Candidate (Selected Book 4) by Robin Roseau

and two this afternoon." Then she smiled. "And then yours with Jessica Maple."
    "Andromeda has an event?" asked Dark Skies. "May I assist, Administrator?"
    "Yes," said the Catseye. "I want you to run it. I will oversee and offer guidance."
    "Thank you, Administrator!" said Dark Skies, sincerity in her voice.
    Then Administrator Brighteyes spoke briefly in one of the alien languages. The other Catseye turned to me, and the Administrator returned to English. "Clover Speckles, this is Andromeda Hayes. Andromeda, Ms. Speckles is one of the senior event coordinators. If I weren't in this chair, she would be."
    I offered my hand. The Catseye looked at it like I was infected and then turned her back on me. I stared at her for a moment then said sarcastically, "It's my pleasure, of course." I turned my gaze back to the administrator. "One human, reporting for duty, Administrator Brighteyes."
    She nodded her head over her shoulder then turned around and stepped from the stool. I walked around the dais and joined her on the other side. The Catseye led me to the nearest bank of monitors.
    "You've been busy, Andromeda. I thought you would wait for me to introduce you to prospective challengers. Instead, you do my work for me."
    I looked over at her. I couldn't read her expression. "Are you angry?"
    "No. Amused. About that. However." Her tone grew tight. "I am not a voyeur."
    "And yet, you were listening to that conversation."
    "No. It was suggested I review the tapes to see what you'd already been doing this morning."
    "Suggested by..."
    "Someone you haven't met. I am not a voyeur."
    "And yet, you like keeping me barely dressed or not dressed at all. You do the same with all the other women. I think you like looking at us, Administrator. Do you care to deny it?"
    It was her turn to look carefully at me. "I cannot tell if you are teasing me."
    "I'll let you wonder," I said with a smile. "You can try denying you enjoy looking at us. You can try denying you enjoy watching us. It will be difficult to convince me, although I admit the possibility I am wrong. Tell me. Do you watch me when I don't know you're watching me?"
    She paused and then changed the subject. "You have new mail."
    I laughed. "I presume you have conceded the discussion. Should I know about the mail without checking?"
    "Upper left corner," she said. I glanced to my upper left, opposite the time display, and there was a small green dot.
    "The green dot? That means I have mail? I'm sorry, but that's about the least obvious thing you could do."
    "There's a setting," she said. "Find it later. Save the mail for now, but you'll have a few minutes before we get started. Background. I oversee the initial arena challenges and about twelve percent of the subsequent challenges. I have three senior event coordinators. It was four until two weeks ago. Clover's wife took a position in Switzerland."
    I looked over my shoulder at the other Catseye. "So that wasn't me."
    "No. She's mad at me because I won't let her go until we can train up a replacement. I can't run this place with only two senior coordinators. Dark Skies is very intelligent, but she is a technician. She is, well, you would consider her a wizard with anything electronic, even as young as she is. But you've experienced how Octals handle interpersonal relationships, and being a senior event coordinator is about far more than running the equipment."
    "But you're going to let her run my event this afternoon?"
    "With my oversight. She'll care about the outcome, and she'll realize this is not where her strengths lie. Please do not be upset. I needed a challenge like yours today to show her. Frankly, if she makes mistakes with yours, it's not as critical as if she makes one with one of our other candidates."
    "It's fine," I said.
    "Good. Thank you. This morning I want you to watch. Pay attention to the dynamics of the room and what everyone is doing. If you are able to also watch the event itself, you may do so. But I want you to