me; I say when we get back I will learn it first
thing.

"Well," says he, "I did my best to arrange privacy for all of you;
with so many ingenious idiots on board I'm not really surprised that
they managed to circumvent me. I had to cheat and check that you
really were on the list; and I knew that whoever backed out you'd
still be on board."

So I should hope he might: Horrors there is my first answer screwed
up on the floor and Writing side top-most.

However he has not noticed it, he goes on "Anyway you of all people
won't be thought to have dropped out because you were afraid."

I have just managed to hook my heel over the note and get it out of
sight, M'Clare has paused for an answer and I have to dredge my
Sub-threshold memories for--

WHAT?

* * * * *

M'Clare opens his eyes and says like I am enacting Last Straw, "Have
some sense, Lizzie." Then in a different tone, "Ram says he gave you
the letter half an hour ago."

What letter?

My brain suddenly registers a small pale patch been occupying a corner
of my retina for the last half hour; it turns out to be a letter
postmarked Excenus 23.

I disembowel it with one jerk. It is from my Dad and runs like this:

My dear Liz,

Thank you for your last letter, glad you are keeping fit and
so am I.

I just got a letter from your College saying you will get a
degree conferred on you on September 12th and parents if on
Earth will be welcome.

Well Liz this I got to see and Charlie says the same, but
the letter says too Terran Authority will not give a permit
to visit Earth just for this, so I wangled on to a
Delegation which is coming to discuss trade with the
Department of Commerce. Charlie and I will be arriving on
Earth on August 24th.

Liz it is good to think I shall be seeing you again after
four years. There are some things about your future I meant
to write to Professor M'Clare about, but now I shall be able
to talk it over direct. Please give him my regards.

Be seeing you Lizzie girl, your affectionate Dad

J. X. Lee.

Dear old Dad, after all these years farming with a weather-maker on a
drydust planet I want to see his face the first time he sees real
rain.

Hell's fires and shades of darkness, I shan't be there!

M'Clare says, "Your father wrote to me saying that he will be