"He did? That's not in any of the background materials. Oh." Jason snorted disdainfully. "It figures that some person back on Earth would claim credit for the idea. 'Plagiarize! Let no one else's work evade your eyes!' " he said, singing the words. "Anyway, the soldiers there with their horses. Are they reenactors of some kind? Or would they actually go to war like that?"

"Sure they would," Kira said. "What's a reenactor?"

"It's somebody who dresses up like someone from history," Jason explained. "Like, a hobby."

"Someone from history?" Kira shook her head, puzzled. "But that's just like somebody now. Except for the new Mechanic weapons. The uniforms and the armor haven't ever changed."

Jason looked baffled. "Huh? I mean, like, centuries ago."

"Yeah. That's how soldiers have always looked."

He got upset, for no reason that Kira could understand. "If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to."

"I did talk about it. What's your problem?"

"Everybody knows that things don't—" Jason paused, frowning. "They've always looked like that? For centuries?"

"That's what I said." Kira glared at him. "Why is that confusing you?"

"Wow." Jason stared around as if he had just stepped from the ship for the first time. "No change. That stuff about the, uh, Guilds? That controlled your world?"

"Yeah, the Great Guilds," Kira said, not understanding what he was getting at but hoping that she wouldn't have to talk about Her Mother The Hero.

"They didn't allow change. That's what you guys have told us." Jason stared at the cavalry again. "But I didn't realize— What's that like?"

"What's what like?" Kira demanded.

Jason looked away. Was he embarrassed by something? "I'm not making fun of you," he mumbled.

"Then what?"

"It's just…on Earth, and everywhere else, things change. All the time. The uniforms soldiers wear are different from century to century and even decade to decade. But you guys were frozen. Not your fault! I'm just having trouble getting my head around the idea."

Kira decided it wasn't worth getting her back up over, especially since Jason seemed genuinely worried that he had said something wrong. "That was how things were. We don't know anything different. The world is changing now, but it all takes time."

Jason nodded quickly. "So, those guys would really fight? With those weapons?"

"Yes," Kira said. "If Tiae went to war, the cavalry would scout and fight. You see they've got my Aunt Alli's carbines at their saddles, but we also still carry lances and swords."

"We?"

She shrugged, trying to sound as if it was no big deal. "I'm an honorary officer in the Queen's Own Lancers. I train and drill with them sometimes."

"Really?" Jason was surprised enough to drop his attitude, gazing at her with open admiration. "You mean you ride the horse and use the sword and everything?"

"Yeah," Kira said, smiling despite herself. "I've got a uniform just like that."