Going quite for a time--the revelation has blown his small mind--Laedo eventually attempts to straighten himself up, to draw abreast of her as though he, too, is a fully grown adult and has been for years. The effect is not too convincing, but he realizes without understanding the details that all of the praise and the strange quickness with which human's age has heaped more expectations on him than any askan ever has. If his society has done one thing that isn't steeped in rigid morals and traditions, it's been to allow its children to play and age at a much slower rate.

"Well... I'm not a child either," he postures a little, trying to redeem himself. "My mother is in the second seat on the council and my teacher says I'll be a fida'venae one day, even without her reference. I'm second soprano in my chorus so I'm very important!" Never mind if he's had to repeat himself; it's important that he isn't seen as like to Serene's hypothetical children when she's already called him an ambassador!