but Astrid keeps her een

on the haand, the wrench, the wark.

Wi ivry rive her hairt

is ruggid furder appen.

Ony tear wad bide

at the buddom o her mask

til sheu wis back inbye,

an so sheu disno greet.

Beeteen deun sheu lies,

mask tae the metal,

braethan wi the staetion.

Astrid, out

A little repairpaintimprovement is needed on a small module attached to the far end of Aikeray:

a Papa, monitoring micro-debris, the rainshower of fragmentruins travelling at murder-speeds

passing every hour. Without defence, the station would be wrecked in seconds.

Astrid needed to get out of her head, so took a job from the Council’s duty-boards.

The repair was progressing. They used this sort of work to teach children about the station.

The wrench knows her hand. Her hand knows the turn. Around her is a riotcrowdmud

of stars and instruments, but Astrid keeps her eyes on the hand, the wrench, the work.

With every wrenchripbreak her heart is teargnawknotted further open. Any tear would waitstaylive

at the bottom of her mask until she was back inside, and so she doesn’t weep.

Repairpaintimprovement done she lies, mask to the metal, breathing with the station.

Darling meets Margit Lighter fer bisness

Sheu isno spokken tae Astrid

fae the dance twa day by,

but sheu’s maed ap her mynd.

Sheu wis maed ap her mynd i’the mids

o the cangle, the meenit sheu ran,

wi ivry ee on her back.

Yestreen sheu wis gotten a meeteen

wi Margit tae mak the proposal;

the day thay’ll shak haands.

Sheu’s sat at the waa o the bay,

waatchan twatree yoles

laanchan fer the yotun,

whan Margit waffs a haand

afore her. “Whar wir thoo!”

“Out there,” says Darling, poyntan

trou the containment dyke.

“Thir time fer that,” says Margit.

Sheu’s blide. Darling didno

think that sheu’d be blide.

Sheu wis jubish, than ootward, noo blide.

Whan Darling’s Martian naem

is pitten tae the chit,

sheu’s happier yet. “Dinno fash,”

says the ex-yolewife.

“A’ll no tell a sowel.

Credits peys fer quiet.

Kens thoo whit thoo’re deuan?”

“No yet. I’ll learn.” “Hid’s chancy.”

“I’ve seen. I’d like to see more.”

“Thoo kens the Lights is chaengan.”

Darling’s surprised tae hear

a body admit hid. Tae her.

“I ken. And maybe that’s what

I want to see. I’ll learn.”

“Thoo will.” Margit is siccar.

“What will you do?” An Margit’s

dairk een lowe.

Sheu’s tree times Darling’s age

but noo seems younger.

“Bairn,” sheu says, “whit’ll I no?”

Darling meets Margit the Lighter for business

She hasn’t spoken to Astrid since the dance two days ago, but she’s made up her mind. She had made up her mind in the middle of the argumentwrangling, the moment she ran, with every eye on her back. Yesterday she had a meeting with Margit to make the proposal;