"Very well, Jokan,"Oda acquiesced with a bow. When he straightened, he faced Constance. His voice was harsh with a leashed emotion that Constance could not identify. "It is true that you shall greet the dawn as a jukurensha,but by the sun's setting, you shall no longer be one."

"What!" Constance's eyes went wide with shock.

"Regrettably, it is necessary that you leave my Order."

When no further words were forthcoming from the shudochoand a search of his stony face yielded nothing, Constance turned to her great-aunt. Her dismay dissolved as she caught a gleam of mischief in the old woman's eyes.

"He is quite correct, Constance," Florimel said, her voice stern. "You must leave the Order if you are to take the next step on your journey.

"This day, before Devlin Oda, Lord of the Pillars, I declare you my successor as Keeper of the House Honor."

"What!" Constance gasped, feeling foolish for repeating herself. Her wits had deserted her. The sharp reactions of what her father liked to call her "lawyer's mind" had vanished. Embarrassed, Constance reached deep within for the calm she had been taught to cultivate. After a shamefully long time, she stammered, "How can I accept? I am unworthy. I am not prepared."

"Of course you are not prepared," Florimel said, her voice softer. "That is why I make this declaration now. I'm not getting any younger, you know.

"To everyone outside this room, you will become one of my aides, little more than a servant. They will not know you are my successor, Oda-senseiand I will help you prepare to take my place. It will not be easy, but much of the work has already been done in your Pillarine training. You have learned our philosophy and goals, and partaken of our mental and physical disciplines. Now we shall focus that training and expand that learning."

Seeing that Constance was still distressed by the sudden changes in her life, Florimel added, "It is proper that you should feel unworthy. Had you felt deserving of the position, you wouldbe unworthy, totally unsuitable.

"Make an old woman happy, Constance. Say you will take my place."

Constance searched Florimel's eyes, reaching to feel the old woman's heart as the Pillarines had taught her. She found the strength she knew to be there, strength that proved Florimel's plea of old age a sham. Florimel asked from strength, not weakness. Her desire that Constance succeed was a fierce flame that cindered Constance's objections.

"JokanFlorimel would not make a mistake in this matter, JukurenshaConstance," Oda declared, trying to push Constance toward the decision she had already made.

"JokanFlorimel, I bow to your wisdom," Constance said with a smile, and Florimel's answering smile sealed the pact.

Oda harrumphed his approval of a recalcitrant girl's reluctant acceptance of duty.

"Now then, Constance, I have another bit of business tonight," Florimel announced. "Come kneel beside me here. It is time for you to begin learning more about our affairs."

As Constance took her new place at Florimel's side, Oda opened the door to admit five persons. Four wore the rust-colored robes of Pillarine monks, their shoulders broadened by the stiff, yoke-like collars of off-white armorplast. Each of the four wore a sash and collar tie of a different color: green, brown, gold, and ivory. Four of the five pillars, Constance noted. Each monk's sash was tied in the simple knot that indicated a high-ranking Adept. All wore the hoods, complete with one-way visors, that hid their faces as thoroughly as their robes hid their body contours.

The fifth figure was bare-headed and wore a black ISF sneaksuit. Constance was amazed at the beauty of the woman's delicate features. She needed no cosmetics to enhance the even, golden glow of her skin or her dark-lashed, slanting eyes. The combination of asian features and skin tone over the her strong Caucasian bone structure was exquisite. Her shining raven hair was curled close to her skull like a helmet, the ends stirring only slightly as she strode into the square formed by the monks.

All five bowed to the shrine, then to Florimel, and finally to Oda. Without a word, the woman advanced to Oda and knelt before him. He placed a Pillarine collar over her shoulders. As she rose, she tugged the attached hood up and slid the visor down over her features. As the dark-haired woman returned to the other monks, Constance saw the steel grey sash and observed the practiced ease with which she tied it into an Adept's knot.

All five bowed again to Florimel. The woman advanced and knelt before the dais. Head bowed, she offered up a dark leather pouch with a cut strap.

"Here is his pouch," she announced. "I have failed."

Florimel signaled Constance to take the pouch from the woman's hands. "You have brought what you were sent after. Why do you speak of failure?"

"I cut him. His blood is on my sword." Hands now freed from their burden, she placed her palms on the floor and deepened her bow. "Please accept my request for dismissal from the Order."

"How did this happen?" Oda asked from the back of the room.

"He was too strong for my technique," the woman answered, without moving.

From the corner of her eye, Constance saw Florimel smile.

"You bring good news, Jukurensha"Florimel declared, rejecting the request for dismissal by her use of the woman's rank within the Order.

The woman straightened, confusion and surprise evident in her posture. Reflecting on her own confused night, Constance sympathized with her.

* * *

"It is important to know that the heir is strong. It is even more important that I know you have not fallen into the trap of believing yourself perfect and invulnerable. No one is ever invulnerable. You have pleased me, Jukurensha.

"I have more work for you." Florimel beckoned the monk wearing the colors of the Pillar of Gold. "JukurenshaSharilar, help her to prepare. She is going to have a busy day."

Florimel signaled the end of the audience with a curt nod. As the others left the room, she turned to Constance. "You, too, have a busy day ahead. Many busy days. Let us greet the dawn together. We have much to discuss."

Constance smiled in anticipation.

5

Wisdom of the Dragon School, Kuroda, Kagoshima

Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine

18 May 3018

"Theodore Kurita."

Theodore stiffened as his name was called. He was first!The warmth of the morning sunlight that drenched the courtyard was swallowed up in the heated rush of victory. Until this moment, he had not known. Now that he did, he could have shouted his victory among the stars. But of course he did not. He bowed stiffly toward the dais and the assembled dignitaries before rising from where he knelt among the graduating class. He strode to the aisle in the center of the rows of kneeling officers, turned sharply, and headed for the dais.

Theodore was acutely aware of all eyes on him as he walked the length of the academy courtyard. Theodore imagined that he could feel the heavy gaze of his father boring down from the elevated gallery surrounding the courtyard. As much as Theodore wanted to meet his father's eyes, he refused to break the discipline of the occasion.

Take a good look,Father, he said silently. I have beaten your mark here. Now you must surely see that I have proven myself worthy.