Fift’s agents were quiescent. Perhaps they were lulled by the silence, perhaps the chaos and motion of the fulcrum distracted them, or perhaps something else was occupying their attention—something in the world beyond Fift’s view. But they were surely watching zir conversation with Dobroc. How far could ze trust them to respect zir privacy? Would they report back to zir parents about what was said here?

“I’m . . . glad you came,” Dobroc said.

“Okay,” Fift said. Kumru, this was awkward.

“I have been . . . in your audience lately,” Dobroc said. “Perhaps you’ve noticed.”

“Yes,” Fift said. “You sent the question. That I asked Hrotrun. About Vail and Staid.”

Dobroc cleared zir throat again. “Yes. I am sorry that . . . well, I’m afraid it didn’t help you. It seemed only to irritate your Mother.”

Fift looked up; Dobroc was looking at zir own hands, folded before zir.

“It’s okay,” Fift said. “It was a good question.”

Dobroc smiled a small smile of relief. “Yes, I think so. I often wonder . . . well. I’ve been in your audience, you see, since you talked to Thavé.” Zir eyes widened a little.

“Oh . . .” Fift said.

“I’m what you might call . . .” Ze shrugged. “A Thavé-watcher? It’s a, a hobby, you know. There aren’t so many of us. I, uh, I don’t tell everyone this. My parents don’t approve of it.”

“Oh.” Fift tried to imagine being latterborn in a cohort of eighty parents. It was a tremendous amount of power standing behind you, of safety . . . but if they disapproved of what you cared about, imagine the pressure . . .

“They think it distracts me from what’s important,” Dobroc said glumly. “From the Conversation.”

“Do you—do you not want to compete in the Long Conversation? You’re such a, I mean, you’re so good. They must be proud of you, right?”

Dobroc grimaced, zir teeth white in zir leathery, furrowed, downturned face. “I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say . . . proud. You know it’s a specialist cohort, right? All eighty of my parents are Staids. All eighty of them are ranked in different aspects of the Long Conversation. The whole thing is a project designed to produce, you know, the next Ranhulo or whatever.”

“Kumru!” Fift said. “I didn’t know! What would happen if they’d had vailkids?”