L'Gem

  Chapter Twenty-three

  As New Year and Winter Carnival neared, the social season approached frenetic. Milla had reserved a large lodge suite and told Nev he had the ski cabin for the twelve days of the carnival, so she didn't "end up a reservation clerk," in early autumn.

  Fraternities, sororities and housing associations had building permits posted and work parties at least once per tenday. Winter Carnival was during midterm break at other universities. Most of those at the work parties didn't plan to switch universities, but wanted a place to stay during the carnival, and it was a great time to have a rush party.

  Six days before New Year, five people asked permission to look over the physical education buildings, sports scholarship housing and stadium, none yet complete. Kail and Larry ran for the front gate. Teal and gold had been noticed at Bressler games and elsewhere. Five of the coaches, from five other universities, they wanted as head coaches had decided to meet for an unannounced visit.

  "Welcome! I'm Kail and this is Doc Larry."

  "He's the chancellor. I've got the office beside his so I'm close enough to tell people that."

  "You know why we didn't say we were coming."

  "Yes, the whole population of the northwest region would have been around where you were landing and working to convince you to coach here."

  "I'm not as disinclined to believe that as I would've been if we hadn't looked around awhile."

  "It's a little hard to tell how good secondary teams are up here, because they don't play others."

  "I'm sure you understand why, Coach Grettens. All we can do to show the quality and interest in secondary level sports is point to attendance and park league participation figures, show some game moments, and note Teal Valley doesn't dominate, even though it's a much larger school."

  "Those are all reasons we're here. One of the things we've discussed is star athletes. We won't try to bring any with us."

  "If some decide they wish to follow you, they might be able to get in before the registrar says, 'full,' Coach Leitmueller. We think the program and team play should do all the recruiting. There will be many sports scholarships available, but we want students to choose this University for the program, whether that's agra, physics or a university level sport."

  "Academics are priority, but this region wants this university to include teaching and coaching sport because they love it. They want a great program and great teams here, and they'll support them. Home team fervor will not diminish when the university opens."

  "No, Kail, I don't think it will. I'm Dale. Jessa, Dellen, Murt and Renker. This is incredible, a warm spring day."

  "About the only teams that can't play or practice comfortably year-round are skiing and golf."

  "Hockey?"

  "In normal practice configuration, the ice rink is on the second floor of that building. It moves into the stadium for competition."

  "You're kidding."

  "Teaching and practice don't need a large seating capacity and parking area, Murt. The design criteria was give every sport practice area and adequate facilities for competition attendance. The shape of the stadium and what's in it changes. If a scheduling conflict does arise, the bottom floor of that building will become a fieldhouse, and/or seating will be moved to surround a practice field. Transports will run from several large parking lots, with winter domes, in town."

  "That will always be true. The parking lot has four tiers, but they're usually collapsed and stored beneath the stadium. The materials used make these things possible, but the design to make use of their capabilities is astounding."

  "I heard the architects designed this whole thing in a day and a night."

  "Absolutely true, Renker. The other about thirty of us there pointed, answered, looked up, drew, found, mentioned, computed, typed, called, checked, fed, poured tea and napped in corners, until they called on us again. They pulled the rest of us into a design team with great skill. This complex design took shape from questions about what people played in parks, how many played and attended Junior League games, how many parking lot parties were there, how many carried pads to put on seats, how many arrived two hours early, so they didn't have to walk so far from parking, what percentage of alumni contributed to schools with winning and losing teams, what percentage of voters approved bond issues or sales tax increases for each, what new materials had this quality, what mechanical structure would support this or that, what type of injuries were common in play, in how many were the structure or surface contributing factors, how many children carried around a ball glove or wore team logo caps, and those are just a few I remember of hundreds."

  "Everything on this campus is designed primarily for the people of the area, except the physics laboratory. That was designed to serve the planet in the way the one at Richland U had. It was the regents' decision to do that and the patents which were donated that were the beginning of the redesign. They widened the mission of the university and the architects went to work, and assembled the team needed, to support that wider mission. This complex was much larger in the original design, but it didn't have a third the capacity for practice and play of the sports the people of this area love. The ball fields in parks are seldom empty and people with any type of field game equipment under an arm attract crowds, as soon as they walk into an area large enough for play. Swim teams are large, hoops, tennis and handball courts busy and getting a tee time on a golf course anywhere in the area so difficult that another was desperately needed and very busy every day it was open."

  "This is a far less sedentary population the most. The primary industries involve physical labor and the cultural attitude reflects it."

  "You'll see a surprising number of people in Larry's condition here."

  "That we noticed immediately, Kail. I'll take the job."

  "So will I."

  "It appears to be unanimous."

  "Wearing one of those caps probably isn't the appropriate way to announce my decision, but I want one anyway."

  "Teal and gold goodies are part of the welcome package, Jessa."

  "Teal and a gold sword, 'Go Big Teal' doesn't sound right."

