Truth be told, I think that Sam might well have chosen some different stories, ones more focused on scientific discovery and breakthrough, on the beauty of the simplicity that underlies complexity, on the powers of serendipity to advance knowledge, if it weren't for the fact that Bra'tac probably made it clear to her that as a woman warrior she was something of a nine day's wonder to him.

I was my dad's eldest. He's a creative writer and a college professor, and sometimes he'd throw dinner parties for his friends, and if I was still and quiet, sometimes I could go unnoticed and not be sent off to bed, and I'd get to listen to all these professors, artists, musicians, and writers arguing passionately about the relative merits of Mozart and Bach, swapping interesting tales and anecdotes that they insisted someone should work into a novel or a short story, or simply sharing tales of their travels all around the globe. I so know how little Bra'tac felt.