- Prologue

'If it was all only so easy! But I digress. I saw you here and haven't caught you at DCCT lately.' Her hands waggled busy busy busy. 'Session ends become full with duty to school!'

'Not over,' Theo said, 'there's ummm . . .'

'Thirty class days,' Kara said, 'after today. Many of us will be wandering offworld very soon now. Are you going home to Delgado and kin?'

Theo sipped, shook her head. 'The time, the money, the tickets!' Her free hand emphasized do not mesh. 'I don't want to spend all my money and time in between, as much as I'd like the travel . . .'

'Hah. Will Win Ton your Scout friend be available to—'

Theo shook her head, hands saying, would do, more do not mesh.

'Don't mesh?'

Theo looked at the cup, seeing small particles in it.

'My Scout,' she said carefully, 'Win Ton. He's on his way to Liad, to be married.'

Kara opened her mouth, her shoulders leveling after she managed not to spill her drink. After putting the drink down she gave a short head nod and a hand-fluttering repeat of don't mesh.

'Oh, Theo—this is an unexpected lack of luck! In an orderly universe delms would have something more to do than looking for ways to discommode those of the—well, no, the delm's job is the clan after all. Liadens! He could be tied to clan-strings for a year or more!'

Theo sighed, wishing there was more tea at hand.

'He told me. I mean, he was careful to explain all of how it works. And then after that marriage, he's put in for a survey assignment . . .'

'Survey! Theo, that's wonderful for him.' Kara's face was bright. 'A good assignment and a way to stay out of the delm's sight.' She paused and, Terran-style, pointed a finger at Theo. 'And he bowed equal to you. This is not an act, done so publicly. He meant it!'

Theo smiled wanly.

'I believe he does mean it,' she said with a sigh, 'but that still means no visit during break, right?'

'Indeed,' Kara, said, suddenly sounding like yos'Senchul in her seriousness. 'That would shatter the Code in so many places . . .'

Theo shrugged. It wasn't like the Code, whatever it was, had anything to do with her.

'So you are just staying at the academy?' Kara shook her hand into rethink plan. 'The break dorms aren't much fun, you know. They crowd everyone into Plummer Hall, and have hard-set meal schedules, and . . .' She paused and gave a conspiratorial wink, 'and they keep strict compliance hours. Check rooms even. I did it first time around. It is to avoid!'

'You're going home, too? Who will I talk to?'

'I am not going home. That is also to avoid! If luck is not mine I'll spend session break with an uncle who has a small repair shop at Portcalay. My best hope is to pick up something at the Hugglelans job fair.'

'The what? Are you going to be a cook?'

Kara raised her eyes to the ceiling, and not finding the answer there, she opened her hands wide and gave Theo a stern look.

'Where have you been, Pilot Waitley? Do you think Hugglelans is just the Howsenda?'

Theo shrugged again.

'Well, I mean, they do have the restaurant . . .'

Kara covered her face in mock despair.

'Theo, Hugglelans is the largest fixed-base operator on the planet! They run the port—the landing zone, all the public spaces, the hotels and dayrooms, the maintenance shops, the cantinas, the whole thing! The Howsenda is . . . a sideline. No, I misspeak. It is a melant'i game, a show of strength, a brag . . . a hobby for the owners. Well.' She paused.

'So, be as may,' she went on, 'they offer all members of DCCT a chance to come to the job fair. They'll send an aircraft, they'll feed us, we take some tests, meet some people—you should come!'

'Do they all wear too much vya over there? And besides, that's a long commute!'

'Theo, you've got to start getting the DCCT message-mail! They offer room and board plus a small stipend— and you end up with a work record in the industry . . . Of course, if you think they might not take you, I guess it makes sense not to apply.'

Theo nodded, but then held hand to face.

'But suppose they offer me a cook's job?'

'Don't apply to the cook program, my friend. I'm applying to maintenance first, field crew second, flight support third . . . And honestly, to be out of here for a change, I'd take cook duty if it wasn't one of their reserved for executives specialties. At least try it, Theo, there's free lunch and dinner at the Howsenda.'

Theo laughed, hand fluttering assent, assent, assent.

'Excellent. Very good. So you have to go right after class to sign up for the job fair. Bova's on desk or maybe