The mating season of the Larken Beasts was generally considered to be one of the top things to check off on ones list as far as colour watching was concerned. Billy was never a huge fan of tourists and during mating season they came in droves. Although, he was well aware of the fact that he couldn’t complain, as he made a decent living selling disposable cross-polarized glasses with the built in level four gaussian wavelet colour splitter to those very same tourists. Much of that living was made during the short Larken Beast mating season and for any serious colour watcher the glasses were a must have accessory.  Colour watching had become one of the galaxies biggest fads in recent time, surprisingly attracting both the high end of societies to those that performed the more menial cycle to cycle tasks. Searching the galaxy for new and amazing colour displays was primarily that task of a few adventures that would sell there discoveries to the various travel adventure agencies. Some would act as guides taking the most affluent to remote and obscure sectors of the galaxy. However, most colour watchers were just regular tourists trying to make their neighbors jealous, which meant that a really good colour watching trip would require the additional distractions commonly not found at the outer reaches of the galaxy. XOXO was one such place for distractions, more specifically, the place. Even as the draw to XOXO had become as much about the distractions as the colours, there were truely few comparisons to the display of colours seen as the Larken Beast rose out of the western sea just as the two suns dipped below the horizon and the third order eruptions of the XOXO’s volcanoes glowed in the background.  Especially if you were wearing your disposable cross-polarized glasses with the built in level four gaussian wavelet colour splitter.  Across the known galaxy there were many other popular tourist destinations to marvel at great colours displays. For instance, there were the intense connecting jet stream electrical storms of the great gas giants of Zheeep, or the glowing plasma spools that were slowly being sucked into the binary black holes of Qwattle-Bix 4, or even the ever so impressive array of colours of the annual Lake Winnipeg magnetically induced ionized algea blooms.  However, here on XOXO it was the Larken Beast that attracted the most dedicated all the way down to the casual colour watcher. It was said that most colour marvels would entrance and encapsulate, but the Larken Beast was one that could almost be touched.   Almost was key.  The Larken Beast were known to be rather solitude creatures and were not fond of physical contact with other creatures, particularily during mating season, unless of course it was by another Larken Beast, or two.  There were numerous stories about colour watchers that would be become overwhelmed with the colour display and would desperately reach outwards and in a impossible attempt to touch it. This, unfortunately, would invariably ended up in various alien appendages scattered across the beach.  As majestic as these creatures were, they were also known for their very short tempers and were remarkably quick when annoyed. The local council on XOXO had placed signs all along the beaches, in the hotels, shops, bars, casino’s and most importantly in the various galactic travel brochures, such as the very popular, but mostly out of date, Hitchhikers Guide. However, even with all the clear warnings, overly enthusiastic tourists would commonly try to get just a little bit closer for that special spectroscopic picture they could proudly print out in holographic hyperspectral 4D and show off to their jealous neighbors.  The council once thought about putting up various force fields along the beach, but in the end the occasional case of alien carnage gave the experience an added touch of danger making it much more of an attraction. The roar of the Larken Beast as it quickly demonstrated its superiority over unsuspecting tourists was a spectacular sight to see during the mating season and was arguably responsible for XOXO becoming the tourist meeca that had now become. So in the end the local council weighed its options and decided the ensuing lawsuits were a small price to pay.  They were also considered deductable on XOXO. As colour watching had grown in popularity Billy’s sales of disposable cross-polarized glasses with the built in level four gaussian wavelet colour splitter had also grown. This is increase in popularity also resulted in a few tourists each season having an unfortunate encounter with a Larken Beasts jaw.  For Billy, the sunset was turning into much like any other dusk and he had only a few glasses remaining in his satchel.  As he continued to walk down the beach another batch of tourists were making there way to at set of smart-lounge chairs that were set up strategically along the beach.  This particular group of tourists were, unfortunately, Earthlings all decked out with their fancy colour watching gear.  In many respects Billy considered them to be the worst type of tourist “ … yap yap yap yap …”. They had an annoying tendency to go on and on about which colours they’ve seen and show off each others selection of holographic 3D hyperspectral images. Each one trying to outdo the other with the best, most up to date colour watching technology. He was always surprised as then spent more time paying attention to personal holographic displays than actually watching the colours in real time. The irony was not missed on Billy as he stopped and stood there with his pale brown five small humanoid toes sinking into the dark wet sand and wondering whether he should bother going over a trying to pawn off the last of glasses.  There was always at least one Earthling who was relatively new and felt awkward as they stood there not having the right colour watching equipment. In particular, a pair of cross-polarized glasses with the built in level four gaussian wavelet colour splitter.   “Hmmmm ….”, Billy thought to himself out loud wondering if it was worth it. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with Earthlings, or any tourist for that matter this evening. “Don’t bother Billy”, said a deep harsh semi-slurring voice, “Its not worth the trouble” Billy looked over and saw Ffrred Ssppler there in one of his usual spots having a relaxing early evening beverage. “Why don't you have a seat and relax, its probably been a long day. I’ll buy you a tasty thirst quenching beverage … and maybe if were lucky, we might just get to see one of them reach out to the colour” Ffrred said. Billy continued to look towards the Earthlings for a short moment with his two small eyes still fixated on the group of Earthlings settling into the smart-lounge chairs which adapted to their personal characteristics. He then turned and made his way to a free  non-adjustable lounge chair next to Ffrred. “What would you like to drink? XOXO’s best sludge or a pint of Guinness, one of the few great things that came from your home planet.”  Ffrred said as he looked intensely at the can with most of his eyes, “thank Morell-o-binifficant-Or-elli for the floating widget” “Sludge please,” replied Billy as he reached out a took a fresh can of Sludge that Ffrred had taken out of a cooler attached to his personalized portable beach chair. “Shouldn’t be too long now ...”. Ffrred lifted five of his six eyes up from the can and looked out over the western sea with two of those shortly thereafter turning towards Billy, “How much for a pair of those glasses?” Billy turned towards Ffrred.  Sometimes he wondered about Ffrred, not that there was any need to worry about the guy.  On the contrary, he owned probably half the hotels and casinos on the best beach strip on XOXO.  Not to mention a whole slew of other corporations and business entities across the galaxy.  There was even a rumor that he owned a factory that made disposable cross-polarized glasses with the built in level four gaussian wavelet colour splitter. Credit was not a problem for Ffrred. “5000” Billy noted the going price in local XOXO currency, which was traded as hard cash rather than via credit devices. They were also, for tax reasons, extremely handy as they were difficult to track. “hmmmmm … prices going up again eh, must be those dam unions not doing their jobs” “Actually nope, same as last week” “Hmmmmm … lets see how much I have on me.” Ffrred pressed a small button on his chair and opened a spring loaded dispencing device, “here is 5000 and a little extra for all your hard work”. Ffrred leaned over towards Billy, “Just don’t tell the wives.” Fortunately for Billy it was not really all that hard work and for Ffrred, no wives. It was at that moment as Billy placed the 5000 and tip into a pocket on the outside of his satchel that he felt a small splat of liquid across his bare fore arm while at the same moment various screams filled the quiet early evening air.