Analysis; or The Miracle of the Melons
Dze-Ts-Kwy and Ro-Ro-Ku went shopping in the larger Nwa-Bher market, in front of one of the many fruit stands. “Let’s get a chwe melon!” said the native. “Or two, one for tomorrow!”
“Certainly,” said Ro-Ro-Ku, and cast a very basic vegetable-analysis spell, and reached deep into the pile of melons to take the ripest one for today, and the largest one-day-short of ripe one, for tomorrow. Because, seriously, which other melons would you pick?
“Why did you pick those, Ro-Ro-Ku?” asked Dze-Ts-Kwy.
“This was the ripest, and that was the largest one-day-short-of-ripe.”
Dze-Ts-Kwy sniffed and tapped them. “You certainly did pick good ones, and without sniffing or tapping at them, too. But you say that they are the best of their category?”
“They are the best of their category, in this vendor’s stand anyhow.”
“How do you know?” asked Dze-Ts-Kwy.
Ro-Ro-Ku did not answer the question, mainly because “I’m actually an extradimensional monster with an academic specialty in investigative magic, currently spying on you” is a very bad thing to say when one is an extradimensional monster with an academic specialty in investigative magic currently spying on one’s hostess. (It may be nearly as awkward when one is not. I just tried saying it to my husband, who told me (1) that he didn’t believe me, and (2) I need better veriception blocks because I stink when I say it.)
Instead she said, “Check for yourself, and see if I am right.”
Well, in no world is it polite for a customer to fondle and thump every melon, especially after she has already bought some and isn’t going to buy more. But Dze-Ts-Kwy did investigate a few of them, and, unsurprisingly, Ro-Ro-Ku appeared to be quite right.
Dze-Ts-Kwy said nothing more, but added the incident to a small list of interesting properties of her peculiar guest.
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