Most of the car was still empty, the other passengers clustering near the front so that Kira felt safe speaking in a low voice. "We're lucky this new rail line is finished. While the Great Guilds were in power they didn't allow new rail lines. We would have had to ride or walk to Minut to find a Mechanics Guild train, but then by the time my mother and father came to Tiae the city of Minut had been controlled by warlords for years and the rail line abandoned."

"How come you don't have more going for you?" Jason asked, frowning out the small window beside their seats.

"Excuse me?" Kira said, thinking that she must have misheard.

"Why haven't you developed more? You ought to be a lot bigger in at least a couple of areas."

Kira stared at him, mingled rage and disbelief freezing words in her throat.

Jason glanced toward her and flinched away at her expression. "What?"

She finally managed to get a few words out. "How…dare…you…"

"I'm sorry! I just wondered why you guys hadn't developed your technology more in at least a couple of areas! I didn't realize you were so sensitive about that!"

"Our technology?" Kira looked away from him, inhaling and exhaling slowly. "What does the word develop have to do with technology?"

Jason looked at her as though he wasn't sure the question was serious. "You know, it means introducing new technology and making it widely available."

"Oh. Jason, during the centuries that the Great Guilds controlled this world, no one was allowed to introduce any new technology. We must have lost that use of the word develop during that time."

"Yeah," Jason said, nodding. "I can see how that could happen. What did you think I—"

"Never mind! Um…it takes time," Kira told him. "You can't just suddenly start making really advanced devices like I've seen in the tech manuals. It requires having the right tools and capabilities. We're in the position of having to build the tools that can build the tools that might be able to build the tools we need. We've had to build new foundries and new workshops and new mines. There are a lot more trains than there used to be, and new tracks being laid all over the place. More steam-powered ships, too. Far-talkers are much more common. And…and a lot more Mechanic weapons. Rifles and pistols and cannon."

"It figures people would make those first," Jason said, sounding sour.

"I'm sorry we disappointed you," Kira whispered angrily.

He glowered out the window. "I didn't mean it that way. To be honest, a lot of people thought we'd be a lot further along. Technology back at my home, that is. But we mostly seem to have hit another ground state."

"Ground state?" Kira asked. "Uncle Calu has told me about that. But that's about particles, isn't it?"