"When do I go?" Jason shot the question.

"Tomorrow morning. Get a good night's sleep first. You'll need it."

* * * * *

There was one bit of ceremony attendant with the graduation. When Jason
came into his office in the morning, Brucco slid a heavy gun clip across
the table.

"These are live bullets," he said. "I'm sure you'll be needing them.
After this your gun will always be loaded."

They came up to a heavy air lock, the only locked door Jason had seen in
the center. While Brucco unlocked it and threw the bolts, a sober-faced
eight-year-old with a bandaged leg limped up.

"This is Grif," Brucco said. "He will stay with you, wherever you go,
from now on."

"My personal bodyguard?" Jason asked, looking down at the stocky child
who barely reached his waist.

"You might call him that." Brucco swung the door open. "Grif tangled
with a sawbird, so he won't be able to do any real work for a while. You
yourself admitted that you will never be able to equal a Pyrran, so you
should be glad of a little protection."

"Always a kind word, that's you, Brucco," Jason said. He bent over and
shook hands with the boy. Even the eight-year-olds had a bone-crushing
grip.

The two of them entered the lock and Brucco swung the inner door shut
behind them. As soon as it was sealed the outer door opened
automatically. It was only partly open when Grif's gun blasted twice.
Then they stepped out onto the surface of Pyrrus, over the smoking body
of one of its animals.

Very symbolic, Jason thought. He was also bothered by the realization
that he hadn't remembered to look for something coming in. Then, too, he
couldn't even identify the beast from its charred remains. He glanced
around, hoping he would be able to fire first himself, next time.

This was an unfulfilled hope. The few beasts that came their way were
always seen first by the boy. After an hour of this, Jason was so
irritated that he blasted an evil-looking thorn plant out of existence.
He hoped that Grif wouldn't look too closely at it. Of course the boy
did.

"That plant wasn't close. It is stupid to waste good ammunition on a
plant," Grif said.

There was no real trouble during the day. Jason ended by being bored,
though soaked by the frequent rainstorms. If Grif was capable of
carrying on a conversation, he didn't show it. All Jason's gambits
failed. The following day went the same way. On the third day, Brucco
appeared and loo