  "We don't use 'Big,' Renker. We are Teal Magic!!"

  Shouts of, "Magic Teal! Magic Swords! Go!" rang from work areas. Another shouted, "We are Teal Magic!" and the replies rang out again. Larry yelled, "We are Teal Magic!" and the reply was a chorused cheer.

  Kail pointed to pennons being waved out Admin and Physics building windows. The five coaches smiled widely and called universities to tell them they wouldn't be signing new contracts.

  It was unusual for coaches not to negotiate contracts, but Bressler, and BNU, were known to make best offer and the contracts were well-written and very liberal. Twenty-four minutes after they'd arrived, Kail led five of the best coaches on the planet to the pro shop to choose teal and gold goodies. Each already had their team decals for cars. Bance, Jace and Silky arrived in the mobile news unit before they finished choosing them.

  Coach Dale, "Mule," Leitmueller explained the five of them had decided to meet in Mountain City, rent a vehicle and really look around. 'Everyone knew' they had expiring contracts and other universities had been "showing an interest" in getting them to move.

  Bressler had sent good contracts and images of the BNU campus design, the region and secondary school games, not personnel recruiters. They'd also sent a list of the people they were hoping would accept other positions to complete the various team coaching staffs, and the statement of their belief the people of the region dreamed of home teams to support, and had the young athletes to make them great ones. The coaches were all pleased Bance arranged opportunities for them to recommend other coaches on university staffs be promoted to their positions.

  Within four days, the BNU coaching staffs for all sports were complete and more families were house hunting in the area. Tellerlock Construction and several other recommended builders also had contracts to build homes. The
available north side land zoned residential on both sides of the belt road began to decrease.

  Six days before New Year, the catalog was updated with staff images and biographies. Three days before, it was done again, and the preliminary class schedule for some specialized summer courses and the first term was added, with the notice all departments would consider requests to offer additional courses. The next day, fifty-seven degree and prac transfer programs, in conjunction with Bressler, Milton City, Vairdslea Technical, Coral Hills Institute of Art and Design, Kellony Institute of Performing Arts and Bronze Mesa Teachers College were added.

  No one in the neighborhood had a New Year party. All were invited to so many, so early, they decided to 'join the thousands of party hoppers.' All planned to be at Tarn and Chal's big party in the golf course banquet hall at midnight. Knight, Nev, Blade, Case and Stats began their party evening with the many who hadn't gone home for the holiday, at their dorm. They were teased about not having dates. Case said they had different party hopping schedules, but would meet at twenty-three forty. When asked who had Danny as a date, all five raise their hands and the teasers burst into laughter.

  "We're meeting up with a bunch. We expect to collect some others, who'd really prefer louder parties along the way. We've got Kail's party scheduled just about the time some of the younger profs are going to be sure they've fulfilled their social obligation and are wishing for a wilder crowd."

  "Oh, and some of them are nice, Stats. All of the students have this as their last stop and we expect them to make it a fairly early one. Got quite a few club hopping who plan to be here before midnight too."

  "Our 'evening' ends with breakfast at six, Blams. We've got parties that don't start 'til clubs close on our list."

  "We'd have brunch if we hadn't said were going to breakfast. We've got late lunch and dinner tomorrow. Everyone around here thinks of this as the beginning of Winter Carnival, with a little work in the middle of party."

  We noticed that, Blade. Tat just gave anyone who wants to go to an event, or spend a couple days over there the time off. He told us every business does. He also told us you're taking all twelve days, or he'll thump your heads."

  "We've got Carler and Milla Valens' ski cabin for all twelve, Mint. We've got some friends who'll be there for specific events, but we're going to have a party when it gets to be one and overnight guests, when people hunt flat spots to lay down bodies. They couldn't do that and figured they'd end up with people asking for 'reservations,' so we get to use the stuff we built."

  "We got together and rented four big transports, with lay-down seats, and parking room for them and party tents, Nev. Were putting one in each ski town and we've got four smaller ones to shuffle people around."

  "You didn't find big ones around here."

  "No, Case, we got them from an outfit in Seaview. It's their off-season and we got a real good price for supplying our own commercial-licensed drivers. They know the big ones are going to sit for twelve days, so we got a break on the insurance too. One of the grad students knew about the company. They take big groups from golf course to golf course along the southwest coast during their winter. The price we got for twelve days is well worth a ten-hour drive each way for a bunch, and the company is picking them up and bringing them home in a big flyer. Two toilets, big keepers and warmers, big ones sleep forty, and they're putting pads in the luggage compartments, in case we need to bed down some in the tents, which they're also supplying, as part of the package. They're being very good to us."

  "You're opening an off-season market for them, Lenny."

  "We promoted the idea of stu packages for big games and the carnival, Blade. The drop in flyer license costs and such are going to hurt them some. It's an idea they needed."

