“Please show Jal to its quarters, Taryn.”

Taryn and Jal carried its belongings and the computer parts to the base of the tower. “Open minitransport,” she said as she looked at the wall. A panel slid open. They piled the backpack, bags and boxes into an open space. “I’ll be right back,” she said to him. She gathered bed linens and towels and put them onto the transport. When she was finished, she handed Jal a tall, capped bottled of water. “I put your name on it, so you don’t get it mixed up with Jan’s. Transport to level five.” The panel closed.

Jal followed her up the steps. “Levels one and two are guest rooms. The third floor is Sage Elvan’s. This is an exercise and meditation area,” she said as they passed the fourth landing. Level five is yours.”

They entered a huge, round space. A bed dominated one-fourth of the room. A model of the solar system was suspended from the ceiling near an easel.

“Open minitransport.” A panel slid open. Taryn pulled linens off the transport and showed Jal how to fit them on the long, wide bed. As they worked together, Taryn explained that she kept the home clean, took care of the garden and chickens, and did the cooking. “You will keep your own space tidy and I’ll clean the floors as needed. There is an opening in the floor by the shower for dirty clothing. You will not eat anywhere except in the eating room.” She tried to explain the daily routine, but gave up, saying, “The routine is usually interrupted by one thing or another. You will learn to be flexible, as things often change quickly. I know you’re going to kick the blankets off, so do this.” She pulled a release at the foot of the bed and a shelf slowly extended. “It will keep the bedding off the floor.”

Taryn reached into her pocket. “Here is how we communicate with each other.” She pinned a communicator to Jal’s shirt. “Tap it to turn it on before you speak.” She walked to the stairs, and they tested it to make sure it worked. When she came back in, she asked, “What kind of study area do you use?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“We can configure the space to meet your needs. Tap the wall to make parts extend where you want them. Push to create deeper shelves.” A few minutes later, they stood looking at a desk. As they connected the computer, she asked, “What craft are you going to learn?”

“I have no idea.”

“What craft did your parent do?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Was it a tailor or a leatherworker? Was it a blacksmith or a woodcarver?”

“The people who raised me? He was a farmer. She was...” Jal’s voice trailed off. “She did the bookkeeping for my grandpa’s business.”

“Those are not crafts. It had a craft, I’m sure. It had a job that required specific skills or knowledge to do skilled work.”

“He knew how to make the machines work to plant and harvest crops. She kept track of the products people ordered and paid for at my grandpa’s boot shop.”

“Oh! It made magic boots.”

“No,” Jal shook its head. “Definitely not. My mom ran the household. My dad raised crops and animals.”

She tried again. “It was a hunter who provided animal skins to people who made defensive coats and capes?”

“No. He planted grain, harvested it, and sold it to people who didn’t plant their own.”

She tapped her chin. “It was a miller?”

“No. He grew the grain and sold it to the miller.”

“That’s it? It didn’t have a craft or special knowledge?”

“He knew how to use the machinery to plant and harvest large crops.”

“That isn’t a craft. It’s technology.”

“What does this have to do with me having a craft?”

“Many children learn the craft their parent did.”

“Oh.”

“So, we need to define what it did, so you can use those skills.”

“What if I don’t want to do what my parents did?”

“Parents. You keep saying parents. You only have one parent. One parent, one craft.”

“You mean my Stafriez parent.”

“Of course, silly!”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“This is very confusing. How can you not know who your parent is? You lived with someone.”

“Why is this so important?”

“We need to determine what sort of living space you need. We can make shelves for the books you’ll study and the supplies you require for your craft. I need to determine whether you need special clothing or footwear. I’ll help you find reference resources.”

“I don’t know what my parent did. People who were not Stafriez raised me.”

“You were an orphan.”

“No. Can we talk about this with Sage Elvan? Maybe it can give me some guidance about a craft.”

“It will not spend time dealing with your craft. It is busy with its own. Let’s put your things away.” She put the case of clothing on the bed.

Jal really didn’t want her to see its things. “Let’s go outside,” it suggested.

“No. You need to put your things away.”

“There’s nowhere to put them,” Jal pointed out.

“There will be! Give me something from the case.”

