Chapter Sixteen
"It is called grool." Niao shoveled in a mouthful with a utensil that looked like a spork.
Shanti poked at the dish. There were some leafy greens that looked like a cross between broccolini and kale; only it was a bright shade of orange. And then there was a brown glob of mush. She poked at it. The texture was firm.
"Is this some sort of space animal?" she asked.
Niao's face scrunched in horror. "We do not eat animals."
"Good," Shanti consoled him. "I'm a vegetarian."
Niao frowned at the word, but went back to shoveling the grool into his mouth. Shanti tried a bite of the brown mush. It was surprisingly good. It tasted like curry. Her stomach grumbled and, before she knew it, the entire plate was empty. Niao smiled at her cleaned plate.
"So we get one meal a day on t
