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. Are they treating you all right?"
"Why, sure, Father!"
"Mmm . . . glad to hear it. It's -- well, you weren't born among the People, you know."
"I know. But everybody has treated me fine."
"Good. I've had good reports about you. You seem to learn fast, for a -- you learn fast."
Thorby sourly finished the phrase in his mind. The Captain went on, "Have you been in the Power Room?"
"No, sir. Just the practice room once."
"Now is a good time, while we're grounded. It's safer and the prayers and cleansing aren't so lengthy." Krausa paused. "No, well wait until your status is clear -- the Chief is hinting that you are material for his department. He has some silly idea that you will never have children anyway and he might regard a visit as an opportunity to snag you. Engineers!"
Thorby understood this speech, even the last word. Engineers were regarded as slightly balmy; it was commonly believed that radiations from the artificial star that gave Sisu her life ionized their brain tissues. True or not, engineers could get away with outrageous breeches of etiquette -- "not guilty by reason of insanity" was an unspoken defense for them once they had been repeatedly exposed to the hazards of their trade. The Chief Engineer even talked back to Grandmother.
But junior engineers were not allowed to stand power room watches until they no longer expected to have children; they took care of auxiliary machinery and stood training watches in a dummy power room
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