“You have to avoid those. In some places they’ve built little ramps that go up cliffs, or trail systems that get through chaotic terrain quickly. There are routes established. Some people stick to certain routes, some do them all. Others like to try new terrain. It’s pretty common to do a complete circumnavigation.”

“Have you done that?”

“Yes, but it’s too long for me. I usually go out for a week or two.”

“I see.”

It was pretty clear he didn’t.

“We were made to do this, you know,” she said suddenly. “Our bodies are nomads. Humans and hyenas are the two predators that chase their prey down by wearing it out.”

“I like walking,” he allowed.

“So what about you? What do you do to occupy your time?”

“I think,” he said promptly.

“And that’s enough for you?”

He glanced at her. “There’s a lot to think about.”

“But what do you do?”

“I suppose I read. Travel. Listen to music. Look at the visual arts.” He thought some more. “I work on the Titan project, that’s very interesting, I find.”

“And the Saturnian league, more generally, Mqaret tells me. System diplomacy.”

“Yes, well, my name came up in the lottery and I had to do my time, but it’s almost over now, and then I plan to return to Titan and get back to my waldo.”

“So… what were you and Alex working on?”

His pop eyes took on a look of alarm. “Well, some of it she wouldn’t want me to talk about. But she spoke of you often, and now that she’s gone, I just wondered if she might have left you a message. Or even arranged things such that you might be able to step in a bit in her absence.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you designed many of the terraria out there, and now they form the bulk of the Mondragon Accord. They would listen to you, perhaps, knowing you were one of Alex’s closest confidantes. So… possibly you could go out with me and meet some people.”