Jal opened it and gave her some tunics. She held each one up, studied it, then refolded it. She looked at the stack, then traced a rectangle on the wall. “Drawer.” A knob appeared and she pulled on it. She piled the tunics into it and slid it into the wall. Jal gave her some jeans.

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She held up the first pair and studied the pant legs. “Why are these sewn like this?”

“The are reinforced so they will last longer.”

“Why?”

“Because I will be on my own.” She looked at Syp, puzzled. “I’ll be living in the forests, kneeling by fires, and living outside.”

She drew another rectangle below the first, said “drawer,” and put them away.

“Can I do it?” Jal asked. It made drawers next to the first ones for underwear, socks, and sleeping clothes. Next, Jal tapped a series of blocks and made cubbyholes next to the drawers. It put the tent, sleeping bag and fishing gear into the cubbyholes.

“That’s right!”

Above the drawers, Jal pushed the blocks back and made a shelf. It laid out its knife, firestones, pestle and mortar, and other small items. When the backpack was nearly empty, Jal asked, “What are we doing when we’re finished?”

“I’ll take you up to the Sage. It can show you its work while I’m cooking.”

“I’d rather go to the kitchen with you,” Jal said. “I know how to cook a few things, and put some herbs in them.”

“Do you make potions from things in the garden? Maybe you should have a healing craft.”

“Maybe I should.”

“I wish you could go to the kitchen with me, but it’s customary for an apprentice to go to the sage after its settled in.”

“All right. Before we go, I’d like to use the toilet.” Jal went to the door, thinking the toilet was on another level.

“Your toilet is here,” she said. A tall door slid to the side.

“I didn’t even see that! It will take me several minutes,” Jal was embarrassed.

“Oh! I forgot the chair.” She pulled a wand from her pocket. "Te rug vi chair!” It appeared in front of her. She carried it over to the desk. “I’m going to the kitchen,” she said. “Take care of your business, then go up the steps. You’ll find Sage Elvan on the tenth level.”

“Thank you.” She went out the door and down the steps.

“Whew!” Jal thought. “That was intense. Talk about being scrutinized.” Jal walked around the perimeter of the room. It touched the wall with its palms spread, intrigued by the idea that the drawers and shelves formed to meet the sizes needed. “This is so impressive and beautiful!” It said aloud. “I have these papers and my currency, and I don’t want anyone to find it. I wish there were a way to hide it.”

“There is,” a gentle voice responded.

Jal looked around startled. There wasn’t anyone in the room. “Who are you?” Jal asked. “Where are you?”

“I am the Tower of Ridali. I will hide your papers and currency and I will not reveal them to anyone but you.” A shallow drawer slid out. “Place your items here. Choose a codeword. If you cannot think of one, I will choose one for you. When you want your items, say your codeword. The location of the drawer will change from day to day, but your access to it will not.” Jal placed its papers and currency into the drawer. “What is your name?”

""Jal Jomari."

"What is your codeword?"

“I don’t know,” Jal answered. “Please choose one for me.”

“Your codeword is ‘Pegmatite.’” The drawer slid shut. “Please tell Sage Elvan that The Tower of Ridali says it is glad that a child Stafriez has come home. I allow children special privileges. Draw a shape on the wall.” Jal drew a circle. “Now touch several fingers to the middle of the space.” Jal put its fingertips on the wall. At each of its fingertips, small circles of various colors appeared. “Please choose a color for the area.” Jal selected gold. The area filled in. Jal made an appreciative noise.

“You may modify the surfaces whenever you wish. Change it from week to week or even from day to day.”

“That’s so beautiful! Thank you!”

Jal used the toilet, checked out the shower bath, and studied the shelves around a tall stool that sat in front of a mirror. It climbed the stairs, looking in each room. “There you are,” Sage Elvan said. “Please join me. You have created a living space that you like?”

“It’s amazing! The tower is amazing!” Jal smiled at the sage. “The Tower of Ridali said to tell you that it is glad a child Stafriez has come home.”

“It spoke to you already?”

“It did.”

“Taryn has created a list of supplies you will need?”

“Are you talking about for a craft?” Jal asked nervously.

“Yes. You will learn a craft.”

“Our conversation was frustrating for both of us. It is hard to explain that I don’t know what craft I will have. My father was a farmer, and my mother was a bookkeeper.”

“Your father and your mother? No. Wait. That. Doesn’t. Make. Sense.”

“Oh, boy!” Jal said.

“Stafriez have one parent. The child generally trains in the craft that the parent has, because it has observed the work since it was born.”

“I don’t know my Stafriez parent. I don’t know what craft it had.”

“I am so confused about your background,” Sage Elvan admitted. “I think we should talk about this before I begin to show you what I am doing here. Start by telling me what happened when you met with the Stafriez pod.” Jal told Jan about the meeting and the decision to order genetic testing.

“What do you think about your situation?”

“I’m very curious. I don’t understand how I was born like I was.”

“What do you mean?”

“How can a Stafriez be born to a pair of Aphyxians?”

Sage Elvan studied Jal’s face. “That, my young friend, is a very good question.” The sage watched Jal’s face for a reaction. It was hard for the sage to tell how Jal was feeling, and the sage was frustrated by this. It was trained to read people’s body language and facial expressions. “What are you thinking, Jal?”

“What does an apprentice to a diplomatic negotiator do?”

“We were talking about your surrogate parent. How do you feel about the situation?”

“I don’t feel anything about it anymore. I grew inside her until I was born. My father laid me outside in the snow in a summer jumpsuit. When he brought me inside, they all thought I was dead. They took my clothes off and put me by the back door and said they would bury me when the ground thawed. Later, my grandpa came inside and found me. I was trying to tell him I was alive. He was very upset when he brought me to my grandma. The only reason I’m alive is because Grandma Eaglestje Bron was watching out for me. I am certain Geldou can explain the situation, but I’ve not spoken with her about it. Both my parents are in lock-up and I have no interest in pursuing a relationship with either of them at this point.”

“Lock-up? They’re both in lock-up?”

“It’s a long story. I’m not ready to talk about it.”

Jan saw the anger in Jal’s eyes. “Very well. Let’s talk about your metamorphosis. When did things begin to change?”

“Metamorphosis? Is that what this is called? Eiske called it puberty or adolescence. Please tell me that it’s almost over.”

Jan’s mid-toned trill of laughter filled the large room. “Are you having a hard time?”

“It struck with no warning. I was the smallest in the family one week, and the next one I was taller than Haerm.”

“You don’t get along with Haerm.”

“We never got along very well. Do we really need to talk about him?”

“Just for a moment, then we’ll go on to something else. Your surrogate mother and her husband sent you out of the house several months ago.”

“Yes, with a five-day warning. They said it was my ‘loosing day.’ That’s what Aphyxians do for their children when they become adults. It’s a day that eight-year-olds look forward to celebrating. They’re done with their basic education. I am a five-year-old. I was sent from the house and told not to return, leave messages or ask for help. I didn’t know where I would go, or what I would do and then I talked to Eiske. Because of the family conflict, I asked for sanctuary.”

“So, you are a very young metamorph.” The young man’s skin seemed to darken a bit as it contemplated the situation. “It sounds like you were raised in some very odd circumstances. I can’t explain why that happened the way it did. What I can tell you is this: I’m not going to lie to you or try to force you out the door. I’m also not going to pretend that you’re an adult. There are rules here about how we act toward one another, and the most important two are honesty and listening. You listen to me, and I’ll listen to you.” Jal noticed that the sage’s hair had become a golden brown and the ends were a light pink. It blinked several times and looked away for a moment. “I’ve had apprentices and they’ve all been eight when they came here. Generally, they’ve been here for a year, then gone on to university. I’d like to get to know you better before we talk about how long we’ll work together.”

Some of the ties in Jal’s hair came undone and others slid off as its hair became a riot of colors and loose strands stood up in all directions. “I need a minute, please.” It turned away from the sage and put its hands over its face.

When Jal looked up, Jan spoke quietly, “I’m sorry this is so uncomfortable for you.”

Jal had to think about what to say. “It’s okay. I’m here, away from the craziness. I’ll adjust. If I don’t, I’ll call Solrio and let her know before I leave.”

Sage Elvan held back its words. No way was he going to let a five-year-old Stafriez try to find its way around the world of Zuphreon. Instead, he said, “I’ve not had a child of my own, so this will be new for both of us. We are going to Nik. Before we do anything else, you will get a haircut.”

“A haircut?” Jal’s eyes darted back and forth.