CHAPTER 18Winter had arrived at Lemuria, with shorter daylight hours and cold rain rather than the Canadian snow that Shontel said she was used to. It was late afternoon and the tiny tavern at the edge of the commercial area was snug and warm with an electrical powered heat pump keeping the temperature similar to that the locals were used to in Cavair. Lilad sat at the end of the bar and sipped from his mug of beer. He glanced around at the locals, nearly all men and grimaced. After all the excitement of their arrival and Vila's birth, he felt down. He usually visited the tavern with Greg but on this miserable afternoon Greg was checking out the submarine and told him that he might be along later.
"So what's wrong, Lilad?" one of the locals named Billy with the words 'the bully' added to
