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Tenet 14
Punctuality is paramount.
- Dr. H. VynFleet, 132 Tenets of Childcare & Maintenance
Emilia
Emilia clutched her bags and gazed across the customer service counter at the employee with the nametag that said Gox.
Gox eyed her back suspiciously.
“The reservation should be under Ra’as Drayven,” she said for the third time. “He just had me flown here in a chartered craft. I know he wants me to be there on time. Do you really not have a reservation under Ra’as Drayven?”
“Oh, we’ve got a reservation in his name, Madam,” Gox drawled. “But I can’t say that it’s for you.”
“Who else would it be for?” Emilia asked, beginning to lose her patience. “Is anyone else here picking up a car for Sir Drayven?”
The other customers pointedly looked away from her.
“First of all, it’s Master Drayven,” the boy said. “You would know that if you actually worked for him. He’s a master architect. Secondly, he would never reserve a FleetPace for you.”
“Why not?” Emilia asked, nervously smoothing down her already smooth plaid skirt. She’d chosen the long skirt, along with a modest sweater, because that was how Pralexx usually dressed, and she had been the best nanny in the agency for years before the lotto incident. Emilia thought it might help her confidence to look the part.
“Well, uh… I mean, you know,” Gox said, looking a little embarrassed.
“No, I don’t know,” she said. “Please explain.”
“It’s a high-performance machine,” Gox said quietly. “And Terrans aren’t exactly known for fast reflexes.”
Emilia stared at him in open shock.
Of course, she knew that Terrans were considered second-class citizens by most of the galaxy. They had been the last to conquer space travel, so naturally they were behind on technology, and therefore they had fewer credits than most.
It was one thing to know what the other races thought. It was another thing altogether to hear someone say it to her face.
And to question her reflexes when she was in line in front of a big awkward Bergalian, and a woman whose race she didn’t know, but who appeared to basically be a glob of amorphous goo in a flowered hat…
That was obviously just the boy’s biases speaking.
But she was new to the planet, and representing the Drayven family. She knew better than to make a fuss.
“I’ll tell you what,” she said calmly. “Why don’t you rent another vehicle to me - whatever vehicle you think is appropriate, but be sure it’s sturdy and reliable.”
“On Master Drayven’s credits?” the boy asked, looking a little scandalized.
“I’ll take care of today’s fee,” she said magnanimously. “You can confirm with him, and he can take over payment tomorrow.”
“We’ll have to put a hold on your accounts for payment in full,” Gox said worriedly.
“Of course,” Emilia said, willing herself not to climb over the counter and strangle him. Pralexx would never throttle a rental agent, no matter how much they deserved it.
“Uh, okay,” he said. “Hang on.”
After an interminable wait, he handed her a glass tablet.
She swiped through the horrendous list of rental responsibilities, and then pressed her thumbprint to the glass.
Gox tossed her a key chip.