  "We tend to forget some companies were built to provide services because the gov made things difficult for us. Comm Larry. The bunch here came up with a rescue plan for a little company that was in the business of moving people fun place to fun place on the ground, because owning a flyer cost so much. There may be many little tourist transport businesses looking at their last season for that reason. Equatorial southern hemisphere. One of the grad students knew they needed. Park and sleep transports and party tents for stu groups to games and events. More fun and a lot cheaper. Probably because they're little companies and not in trouble yet. Thanks. He's headed for our congress rep. There is an aid program, but the noise is about the big commercial flyers and ground transport companies. They'll get word spread they want to help little guys with ideas and changeover plans before they're in trouble. They now have one good idea to start."

  "That makes me feel real good, Nev."

  "If someone had told me this world, and my life, could be like this a year ago, I'd have been sure they were crazy."

  "A year ago, I was trying to crawl home. A couple police had beat me because I didn't have any money they could take."

  "They were worse in Kellerton than Jenneara. We had the man. He paid protection and they left us alone, or they got dead."

  "Our boss couldn't enforce it like that. The sub district is a long strip and she couldn't cover it all, or keep other people from paying them more not to leave us alone. How are we going to keep people from offworld from bringing drugs in? We've got too many who used to make too much money not to be looking for suppliers."

  "Halse, the gov didn't want any competition. Every centimeter of the portal and the spaceport is covered by sniffers. We also know who they all were and we're emptying their marketplaces. The people with money, who used to be in the business, aren't going to get back in it. They're not risk takers. They bought from the gov and paid business insurance. Look what they did when they were suddenly about to become nonprofitable to the gov. The families that ran with corrupt city officials are contacting the amnesty program office and asking assistance in selling expensive houses and furnishings, getting their names changed and getting started in new places. That program is doing a good job preventing resentment in kids, who shouldn't be punished. That's going to save us a lot of trouble in the future."

  "I think we all agree with that, Blade, but we're all still watching for faces we recognize."

  "Lenny, I think most of them are dead. If they survived through both the IS control period and the revolution, they're probably smart enough to change and we don't need to do anything about them. The confidentiality of the amnesty program is important for that reason."

  "You think that many are dead?"

  "Do you know anybody who didn't have a list, Halse? They may not have wanted to kill them personally, but they all had a list of predators we needed dead. I suspect they reduced their own numbers significantly, as well."

  "You're talking about thousands."

  "In a population of many millions with lists, Lenny. That's one of the reasons our government decided to wait a year to do a census. It gives employment, education and amnesty programs time to work, and a lot of babies time to be born. We don't really want to know how many bodies went in waste cyclers. Our government knows that. We're picking up the ordinary bullies and putting them in rehab. Do you think the real monsters had enough restraint to be law-abiding this long?"

  "I don't, and everybody I know had a list."

  "Everyone I know had one too, Halse. It wasn't just in subs. Tatton, Kail and Andrea had lists. They have a lot more lines with question marks on them than you did, but they had lists. I think the reason some bodies were left laying is they were on so many that people would still be hunting if they'd just disappeared."

  "I know of one like that, Nev."

  "For awhile, I thought Warkerdoll was going to live through the whole thing."

  "He would have if he hadn't tried to supplement his retirement, Corker. He arranged his demise and Norbralt, Loftenbach, Murcholl, Huertos, Garken and Jameson all went to prison. Nice package deal."

  "Yes, Stats, it was. The more I think about it, the mo
re I think Blade may be right. A lot probably removed people who knew too much about them, like where they were."

  "And when they did, somebody else who knew where they were decided they were dangerous and removed them."

  "That's what I figure, Halse. Basically, the only ones left are the ones smart enough to change and the ones dumb enough to wind up in prison."

  The four unofficial representatives of the four big subsidized districts on Gradelode 'drifted into' the crowd, as the group moved toward the refreshment table. Blade got a bit behind, talking to a fellow who was discovering he had a real interest in greenscaping. When he got to the table, Knight, Nev, Case and Stats all turned around and held out a cup of punch for him. Blade said, "Thank you," took two, handed them to women, took the other two, handed one to a third woman and asked all three if they'd like to find a place to sit and chat.

  Nev leaned on Knight, Case and Stats leaned together, and several laughing people moved punch bowl and table fast when Knight began to sink. Case and Stats collapsed and the crowd cheered.

  Blade took a bow and sat down with the three women. He'd turned the tease of the four cups of punch and everyone loved it. Only the five of them knew the punch tease had been because he'd accomplished the big task their rep had asked Larry's help with, in the first thirty seconds of the party.

  The Comptroller and Prosecutor General had assembled a lengthy list of who had become non-problems. The "big task" had been find a way to end the people's quiet hunt, without having to conduct investigations and search for those who'd made them non-problems. The Interplanetary Court, Human Rights Commission and the rest of human space didn't need to know they had a very accurate count of their people, and the number who had 'died in the revolution.' The people didn't need to know either, but they did need to know they could end the watch and hunt for monsters.

