"Oh, no- no need to apologize." He might say that anyway, but he is the one who assumed he knew what the stuff was and decided to gulp it down unthinking. "I like getting recommendations: it's a good way to find new and interesting experiences. Even if sometimes they take me by surprise."

He grins sheepishly: a sense of dignity is not one of his qualities, for better and worse. And it's quite nice to see his roguish companion break down giggling.

"So..." he adds, unable to restrain himself from asking. "How do your people track the stars?"