Trader's World Read Online Free PDF Page A

a smile. "Or maybe they knew a bit less , and maybe that helped. When I was in your shoes, ten years ago, I found it wasn't the things I didn't know that got in my way. It was all the things I knew about the Traders and the regions that weren't so. I'm sure that some of you have brothers and sisters and parents who've been through this course." To Cesar Famares, Jake Kallario, and Melinda Turak, Connery's eyes seemed to pick them out and focus on them exclusively. "I'm sure they've told you all sorts of things, and you've picked up all sorts of others from the rumor mills on your way here. Well, early on we're going to unlearn most of what you think you know. First, though, we'll have a roll call. There are forty-four of you. If you want to know how good a Trader you are—today, without training—then try to remember everyone's name as you hear it. I know, it sounds impossible. But you'll have to be able to do that—and a lot more—before you'll pass Trader training." He pointed. "From the far right. First name, last name."
    The roll call got off to a shaky-voiced start, then passed smoothly along the rows of desks. Except for the person speaking, the room was silent with total concentration. Some people were scribbling notes, others mouthed each name as it was given.
    "Judith Brindel."
    "Simone Agnus."
    "Brendan Lausanne."
    The names rolled on, until they finally reached the front row.
    "Tomas Liviano."
    "Carlos Oyonarte."
    "Mikal Asparian."
    Cesar Famares gave a little grunt at that name and nudged Melinda Turak below desk level. She raised her eyebrows at him. He shook his head.
    "Tell you later." He breathed the words so she could only just hear him. But Melinda thought she also picked up an increased interest on the part of the instructor when that one name was given.
    The youth in question was two rows in front of her and four seats to her left. She stared at him. He was certainly not promising in appearance. Judged in sitting position he was below average height, with a thin face and a long, stringy neck. She could see only a rear half profile, but his nose looked flat and his browridges prominent. His skin was sallow, almost yellowish. And the hair! It was dark and lank, cut in the farthest thing from Trader fashion that she could imagine. He wore a dark long-sleeved shirt of some coarse-grained material, an outfit that neither Jake nor Cesar—nor anyone who was anyone in the Trader families—would be seen dead in.
    And yet he was an Asparian—a top Trader family! That didn't make much sense. Melinda looked again at Cesar Famares, but he was staring toward the front of the classroom. The roll call was ending.
    "Good." Lyle Connery was leaning against the front wall, bare arms crossed. "Anyone here think they remember everyone's name?"
    The trainees looked at each other. No one spoke.
    "Very good." Connery nodded. "Chances are, a few of you could make a fair shot at most names, even before you've been trained—you were pretty well screened before you got here, and you're supposed to be smart. But if you could name names, you all had the sense to keep quiet about it. You're going to find that advice in the Traders' Rule Book: 'Always know more than you reveal.' Now, I don't want you to apply that rule right now, so let's have some honest answers. How many of you have already seen a Traders' Rule Book?"
    The trainees were looking around at one another. After a few seconds Cesar Famares lifted his hand. His two friends did the same, and finally twenty or so hands were raised.
    Connery nodded. "All right. So you people are going to have a little advantage—for a few days. The rest of you, you'll find a stack of Rule Books waiting for you on the table by the window at the back of the room. I want each of you to take one. And I want everyone word perfect on every rule one week from today. You won't understand many of them, that comes later—for some of them, a lot later. But if you learn nothing else in the next