  Blade watched several make quiet calls on their comm chrons and smiled. At midnight Lodestar Time, at the moment the new year began on the world, the Prime Minister would announce the amnesty program was complete. By then, everyone who had still been hunting would know their government had 'checked off' everyone they were sure shouldn't be around to request it. Lenny had asked, "Known true?" with a slight turn of hand. Blade had answered, "Fact. From the source. Spread it." with a slight lift of three fingers. He'd said, "Now!" by a slight lift of thumb.

  "Excuse me a moment, please. Comm connect, Larry. This is a great party. Knight, Nev, Case and Stats are laying on the floor, laughing, and I have the company of three lovely ladies. Our government is of the people. We all know who our representatives are, and that they truly represent us. Teal magic is in the air. Everybody on the planet will be in a bit more party mood within five minutes. Happy New Year. Comm out."

  "Teal magic in the air."

  "All our last New Year wishes came true, Lissy, even the ones we couldn't imagine well enough to make. Check off every wish on your list, and every name. It's official. Happy New Year."

  "It's official…"

  "The government is people of the people. Your rep knows what was on your wish list, Lissy. The revolution was a total success. The oppressors and the abusers are gone, from every government building and street corner on the world. Happy New Year."

  "Happy New Year. Happy New Year! We are Teal Magic!"

  "Magic Teal! Magic Swords! Go!"

  "Happy New Year! We are Teal Magic!

  "Magic Teal! Magic Swords! Go!"

  "Happy New Year! We are Teal Magic!"

  "Magic Teal! Magic Swords! Go!"

  BNU had three hundred fans who would stay fans wherever they went. They were "the first Teal Magic." Tatton, Kail, Larry and the people of the region made sure they knew they thought of them as their first great team. They were the first graduates on the campus, and every one of them had a diploma, a cap and would receive a vid of the campus they brought into existence as it 'grew' across the land.

  In each vid would be a clip of the recipient wielding a magic trowel. The Stadium was being done in three hundred sections so each used it again.

  One of the things each had defined to be part of the section was a five cen-high gold sword on the face of the lowest tier of the section. The name of the person who wielded the trowel to create the section was stenciled in the blade. The little swords were twenty-four karat gold almost-leaf thin and held upright in position by a thin wire base.

  It was the perfect hard problem of placement and defining to give them. They'd never have one more difficult, or they wanted to get perfect as much.

  The final shipment of enough solid material to do twenty-five sections had arrived the previous day. When the final section was done, at fourteen thirty-three, their New Year holiday had begun, with every little sword perfectly placed, and every stenciled name perfectly defined in the teal of the section material.

  There was great deal more to do on the sports complex and many other buildings, but the most personally important piece was done and, there or among family and friends in their home districts, they intended to celebrate. They'd loved it when Harmon checked to be sure there were enough going to each area to do a good cheer.

  Danny looked at the file on her screen, closed it, told Bop to be a good kitty, picked up her evening wrap and walked through the house to her car. The book should be done, but it wasn't. It was supposed to be 'got rid of the wizard, happily ever after, the end,' but it wasn't. She didn't know what was still to be written, but she was sure there was something. In about one hundred days, there would begin to be babies everywhere, but she didn't think that was it. People weren't moving out of subs in large numbers, yet, but she didn't think that was it, either.

  She hadn't canceled her auth code again, because Larry had said, "Don't," so he felt it too. It wasn't 'over,' but she couldn't find what still remained to be written.

  She'd decided it was something about the heroes. They'd moved to the background. What still remained for them to do? How could they be called upon again? She couldn't see away. She knew the 'non-body' count. The remaining 'beasts' were capable of becoming people and the remaining demons were already good business demons, quite pleased to be having to do a great deal less work to make a little more profit. Why wasn't it 'the end?' If Ronnie didn't feel it too, she'd have gone back, found the right spot and put it there.

  When she arrived at the Caelton's she smiled. Everyone didn't have parking domes, but they had covered walks and room to entertain. She parked her car, set it's warmer to keep it pleasant, waited a moment for the little automated shuttle, then took one step through a light snowfall.

  Another little shuttle was coming from the other way. It was from the parking area for all-evening guests. The street was reserved for those who would be party hopping. Most didn't, but some had social obligations and many friends having parties. Her schedule was some of each.

  Knight, Nev, Blade, Case and Stats left the dorm, split and went to east-side parties in entertainment areas they'd built, then north-side in others, then all left those and headed up to Kail and Lillen's. Stats was driving his transport and Knight was driving his car, with all the seats in it. They expected to fill them at the party. The rest of their evening party plans were fun and loud, finishing with breakfast at Carler and Milla's.

  Their dome would have many cars in it long before then. People would drop them off and consolidate, as social evening moved to party night. Knight parked his car and Stats parked the transport beside it at twenty-two sixteen. The dome was rather full, but the two spaces were close to the path. Some first arrivals had left for the next party on their schedules. Larry met them at the front door.

