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re； Mr。 Gavin； and there's a fire somewhere aboard … do you know if the door will unlock？〃
〃No。。。 no； I didn't。。。 I don't。。。〃
〃And that's why we have emergency drills； Mr。 Gavin。 To find out； before we find that we're locked in dark； airless boxes while a fire rages somewhere。〃
Before he could say more … and anything he said now would enrage her … she thrust the hard copy of the manual at him。 〃Here； start learning this。 I'll make additional hard copies； and I'll expect you and your section chiefs to have marked necessary modifications within forty…eight hours。〃 He was too stunned to react； he took the manual and backed out。 Heris watched the door slide closed behind him； and then shook her head。 It was much； much worse than she'd thought； to be the captain of a rich lady's yacht。
Lady Cecelia had never thought of herself as an old lady。 Age had nothing to do with it； nor the number of rejuvenation treatments。 As long as she could ride to hounds； as long as she could go where she wanted； and do what she wanted； and cope with whatever life put on her plate； she was not old。 True； she didn't pete in some fields where once she had been at the top； but that she thought of as outgrowing old interests … as developing new ones … as a natural shift from one thing to another。 Old people were those who had quit changing； quit growing。 Some people quit growing at twenty； most by forty or fifty； and became old within a decade。 They would live another thirty to fifty years … longer with rejuv … but they lived those years as old people。 Others … her own grandmother Serafina for one … seemed to stay lively and interesting until the last year or so before their deaths。
Staying away from the family kept her from feeling old； too。 Nothing like children growing up and turning into difficult adults to make you feel your age。 Particularly if they thought you were an old lady； and treated you as one。 She did not look at herself as she dressed in her soft velour exercise suit； she did not want to be reminded of her age。 If they were in the gym； she'd throw them out。 It was her turn。
But the gym was empty； silent； scented with her favorite aromatics。 They had not been here； the cushions of the lounger had dried。 Cecelia locked the doors and set up her simulator。 She would ride this morning； no matter what anyone said。
An hour later； refreshed after a pleasant but demanding ride over a training field； she stowed the simulator and pocketed the cube。 This was not a group she wanted riding over her shoulder； so to speak。 She didn't want to hear whatever they might say。 She looked at the gym's status board； and saw that they were all still in the guest suites。 Fine。 She stripped； showered； and let herself into the pool enclosure； blanking the canopy and turning the waterstream up a little。 The pool's surface heaved； then steadied； as the current increased。 She swam against it vigorously； then climbed out； toweled dry； and wrapped herself in her heated robe。 Another check of the board； they were moving now。 She grabbed her exercise suit and headed for her own suite； she should be safe。
They did not meet at breakfast。 Cecelia ate in her own suite； as she often did anyway； and she paid no attention to the young people。 She had her own daily routine … checking with Cook； listening to Bates's report； going over whatever her captain chose to tell her about the ship status。 With Olin； that had often been a single bare statement that the ship was proceeding according to plan。 She wondered about Serrano。 The first day's report had been two pages long； most of it inprehensible detail about why she'd chosen to move something from one storage hold to another。。。 as if Cecelia cared。 As long as staff knew； and could find； whatever she wanted； she herself didn't want to worry about something as technical 〃center of mass〃 and 〃potential resonance interference。〃
This morning； it was one page； headed with 〃Emergency Drills。〃 Cecelia blinked。 Why should that concern her？ The crew would have emergency drills； she assumed； but yachts； unlike liners； did not have to inconvenience their passengers。 She read on； already resisting the idea。 This Captain Serrano must think she was still a military mander。 Her house staff to be given emergency assignments？ She and her guests expected to learn and follow emergency procedures？ How absurd！ She remembered the fire drills； long ago when she had attended the Sorgery School； and how they had all known the drills were useless。 If a fire ever did start； it would not wait around for people to get out of bed； find their assigned partner； and 〃walk down the stairs quietly； without talking； and without pushing or running。〃
Captain Serrano's reasoning； when she got that far； made somewhat more sense。
She had not really thought about the things that could go wrong； barring late meals or illness in a crew member。 The vulnerability of a small yacht wandering through interstellar space hadn't occurred to her； everyone she knew traveled in space； and the rare disappearances and accidents were no more frightening than accidents groundside。 Sometimes trains and aircraft and limousines crashed； sometimes yachts disappeared。 For a moment she almost felt it； the fragility of the ship； the immensity of the universe； but she pushed that away。 It was like thinking about the fragility of her skull and the size of a horse and the fence it was approaching。。。。 If you thought about it； you'd sit in a padded cocoon forever； and that was ridiculous。
Still。。。 perhaps some emergency drills might be a good idea。 Not this many； and certainly not without adequate warning （what if she were in the swimming pool？） but some。 She called Bates。
〃Yes； madam。 Captain Serrano has already spoken to me about this matter … she considers it important to your welfare。 She would like to help me give your staff instruction； although that would take time …〃
〃Before these emergency drills？〃
〃Yes； madam。〃
〃I suppose。。。 it's something that should have been done before； though none of the others plained。〃
〃Captain Serrano seems very petent； madam。〃 Which meant that Bates approved。 Damn。 She had better agree； so it could be her idea； because when Bates approved of something； it happened； owner or no owner。 She had wished more than once that he was her captain。 He had a talent for mand。
〃Very well； then。 You and the captain see to it； but if she gives you too much trouble； Bates； feel free to let me know。〃
〃I don't think she will； madam。 She's not like the others。〃 Whatever that meant。 Cecelia didn't ask。 She asked how the young people were doing； with no real interest； and Bates reported that they had appeared to enjoy breakfast； and were now viewing old entertainment cubes in the lounge。 Cecelia felt an unreasonable irritation that they were happy。 They were her guests； they ought to be concerned about her。 She went into her garden to play with the miniature equids。。。。 They would always e for sugar。
Ronnie watched Raffaele covertly； and wondered if she had heard about the opera singer。 He hadn't really noticed before； thinking of her as George's girl； but she had a lovely line of jaw and throat when she lifted her head。
Slender with