Unlike those in the more sophisticated areas, these people weren’t ashamed of sticking with their own kind for safety. The simple fear of violence tends to make sentients cling to easily identifiable groups. Humans struggled with racism for centuries; it turned out the way to overcome it was to replace it with something nearly equivalent. We passed by a group of reddish sentients that had things on their heads resembling feathers. One of them muttered something about “humans” that I could only assume was derogatory. His anger was greatly misplaced: I treat everyone the same. “By the way, you really handled yourself well back there,” Diane told me. “I’ve been doing this a long time, Detective. I may not know all your laws and procedures, but I know how to get things done. Sometimes criminals say I’m a bit mean, though.” Diane chuckled. “I think in a situation like this, yours is the kind of attitude we need.” She was nervous. She knew she was going to step over a line and needed to feel it was justified.