  "The 'nice warm dome' may be an even more popular topic of conversation than the room. People from over the pass expected to be chilled before they got to the door."

  "We'll teach someone to do it. Meeting?"

  "A lot of guests from other places are looking at this place and wonderin
g if you can be pried out of here long enough to do something elsewhere. Tatton put me on 'defense' before he left. He's got two transports with about a dozen future profs in each he's chauffeuring from party introduction to party introduction. Brinda, our rep, is leading a group of cars to others. She's got the Bressler regent contingency."

  "We managed to miss both? Nev must have shaken his head."

  "Brinda timed it so you got out of where they're going, Blade."

  "Uh, oh."

  "Dr. Walston is rather sure you know a lot more about physics than how to install equipment, Nev. They were developing a who list when Kail preempted with yours. She wants to know 'what happened' to the Richland U project. Brinda's getting her to Laril, so he can tell her it wouldn't have made things invisible."

  "She thinks Richland should have it because of all the money and labor invested in it."

  "Yes, Nev."

  "So do we, but it's not needed for its intended purpose any longer and too likely to be used for illegal ones."

  "Loril's going to try to get her to accept it's been superseded."

  "Larry, it actually was that project that led to the development of the rest. It was a little too close to impossible for there not to be something we didn't know. What do you think we should do?"

  "I don't know, Knight."

  "Build them a physics lab. Not like that was, but the one they need now."

  "They've got what they need, Blade. Or do they?"

  "What are you thinking, Nev?"

  "Deely's students are ready to choose a direction, Knight. Perhaps it should be development of lab equipment for the new 'usual' education required to get a good job as a physicist."

  "I don't know what that is, Nev."

  "She does, and it will probably require patentable tech."

  "It doesn't need to be new application?"

  "Maybe it shouldn't be, Knight. If something new comes along that they'll be using on their jobs, they'll learn it just like Harmon learned the new methods and equipment. She learned them faster than the OJT's because she already knew what it took to hold up a building. Maybe 'totally new' isn't the right idea to push. Maybe it should be there's going to be lots of new coming, so let's get the training equipment to prepare to work with new stuff built. It'll be patentable as tech. Maybe 'as tech' is what the R and D people need to see. This does this. How can we use that in our work?"

  "I think Blade found the reason they're all just looking at the theory. When you need a piece of tech, you develop the application to give you what you want. Most tech is developed to use applications in a different way, or combo, to do something better, faster or less expensively, not something completely new. None of you are that type of thinker. Drand is."

  "That's what I needed, Larry. Deely!"

  "He doesn't know he's interested in that woman."

  "I know, Blake, but she does."

  "That's Knight. Now you."

  "I'm interested in someone?"

  "Does Case and Stats' obvious opinion the question was hilarious answer it?"

  "Does she know it?"

  "If she wasn't about as oblivious as you are, I wouldn't be thinking of cracking your heads together."

  "Who? Professor Littlefield? Uh, yes. I am interested. Now what, Blade?"

  "How did I end up with two of you? Go talk to her about later parties that aren't just conversation."

  "She's quite a bit older."

  "Is she older than Drand?"

  "No, a year younger. Talk to you later."

  "You two and I are going to find interesting evening companions. If we don't, Danny won't.

  "Coach Dollier."

  "Attracted her attention when she was doing the catalog, Stats. He would really enjoy having her company, while showing off why he's the BNU ski team head coach at Winter Carnival."

  "I'll get Silky and Essa working on perfect fan-ski outfit complements for the various competition and coach uniforms he'll be wearing, Blade."

  "She'll appreciate it, Larry."

  "You're putting her right in front of the cams, Blade."

  "We all will be, Case, but the identity is BNU team fans, and there will be thousands dressed like we are. Yes, we won design awards. No, were not available yet. We are subcontractors helping build the greatest design this world has ever seen. Tonight's job is assemble a BNU Carnival mob with lots of credentials to list along with ours."

  "Got it."

  "Larry?"

  "Beautiful, Blade. We are Teal Magic!"

  "Magic Teal! Magic Swords! Go!"

  At twenty-two fifty-eight, their time, people at every party and club in the region turned on entertainment screens to watch the fireworks display in Lodestar bringing in the new year they'd dreamed of for more than a century. The gov hadn't been oppressive that long, or it would have been overthrown long before, but it had been corrupt.

  They'd tried to change it democratically, but reform candidates 'never got enough votes.' Now they knew that had been assured. The last fifty years had taught them only revolution could succeed. They knew there had been no other as successful. There were no loyalists and no smoldering resentments. The last five years had assured it.

  The "old gov" hadn't set off fireworks, "an ancient and dangerous unnecessary expense." The new government was of the people and they wanted a great beginning to their celebration. Precisely at midnight, a huge flash of light, loud boom, then streams of gold announced the beginning of the new year on Gradelode, then the cams focused on their prime minister.

