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n smuggling。
〃And you're the newest crew member？ What made you decide on this job rather than another？〃
Sirkin blushed。 〃Well。。。 it was a。。。 friend of mine。〃 From the blush and tone of voice； a lover。 Heris looked again： blue eyes； brown hair； slender； unremarkable face。 Just very young； and very emotional。
〃Aboard this ship？' She kept her fingers crossed。
〃No； ma'am。 She's back at school … a third…year in ship systems maintenance。
If I'd signed with a corporate ship； they'd have expected me to stay with them forever。〃 Not really forever； Heris knew； but to the young even the basic five… and ten…year contracts sounded permanent。 〃When she graduates … she's not exactly at the top of her class … we wanted to be together； same ship or at least same pany。。。。〃
〃So this is a temporary； until she graduates？〃
〃Yes； ma'am。 But I'm not treating it any less seriously。〃 That in the earnest tone of the very young。 Heris allowed herself to smile。
〃I should hope not。 When are you planning to leave Lady Cecelia？〃
〃It depends； really。 She'll graduate while we're at that fox…hunting place … at Sirialis； I mean。〃 Sirkin's fingers twitched。 〃Lady Cecelia expects to get back to the Cassian System about six local months after that； and she won't take offplanet work until she hears from me。〃
You hope； thought Heris。 She'd seen more than one juvenile romance collapse when a partner was offplanet for a year or more。 〃You'll have to keep your mind on your duties；〃 she said。 'It's natural to worry about her； but …〃
〃Oh； I don't worry about her；〃 Sirkin said。 〃She can take care of herself。 And I won't be distracted。〃
Heris nodded； hoping they hadn't sworn vows of exclusion or anything silly like that。 Those were the ones who invariably got an earnest message cube at the next port； with the defaulting lover explaining what happened at excruciating length。 In her experience； it always happened to the best of the younglings in her crew。 〃Good。 Now； I plan to have the crew cross…train in other disciplines … would you prefer another bridge assignment； or something more hands…on？〃
Sirkin grinned； and Heris was almost afraid she'd say How fun … but she didn't。 〃Anything you wish； Captain。 I had two semesters of drive theory and one of maintenance； but I also had a double minor in munications and puter theory。〃 Very bright girl； if she'd topped out in her nav classes and done that as well。 Heris approved。
〃We'll try you in munications and the more practical side of shipboard puting systems； then。 That should keep you busy enough。〃
〃Yes； ma'am。〃
〃That's all； then。〃 With a last respectful nod； Sirkin left。 No salute。 Heris refused to give in to the wave of nostalgia she felt； she shrugged it away physically and drew a deep steady breath。 No more salutes； no more old friends she could call on to find out； for example； what was known about the members of her new crew。 She might have that later； as she made friends in the Captains Guild； but not now。
And at the moment； that was her most pressing need： knowledge。 According to the ship's record； all the crew but one had been supplied by the same employment agency。 A good one： she had chosen to sign with them herself because of their reputation； they supplied crew to major mercial lines and trading corporations。 Lady Cecelia was part of an important family； surely they were not sending her their dregs。。。。 Yet she had the feeling that at least half these people were below average。 She hadn't expected that； not with the wages Lady Cecelia had offered her； and was paying the crew。 She should have gotten more for her money。 Sirkin was the only really top qualifier； just going by their records … which she didn't。 Records only told so much。
She punched up the local office of Usmerdanz； and worked her way up the levels until she found someone she could really talk to。 〃Captain Serrano。。。 yes。〃
The owner of that silky voice had found her reference in the file； she could tell。 〃We。。。 ah。。。 placed you with Lady Cecelia …〃
〃Yes；〃 she said； interrupting。 〃I notice that Usmerdanz also placed other crew members； and I was wondering if you could give me some details。〃
〃All pertinent details should be in the ship files；〃 the voice said； with an edge as if a knife lay under the silk。 From their point of view； she was the unknown quantity； she had been on their list less than a month； and there would always be questions about someone of her rank who resigned a mission without explanation。 〃Surely Captain Olin left the files open…keyed。。。。〃
〃I've accessed the ship files；〃 Heris said。 〃But I find nothing equivalent to
our … to the Space Service's fitness reports。 Are periodic evaluations handled by the captain aboard or。。。 ？〃
〃Oh。〃 The knife edge receded behind the silk again。 〃Well。。。 there's no established schedule； not really。 In the mercial ships； of course； there's always some sort of corporate policy； but not on private yachts。 Usually the captain keeps some sort of reports。 You found nothing？〃
〃Nothing；〃 Heris said。 〃Just the data that might have been in the original applications。 I thought perhaps you …〃
〃Oh； no。〃 The voice interrupted her this time。 〃We don't keep track of that sort of thing at all。〃 Far from it； the tone said。 After all； one could hardly remend someone known to have problems on a previous vessel； best not to know。 Heris had known Service people with the same attitude。 〃If there's nothing in the ship files；〃 the voice went on； 〃then I'm afraid we can't help you。 We could supply inplete data on education； background … but nothing more than that。 Sorry。。。〃
Before the silken…voiced supervisor could disconnect； Heris asked a quick question。 〃How do you choose which to remend to which employers？〃 A long silence followed。
〃How do we what？〃 No silk remained； the voice sounded angry。
〃I noticed that only Sirkin … the newest crew member … ranked particularly high in her class； and she's told me she was looking for a short…term job on a yacht for personal reasons。 The others generally rank in the middle quartiles。
Yet Lady Cecelia's paying top wages； I wondered why you weren't remending these positions to your most qualified applicants。〃
〃Are you accusing us；〃 the voice said； all steel edge now； 〃of sending Lady Cecelia unqualified crew members？〃
〃Not at all；〃 said Heris； although she suspected exactly that。 〃But you aren't sending her your cream； are you？〃
〃We sent you；〃 the voice replied。
〃Exactly；〃 Heris said。 〃I know I'm not on the top of your list of captains。。。
and I shouldn't be。〃 As she had hoped； that admission soothed some of the anger in the voice on the 。
〃Well。 That's true。 I suppose。〃 Heris waited through some audible huffing and muttering； and then the voice went on。 〃It's like this； Captain Serrano。
There's good people … qualified people … who aren't right for every opening。
You know what I mean； surely you had people even in the R。 S。 S。 who were good； solid； dependable performers in ordinary circumstances； but you wouldn't want to have them in charge of a cruiser in battle。〃
〃That's true；〃 Heris said； as if she'd never thought of it herself。
〃We supply crews to all sorts of people。 We tend t