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she asked。
〃Insanity isn't a bad guess；〃 Cecelia admitted。 From the tone； she was neither surprised nor insulted by Heris's reaction。 〃There's been a certain … oh … eccentricity … in that family for some generations。 Some of us think that's why they got so rich so fast； they've got monetary instincts where the rest of us keep our mon sense。 This Station； though … let me see if I can explain it。〃
〃No one；〃 Heris said； watching on her own screen the display of crenellations； towers； stairs； arches； and cloisters； rotating but somehow not making sense； 〃no one could explain this。〃 Her eye tried to follow the progression of one staircase up to a square tower； which was suddenly not where it should have been。。。。 The staircase had to be going down。 Someone； she thought； must have made an error in the display。
〃It began with Bunny's great…great…uncle Pirdich；〃 Cecelia went on； ignoring the ment。 〃They'd just managed to recover from the worst the original colonists had done； and the lords of the Grande Caravan had been teasing them about how impossible it was。 He wanted to make a statement。〃
〃That Station is a statement？〃
〃Of sorts； yes。 He decided that having overe what everyone said was an impossible problem in reclamation； he would celebrate it by building an impossible space station。 Bunny's family's been overfond of the early modem period of Old Earth all along； this Station is built to look like a design by an artist of that period。 I don't know the name； visual arts is not my thing。
It is strange； isn't it？ And if you think it's impossible； wait until you see the internal configuration and the fountain in the central plaza。 Everything in it is taken from the work of the same person； and it's all delightfully skewed〃
Delightfully was not the word Heris would have picked。 In her experience； design problems in space stations caused everyone grief； especially captains of ships docking there。 Creativity should be subordinate to efficiency。 〃Are all three stations like this one？〃 she asked。 If not； maybe she could talk Cecelia into docking somewhere other than the prestigious but clearly impractical Home Station。
〃Of course not。 Once they had one unique impossible station； they wanted each one different。 Here … 〃 From Cecelia's desktop to Heris's the new visuals flashed： one like a stylized pinecone； in silver and scarlet； and one that looked like a worse mistake than the others； as if someone had dropped a pile of construction material onto a plate with a glob of sticky in the middle。 〃I think that's the worst；〃 Cecelia said。 〃It's a Dzanian design； very neo…neo…neo； and the fault of Bunny's aunt Zirip； who married a Dzanian； and insisted that her family's fondness for Old Earth was pathological。 You can't take anything very big into it； because the parts that stick out are nonfunctional； the docking bays are all nestled among them。 There's only one berth for a decent…sized ship； and that's where they do cargo transfer。 Zirip thought it was cute； she told me once； because it made for intimate spaces。
But Zirip is also the one who converted the closet in her room into her bed and study； and used the room itself for a dance studio。 Up until then； I'd thought the oddness in that family rode the Y chromosome。〃
Heris pitied the captains of cargo vessels loading and unloading there； but supposed they got used to it。 〃And the。。。 er。。。 pinecone？〃
〃Symbolic。 So they told me。 I've been there once； on a family shuttle； the docking facilities are lovely； but I got very tired of green and brown and the same aromatics all the time。 It has the most capacity； and most guest yachts will dock there。〃 At the end； that had the smug tone of someone who knew she was docking at a more prestigious slot； Heris sighed。 She knew what that meant … no hope of talking Cecelia into using another station。
Instead； she looked again at the information for inbound ships。 It might look like a peculiar sort of castle in the air； but it had modern； well…designed docking bays。 The guidance beacons； the munications and puter links； the lists of standard and on…request equipment and connectors： all perfectly normal； exactly what they'd had at Takomin Roads。 She wondered who in the family had had the sense to design the practical part。
〃What sort of facilities does it have for off…duty crew？〃 Heris asked。 She knew this was going to cause an explosion； and it did。
〃What do you mean； off…duty crew？ The crew goes to Hospitality Bay； as I explained earlier。〃 Cecelia sounded annoyed。
〃Milady。〃 That formality should get her attention。 Cecelia was susceptible； Heris had discovered； to very severe courtesy。 〃You have an entirely new set of environmental ponents； and the run here from Takomin Roads was just long enough to break them in … not long enough for this crew to be what I consider well trained。 I want a standing watch aboard …〃
〃The Station master won't like it； everyone sends their crews down to Hospitality Bay； and the ships are secured。 What do you think； that rustlers or smugglers or something will e aboard？〃
Heris didn't answer that； although she thought that leaving a ship uncrewed at a private station made it very easy for smugglers to do what they'd already done to Sweet Delight。 She waited。 Cecelia was not stupid； she would think of that herself in a few minutes。 After a silence； Cecelia's voice came back；
unsubdued but no longer angry。
〃I see。 You do think exactly that。 And someone did put whatever it was in my scrubbers。〃 It had now bee 〃my〃 scrubbers； Heris noted with amusement。 At least she knew what scrubbers were。 Cecelia went on。 〃Did you ever find out what that was？〃
〃No；〃 Heris answered。 〃And I doubt we will； unless it es to court。 My point is that we need a standing watch aboard； if you authorize it； the Stationmaster will agree。〃
〃But what about the expense？ And the crew expects their vacation at Hospitality Bay … won't they be angry？〃
〃Look … what if a pipe breaks while you're planetside； and floods dirty goo all over this carpet？ You don't like the lavender plush any more than I do； but imagine the mess。 Imagine what your sister would say。 As for the crew； that's my problem； if they're angry； they'll be angry with me。 Time they earned what you pay them。〃
〃You're determined； aren't you？〃 That with a slightly catty edge。
〃Where your safety and the integrity of this ship are concerned； yes；〃 Heris said。
The Stationmaster required all the weight of Cecelia's patronage to change his mind。 〃It is not the usual procedure at all；〃 he said。 〃We have that procedure for a reason； we can't have idle ships' crews roaming about the Station getting into trouble。〃
〃They won't be；〃 Heris said。 〃They'll be busy learning the new systems recently installed on this ship。 During their shipboard rotation； they will have very little time to roam about … and if you insist； I can confine them to the ship； although I would prefer to allow them a moderate amount of time off。 Lady Cecelia expressly requested that the crew be thoroughly trained … there had been incidents … 〃 She didn't specify； and he didn't ask。
〃Yes； but … we really don't have facilities。。。〃
〃Six individuals at a time aboard；〃 Heris