I'm not built that way--and
very few women are, Dominant or Receptive."

Smith had not expected this, but now he felt a warm glow in his breast.
He almost wanted to put his arm about the woman's shoulders,
protectively. How could such a delicate beautiful thing be expected to
fight?

The instructor said, "I won't argue with you. I can't remember a woman
ever lasting in Wortan fighting, but if they're Dominants they're
automatically entered. The rest of you can do like--"

The words came out before Smith could stop them. "In that case, can
anyone tell me the difference between a Dominant and a Receptive?"

There was a lot of laughter in the room, and Smith thought it would have
been the same had he, as a child, asked the difference between boy and
girl. "Ah, old Earthsmith!" he heard Jorak's voice. "Everytime he opens
his mouth new wisdom spews forth."

Pale eyes looked out of the instructor's blood-red face. "Obviously,
you're joking. I'm here to answer questions, among other things, but you
couldn't be serious."

And Smith heard his own dull voice reply:

"No, certainly not. I was only joking."

Said Geria, "Silly, a Dominant has more psi-powers, that's all. But you
really didn't know, did you?"

"There are no psi-powers on Earth to speak of," Smith reminded her.

"Hmm, very true. In that case, maybe you're all Receptives--male and
female. But don't feel too badly, Smith; Wortan's the same way, and
Wortan has a first-rate culture. Look: they even have an instructor here
at the school."

The instructor of Wortan fighting was a Wortanian, of course. And here,
in Wortan fighting, Smith might feel at home. But he hardly expected to
excel at the school by breaking someone's back, or pinning him
helplessly to the Wortan mat. Suddenly he found himself thinking of
Earth, thinking of the trust that had been put in him as Earth's first
student at the school. But his thoughts did not remain there long--his
eyes took in the soft yellow of Geria's hair, and Earth faded far away.

"--volunteers," the instructor was saying. "Does anyone want to step on
the mat with me for a fall or two?"

"I recommend Earthsmith," came Jorak's voice. "Positively--Earthsmith's
your man."

Smith felt his face becoming very red again, but Geria nudged him with
an elbow. "Go ahead, Smith--why not? You told me once you didn't fear
anyone in the room of the registrar, not in physical combat. Go ahead."

"I know, but--"

"Go ahead, Smit