Quarters had been empty when she'd come in, sweaty from a sudden death bowli ball match. She'd hit the shower, shivering pleasurably in the alternating cool and warm blasts. After, she spent more time than usual trying to get her hair to behave itself before sighing and going in search of something to wear.

She'd put on her best pair of black slacks, and was dithering between the black shirt and the cream-colored sweater when Asu came in and leaned a hip against the door.

"It is true!" she said, with such a note of finality in her voice that Theo blinked, trying to recall if she'd called Asu on something at breakfast...

Well, only one way to find out, she thought, refolding the black shirt.

"What's true?" she asked over her shoulder.

"The Scout courier is your friend! The one who sends you jewelry!"

"The one who sent me a necklace, you mean?" Theo shook out the sweater, feeling the necklace as a comfortable and usual weight 'round her neck.

Asu frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed."

"You're going to wear that?" Asu asked, like the cream sweater was -- gym clothes or something, Theo thought.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Asu said in her too-patient voice. "It's a nice, warm, serviceable sweater with a high neck and long sleeves."

"I'm not taking your point," Theo said, yanking the sweater over her head, as the hall door giggled. She emerged, and looked over Asu's shoulder.

"Hey, Chelly!" she called, pulling the sweater straight.

"Chelly," Asu commanded, without turning her head, "come here and be of use!"

"What now?" he wondered, pausing behind her shoulder and giving Theo a nod.

Asu flung out a dramatic hand, encompassing Theo, their shared room, and quite possibly the entire Anlingdin campus. "Look at that sweater!"

Chelly blinked. "Looks OK to me."

"For a date with a star pilot?"

"Well, why not?" Chelly said reasonably and shook his head. "Should've known you'd get that rumor," he added.

Asu looked at him over her shoulder. "It is not a rumor! He spoke to her in front of the commander, yos'Senchul and all gathered! He called her by name and said he'd be in touch!"

"Said he hoped to be in touch," Theo corrected hastily. "Which doesn't mean he's going to be able to get in touch. He's here on business, after all. Nothing to say that the Commander won't be sending him off tonight. She might have --" She gulped, suddenly panicked.

"Easy, it's still on the field," Chelly told her.

"The way he flies we would have heard the boom when he lifted," Asu added, acidic. "Honestly, Theo, you might have told me he was coming!"

Theo stared at her. "I didn't know he was coming!" she protested. "Why would I?"

"You correspond," Asu said loftily. "He sends you gifts."

"One gift," Theo corrected. "And, in case you hadn't noticed, that is a courier ship. He might not've known himself that he was coming to Anlingdon until he got his flight orders."

"True enough," Chelly said, firmly. "Give it up, Asu." He gave Theo another look over the other girl's shoulder. "Sweater looks nice, Theo. Don't let her bully you."

"Bully!" Asu swung around, but Chelly was already back in the common room, pulling open the shared coldbox.

"I will have you know," Asu said, following him, "that I do not bully Theo."

"Yeah?" Theo could imagine the look of skeptical interest on Chelly's face and grinned as she slid off the bunk.

She glanced into the mirror Asu had hung over her desk. The sweater did look nice, she thought, and the necklace, too. Her hair was a disaster area... She ran her fingers through it, trying to force it into seemliness. From the common room, Chelly and Asu's voices continued. In the mirror, her hair sprang back into wild disorder the second she took her hands away.

Sighing, she walked out to join her roommates.

"So, Chelly, what're you doing here?" she asked.

"Going to get the rest of my things out," he said, giving her a straight look. "I talked to the House Father, Theo. You'll take my slot, Asu'll move up to First Bunk, and you'll be getting a new Second Bunk start of next term."

"Theo's not a senior," Asu objected.

Chelly gave her a bland look. "Don't gotta be a senior to be unit senior," he said.

Asu drew a breath.

And the door bell rang.

"A pleasant evening to the house." He bowed slightly to Asu, who'd been closest to the door. "I am Win Ton yo'Vala, come to call upon Theo Waitley, if she will see me."

"I see you," Theo said softly, feeling kind of fluttery and light in the chest. Win Ton, she noticed, had changed out of what must've been his dress uniform, into a dark sweater and pants -- and his jacket. He looked over Asu's shoulder with a smile.

"I see you, also, Sweet Mystery. Is this everything that will be allowed us?"

She laughed. "Asu, you're not my aunt! Let him in."

"Certainly," the taller girl said. She took a fluid step back, and swept her arm out, head inclined in a very slight bow, indeed. "I am Asu diamon Dayez. Be welcome, Pilot yo'Vala."

"My thanks." Win Ton stepped inside, brown eyes flicking to Chelly, who gave him a matter-of-fact nod.

"Chelly Frosher, Pilot Admin trainee." He paused, and added, thoughtfully. "Friend of Theo's."

