animals that I have never seen before."

"Alright, then, this is incredibly important," he grunted, putting his much larger hands on my upper arms. "If you pause at any moment in front of any display, you are showing interest in that male. He would then take it as a positive sign for him to proceed onto the next step of courtship."