"Purple rushed up and tried to explain to adolescent Blue Tentacles that he shouldn\u2019t quarrel like this with his new family. Diplomatically he didn\u2019t mention that in the servants\u2019 halls they sometimes laughed at the less practical Patrician fashions as well, instead Purple hurried the group to an eating establishment that he could afford and once they'd arived Silver Grey suggested the standard menu as she guessed Purple couldn't afford much. Centaurians have evolved immune systems than can handle most of the diseases that turn up in swamps and eating off a floor cleaned to Galaxy Shipping Company standards was far more practical for the Plebeians. Once in the dining establishment tenderly Yellow Tentacles dropped some of the tastier morsels onto the dirt-free (almost) floor and pushed the grub over to his new friend Blue. In time both were snuggled up together, and poking tasty morsels into each other\u2019s oral cavities while nearby Centaurians started pointing disapproving tentacles at the pair and suggesting all this was too intimate for a public place. Always the diplomat Purple offered to take the couple to a more private mudbath. In due course the two young lovers were in a Galaxy Shipping Company mudbath with Silver Grey Tentacles and Purple at the side. \u201CDo you want to wrestle with me?\u201D Yellow Tentacles started and wriggled his body in mock threat. \u201CI\u2019ll teach you a bit!\u201D Blue replied confidently, after all the instructors at the teaching establishments where he\u2019d studied always praised the superior Patrician wrestling taught there. Not many seconds later Blue Tentacles found himself spread-eagled in the mud with Yellow Tentacles gripping him expertly in a wrestling hold that he\u2019d never encountered before. \u201CIt\u2019s not fair!\u201D Blue exclaimed bitterly, \u201CYou\u2019ve got more tentacles than I have!\u201D \u201CWhen you\u2019ve lived with us you\u2019ll grow more tentacles.\u201D The other replied. Silver Grey Tentacles, the mother of Yellow told him to stop wrestling that way and reminded her son how much he owed to Blue Tentacles. \u201CIt\u2019s absolutely horrible!\u201D Blue Tentacles complained after he\u2019d been released, \u201CAnd there\u2019s nothing whatsoever that I can possibly do about it in any way!\u201D \u201C'There\u2019s nothing I can do about it' isn\u2019t a good answer.\u201D Purple replied wisely. \u201CBut I can\u2019t do anything!\u201D Blue answered petulantly. \u201CLet\u2019s see how we can teach you better wrestling.\u201D Purple encouraged. \u201CCome on, Yellow Tentacles, you teach Blue a bit.\u201D Silver Grey added. Remember Silver Grey was a hermaphrodite and she could wrestle as well as any other Centaurian, she could certainly wrestle better than her shaky husband. So Silver Grey and Yellow set about teaching Blue Tentacles what they knew of their style of rough wrestling while Purple looked at the robes he was wearing. \u201CI\u2019m in the robes which are right for a free Centaurian and an engineer of the Galaxy Shipping Company.\u201D Purple thought, \u201CThere was such a long weary time when I was convinced I had to stay a slave. It\u2019s wonderful that I realized I can do something about that. The new life will certainly be better for me and hopefully Blue Tentacles will be happier with his new family as well.\u201D Then Purple thought, \u201CThe mistress always treated me kindly,\u201D he reminded himself, \u201CWhat would the mistress I love think if she just knew I plan to leave her defenceless young son with a family he hardly knows and join the Galaxy Shipping Company? May Our Lord the Sun forgive me.\u201D Silver Grey noticed that Purple had put his tentacles over his eye stalks and his oral cavity, also his whole body had become contorted with guilt. She left the boys to practise wrestling and went over to ask Purple what was wrong. Once she knew the problem she found a way of turning things to her advantage and her family\u2019s advantage. \u201CIf you stay with us there will just be another oral cavity to feed.\u201D Silver Grey suggested, \u201CIf you work for the Galaxy Shipping Company and use some of your wages to lend a hand lend a tentacle and provide for us that will help us more.\u201D The tentacles of the former slave sparkled golden and purple with relief as he prepared to start his free working life with a clearer conscience. Meanwhile there were exaggerated grunts and groans from the wrestling boys. \n* Chapter 16 Struggles"@en . . "The Aliens of the Flaming Red Sun/15 True Love never runs Smooth."@en . . "Purple rushed up and tried to explain to adolescent Blue Tentacles that he shouldn\u2019t quarrel like this with his new family. Diplomatically he didn\u2019t mention that in the servants\u2019 halls they sometimes laughed at the less practical Patrician fashions as well, instead Purple hurried the group to an eating establishment that he could afford and once they'd arived Silver Grey suggested the standard menu as she guessed Purple couldn't afford much. \n* Chapter 16 Struggles"@en .