Chapter One

ELE'ER SAT IMPATIENTLY on her stool in the learning room. Mother was late, of course—she always was late for their learning sessions, which meant they ended later, which meant that Ele'er was always late for sky-singing. Ele'er hated being late for sky-singing because it meant she couldn't go through the warm-ups, and when she couldn't go through the warm-ups, she sang poorly, and the songleader gave her that disapproving look. Ele'er would explain that Mother had been late with her lesson and that it had been important, but the songleader never cared.

Mother finally transported into the learning room in a shimmer of light. Ele'er knew she'd used a transporter because she was running late.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Mother said, pulling a padd out of a pocket in her cloak and sitting on the larger stool that faced Ele'er's. While they were both seated, Mother remained on a higher plane by sitting on her taller stool, reinforcing her position as both parent and teacher. Ele'er started to remind her that she'd be late for sky-singing, but Mother didn't give her the chance. "Today's lesson will involve the politics of the Federation."

Ele'er felt the folds of her skin tighten. She hated when the lesson involved politics.

"We are going to observe the Federation News Service, because they have a segment called Illuminating the City of Light."

"That's a stupid name," Ele'er muttered.

"What was that?" Mother asked tersely.

Sighing, Ele'er enunciated the words this time. "It's a stupid name."

"It is not at all a stupid name, Ele'er." Mother folded her hands on her lap, which meant she was going to start quizzing her daughter. "What is the seat of the Federation government?"

Ele'er sighed. "Earth."

"More specifically, please."

"A city called London."

"Wrong, Ele'er." Mother made a note on her padd that Ele'er assumed was a demerit. "It is in Paris, in a building known as the Palais de la Concorde."

Though Ele'er was tempted to point out to Mother that she had no need to know the differences among the many cities of a planet that (its role as the seat of the Federation government notwithstanding) was light-years away from Bre'el IV in terms of both distance and relevance, she knew that it would probably just result in another demerit.

"What is the name of the native population of Earth?"

"Human." That was an easy one.

"And what is the nickname that humans have for Paris?"

Ele'er felt her skin folds tighten again. "I don't know."

"The City of Light."

"Do the other cities on Earth not have light?"

Mother made another note on her padd; Ele'er feared another demerit. "Of course they do, don't be absurd, Ele'er. Now then—"

This time, Ele'er saw where Mother was going with her questioning. "This FNS segment discusses the goings-on in the Federation government in Paris?"

"That is correct."

"So the presentation's purpose is to provide insight into what happens in the City of Light—which is why it has that name."

Copyright © 2005 by Paramount Pictures