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After receiving Simon's wave, Gabriel had immediately arranged with Mark to not only reschedule the previously-planned dinner engagement but also to clear the last meeting of the day from his calendar.

As a result, he's able to arrive at Milliways early.

(He's not worried. Not exactly. Still, requests like this from Simon are rare enough to make him wonder.)

Gabriel takes a seat in the armchair by the fireplace and requests a cup of coffee while he waits.

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"Oh - yes." Mary pushes her hair back from her face, in an unconscious gesture that echoes that frustration. "It was only a math problem, that I ought to have been quicker about solving - but it could not seem to come clear."

"That happens sometimes," Gabriel says, in an attempt at comfort. "I myself find it harder to concentrate when I'm tired, more than anything else."

She looks more sallow than he remembers her being the last time he saw her.

"Have you been sleeping well?"

"Moderately well, I suppose . . ."

She's been having a harder time getting to sleep - her difficulty in breathing has contributed to that - but once she is asleep, she sleeps a long time; getting up each morning is a trial.

"I have been tired, but I think perhaps it is that I am going to grow more, and so have been using energy."

This, at least, is what Mary has been telling herself.

"Perhaps."

He sounds doubtful, however.

"And," Mary says, bringing her eyes up sharply, "how have you been feeling?"

This is after all more pertinent to Mary's interests!

"I'm quite well, xièxie," Gabriel tells her.

It's not even a lie, exactly, given that he's becoming used to certain limitations.

"If at some risk of being bored to sleep by some of the bills before Parliament this session."

"It is quite easy not to become bored," Mary informs him earnestly. "You must only have some project you are working on, or something you are working to learn, and then even if you are stuck somewhere dull, you can be thinking of that, and so at least be doing something interesting and useful in your head."

"That's a very good suggestion," he says, with admirable gravity. "I'll keep it in mind."

"I am never bored, now." Mary says this with some pride; in this one thing, at least, she has not relapsed.

"What sorts of projects are you working on these days?" Gabriel inquires.

"All this week it has been mostly maths," says Mary, who rather likes maths, except at times when she cannot do them. This week would be one of those times.

"And there are always languages, of course - those one must practice all the time, to improve."

"Certainly," he agrees. "Which languages are you learning?"

"French and Spanish and Greek and Latin," Mary lists off, "and I may soon begin with Japanese - it is important to learn languages that are not only the Romantic ones, for those are all so close that it is hardly a challenge in any case. And it is queer," she adds, distracted, "that they should be called Romantic. I know it is on account of the Romans really. But Romantic does mean something quite different, and language studies are hardly that."

An amused smile slants across his face.

"Not Mandarin Chinese?"

"Do you think it should be more useful?" Mary asks, tilting her head.

"I do, actually," Gabriel tells her, "but I admit to some bias. Mandarin Chinese is the other dominant language on every planet I'm aware of back home. That's why I'm fluent in it."

A beat.

"It's a standard part of the educational curriculum."

That almost earns him a smile, and Mary's voice sounds a little amused, as she says, "So you are saying that it would be useful, were I to come visit you."

"I am, in fact."

Mildly said.

"It would, you must admit. And you are always, always welcome."

"I should like that - when some things have been settled."

She can't risk, for example, Blodwen trying to follow her through there.

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