A Family Picnic

The setting would have seemed idyllic were it not for her alarm. The lake's water was calm and blue, the sun was shining, and a number of dinghies and rowboats were taking advantage of the conditions. Many - or perhaps all - of them must have come from the small dock visible perhaps a quarter of a mile away.

The family around the table had now spotted Astra, who was only about twenty yards away, and were looking at her with slightly bemused expressions on their faces. She imagined that her clothes might look rather outlandish to them. (After all, they had seemed rather outlandish to her when she had first seen them, she reflected.)

They were a handsome family. They were all fair-complexioned but dark- haired. The man was bearded and wore his hair long. He was dressed in a knee-length garment similar to a toga that was coloured pale blue. The woman's hair was short. She wore a long lime-green dress. On one wrist was a golden bracelet. The two children - a boy and a girl - both looked to be about twelve; Astra thought that they might be twins. Both wore white toga- like garments and had short hair.

The table had folding legs and had obviously been brought by the family to this attractive spot so that they could have a picnic. (Though it seemed to Astra to be rather early in the day to be picnicking.) The four were eating bread rolls spread with a bright blue foodstuff with a similar consistency to cream cheese.

1. The man greets Astra in a friendly fashion. "Hello. Where did you spring from?"
2. The man's hand goes to the dagger at his waist.
3. The man reaches inside his toga and pulls out a sort of metal tube with a handle at one end. He points the device at Astra.
4. The man speaks to Astra, but unfortunately in a language that she does not know.

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