FREE STORIES 2012(49)

She looked at him in surprise.

"Well, I must, if ever I want to free my license of that wretched notation of candidate!"

"Yes, of course," he said, and used his chin to point at the paper she still held. "Do I hear that you are interested in filling that position, assuming that immediately is found to be accommodating?"

"I am, yes."

"Very good." He put his cup down and stood, slipping the paper away from her with his natural hand while the fingers of his prosthetic spelled out, rise! quick lift!

Startled, she came to her feet. "Sir?"

"Go quickly and pack. If I may -- pack heavy, lest there is a dorm cleaning while you are away I will meet you at the shuttle in an hour."

"Sir, but --"

"I had said that I thought first of you. Having done so, I sent the master mechanic my recommendation, forwarding your references from Hugglelans, which were available to me, as your adviser. He replied that he would have you, if you were interested. We have established that you are interested. And I should tell you that immediately in this instance means, according to Master Thelly, three days or a week ago."

"But, I --"

"You may send an introduction from the shuttle," he interrupted. "Or perhaps you've changed your mind, and that is why you stand here when your ship needs you?"

"No, sir!" She cried, and bowed -- respect to an instructor.

Then, she ran.





#





Kara's personal effects, with those things that Theo had entrusted to her, were in the shuttle's modest holding area. She was in the pilot's chair, Pilot yos'Senchul sitting second. Once they had broken orbit, she had 'beamed a message to Master Mechanic Thelly, introducing herself and informing him that she was on her way to take up duty.

She was doing the set-up for Codrescu approach when the master's reply arrived, telling her to find him in Sub-sector Blue Eleven's machine room after she'd been cleared through.

"I'm going to have to hit the deck running," she commented, not unpleased by the prospect of getting right to work.

"union   rates," her co-pilot murmured. "Be certain to keep track of your hours; Master Thelly is quite capable of working three shifts in four, and he expects his assistants to do as much."

She shot a glance at him, but only saw the side of his face, calm as it usually was, his eyes on his screens.

"That sounds like the voice of experience," she said. "Did you 'prentice with Master Thelly, Pilot?"

"In fact, I did, some few years ago. He was at first. . .doubtful. . .regarding the utility to himself of a one-armed assistant. I was able to put those doubts to rest, and learned a good deal in Balance." He glanced at her.

"You will find the master a thorough teacher."

"Good," said Kara.

The board pinged for her attention, then, and she gave it.





#





"This way, Pilot," yos'Senchul said, waving her into a dim side passage that was definitely not the route to the Station Master's office.

"Master Thelly. . ." she began.

"Master Thelly will still have work for you in half-an-hour," he said.

Kara sighed and followed him, the peculiar taste of station air on her tongue. She had been to Codrescu Station a dozen times or more, and thought she knew its maze of corridors pretty well. This hall, so thin that she and Pilot yos'Senchul -- both comfortably Liaden-sized -- needed to proceed in single-file, wasn't at all familiar. It was a utility hall, she thought, noting the access panels set high and low. Well, perhaps it would soon become familiar.

Ahead, their hall ended in another -- and this one Kara did recall.

"The Guild Office?" she asked.

"Indeed," he answered. Before them was the door, and a guard beside it, sidearm holstered.

"yos'Senchul and ven'Arith, to see the Guild Master," her companion said. "We are, I think, expected."

"You're on the list, pilots," the guard confirmed, opening the door for them. "Straight ahead."





#





Guild Master Peltzer ran her card, made a noise strongly reminiscent of a snort, and nodded in her direction.

"Be a couple minutes to review your files, Pilot. You wanna make yourself comfortable here? I got a feeling Pilot yos'Senchul wants to have a private word with me. Is that right, Orn Ald?"

Pilot yos'Senchul inclined his head gravely. "You know me too well."

"Just about well enough, I'm thinking. Step into my office. Pilot, please, take some rest."

The two men stepped in to the Guild Master's inner office and the door closed. Kara, too energized to sit, or to be comfortable, walked quietly to the small green garden across from the intake desk, its tall fronds waving in the breeze from an air duct. An agreeable gurgle of running water came from somewhere in the depths of the tiny jungle.