Likan's home was actually three separate buildings. Two of them were on the shore of a lake ten miles long. One was a giant chateau made of stone which must have had five hundred rooms. Araminta had seen smaller villages. The second, almost opposite the first, was an ultramodern ovoid of shimmering opalescence that seemed to dip down into the water as it lay longside across the ground. The third was small by comparison, just a wooden lodge atop the cliffs of a rugged island.

The capsule landed outside the ovoid. Araminta was quietly grateful. She wanted to see what it was like inside, if there were any design concepts she could use.

Two of the harem were waiting to greet her when she stepped out. Clemance, a slim teenager, dressed in a simple white shirt and blue cotton shorts. She had a fresh face, freckled on her nose and brow, an eager smile, and fair hair that was barely styled. Not quite what Araminta had expected. While the other, Marak-ata, was tall and classically beautiful, with ebony skin that gleamed in the sunlight. Her scarlet gown probably cost more than every item Araminta had brought put together. And that's what she wears in the middle of the afternoon. Subtle cosmetic scales highlighted jade eyes and a wide mouth. She didn't smile, her whole attitude was one of cool amusement.

Clemance bounded forward, her smile growing even wider. She threw her arms around Araminta. 'Likan has told us all about you. It's so great to finally get to meet you.

A mildly startled Araminta gave the girl a tentative hug back. What did he say?

'To be careful, Marakata said. She raised an elegant eyebrow, observing Araminta's response.

'He says you're really ambitious, and smart, and attractive, and your own boss— Clemance seemed to run out of breath. 'Just all-round fabulous.

Araminta finally managed to disentangle herself from the girl. 'I didn't realize I'd made such an impression.

'Likan makes very fast assessments, Marakata said.

'Do you? Araminta asked, as cool as she could.

It actually drew a small smile from the imposing woman. 'I take my time and get it absolutely right.

'Good to know.

Clemance giggled. 'Come on, we'll show you your room. She grabbed Araminta's hand and pulled like a five-year-old hauling her parent to the Christmas tree.

'The staff will get your bags, Marakata said airily.

Araminta frowned, then saw she wasn't joking. A couple of women in identical smart grey toga suits were heading for her capsule, followed by a regrav sled. 'You have human staff?

'Of course.

'So Nigel Sheldon must have had them.

'Humm, you are quite quick, aren't you?

Clemance laughed, and pulled harder. 'Come on! I chose this one for you.

They were right up against the scintillating surface. Araminta hadn't realized how big the ovoid was. Standing at the base it must have reached ten storeys above her, though the curvature made it hard to tell. There were no discernible features, certainly no door. The entire base was surrounded by a broad marble path, as if it were resting on a plinth. A couple of thin gold lines had materialized underfoot, which Clemance had followed. She slipped through the torrent of multicoloured light. Araminta followed. It was similar to walking through a pressure field, or a spore shower, a slight tingle on the skin, bright flash against the eye, and she was in a bubble-chamber with transparent furniture delineated by glowing emerald lines, like curving laser beams. Closets and drawers were all empty, chairs and couches contained a more diffuse glow inside their cushions, looking like faulty portal projections. The floor and cupola walls were a duller version of the external scintillations. Only the cream and gold sheets on the bed were what she thought of as tangible.

'The house smartnet is offering an operations program, her u-shadow told her.

'Accept it. Her exovision showed her the file opening into a storage lacuna.

Clemance was already sitting on the edge of the bed, bouncing up and down. 'Like it?

'The house's main entrance opens into a guest bedroom?

'Only when you need it to be, the girl said sprightly. 'Tell your control program you want to see out.

Araminta did, and the walls on one side lost their lustre to show the gardens outside, and her capsule with the regrav sled loading up cases.

'Now, if you need the bathroom… Clemance said. The whole room started to slide upwards, following the curvature of the external wall. There must have been excellent gravity compensators hidden somewhere below the floor because Araminta didn't feel any movement. Then they were sliding horizontally into the centre of the ovoid. Other bubble rooms flowed past them.

Araminta imagined this was the perspective which corpuscles had as they raced through a vein. She smiled in delight. 'How brilliant, the whole thing is protean.

Her bedroom touched a bathroom, and the wall rolled apart to give her access. The design beyond the new door was more conventional, with a huge pool-bath, showers, dryer chambers. It was bigger than the living rooms back in the apartments she was developing.

'You want to see someone, or go to the dining room for dinner, or just change the view — tell the house, Marakata said.

'I will, Araminta said positively.

A door opened opposite the bathroom, and Marakata stepped through. Araminta caught a glimpse of an all-white chamber with a long desk, and several gym apparatus. 'I'll see you later, Marakata said, and the door swept shut behind her.

'Was that a threat? Araminta muttered.

'Oh ignore her, Clemance said. 'She's always shy around new people. She's a lot more fun in bed, honest.

'I'm sure. Araminta turned round, giving the room a more thorough inspection. The drawers began to fill up with her clothes. The process was like watching water bubble up into a glass. 'Take me to Likan, she told her u-shadow.

The room closed the door into the bathroom. Curving walls slipped past; horizontally then curving to vertical. 'And opaque the walls. Gravity might be perfectly stable, but the sight was strangely disorientating.

Likan's room was huge. Araminta suspected it didn't move often. Everything else in the house would be displaced. It was circular with a polished oak floor which appeared to be a single giant segment. Vat grown; she'd read a file on the process in one of her design courses. The walls were pale pink and blue, with a translucent eggshell texture. They slipped into transparency along a third of the length, providing a panorama out across the lake.

Likan was walking towards her, dressed in a simple mauve sweatshirt and long green shorts. Small coloured symbols were shrinking around him, then vanishing. The walls must be portals, she thought, which gave them a vast projection capacity. This was probably his office. He smiled warmly, paused in front of her and gave her a kiss. The kind of kiss that told her what he was expecting from her later.

'Great house, she said.

'I knew you'd like it. The concept is an old one, but we've just got the manufacturing process down to an affordable level. Not easy without Higher replicators.

'I'd like to have the Colwyn City franchise.

He responded with a warm, admiring smile. 'Now see, most developers would have made a crack about me putting them out of business. But you… you see how to adapt and move onward. That's what makes you stand out.

'Thank you.

Clemance scampered over to a new door. 'Catch you later.

Likan waved dismissively as he led Araminta over to the transparent wall. 'Drink? Food? he asked.

'I'm good for a few hours.

'Good. The Prime Minister and two cabinet ministers are coming for dinner.

Are you trying to impress me?

'They were coming anyway. But hopefully it gives you an idea of the life I lead. To get this big you have to delve into politics.