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wider, and the doors farther apart, indicating possibly better accommodations.
    “Not really so,” Johnny remarked, picking up on Rhyssa’s public thoughts. “This is the level we moved the Talents out of.” He gestured upward with his thumb. “At least they have the privacy shielding, and space, which Barchenka begrudged us.” He turned a corner abruptly, pointed to the lift at the end, and started to jog. “Third checkpoint.”
    Peter glided past them and was already slotting in his card when they reached him.
    “Air’s better up here,” Dave remarked as they were taken upward again.
    “Better be,” Johnny said, and the lift opened into another hall, painted an AirForce blue. Only one door sported the security unit. Johnny held up his hand. “We’ll be emerging in the rest-room area. Pretend you’ve just been and go if you need to.”
    While his card was being processed, he straightened his tunic, brushed imaginary fluff from one sleeve, angled his soft hat more comfortably on his head, and then strode out into the corridor, looking neither right nor left. Their destination lay in the large chamber where people were standing in groups, chatting brightly to each other as people do when passing time. No eyes seemed turned in their direction as they discreetly filed in. Rhyssa made a show of smoothing Peter’s new tunic at the back and then turned to put her arm through Dave’s before they sauntered in.
    I’ll go hobnob with the service contingent, Rhyssa
, Johnny told her.
Your seats are row H, 98, 99, 100. The hospitality suite is not far from them. Your seats should have reserved signs on them. Barchenka’s more nearsighted than she’ll admit so I doubt she’ll recognize you from the stage. Catchya later
. And Johnny Greene moved obliquely left, slipping in among the uniforms.
    Their timing had been excellent. Rhyssa barely had time to look around the foyer, which featured wall photomurals of various stages of Padrugoi’s construction taken from space, when she became aware of activity in the corridor they had just vacated. A squad of Station police in white dress tunics filed out of the rear door and began moving the invited guests toward the far end. There the huge folding doors were sliding open. A tiny audible click heralded an imminent broadcast, delivered in a slightly accented contralto voice.
    “Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, please display your invitations for inspection and proceed into the auditorium.”
    A security check here, too, huh?
Johnny said from wherever he was.
And it looks like the official Lighting-up will be exactly on
the
contractual hour
, he added with a snide chuckle.
    Slowly, the crowd entered what was designated on the Space Station plans as a mall for tourists and residents. Along the outer skin of the Station, transparent panels of one of the special alloys that had been developedfor the purpose allowed a stunning view of the stars. Dark bulks were discernible, some of them in orbit around the Station. Peter’s eyes widened, then he visibly relaxed as his other senses identified the dark objects to him.
    Why can’t we see them?
he asked.
    Barchenka has to officially turn on the lights. That’s part of the ceremony
, Rhyssa said.
    They moved steadily forward to the wider space at the back of the arranged seating, where people were beginning to angle toward side aisles and their reserved places. There was no middle aisle.
    Peter was looking all about him, gasping a little as he recognized the faces of well-known world leaders, all splendidly dressed for the occasion. While outwardly he was the epitome of patience, he kept up a running telepathic commentary on the notables.
    I never thought I’d be so close to
her.
D’ya see all those jewels, Rhyssa? And there’s the triple world medalist in track. He did the 5,000 meter, the 10,000, and the 10,000 relay
. Peter especially envied runners.
    They displayed their tickets to a hard-faced, white-coated usher