  "By order of Congress, the following items shall be placed before the people in a special referendum election, to be held in fifteen days. Item one: This world shall be renamed Liberty Gem. Item two: The Great Seal of Gradelode shall be recast as the Great Seal of Liberty Gem. Item three: This continent shall be named Citrine. Item four: The northwest continent shall be named Amethyst. Item five: The southwest continent shall be named Garnet. Item six: The northeast continent shall be named Topaz. Item seven: The southeast continent shall be named Peridot. Item eight: The Gradelode credit shall be renamed the Liberty Gem Crystal. Item nine: One one-hundredth of a Liberty Gem Crystal shall be named one facet. Semiprecious gem names were chosen because it is the people who are precious upon the continents, not the gems and ores within them. The value of the ore stripped from this world was cause to cage the people upon her. Liberty has now made her a shining gem set in the black velvet cloth of human space. In other words, we aren't going to let anybody out there forget we had the battle for it, because the only thing they noticed was there wasn't enough ore left here to raise corp profits a significant digit. I have two other announcements. A full minerals survey will be conducted, with the object of determining if the mining corporations exceeded mineral depletion allowed by the colonial charter. Since we all know they did, we're preparing a suit for damages. The second announcement is a real nice way to begin this dreamed of new year. The amnesty program is complete. There are no more victims of the warping of our culture by greed hiding in fear. If that doesn't astound the anthropologists and historians, who suddenly noticed there are people here, they're too dull for anyone to stay awake reading what they're writing, anyway. Happy New Year, people of Liberty Gem!!"

  "Happy New Year, Liberty Gem!!"

  "Happy New Year, Liberty Gem!!"

  "Happy New Year, Liberty Gem!!"

  The fireworks display was going to be a full hour in length. People sat down in conversation groups around the screens in the living room and out in the party room, but most were far more interested in the talk than the display. The content of the Prime Minister's speech had been a surprise to everyone, except Kail and Larry. Knight, Blade, Nev, Case and Stats had only known of the one announcement. They were among the many obviously thinking it over. Larry steered them and several conversation companions to one of the larger alcoves. There were only eight chairs, but there was plenty of floor seating for se
ven more.

  "No one's changed a world name and you're not sure you like the one they picked?"

  "The first doesn't bother me. I'm working on the second."

  "That's what they expected, Blade."

  "Why not just Liberty, or Gem?"

  "They didn't want to make it that easy for the people out there, Deely. Both are expected world names. There are worlds named Emerald, Sapphire and Freeland. We took this gem away from our oppressors. They held it in their greedy grasp so tightly, freedom didn't exist upon it. We had to rip this entire world, every speck of dirt and drop of water, out of their hands to be free. They plundered it abominably, committed great offense against it, and nearly succeeded in enslaving us. This world is free of plunderers because we cast them off. It is our home and the prize, trophy and monument to our suffering and battle for freedom, our Liberty Gem. And it doesn't fit in the insert-planet-name field on every damn 'standard form number such-and-such' from the Interplanetary Court Clerk's Office. They'll notice everything we send them because the comp will kick every form out for hand entry."

  "It's not… Not the length, the spacing!"

  "Yes, Gast, the spacing. You may not drop the space between, add a space between, or otherwise deform the name of the world on any official document without rendering it invalid. The Garnet Region Eight rep suggested we call it L'Gem, because the newscasters will love it, but you can't put a nickname on a legal document."

  "Is there someone at every party on the world explaining this, Larry?"

  "No, Deely, but we're sure there will be before it's midnight on the west coast of Citrine and everyone will have heard before it's midnight on the east coast of Amethyst."

  "Why those?"

  "The mining corps didn't cut them out of the heart of the world, so we still have some pretty rocks. They stuck them on continents and came up with Citrine as obvious for this one, but we're not going to say that."

  Blade smiled and called Lenny. He made a suggestion that made both Deely and Knight smile widely. Larry called Brinda and told her they could stop worrying about minting and counterfeiting, the design and physics bunches had teamed up and their eyes were twinkling.

  Coach Dandren, 'Dandy Doll,' Dollier drove Knight's car to the banquet hall party. Knight, Deely, Nev, Keeva Littefield and Blade were all working on pocket comps or datpads. His assistant coach, China Blankenship, was driving Stats' transport. She did have two others, of eight, not working.

  Danny ran in the banquet hall and an aisle cleared between her and a comp in a corner. Donce looked very surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

  "Our job is figure out how to make this a very simple changeover for a vend service tech."

  "That'll be a first."

  "We'll add it to the firsts list. A quarter of the cash on this planet is probably counterfeit."

  "That's obvious. It's not so worn out the vends can't read it. The old gov wouldn't spend the money to mint new."

  "It came in handy, but cash-in may be the only way to count it to get an accurate in-circulation figure. Our new money won't be cheap to make, but it won't take long. It'll be gorgeous, won't wear out and no one will counterfeit it. However, putting every cash vend out of service, until a service tech can change a large block of programming wouldn't be nice."

