When I descended the stairs there seemed to be no 1 in the house except Gallett. I expected that of her. That was how she was, about me, about Prescott, about Vettra, for she stayed for Vettra as well. It must have caused her some number of shifts in her schedule and she as well as Arthre would have to face the consequent displeasure.
There was no trace of any of that in her as she stood to greet me with a smile which held her hope and her readiness of be of any further assistance.
I sank upon the nearest couch but sat forward and rubbed my forehead, then sheltered my face in my hands for brief moments. I sat back as Gallett came to me with a cup of soup and sat beside me.
	"You should drink this," she tapped the cup and drank from her own for companionship.
I nodded and took a swallow. The heat felt good in my throat.
	"Were you able to inform Prescott?"
"Yes. It went well enough. She will go now to the integration site."
	"She can have use of the flyer," Gallett offered.
"I have told her she is to go with the carc. If she manages the carc and to last the course I will consider her as of some worth and decide whether she can enter any edge of my life. Whether I will acknowledge her as mine in any public venue." I sighed heavily and set the cup on the table before me. "I don't know when I have done anything more difficult. I would rather face the source lines again and again, and unprepared every time, than do this. Than to have done it and to know that I have and remember that I have."
	"I know," Gallett said softly, and she did.
We sat quietly for a time and then she said, "Why you did it should ease you. You know the absolute of why you did it. And now there seems there is a chance of success. A good chance. So far it has gone well. It has followed the general outline."
"What did Vettra say? Is she here?"