“Hi,” I managed to say, “and you are…?”

The skinny waif had vaulted in the low freighter’s gravity to take a seat on the upper bunk. It was a neat trick and one I didn’t yet have the space legs to even dream of trying.

“Nina,” she said. “Captain says you’re teachers.”

“That’s right, Nina. How old are you? Ten?”

“Nine. But you probably didn’t account for the added growth in low grav.”

This kid was tough and smart. “No,” I admitted. “Probably not.”

“Thought so. You going to eat this?” She held out the dish.

“We’ll get to it,” Brenda said, finally composed after Nina’s interuption. “Right now we’re entertaining a guest.”

“Cute,” Nina said. “But Captain said you were on a honeymoon, so you’re not quite telling the truth.”

“And you, young lady,” I said, “have gotten yourself into a bad habit of jumping into things without an invitation.”

Nina shrugged. “I came by to figure out what you know about teaching spacer kids.”

“Nothing,” I said. “We have no intention of teaching spacer kids.”