The Captain kept looking at Foster as if we were not there, as if he had just seen another piece fall into place, and he wanted to look again to see if he could recognize the picture now. Foster continued without prompting, seeming to take no notice of our reactions. They wear karubahns around their necks all day and night. Your karubahn tells where you were born and who your parents are, any famous ancestors you've had, your maru . It tells where you've lived and what notable deeds you've done.
Every morning begins with a ritual.
Foster got down on his knees and mimed holding something the size of a saucer in front of his face. A man kneels and reads his karubahn . Or I'd steal one. One that said I was rich and handsome and smart as a whip. One that said I could outdrink, outfight, and outscrew any man for a hundred miles around.