"I am pleased to meet you, Admin Frosher," Win Ton assured him gravely.

He turned slightly, and Theo felt her stomach tighten, which was silly. This was Win Ton, not some stranger, or --

"Pilot yo'Vala!" Asu said, sharply.

Win Ton's eyebrows rose, and he turned, perhaps faster than he had intended. Asu went back a step, and he became very still, hands belt high, palms out, fingers spread in the sign for "I'm no threat."

"I was wondering," Asu said, sounding breathless, "if it is in fact yourself who taught Theo to play bowli ball." She tossed her head and smiled, nervously to Theo's eye. "She's coy with names, our Theo."

"Ah, is she?" He sent a quick look to Theo, the corner of his mouth tight with the effort of holding the laugh in. "Shall I reveal all, Sweet Mystery?"

Theo felt her cheeks heat, but she met his eyes firmly. "All?"

He flung a hand up, as if in surrender. "No, you are correct! Word might yet reach my captain! But, to answer Pilot Trainee diamon Dayez -- in fact, I was one of three pilots who introduced Theo to the joys of bowli ball. As you know, the best game can be had with a foursome, and the other pilots must need work around their shifts, so we did not play as often as any of us would have preferred."

There was a small silence, broken at last by Chelly. "Theo learned to play bowli ball from a scout and two working pilots."

"Indeed." Win Ton turned, gently, to face him. "It would hardly have done to allow her to play with the passengers."

"Make that, a scout and two cruise line pilots," Chelly added, and laughed softly. He shook his head at Theo. "No wonder you got an attitude problem, Waitley."

"I don't have an attitude problem," Theo told him, but Chelly only laughed again.

"Who here has not had their temper fail them?" Win Ton asked, possibly rhetorically. "Theo, are you hungry?"

"Yes," she said, though she wasn't, exactly.

"Then we are well-met, and well-matched! I am famished. As I am in receipt of the coords to a binjali restaurant, perhaps you will join me for dinner?"

Light spilled from the ship's at rest lights, casting a circle that faded from ruby to pink along the tarmac. Walking at Win Ton's side, Theo crossed that magic circle and tried not to stare around while he spoke with the security team.

"This pilot and I will be lifting to coords provided by Flight Instructor yos'Senchul very shortly. Thank you for your care of my ship."

"That's all right, Pilot," one of the two answer, both saluting with a snap. "Will you be returning?"

"This evening, yes. We will, of course, file with the Tower."

It was said gently enough, but the guards seemed to take it as a rebuke. Another pair of salutes and they were gone, marching briskly down toward Admin while Theo followed Win Ton up the ramp and into the ship.

The lights came up as they entered the piloting chamber; Theo walking as lightly as she could, as if she would bruise the ship if she set her feet too firmly. It seemed as if Win Ton had forgotten her; he walked to the board, leaned over and touched a rapid sequence of keys and toggles. The ship woke with a soft, welcoming chime. He turned and gave her a smile as bright as the one she remembered.

"Hovering at the door? But that will never do! Come, you must sit second for me!"

Theo stared at him, suspecting a joke at her expense. "I can't sit second on a spaceship," she stammered. "I don't have the hours, or --"

"Tut and tut, Sweet Mystery!" He came back and took her hand. His fingers were warm, patterned with callus. "The pilot has asked you to sit second," he said, looking into her face with all of Win Ton's mischief. "It is, of course, a signal honor."

"Well, it is," she answered, defensively, but she let him lead her over to the second chair and show her how to adjust it, and where the webbing was. She tried to relax while he settled into the pilot's chair, her eyes drawn to the board, and something like...hunger in her middle....

"Now," Win Ton said calmly, his fingers dancing on a touchpad. "The pilot would take it kindly if Pilot Waitley would ride comm, and clear us with the tower. Coords --"

"Win Ton," Theo's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again, watching the side of his face, seeing concentration and ...something else. "Win Ton."

He glanced up, eyes soft with concentration. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?" she asked carefully, twisting her hands together on her lap so she wouldn't reach out and touch that tantalizing board, though she wanted to!

His gaze sharpened somewhat. "I am offering opportunity," he said, his tone precisely as careful as hers. "Will you grasp it? Or will you be shy and orderly?"

She knew better than to take a dare...well, mostly she did. But, that board... She swallowed and nodded, leaning forward.

"Comm is lit yellow," he said quietly. "The rest of the board is slaved to mine, so you may follow, if you like."

"Yeah..." she whispered, and raised a hand to finger the various toggles.

"Tower, this is Theo Waitley, sitting second on Torvin," she paused, glancing to the amused scout, who signaled there now, and her screen lit with ship numbers and info in proper sequence for her to read out, which she did, adding, "out of, Solcintra, Liad, local berth Number 9F. Torvin's pilot requests a tow to a safe pad at your earliest convenience."