  "How do you plan to avoid that?"

  "By doing it for them."

  "Uh, huh."

  "Call a code, give the comp the access code, and it reads the vend ident and reprograms for that specific model, or reads and reprograms for real odd ones."

  "Size and weight?"

  "Size is 'this is comfortable,' or most worlds wouldn't have coins about the same size. We like cash, or most worlds wouldn't spend the money to make it. The government doesn't plan to slowly collect the old stuff over years. 'Oops, found some way under there' is expected, but the new coins, not chips, will be trade-old-for-new-now, as fast as possible. Our government hopes everyone, who doesn't decide to keep a souvenir, starts turning it in immediately. People don't need fifty credit bills for cash vends and our government is not going to look at what they've got or how they spend it. No more bills. A fifty-crystal coin will be gorgeous, suitable as a fine jewelry pendant, but it will take a physics lab to make a hole in it. Everyone will know exchange day in their area in advance, so they can empty cash drawers, specify needed and refill with new. Different denomination coins will feel a little different, and it will be easy to tell facet from crystal denominations."

  "They're going to do this without changing the cash slots?"

  "Can you feel a difference between the cloth of your shirt and my dress?"

  "Got it."

  "Most common vend manufacturer this area?"

  "Proferra Food Technology."

  "Type?"

  "Model eight-two-oh-seven Multi-vend."

  "Cash unit?"

  "Bredden Vend-meter six. Hyphen there. No cap."

  "Change capacity?"

  "Twentieth-credit, forty credits; tenth-credit, thirty credits; quarter-credit, one hundred credits; half-credit, one hundred fifty credits; one credit, two hundred fifty credits. That's this area, Danny. In other areas, they put in a smaller change box and don't take fives."

  "We only need an example or two to work with, Donce. Once the program is written, it'll read any not in database, do the rewrite and store for next use."

  "That's not going to be a simple program."

  "Simple programs aren't as much fun, and don't pay as well, either."

  Dandy Doll ran in, yelled he needed a half-dozen to steer and ran out. He steered Knight in, turning his shoulders to get him through the doorway, a moment later. Bellin was steering Deely, who was working with Knight on a comp, which is why Dandy had to turn him. Tarn steered Blade through behind them. Day got interested while steering Nev and Kady yelled for help. She'd been steering Keeva, working with Nev, and suddenly had a clump of three. Jace came from behind her and got both Nev and Day through. Silky, Essa and Bance steered Drand, Dawn and Ronnie through semi-sideways behind them. They had another clump develop when Elise got interested in what Case and Stats were doing.

  By the time they got all twelve, plus two, through the door into the corner where Danny was working, everyone else was laughing. Blade winked at Danny and went back to solving the equation on his datpad. Danny began to giggle and the laughing, gorgeous man, who'd steered Bard, lithely and elegantly knelt by her chair.

  "Dandren Dollier, Dandy."

  "The ski coach. I'm Danny."

  "The programmer I was told to get them to. Hook up?"

  "Start links between, please. I've about gotten this ready. If I get started on assembling what they're doing, I'll forget what I was."

  "First a question."

  "Yes?"

  "Do you have a date for Winter Carnival?"

  "That's twelve days."

  "And evenings and nights."

  "I didn't."

  "It's going to be a great Carnival. I'll be back to look over your shoulder. The program is beautiful, too."

  "The coach is a programming prof, Danny."

  "I remember noticing that, Blade, after his image, and the ski jump vid, several times. This is a cute little thing. I'm sure the service techs will like it. Personna image… He's cute. Voice… Computer record intro for personna image. 'Hi, I'm Seffy, the currency change genie. Give me a link to that vend and its access code, and I'll get it switched for you.' Close intro. Record signoff. 'Ready for crystals and facets. See you next vend.' Close signoff."

  "This one's done, Knight."

  "Thanks, Blade."

  "Before he hands me another, we noticed you noticed. He moves lot faster than we expected, but we expected. Silky and Essa are working on perfect fan ski outfits to complement his BNU coach and team ski outfits. Lots of BNU 'and is also a fan in teal and gold' attention."

  "Math assignment, Blade."

&n
bsp; "Yes, Knight."

  "Linked. Danny, I need to attract attention for the team. I'm a surprising choice."

  "You won't be after Carnival."

  "Nice shortcut."

  "It's a handy little thing that adapts well to many programs. I wrote it for middle school assignment that was boring me to distraction. This is going to be real pretty money, and no one's going to counterfeit."

  "You are incredible."

  "I'm becoming one of the best. Nearly every contract I've gotten here has required a truly unique programming solution. It would be every, but Kail and Larry yell for things like course catalogs and accounting programs. However, they always need them 'Yipe! We've got minutes!' so they're a challenge too."

  "That's what makes it fun. Coaching skiing is the same. Just competition wasn't. I enjoyed it, but teaching… I wouldn't trade even one kid's excited yell of, 'I did it!' for a championship medal. You can use that there, there and there, with a replacement of the second statement."

