says, “That’s never you?” The personbody is Gunnie, who twelve years ago was Astrid’s

inseparable friend, who ten years ago got tiregrumbleboring, and they haven’t spoken at all

since Astrid took the longship to Mars. “And who’s this?” asks Gunnie, smiling.

They were punyworthlessrascally children, but Gunnie now is bighealthybeautiful with sharp dark eyes,

and Astrid has forgotten how to do this. She stumblewanders through asking after Gunnie’s family,

giving her news, rememberknowreflectwilling only to share the things she doesn’t mind

the people all over the station hearing within a few hours, maybe less.

Darling watches the noisygossiping pair, not understanding enough to speak,

smiling but feeling a rope uncoil as she falls backwards into space.

And Astrid sounds open, but keeps her inmostshelteredintimateaffectionate crumbknots guarded. She smiles,

promises they’ll speak, says goodbye, and firmly takes Darling’s bewilderstupified hand.

Thay spaek aboot Mars

“So wha’s thee fock?” speirs Astrid, but

Darling’s reply is, “Boring! You don’t

want to know.” “Thoo kens mine!” says Astrid,

but things wi thaim is ower caller

fer her tae be a needle or

a hammer. “Whar’d ye bide, than?”

Darling describes the muckle domms

an tooers o Chryse, weel enogh

tae be convinceen, aboothaans

wi true. Astrid kieks a eebroo,

fer Chryse wis ower gowd an gated

fer Astrid’s toosie college crood.

“A’m only seen hid fae apae Ascraeus.

Hid’s a peedie bit peedier fae thir.”

Darling snushes. “Too peedie for me.

This is more my size.” Sheu spraeds

her airms, raxan oot the tap

o the mintie taing o the mintie staetion,

tae haad twa meuns an a normous o starns.

“I miss it,” says Astrid, an Darling’s ferly

paalled. “Hid’s true. No jeust me freends,

but bidan somepiece I coud be . . .”

“Be what?” “Be onybody. Or no

mesel. Or jeust no hiv tae be.

Oot thir, wi that pile o fock, that gret

a lot tae deu, thoo disno hiv

tae be.” Darling haads her haand.

“But you still liked to climb the highest

mountains in the solar system?”

“Yass. Else hid wis gey haird tae see.”

They speak about Mars

“So, tell me about your family,” asks Astrid, but Darling’s reply is, “Boring! You don’t want to know.” “You know about mine!” says Astrid, but things between them are too freshcleanhealthy for her to be a needle or a hammer. “Where did you waitstaylive, then?”

Darling describes the greatbig domes and towers of Chryse, well enough to be convincing, close to the truth. Astrid kicks an eyebrow, because Chryse was far too wealthy and gated for Astrid’s roughshaggyrowdy college crowd.

“I’ve only seen it from up on Ascraeus. It’s a lot littler from there.” Darling snorts. “Too little for me. This is more my size.” She spreads her arms, stretchreachexpanding out of the top of the tiny promontory of the tiny station,