There was a moment of perhaps shocked silence, then a voice she didn't know answered calmly in the affirmative. "Acknowledge, there, Torvin, we see ship systems coming live. We'll call out the horses and camels now, if you can wait that long."

Theo was grinning like a fool, and only part of that was the joke and Win Ton's resultant raised eyebrows.

"Where are we going? By way of where?"

"Very good, Second!" Win Ton said, and then that info showed up on screen and she recognized the sequence out of class a few days before, catching her breath, and then laughing.

"Ballistic? That's some gee-work, isn't it?" She might have whispered because Win Ton half-bowed, and whispered in reply, "Yes, it is."

The scout continued in a more normal voice ? "Watch the screens: is that a camel or a horse? And what is funny, Sweet Mystery?"

They'd brought round the tractor that towed the shuttle, and as she watched Win Ton enumerated the camera views, showing her how to change them. She paid scrupulous attention, saying, "That must be the camel, that's the one they only use on spacecraft. And what's funny is the ballistic routing. Asu told me, before you knocked, that everyone knew you were still on port because there hadn't been an outgoing sonic boom!"

She glanced at him, saw him manfully straighten the smile off his face.

"She did, did she? In that case, her reputation is mine to save. Please note these amendments, and file the corrected figures when queried."

In the meantime they could feel the tow start, and he went over radio and feed sequence with her, and bailout sequence, and how to set vessel on auto-land. With each quick lesson he looked at her, and it was hard not to keep looking at him, except she had to show that she'd heard by using the keys on her quiet board.

The tractor pulled free, and tower's voice was live:

"Torvin, your flight plan will be accepted by link, since we're getting good feed, please file, and we'll acknowledge."

Theo glanced at Win Ton.

"It is good form to strap in before liftoff," he said conversationally, "and please, file the plan."

Theo touched the send-switch and it was clear they were in the tower's eye because the response was instant, so she couldn't hit the acknowledge switch right back, because she was tangled in lap-strap.

"Be sure to file intentions with your destination, Torvin. You may lift at will after your launch signal. Enjoy dinner!"

"Send the duplicate routing on, Second, and I will ..."

Theo did that as Win Ton seemed to go half quiet before saying, "...please Asu diamon Dayez, no doubt."

The klaxon sounded tinny through the ship's outside ears.

"Now," Win Ton said, and engaged lift.

By the time they'd set down at the field by Howsanda Huggelans, with Theo riding comm, her head felt like it was in ...some other place; like it wasn't directly attached to the rest of her body. She'd followed the board lights, listening to Win Ton's soft-voiced explanation of what he was doing, interrupting only once, with a question.

"How do I get to do this?"

"This? Become a Scout?"

"No -- fly this."

"Ah!" He'd laughed, softly. "Much less difficult! Courier pilots need only be first class, with a demonstrated willingness to fly like a lunatic on any occasion." Her attention on the board, she'd felt, rather than seen him grin at her. "You would do well, I think."

"I think so, too," she'd answered, and lapsed again into rapt silence.

It was...peculiar trying to walk with her head at a cant. Win Ton offered an arm and she leaned on that, grateful for the support as they approached the desk.

A familiar looking man in a sleeveless vest met them, with a grin and a nod to Theo.

"You return!" said the waiter who wore too much vya. "And this time, you have forgotten your aunt! Very good, Pilot. A terrace table for you and your ...friend?"

"Yes," Theo said, straightening, but keeping a firm grip on Win Ton's arm. "Please."

They followed him up the ramps and let him seat them together on a cushioned bench by a secluded table overlooking the field. Win Ton laughed softly as they were momentarily left alone.

"You are known everywhere, Theo Waitley! And rightly admired."

She shook her head at him. "I was just here a ten day ago with Pilot yos'Senchul and Verandatha. Happens we had the same server -- luck, is all."

"Indeed," Win Ton said with a grin. "Luck." He leaned forward and touched her hand. "Now that the fascination of lift has evaporated, tell me of yourself."

"There's not much to tell," she protested, "outside of what I've been writing to you."

"Ah. Then tell me this: Why does Admin Frosher claim you for an attitude problem?"

"Oh, that," Theo said, as their server came back with the requested tea.

"Service, pilots?"

"Today's special," Theo and Win Ton said simultaneously -- and then laughed in the same heartbeat.

Their server smiled. "Today's special, it is. A moment while I gather what is needful."

"Now," Win Ton said, "tell me."

So, over tea, and befores, she told him. Win Ton was a good listener, asking questions only when she'd gotten off track; willing to wait while she sorted out her narrative. When she got to the part about Wilsmyth jigging her flight time he said something sharp in what she guessed was Liaden, though it wasn't in the lexicon she was laboriously sleep-learning, with Verandatha's permission.

