me to stay aboard the Chang until you make up your mind,
either as my assistant or simply as a guest."

Corina was puzzled--what ideas could he possibly have about her
future?--but all she said was, "I thank you for your kindness; I do
need time to adjust."

"Probably less than you think, from what I've seen." Medart seated
himself, taking a sip of coffee. "Tell me about yourself."

Corina made a gesture of dismissal. "There is little to tell, I fear.
Until my Talent was accidentally discovered four years ago, I led a
normal, quiet life. Afterward, I received training in how to use it,
as well as going to tertiary school. Though my Talent was late in
developing, it was strong enough for Thark to take an interest in me
and supervise my training until he took it over completely. Otherwise
there is nothing notable."

"That isn't exactly what I meant," Medart said. "I was thinking more
about things like how you get along with your family, how you feel
about other people, that sort of thing."

"Again, there is nothing truly unusual. I moved to MacLeod's Landing
when my Talent was discovered, to make my studies under Thark possible.
The Order, as is customary, was supporting me until my initiation, as
well as providing tuition for my advanced schooling. I remain grateful
for that, despite what I now know of them. My parents and I get along
well enough, though we are not close. We simply have very little in
common. The same is true for my other relatives, including my
siblings."

"What about other people?"

She laid her ears back in what Medart recognized as a frown. "That is
difficult to explain. It is not that I have trouble associating with
others, because I do not. More and more, however, I find myself
reacting as an observer rather than as a participant, especially in
purely social gatherings. That disturbs me."

Better and better, Medart thought; that was a pretty good description
of the detachment a Ranger needed to maintain impartiality. "Don't let
it," he advised. "I feel the same way most of the time myself; it's
nothing to worry about. You said you'd planned to go to the Academy;
do they do pre-testing here?"

"Yes." Corina allowed herself a brief purr. "I did well enough to
receive conditional acceptance by the main Academy on Terra."

Medart raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, though I wouldn't wish Test Week
on my worst enemy. Emperor Chang, query the local comps for those
records, ple