It gave him a headache but he’d usually feel better inside.
Then there was the morning when Jeran required help to bring in a large ship of Mrdini specialists who wanted to prowl through all the bits and pieces that Denebians had found of the original two Hive scout ships. As Jeran had no `Dini language skills, Rojer had to perform the landing courtesies. That gave him his first contact since the tragedy and, to his surprise, he slipped easily into the required formalities of body and language. Then, too, these were `Dinis he’d never met before nor would be likely to meet again so there was no real personal involvement.
Isthia had been right, Rojer decided on his return home. Time did heal. He recognized that he had taken one more large step out of mourning. He began to spend more time with Asia and had managed to teach her to fry her own fish without burning it.
Rojer? His uncle Jeran’s voice was unmistakable. `Port yourself here.
Rojer had also learned over the last year not to expect explanations from Jeran so he saved the problem he was working on the Engineering Teach and checked to see if his clothes were clean enough for a Tower appearance. He’d depilated his face that morning and had had a recent trim, though today’s scrutiny in the mirror made him realize that the Gwyn silver lock seemed to have broadened.
Finger-combing it back from his forehead, he exhaled a deep breath and `ported himself to the plascrete apron at the foot of the Deneb City Tower.
As well he picked the spot he did, for there were quite a few vehicles parked just beyond him, and several of the ubiquitous Denebian ponies in the turn-out field.
He wondered what was up.
By the time he had assessed the population of the large Tower room and `felt’ the agitated presence of his cousin, Asia Eagles, he decided that today was Test Day for the several engineering students of Deneb City. He took the Tower steps three at a time. Jeran welcomed his breathless nephew with a solemn nod – his uncle could be more methody than his father ever was – and pointed to the one free workstation.
There were six, back to back and arranged so no-one could see into the other. Asia was in the workstation opposite him. He gave her an encouraging grin because her complexion had an odd green tinge to it.
`Maybe he shouldn’t have sprung the test on you so suddenly?’ he whispered as he sat down.
`He knows how I’d fret,’ Asia said, looking sicker than ever.
`You’ll do grand, Asia. You’re faster’n’me in jojunctions and quantums.
She cast him a dire look. `No-one’s faster’n you at quantums, -` NO TALKING! `Of any kind, Jeran added aloud.
`I’m the monitor.’ Asia made a sorrowful grimace.
`Your stations will display the test questions in precisely one minute four seconds. Two hours are allowed for the first section, to be followed by a break of fifteen minutes during which you may move about or relieve yourselves. There are four papers, with a half-hour break for lunch. You may, of course, leave the test-station whenever a paper is finished.’ A mixture of groans and guffaws met that statement.
Jeran permitted himself a small smile. `It has been known to happen.
Is everyone prepared?’ Deeper groans greeted that query.
The dark screen before Rojer suddenly lit and the initial page of the first paper presented him with a problem he knew he could answer easily. That gave him considerable self-confidence. He’d show them all * `There’s no way I’ve passed,’ Rojer heard Asia groan in a tone of abject defeat at the end of the examination day.
`Don’t come on like that with me, Asia,’ he said as sternly as he dared. Even with him, she’d sometimes retreat into a silent unresisting victim. `I’ve been working with you too long. I know your abilities. And I won’t have you belittling yourselfHe did a little `tinkering’ to encourage more optimism. `There wasn’t a single problem we haven’t gone over and you know all the structural ones because we’ve gone over them together. So, we’ll just wait and see if I failed, too.’ Shocked out of her self-denigration, her ripple of laugh bubbled up, slightly hysterical with disbelief You? Fail? Rojer, you couldn’t!’ `Since I know as much as you know, then you couldn’t either.