"Where did he strike you?" he asked.

Theo raised her hand to her head. "It's healed now.."

"Let me see." He smoothed her hair back from the place; she shivered at the touch of his fingers, even as she leaned into it.

"So soft, like sea mist..." His breath was warm against her temple; his lips were soft against the place where the cut had been.

Theo closed her eyes, feeling a not-entirely-unpleasant roiling in her stomach.

"Yes," Win Ton murmured. "It has healed without a scar." He kissed the place again, and Theo reached --

"Will it please you to have dinner now, Pilots?" their server asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Win Ton eased back and considered him, before looking to Theo. "Pilot?"

She sighed, and met the server's interested gaze. "Yes," she said levelly. "Dinner would be most welcome."

"So," she ventured, after they had been served. "Now that you've heard my boring news, don't I get to hear yours?"

"That would appear to be a fair trade," Win Ton agreed slowly, and from the depths of an apparent minute study of the table's centerpiece. His shoulders rose as if he had taken an especially deep breath, and he raised his head, meeting her eyes with a startling degree of seriousness.

"Alas," he said, and she could hear him making the effort to keep his voice light, as if he were telling a joke. "My news is even more tedious than you own." He extended his hand to touch hers where it lay on the table next to her tea cup.

She didn't look down, but met his eyes, and tried to keep her voice light, too.

"A star pilot trumped by a student's tales out of school? Hard to believe."

He laughed, low in his throat. "Yes, but what could be more tedious than to learn that one's clan has finally found a use for one?"

She blinked. "They're calling you home?" But, she thought, he's a pilot! What would he do at home, if --

"For a short time only," Win Ton's voice interrupted these unsettling thoughts. His hand tightened over hers. "I'm to be wed, Theo."

"Wed?" She blinked at him. "But you joined the Scouts so you didn't have to be...wed."

He laughed, not happily. "No, I was given to the Scouts because I was more trouble to my honored kin than my then-current worth. But alliance is alliance, and unless I wish to stand eklykt'i -- which I assure you that I do not! -- I shall make my bow to duty." He looked at her earnestly. "You understand that it is merely a contract-marriage, and after --" His face lost some of its tension and the grin he gave her was very nearly his usual mischevious expression.

"After," he said, "I shall be free to do real work."

"Real work," Theo repeated. "Aren't you doing real work now?"

He lifted his hand from hers and made a short gesture of dismissal. "It is real, but -- not preferred. My goal had always been to be part of a survey team. My duty to the clan done, I may embrace it -- I hold the word of my delm on the matter! So..." He raised his tea cup, as if he offered a toast. "Let us put that topic behind us, if you please, Sweet Mystery, and speak of pleasanter things."

True to his word, he did just that, chattering away through the remainder of the meal until she was laughing, and matching him absurdity for absurdity. They were still laughing when they climbed the ramp hand-in-hand and the Torvin let them in.

Theo looked to the second chair, took a step -- and Win Ton's fingers tightened on hers. She paused and looked into his face, saw...something...and swayed back, as if it were part of dance.

"Win Ton," she began, and --

"Theo," he started --

And they both laughed again, somehow in the middle of it becoming tangled into a hug. His lips burned against her temple, and she hugged him tighter, wanting to, to melt into him, to --

She moved her head, and kissed him on the lips. He started, then pulled her closer, his arms so tight she could scarcely breathe, but that really didn't seem to matter. She slid her hands inside his jacket, feeling his back through the sweater. He dropped his head to her shoulder, nuzzling the side of her neck. His hand moved and she felt him touch the chain against her skin.

"You wear it," he murmured.

She laughed, shakily. "It's your gift to me. I wear it always."

"Good," he breathed. "Excellent." His lips charted a lingering course up toward her ear.

"There's a bunk," he whispered, his voice not at all steady. "Theo -- your choice. I --"

"Yes," she said, shaking, needing, wanting. "I'm not -- Win Ton; I haven't had a lot of practice."

He choked -- no, it was laughter, and the look he gave her was brilliant with delight.

"Well, then," he said unsteadily, "I stand ready. You may practice on me, if you wish."

"I do wish," she said, and reached up to kiss him again.

OR you may send a check or money order (in US funds only) to:

If you would like to donate to the Saltation project as a gift (or in someone else's name) please log directly into Paypal and use the paypal "send money" or direct payment method to make a donation to fledglingATkorval.com (where The Usual replaces AT).

When you do, please use Saltation Gift as the email subject. Please note the name and reasonable contact/ID information in the "Note (optional)" field so that we'll be able to identify the intended recipient in the event that $25 is accumulated in their name and they become eligible for a trade edition of Saltation, should one be produced.

Gift subscriptions can also be made by check or money order (in US funds only) through the mail to: