A Space Station in Orbit Around Earth, Saturday
Graff had stopped in for a brief visit on their first morning there, but then was off again - returned to Earth, in fact, on the shuttle that had brought them. He did not return for several weeks, by which time Peter had written nearly forty essays, all of which had been published in various places. Most of them were Locke’s essays. And, as usual, most of the attention went to Demosthenes, for which he used Natalie's input.
When Graff returned, he invited them to dine with him in the Minister’s quarters, and they had a convivial dinner during which nothing important was discussed. Whenever the subject seemed to be turning to a matter of real moment, Graff would interrupt with the pouring of water or a joke of some kind - only rarely the funny kind.
This puzzled Peter, because surely Graff could count on his own quarters being secure. But apparently not, because after dinner he invited them on a walk, leading them quickly out of the regular corridors and into some of the service passages. They were lost almost at once, and when Graff finally opened a door and took them onto a wide ledge overlooking a ventilation shaft, they had lost all sense of direction except, of course, where “down” was.
The ventilation shaft led 'down'... a very long way.
“This is a place of some historical importance,” said Graff. “Though few of us know it.”
“Ah,” said Father knowingly.
And because he had guessed it, Peter realized it should be guessable, and so he guessed. “Achilles was here,” he said.
[[ taken from shadow puppets, for natalie. ]]
When Graff returned, he invited them to dine with him in the Minister’s quarters, and they had a convivial dinner during which nothing important was discussed. Whenever the subject seemed to be turning to a matter of real moment, Graff would interrupt with the pouring of water or a joke of some kind - only rarely the funny kind.
This puzzled Peter, because surely Graff could count on his own quarters being secure. But apparently not, because after dinner he invited them on a walk, leading them quickly out of the regular corridors and into some of the service passages. They were lost almost at once, and when Graff finally opened a door and took them onto a wide ledge overlooking a ventilation shaft, they had lost all sense of direction except, of course, where “down” was.
The ventilation shaft led 'down'... a very long way.
“This is a place of some historical importance,” said Graff. “Though few of us know it.”
“Ah,” said Father knowingly.
And because he had guessed it, Peter realized it should be guessable, and so he guessed. “Achilles was here,” he said.
[[ taken from shadow puppets, for natalie. ]]