"Your generosity is overwhelming, Agaraku," he said. "We are in your debt."
Jack coughed. Daniel figured they were lucky he hadn't just spit the stuff out.
"This beverage has a most intriguing flavor," Teal'c said diplomatically. He swallowed the rest in one gulp, to shorten the torment.
"That's one way to put it," Jack muttered. Daniel ignored him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam take a generous swallow and somehow keep a smile on her face. Bless her.
Agaraku, their host, puffed up with pride. "Thank you. You are most kind. We make it from the rika fruit."
That explained it. Rika, which had been abundant at every meal here, was the fourth most revolting thing Daniel had ever tasted. He forced down a few sips as Agaraku went on to explain that the fruit was cultivated only on the highest slopes of their holiest mountain, Mount Ilda, and harvested for just four days at midsummer. Mount Ilda stood regally behind Agaraku, spewing smoke that Sam had sworn was not dangerous ... yet.
"Reku is very rare," Agaraku was saying, "and we are grateful to drink it in our linga ceremony. It is to be thanked for the continuation of our lines."
Daniel suddenly had a bad feeling about this, and it wasn't in his stomach. He looked at the circles of people surrounding the fire pit, and noticed for the first time that their numbers had thinned considerably. They were leaving by twos and threes, and they seemed very, well, interested in each other's bodies. Agaraku himself, when Daniel focused on him again, was staring at Jack like Jack was a rika fruit.
"Er," Daniel started. His team, following Daniel's glances, had clearly now noticed what he'd noticed. To Daniel's left, Jack cleared his throat. To his right, Teal'c suddenly seemed to be looming over Daniel.
Sam just shut her eyes and sighed. "Oh, not again," she said.
Agaraku's eyes widened, and he turned to Daniel in alarm. "What is the matter? Are you all well? Your Colonel O'Neill looks ill."
Jack cleared his throat again.
"Agaraku," Daniel said, knowing what the answer would be, "what does the linga ceremony celebrate?"
Their host grinned and spread his hands wide, causing his tunic to tighten over a suspicious bulge in his groin. "It is to ease and bless our unions, of course! Why else would we journey all the way to the foothills of Mount Ilda?"
To the left, a low voice growled out through clenched teeth, "Daniel?"
Oh, crap.
Thanks for reading!