Sharon Lee - - Prologue

C'mon, Theo, stand up. You've got work to do. Another sigh and she opened her eyes, saw the commanding shuttle pilot doing his end-of-flight stretch as he walked the ship.

"Time to move out, Pilot," he said mildly.

"Right." That sounded a little surly in her own ears, so she added, "Thanks," as she levered out of the chair, and moved down the aisle.

At the door she paused and looked back at him, surprising a look of sympathy on his face.

"Good lift," she said then, feeling like she owed him something for his concern.

"Safe landing," he answered quietly, as she dropped to the tarmac, waking the protest of six dozen bruises.

It wasn't a long walk to the office, but she was limping when she reached the door. There was a light on, of course; Hugglelans never closed. She set her hand against the door and pushed.

Aito glanced up from the console. He didn't look surprised to see her, even though she wasn't scheduled. On the other hand, he didn't look particularly pleased to see her, and Theo paused with her hand out, holding the door open.

"Should I go?" she asked him. "I don't want trouble."

He blinked, his professional smile snapping into place.

"Of course you don't want trouble," he said smoothly, gesturing her to come 'round the counter to the second chair. "You want a cup of tea and something to eat—and possibly an analgesic. I'll have a tray brought down from the kitchen. In the meantime, come and sit down, and tell me everything."

Splendid! she heard Father exclaim inside her head. You must tell me everything! She felt tears and a laugh rise together, coalescing in a sound something like a sneeze.

Aito raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, shaking her head. "It's just—you sounded so much like my father!"

He actually looked horrified. "That won't do at all," he managed, reaching out to flick a toggle on his board. "Come and sit down, Theo, before you fall down."

She did as she was told, settling into the old wooden chair with its short left leg. Tonight, the rocking motion was soothing and commonplace, when it was usually annoying. So she rocked, gently, and listened to Aito while he ordered food, and then called the restaurant main board, and arranged to shunt his console's business there.

"Until I take it back," he said, sharply, apparently in answer to how long this inconvenience was to go on.

Her fingers were twitching. Carefully, she folded them together on her knee. Aito hardly ever used the sharp side of his tongue; he must, she thought, be tired tonight.

"You may file a complaint with Father tomorrow if you—" He paused, maybe for an interruption, then continued with a full load of irony. "Yes. I thank you for your condescension, Seventh Daughter."

He closed the connection with a sharp move, and leaned back in his chair. Sighing, he lifted his hands and ran his fingers through his oiled hair, which didn't do anything more than make it sleeker.

"So," he said, giving her a grin that was less professional and more Aito. "What happened?"

The tray from the kitchen arrived while she was telling him everything; he poured tea for them both and shoved the plate of handwiches toward her. She took one, hardly attending what she did, and continued to talk.

When she was done, the plate was empty, a second hot pot of tea had arrived from the kitchen, and she felt—if not as energized as she had been after the hearing, then at least awake, on-task, and . . . determined.

"So, I'd like to put in my app for full time here at the yard," she finished, leaning forward, her cup cradled in both hands. "And to ask if I can claim a bed in the dorm—or rent a wayroom; I've got some money—"

Aito raised his hand, cutting her off. "One course at a time, Pilot. First, now that you are unburdened and fed—tell me how you feel. Do you require a physician? Will you have some painkillers?"

Theo considered that. Her hurts were mostly bruises and scrapes; while they nagged at her, she didn't think painkillers—no, she decided abruptly, definitely not painkillers. She needed to be alert.

It was an odd thing to think, here at Hugglelans, where she was safe, but she didn't question the rightness of her decision.

She looked to Aito and shook her head. "I'm . . . mostly all right. Healer el'Kemin said if I experienced any real trouble in the next seven days, then I should see him. If they'd let me."

Aito's eyes sharpened. "Seven days seems a peculiar figure," he noted.

Theo laughed slightly. "I said the same thing. It turns out he's put in his resignation, and he had to give academy admin seven days' notice."

"Oh," Aito said softly, and then, more loudly, " Oh ." He snapped forward, fingers flickering as he entered a cal code into the board. "Your pardon, Theo," he murmured, picking up the receiver.

The comm buzzed twice, then clicked as the connection was accepted.

"Father?" his voice was brisk. "It's Aito. I apologize for the—Yes. Anlingdin Academy's Healer has tendered his resignation, it—Seven days. Yes, sir. I have Theo Waitley here in the office. She has been dismissed for—I expect they are, sir. I—Inciting a riot and being a nexus of violence. No, sir. She has had tea and food. She reports herself capable and refuses painkillers, though she would like a job and a place to sle—Certainly, not. It would be most inappropriate. Indeed, I will tell her you said so, sir. About the Healer? Shall I—Ah. Thank you, sir. Your voice, of course, carries the—Pardon? One moment, if you please, I will ask."

Aito cradled the receiver against his shoulder and looked over to Theo. "What plans has Kara ven'Arith? Does she follow you here?"

Theo shook her head. "I don't know. She—I gave her leave to gather up my things and to do with them as she sees fit. But, her family's local!"

"Yes," Aito said seriously. "Her family is indeed local." He lifted the receiver to his lips again.

"Theo does not know her friend's precise plans, which is doubtless wise. The ven'Arith has accepted the burden of Theo's will, in the matter of private possessions left behind . . . yes. Good night, Father."

He cradled the receiver and sat staring at it for a moment before he raised his eyes to Theo.

"My father thanks you for your service to Hugglelans, and for bringing the news directly. We had, of course, heard rumors and rumbles, but we had not suspected that the explosion would occur so soon."

"I don't think anybody did," Theo said. "Pilot yos'Senchul thought something was . . . imminent, but not immediate. That's—I think that's why he had me get my card at the station."

"Short Wing is longsighted," Aito said, and Theo shook her head.

"You're going to have to find another nickname," she said. "He has both arms now. The new one's mech. Top grade, too."

Aito stared. "You tell me that yos'Senchul has accepted the prosthetic? That—" He glanced toward the console, hesitated, and murmured, probably to himself, "No, it will wait."

"About a full-time job," Theo said, after a long moment had passed and Aito hadn't said anything else.

He started, looked to her and straightened in his chair.

"Ah, yes, the job," he said, and it was his professional smile he showed her, which didn't make much sense, Theo thought, though her stomach thought otherwise.

"Unfortunately, we cannot hire you here at Hugglelans Eylot," Aito said, so smoothly that the sense of his words almost slid past her.

She gasped, now realizing how much she had depended on Hugglelans—how certain she'd been that she had a place here. But, of course, she thought, painfully, they didn't want trouble. They were local, too.

"However," Aito was continuing, "it may be possible that you will qualify for an apprenticeship position with Hugglelans Galactica."