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the large cherry wood bookcases. Of course, there were no window hangings.
The door closed behind me, even before I d taken two steps into the office
that looked out over the inside courtyard.
Sit down, Daryn. Sit down. You look fit and rested. Father smiled. We could
have talked at home, but & I m old-fashioned. Business should be discussed in
the workplace. Otherwise, everything becomes business.
That was one of the few maxims of Father s that I had little trouble
accepting. I nodded as I sat down in the green leather armchair directly
across the polished cherry desk from him.
There s a great future for you almost anywhere you want to go, Daryn. My
father smiled broadly. With the years as an FS officer, and your educational
background, you could start in almost any section of UniComm.&
Did you see the rough cut of the piece on Cydonya? I asked.
It s very good. As a stand-alone, it will bring you a few credits, and you
can use it to show the talent in UniComm that you understand them.
I m not joining UniComm.
You can t live the way you re accustomed to on occasional net royalties from
a few edart pieces. Father s voice was reasonable, as it always was when he
was convinced that he was right beyond doubt or question.
I don t intend to. I ve got the FS retirement, plus a fair amount that I
saved while I was in the FS. It brings in almost as much as my retirement
stipend. I didn t mention the shares in UniComm I d received in trust from
Grandfather s estate. The trust had expired when I d turned thirty-five, but
the only thing I d done was ensure the dividends were reinvested into a
diversified portfolio. And & I ve already reached an arrangement with a
methodizing firm in Vallura. I shrugged. I was trained as a methodizer, and
they need someone who understands the FS.
Procurement weasels. Father snorted.
I have to start somewhere. I smiled. I guess I m sort of like Elora. I
wouldn t feel comfortable joining UniComm unless I could prove my abilities
elsewhere.
Father frowned, but the frown vanished with a rueful smile. You re more like
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her than I d have ever guessed. Well & if that s what you want to do You have
to live your own life, son, but I can t see as this freelancing methodizing
and edart work will lead anywhere.
It may not, I admitted. That s why I also worked out a retainer arrangement
as a freelance methodizer for EcLong.
Freelance?
I ve already gotten my first assignment.
That won t pay the bills for long.
I smiled. You may be right, and if you are, I ll have to figure out something
else. I knew that my being reasonable would be far more effective than
disputing him. And & well & if that s the case, we ll probably talk again.
I ll leave the offer open for now. He fingered his chin. You understand
that I can t promise how long that will be.
Yes, sir. I understood. At some point, Gerrat would be the one to control
UniComm, unless Elora relented, but I had my doubts about that. She d never
forgotten Father s offhand comment about wanting to see his sons continue the
family tradition.
Well. Father smiled again. I suppose that s it. I ll see you at dinner,
won t I?
For a few days. I m getting my own place.
That would be best, I think.
Since I d never really had one, it was definitely for the best. I stood, then
bowed. Thank you for understanding.
I can t say as I do, Daryn, but I understand you well enough to know you ll
do things your way and on your schedule.
That was what I hoped, all I could have hoped for.
Chapter 46
Raven: Tyanjin, 459 N.E.
The light rain that had been falling earlier had become more mist-like, and
despite the cool air, with the combination of the swift pace Elysa set, the
nanite body shield, and the humidity, I could feel myself heating up after we
had walked the first hundred meters past the untended gatehouse strangely
occidental in Sinese Tyanjin.
Where are we going? I asked, drawing up beside Elysa.
To show you your answers and then send you to make a choice.
Are you always this obscure?
When the future is at stake, it s necessary. She didn t look at me, but kept
walking. Look around. Look at the people those that are out.
Despite the gloomy weather, handfuls of people walked the street, and almost
all looked to be norms, fairly well attired, healthy-looking people. Unlike in
Noram, there were far more wearing multipiece outfits, with trousers and
collarless jackets, or even flowing robes in several cases. I didn t see any
smiles, but that didn t seem surprising in the rain. I certainly wasn t
smiling.
A younger man who was approaching, talking to a dark-haired woman, glanced up,
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