plopped herself down, spoon poised.
"Starved, if it's any of your business," the girl snappe Shoveling a mouthful in, she smiled blissfully as her mood visibly improved. "Haven't eaten in four months," she added.
"You must have just come off a ship," Hing said blandly.
"Yeah, the McIntyre," the servo wizard admitted.
Hing pointedly tapped the "employee" readout. "Then you don't work here, do you?" she asked sweetly.
"And neither do you, lady." The girl gave her a contemptuous glance. Hing wondered whether the child had read her mind, or was just guessing. She was glad that the revealing StarBridge logo was on the back of her jacket.
"You got a problem, or what?"
Hing's eyes narrowed. Rob Gable, you snake-oil salesman, I 'm never going to let you forget this. "The problem is, what you just did is stealing," she pointed out evenly.
Heather shrugged. "Who the hell appointed you judge and jury bitch? Who the hell do you think you are?"
Smiling evilly, Hing held out her hand. "Hing Own, your new roommate at the Academy at StarBridge. Rob Gable sent me to escort you down to the school"--she glanced at her watch--"and
19
if we don't leave now, we'll miss the shuttle."
Heather's mouth dropped open. A thread of hot fudge trickled out, rescued at the last moment by a swipe of her pink tongue. "Oh, shit]" she blurted. Her freckles disappeared as she blushed. "Uh ... I'm sorry! I... uh ... had no idea--"
"Obviously," Hing said dryly. "You won't have time to eat that. We have to go. The whole group's waiting."
"Just a couple of bites along the way?" Heather pleaded as she grabbed her dish and headed out the door after Hing.
"A couple of bites," Hing said as they reached the promenade level. "But it goes in the first recycler we pass."
"Okay .. ."
Hing did not glance around as they walked, concentrating on picking the swiftest, most efficient route back to the lounge. The considerably chastened Heather puffed as she kept up with the older student, but didn't complain.
When they got back to the lounge, Serge was already in midspeech. Hing, in the fore, waved unobtrusively at him and saw the worry line between his eyes smooth away. He nodded at her, still speaking in his flawless Mizari.
"... be taking the shuttle down to the Academy in just a few minutes. We appreciate your patience, and apologize for the delay."
"He's cute]" Heather whispered in Hing's ear as Serge repeated his speech in English and Heeyoon.
Hing turned to her charge and smiled at the worshipful expression in Heather's eyes. "Serge is nice. I'll introduce you," she promised.
Heather gave her a speculative glance. "Did you ever go out with him?"
The older student shrugged noncommittally. "We dated, yes," she said, reminding herself to be patient with the kid.
Heather's pale eyes grew distant. "You did more than just date him," she said a moment later with a knowing grin. "A lot more."
Hing took a deep breath, reining in her temper. "Listen, Heather, I don't know what it's like for telepaths back on Earth, but here at StarBridge, there are rules about reading people's minds without permission. Please don't do that again." The girl ducked her head, seeming genuinely abashed. "I'm sorry, Hing. Honest."
"Okay," the older student said. Glancing down, she noted that the child still held the melting remains of her ice-cream concoction. "I told you to pitch that," she said.
20
"You were going so fast I didn't have time to," Heather replied meekly.
"I was in a hurry," Hing admitted. Glancing around, she spotted a recycling chute in the nearest wall and pointed to it. "There's a chute over there."
"Okay," Heather muttered, and began threading her way through the crowd.
Hing turned her attention back to Serge, who was finishing up.
"... and please make sure you have your carry-on luggage with you, then follow me." The crowd began flowing forward, moving toward the escalator and the docking tube.
"Hey!" That was Heather's voice, raised in indignant
"Starved, if it's any of your business," the girl snappe Shoveling a mouthful in, she smiled blissfully as her mood visibly improved. "Haven't eaten in four months," she added.
"You must have just come off a ship," Hing said blandly.
"Yeah, the McIntyre," the servo wizard admitted.
Hing pointedly tapped the "employee" readout. "Then you don't work here, do you?" she asked sweetly.
"And neither do you, lady." The girl gave her a contemptuous glance. Hing wondered whether the child had read her mind, or was just guessing. She was glad that the revealing StarBridge logo was on the back of her jacket.
"You got a problem, or what?"
Hing's eyes narrowed. Rob Gable, you snake-oil salesman, I 'm never going to let you forget this. "The problem is, what you just did is stealing," she pointed out evenly.
Heather shrugged. "Who the hell appointed you judge and jury bitch? Who the hell do you think you are?"
Smiling evilly, Hing held out her hand. "Hing Own, your new roommate at the Academy at StarBridge. Rob Gable sent me to escort you down to the school"--she glanced at her watch--"and
19
if we don't leave now, we'll miss the shuttle."
Heather's mouth dropped open. A thread of hot fudge trickled out, rescued at the last moment by a swipe of her pink tongue. "Oh, shit]" she blurted. Her freckles disappeared as she blushed. "Uh ... I'm sorry! I... uh ... had no idea--"
"Obviously," Hing said dryly. "You won't have time to eat that. We have to go. The whole group's waiting."
"Just a couple of bites along the way?" Heather pleaded as she grabbed her dish and headed out the door after Hing.
"A couple of bites," Hing said as they reached the promenade level. "But it goes in the first recycler we pass."
"Okay .. ."
Hing did not glance around as they walked, concentrating on picking the swiftest, most efficient route back to the lounge. The considerably chastened Heather puffed as she kept up with the older student, but didn't complain.
When they got back to the lounge, Serge was already in midspeech. Hing, in the fore, waved unobtrusively at him and saw the worry line between his eyes smooth away. He nodded at her, still speaking in his flawless Mizari.
"... be taking the shuttle down to the Academy in just a few minutes. We appreciate your patience, and apologize for the delay."
"He's cute]" Heather whispered in Hing's ear as Serge repeated his speech in English and Heeyoon.
Hing turned to her charge and smiled at the worshipful expression in Heather's eyes. "Serge is nice. I'll introduce you," she promised.
Heather gave her a speculative glance. "Did you ever go out with him?"
The older student shrugged noncommittally. "We dated, yes," she said, reminding herself to be patient with the kid.
Heather's pale eyes grew distant. "You did more than just date him," she said a moment later with a knowing grin. "A lot more."
Hing took a deep breath, reining in her temper. "Listen, Heather, I don't know what it's like for telepaths back on Earth, but here at StarBridge, there are rules about reading people's minds without permission. Please don't do that again." The girl ducked her head, seeming genuinely abashed. "I'm sorry, Hing. Honest."
"Okay," the older student said. Glancing down, she noted that the child still held the melting remains of her ice-cream concoction. "I told you to pitch that," she said.
20
"You were going so fast I didn't have time to," Heather replied meekly.
"I was in a hurry," Hing admitted. Glancing around, she spotted a recycling chute in the nearest wall and pointed to it. "There's a chute over there."
"Okay," Heather muttered, and began threading her way through the crowd.
Hing turned her attention back to Serge, who was finishing up.
"... and please make sure you have your carry-on luggage with you, then follow me." The crowd began flowing forward, moving toward the escalator and the docking tube.
"Hey!" That was Heather's voice, raised in indignant
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