The office in the Executive suite was hot and
stuffy. It reminded Kaleem so much of the health centre at home where Maria was
presumably still almost imprisoned. He suddenly felt homesick for Terrestra.
Razjosh had forbidden him all contact with his old life. He would be more able
to integrate into the new one if he was cut off completely from his home
planet. The Elder had, however promised Kaleem that the moment there was any
deterioration in his mother, he would be informed at once. Kaleem had heard
nothing, so he assumed all must be well.
The Executive of Language and Story was staring out of the
window at a holoscene of natural sunflowers.
‘It’s so clever what they are doing with the holo
technology,’ he said. ‘That’s what I now want to bring to the world of words.
Create atmospheres taken from elsewhere.’