  "Oh, I sure can. Thanks. Ronnie stands over me and watches for things like that. I'm usually on the third or fourth before I realized I could have used."

  "I usually see I could have when I'm doing the proofread too. Mind has to be on what you're writing now. You didn't write that one in middle school!"

  "Nope, wrote it for the Caelton contract. That little discriminatory function cured a lot of headaches in the sorting area. Little changes… and there… and… Now it sorts coins not produce."

  "I hope someone pays you for this."

  "Oh, yes. Donce is talking Chal into making me glailberry brandy marinated trill hearts in bubble fungi sauce. It takes days of gentle coaxing at carefully timed intervals to make, what is basically a block of wood, open into a tender florette of delicious. Ordering three at the hotel has occurred to me, but they use a different sauce, so I've never had the combo Chal says is 'perfection.' He'll make enough for all of us and teach Mike the sauce, very high pay."

  "Yum. My only disappointment since I was offered the coach position is I couldn't find a place to live."

  "What?!"

  "Qualified. I looked at some nice places, but none are what I need, for one reason or another. Looking has been in short bursts between getting my classes ready for midterms and me ready for Winter Carnival, but it did teach me what I do want."

  "That is?"

  "A big old fixer-upper fairly close to campus, in a neighborhood where a bunch of exuberant kids yelling they got a vid of a competition on another continent is appropriate. I need a place some kids will get used to opening the front door, yelling for me and getting a yell back to bring a soda to where I'm resealing a window or floor joint, or colorbonding a wall. A few who think of my door as always open before term starts will assure every kid who needs me comes over or calls, whenever they need me. I want a call at three, if a program problem is causing tears, upcoming competition is causing sleeplessness, or a deteriorating relationship is causing heartbreak. Usually, an assistant coach in sports scholarship housing is the one with the open door, but that's not where most of my kids will be. They'll primarily be in housing associations, apts or living at home. Since I've been the cute grad assistant the girl in tears 'just couldn't call,' I know that's not always enough. I may have a self-finisher built."

  "You were heard. This one's done, Knight."

  "Thanks, Blade. It was last. Tell Tarn he needs."

  "On the way."

  "We're done!"

  "We're right behind you, Case. Done!"

  "We're… done!"

  "That's our piece."

  "One more spec and… done!"

  "Finished here."

  "Done. All yours, Danny."

  "It won't take long, Knight. I've got everything ready for it."

  "Admiration just became awe."

  "I've done this many times before, Dandy, enough with this bunch I know whose piece goes where most of the time. I do not stop to really look while I'm assembling, or I'd get happily lost in math heaven. My other love. Whee! Read it, Maxine! Maxine is my simulation program."

  "Check line."

  "Knight says can be done."

  "Accepted. Check line."

  "Hmm… Next two. Try in that order."

  "Search time reduced. Check line."

  "Blaah! Typo. Try it."

  "Proceeding. Check line."

  "Previous. Let's try… Back two, then proceed."

  "Check line."

  "Knight says can be done."

  "Accepted. Simulation check one complete. Two proceeding. Complete. Seffy simulation check complete. They'll work."

  "Send, disconnect and return to standby."

  "Treasury Department computer confirms receipt and store. Happy New Year. Goodnight."

  "Happy New Year, our government from BNU Physics Department and friends. Oh, look at that smug smile. What did you find, Tarn?"

  "My great-grandma found, Danny."

  Tarn led Dandy, and several others, to the northeast window and pointed to two lights in the distance, beyond the campus, on the north, on Tiara Road. They were over a farm equipment shed. The farm family had decided to build a new house on the east side of the shed for themselves, sell the big old farmhouse on the west side, and build four more big houses with big yards north along Tiara. They'd planned to fix it up and start new houses before they began on their own, because they wanted it to be a home, not a housing association, and that was all who had been looking for big houses that needed a little work.

  They thought the ski team "draped on the covered porch around two sides would be a great neighborhood decoration." They'd be delighted to move to a big condo they owned, and leave him lots of furniture, and "a busted walk melt unit," while their house was built first.

  Dandy had driven by the house and definitely wanted it. He said he'd ask for a dorm room until the family moved. Knight asked about "remaining half-term." There wasn't one. The university at which he'd been teaching hadn't been particularly happy about "another university's colors," and Dandy had known a young programming professor, soon to have a family of three, in need of a job. He'd departed the university on Amethyst continent amicably, but abruptly. His former department chair had helped him pack and flown him to Teal Valley, where he'd rented a transport big enough to hold everything. It was in Kail's parking dome.

  Blade called Kail and asked him if he knew his ski coach was "jobless and homeless." Dandy yelped. At the end of the call, Dandy needed steering. He had Carler and Milla's ski cabin in Frostlea to use, "though shared during Winter Carnival," then programming work for the University, and campus housing, if he still needed it. Danny agreed her skiing would improve greatly over the next eight days.