"You know very well, good sir," the elf maiden replied, her voice subdued, but still as quick and snapping as a whip. "You being with a certain young android female? Is your memory returning now?"
"I don't know what you mean by 'with,'" Aldrec said determinedly. "The android happens to be a friend of mine; nothing else. And even if she were 'with' me, as you so eloquently put, what business of yours is it anyway?"
"Well why did that other android girl tell me that you two were seeing each other?" The elf maiden asked, still obviously suspicious.
"Other android?"
"Yes, another one," she said with more than just a hint of exasperation. "She had long, black hair, and wore clothes that were as tight as rubber bands." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "She had nearly every human male in here gawking at her, and she seemed to be enjoying it."
"Did she say her name?" Aldrec asked.
"No, but she seemed to know the girl you were with very well. She called her 'sister.'"
"Every android calls each other 'brother' or 'sister,' Aldrec said. "And I honestly don't know who it could be, but she's lying."
The elf maiden narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"
Now, it was Aldrec's turn to be threatening.
"Are you accusing me of lying to you?" He hissed. His jaw was hard and set in anger.
"Forgive me, good sir!" The elf maiden said with a quick, nervous bow. "I didn't mean to imply anything. It's just that … well, her argument was so convincing, and … I couldn't possibly fathom an elf who would do such a …"
"Elves are free peoples of this world," Aldrec said, cutting her off. "We're all free to make our own choices. Status and tradition are meaningless in the eyes of the Divine. And if memory serves, weren't you here when her purse was stolen? You were even concerned over her when it happened, so why are you now so resentful of me for having her as a friend?"
The elf maiden, at his words, sat in appalled silence. She probably had never heard any elf in his or her right mind say such a thing, Aldrec surmised, but it needed telling anyway. He made a selection of a small bouquet of roses, and paid her. She remained sullen and silent, but Aldrec felt that it was very much preferable to a stream of curses.