"You should not have," Raman readily agreed. "It is like asking someone how they know to breathe, or blink, or move a finger. It is natural to my people."

Then he hesitated. "But... You are a human, and a stranger to this place and its ways, so... I do not blame you for asking."

Again! Again he was being soft with her! What was happening? Why did he suddenly feel more willing to tolerate her and her human foibles? It was maddening, to say the least.