North Wind, Instructor at the Academy, and, Guard
Officer Blue Stone, Communications Officer for Guard Central in his
city.
29 One day North was sitting in North Wind's home, asking him a favor.
"Do you know what you're asking?" the Commander questioned. "If we're
caught, we could both be executed. It's absolutely forbidden for anyone
to be given any information about The Academy before they enter! You're
taking an awful risk for the little head start I'd be able to give you."
30 "I know," answered North, "but I need that head start. I can learn,
but I'm slow. Anything extra, anything I already know will give me time
to learn the things I don't. Once I'm in The Academy, every hour will
count. Now I'm so far ahead I have two or three extra hours a night, I
won't have them when I'm in Academy."
31 "All right," agreed North Wind,"I owe you this for your father, and
I admire your courage. Give me a week. I have alot of information from
my own field but it will take me some time to get the other stuff."
32 "Name any favor," North told him, "and if it's within my power I'll
do it."
33 North Wind looked kind of embarrassed. "Well, there is one thing,"
he admitted, "my nephew didn't make Academy, but there's an opening in
the Commercial Fleet School. The whole family is trying to raise the
money for his tuition. We're still about two-thousand credits short."
34 "It won't look good," remarked North, "for me to be giving the
nephew of an Academy Officer money, but I think I know somebody who
will do it for me, and they wouldn't dare question it! Let's make it
six thousand, then the rest of you can pay for his room and board. Give
me his name and address. I'll see that the School gets the funds!"
35 "That's more than generous! " praised North Wind. "We'll pay you
back, I promise!"
36 "Don't worry about it!" insisted North. "Sometime when I need some
money to go to someone else I'll call you, and you can take it out of
what you owe me."