Leoh was grinning broadly, and the girl smiled back at him. “Perhaps I will,” she said.
“Ask for me when you get to the University. I’m Dr. Leoh. I’ll see to it that you’re introduced to some of the girls and gentlemen of your own age.”
“Why ... thank you, doctor. I’ll do it this week end.”
“Good. Now then, any messages for me? Anyone aboard the station looking for me?”
The girl turned and tapped a few keys on the computer’s control console. A row of lights flicked briefly across the console’s face. She turned back to Leoh:
“No, sir, I’m sorry. No messages and no one has asked for you.”
“Hm-m-m. That’s strange. Well, thank you ... and I’ll expect to see you at the end of this week.”
The girl smiled a farewell. Leoh started to walk away from the booth, back toward the slideway. The young man took a step toward him, stumbled on his own traveling kit, and staggered across the floor for a half-dozen steps before regaining his balance. Leoh turned and saw that the youth’s face bore a somewhat ridiculous expression of mixed indecision and curiosity.
“Can I help you?” Leoh asked, stopping at the edge of the moving slideway.
“How ... how did you do that, sir?”