this point, with the psychological profile
prepared and all appropriate recommendations
made. For the first time, now, she would be the one
to speed the woman into her new existence.
Marje studied the specs. The woman was
physically robust – correspondents were remodelled
to a great extent, but it helped if they had
a good frame to hang the extra work on in the first
place. That wasn't really her concern. Her problem
was: if this woman's social preparation had broken
down once, could her mind retain the far more
intense conditioning required of a correspondent?
The fact that social preparation hadn't taken wasn't
necessarily a bad sign – a correspondent's
personality, such as it was, was practically rebuilt
from the bottom up anyway, while social preparation
was just a gloss laid down on top of an existing
human mind. But experience had shown that the
deepest layers of the human mind persisted,
despite all attempts to eradicate them, and could
sometimes push themselves up even through a
correspondent's conditioning.
Marje felt sorry for the subject and she felt sorry
for the other half of the Gonzales/Zeng partnership,
the woman's husband; very likely neither
would ever see the other again, and even if Alicia
did make it to Recall Day at the end of the Home
Time, it would be the new correspondent's personality
that would be in charge. The woman had had
her go at life in the Home Time and she had been
found wanting, yet here was her chance to make a
real contribution. The data she supplied would be
snapped up by the people of the Home Time: the
entertainment networks would base shows on it,
fashions and trends would derive from it, society
would be enriched by the understanding gained
from this peek into its past. Terrible things had
happened in humanity's history when people lost
sight of their past – where they came from, what
mistakes had been made on the way. The College,
and the correspondents especially, helped prevent
that happening ever again.
Marje spoke. 'Subject Alicia Gonzales/Zeng
accepted for the correspondents programme.
Authorization Orendal.'
'Witness Asaldra,' Asaldra said. The business was
done. 'If that's all . . .'
'Apparently.' Marje herself still had to catch up
with a lot of her predecessor's affairs, but the end
was in sight. And she could tell from the way
Asaldra was, well, hovering, in the polite way that all
assistants had, that he had more in store for her.
'Well?'
'Just that the Patricians' Guild would like to send
someone to introduce you to your responsibilities
as a member of the patrician class. No time
has been set but you have a free slot at 14:00
tomorrow.'
'Patricians' Guild?' Marje exclaimed.
Asaldra raised an eyebrow. 'Naturally. A
commissioner must be a patrician.'
'I . . . I had no idea. And I'm only Acting.'
Marje's thoughts were whirling. She had known she
could bring something to this job, but patrician !
The perks – and responsibilities – of a patrician
were enormous. A vastly increased salary, which she
would be expected to use to sponsor and support
deserving individuals. Close social contact with the
great and the good of the Home Time, an apartment
like Daiho's, increased allowances of just
about everything – and the expectation that she
would allow the power and privilege that accrued to
her to trickle down to the sponsorees she took
under her wing. Being a patrician could be a full-time
job in itself.
'Even so,' Asaldra said. 'What answer should I
give?'
Thus bringing Marje back to the matter in hand
– the Patricians' Guild. 'Delay them,' she said.
'Same excuse – I'm waiting to see if it's permanent
or not. They'll understand.'
'Of course.'
The conversation had reminded Marje of a
question that had occurred to her earlier.
'Hossein, I have to ask . . . um, I'm sorry, there's
no easy way: is there a reason why you weren't considered
for this position? You'd have been a far
more logical choice than me. You were Li's
assistant, for one
prepared and all appropriate recommendations
made. For the first time, now, she would be the one
to speed the woman into her new existence.
Marje studied the specs. The woman was
physically robust – correspondents were remodelled
to a great extent, but it helped if they had
a good frame to hang the extra work on in the first
place. That wasn't really her concern. Her problem
was: if this woman's social preparation had broken
down once, could her mind retain the far more
intense conditioning required of a correspondent?
The fact that social preparation hadn't taken wasn't
necessarily a bad sign – a correspondent's
personality, such as it was, was practically rebuilt
from the bottom up anyway, while social preparation
was just a gloss laid down on top of an existing
human mind. But experience had shown that the
deepest layers of the human mind persisted,
despite all attempts to eradicate them, and could
sometimes push themselves up even through a
correspondent's conditioning.
Marje felt sorry for the subject and she felt sorry
for the other half of the Gonzales/Zeng partnership,
the woman's husband; very likely neither
would ever see the other again, and even if Alicia
did make it to Recall Day at the end of the Home
Time, it would be the new correspondent's personality
that would be in charge. The woman had had
her go at life in the Home Time and she had been
found wanting, yet here was her chance to make a
real contribution. The data she supplied would be
snapped up by the people of the Home Time: the
entertainment networks would base shows on it,
fashions and trends would derive from it, society
would be enriched by the understanding gained
from this peek into its past. Terrible things had
happened in humanity's history when people lost
sight of their past – where they came from, what
mistakes had been made on the way. The College,
and the correspondents especially, helped prevent
that happening ever again.
Marje spoke. 'Subject Alicia Gonzales/Zeng
accepted for the correspondents programme.
Authorization Orendal.'
'Witness Asaldra,' Asaldra said. The business was
done. 'If that's all . . .'
'Apparently.' Marje herself still had to catch up
with a lot of her predecessor's affairs, but the end
was in sight. And she could tell from the way
Asaldra was, well, hovering, in the polite way that all
assistants had, that he had more in store for her.
'Well?'
'Just that the Patricians' Guild would like to send
someone to introduce you to your responsibilities
as a member of the patrician class. No time
has been set but you have a free slot at 14:00
tomorrow.'
'Patricians' Guild?' Marje exclaimed.
Asaldra raised an eyebrow. 'Naturally. A
commissioner must be a patrician.'
'I . . . I had no idea. And I'm only Acting.'
Marje's thoughts were whirling. She had known she
could bring something to this job, but patrician !
The perks – and responsibilities – of a patrician
were enormous. A vastly increased salary, which she
would be expected to use to sponsor and support
deserving individuals. Close social contact with the
great and the good of the Home Time, an apartment
like Daiho's, increased allowances of just
about everything – and the expectation that she
would allow the power and privilege that accrued to
her to trickle down to the sponsorees she took
under her wing. Being a patrician could be a full-time
job in itself.
'Even so,' Asaldra said. 'What answer should I
give?'
Thus bringing Marje back to the matter in hand
– the Patricians' Guild. 'Delay them,' she said.
'Same excuse – I'm waiting to see if it's permanent
or not. They'll understand.'
'Of course.'
The conversation had reminded Marje of a
question that had occurred to her earlier.
'Hossein, I have to ask . . . um, I'm sorry, there's
no easy way: is there a reason why you weren't considered
for this position? You'd have been a far
more logical choice than me. You were Li's
assistant, for one
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