‘Very good, Nava Ward,’ Lambert Stenger said. ‘Today, we will be going over the mathematics of quintessence theory so that you all understand how variance in the scalar field affects the universe and your magic. The explanation you’ve just heard is a simplification of the true nature of quintessence, but it is the one we give when discussing the subject at its most basic level and it meets our needs when using quintessence to enact changes in reality.’
It was, Nava thought, probably going to be a tough but boring lesson. She had a moderately good grasp on the basics of quintessence theory. You needed it to do even the most basic of magical improvisation. Knowing how quintessence worked was pretty basic to magic of any form, but she supposed they had to go over it in the first year because there were bound to be some students who had no education in metaphysics at all.
Her desk flashed up a message window and Nava’s eyes flicked to it. A message from Mitsuko, which might be important. Besides, Nava could split her attention between that and Lambert Stenger without difficulty. A gesture opened the message. All it said was ‘Are you free on Saturday night?’ That was going to need clarification at lunch.
~~~
‘I’ve been invited to a family party,’ Mitsuko said at lunchtime.
‘A party?’ Nava asked.
‘That’s what it’s called, but it’s more of a political gathering. Boring, but I’m required to attend. I would like you to escort me.’
‘As your bodyguard? I would have thought that the Trenton family could handle its own security.’
‘It’s overkill, but considering the situation and our, um, suspect list, I would feel happier if you were there to handle security at a personal level.’
Nava looked at Mitsuko for a long second, holding her eyes. Mitsuko looked back, a slight smile on her face which spoke of encouragement rather than mischief or deception. ‘I don’t have clothing suitable for some high-society dinner party.’
‘It’ll be catered, obviously, but it’s more of a buffet than a dinner. Your table manners will not be found wanting. I’ll take care of a suitable dress. Don’t worry about that.’
‘You can’t say no,’ Melissa put in. ‘The Trenton family is one of the most powerful on the planet! You won’t get the chance with that kind of company very often.’
‘That is not an encouragement to go,’ Nava said. ‘I have no fear of inadvertently insulting someone due to bad manners, but those are not really my kind of people.’
‘Then I suppose I’m not,’ Mitsuko said. She did not sound especially affronted.
‘You are a student here, just like me and… I suppose I shouldn’t judge other members of your family without meeting them.’
‘I assure you that some of them grate on my nerves. Others, however, do not.’
‘And I did agree to act as your security until the election is decided. If you have concerns, I should be there. You are asking a lot of me, Suki.’
‘I know,’ Mitsuko replied, smiling brightly. ‘I’ll make it up to you somehow.’
‘Hm. How are we getting to wherever this junket is happening?’
‘It’s taking place at my family home. Family home as in the house my parents own. They’ll send transport for us. All you need to do is have an overnight bag ready on Saturday evening.’
235/2/9.
‘That’s the transport?’ Nava asked. The school had a heliport because it was not exactly close to anywhere and sometimes important people needed to get there in a hurry. Actually, important people who had to visit the school were almost always in a hurry, so the heliport saw reasonable use. Today, the Trenton family had been given permission to land a tiltrotor there. It was now visible on final approach.
‘That’s it,’ Mitsuko said.
‘That’s a combat aircraft, Suki. Your family has sent something designed for ground suppression during infantry landings to pick us up.’
‘I guess they’re taking security seriously.’
‘How do they even own something like that?’
Mitsuko shrugged. ‘Sonkei clan.’
‘Right. How long are we going to be in the air?’ Nava checked her ketcom; it was six in the evening.
‘Around ninety minutes. We’ll have about thirty minutes to get changed. Uh, do you have any makeup with you?’
‘In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t really wear makeup.’
‘I’d noticed. We’ll use some of mine. You should really go the whole way if you’re going to dress up for this.’
‘Is it too late for me to turn around and run screaming for my apartment?’
Mitsuko shook her head. ‘I don’t believe you’d run screaming from anything, never mind a social gathering.’
‘There’s a first time for everything.’
The Trenton Mansion.
The flight proved uneventful. That was fine with Nava since, given what they were flying in, anything that might have been a threat was also something she would not have been able to deal with. The aircraft came with six miniguns, twin multibarrel rocket launchers, chaff and flare dispensers, multimode radar and lidar, a fully stocked galley, very comfortable seats which reclined into beds, and two very attractive cabin crew, one of each sex. Admittedly, the galley, seats, and crew were not going to help in a fight, but they did make the journey seem to pass quicker.
After roughly eighty minutes in the air, Nava was looking down upon the estate which Mitsuko had grown up on. There was a substantial amount of open country nestled against a low, weathered mountain range to the north. There were a few small forests, a couple of lakes, but much of the ground was grassland of one type or another. From the air, you could see various houses dotted around the area. Not small homes either; these were small mansions with a couple of wings each, outdoor swimming pools or tennis courts. Only the one they were flying toward had a helipad.
Mitsuko’s ‘family home’ looked more like the residence of a planetary ruler. It was a big, multilevel mansion with both indoor and outdoor swimming facilities, courts for tennis and basketball, and a carefully
