The authors would like to extend special thanks to the following people, all of whom made Fledgling richer, and without whom you might be reading some other book

Mike Barker, for his unflappable good nature, and deft touch with a wiki

Sam Chupp, the voice and the will behind the Fledgling podcast

Shaennon K. Garrity, who was kind enough to lend us the Antonio Smith Method

Donna Gaudet, for naming Melchiza

Robert Parks, for taking it to the street

Shawna Camara and Angela Gradillas, for their promotion work in Second Life

Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books, our patient editor

Jennifer Jackson of the Maass Agency, our marvelous agent

The many, many supporters of the Fledgling on-line project, and especially the denizens of the Theo^_Waitley Live Journal Community, who made it all happen, and happen well

Chapter One

Number Twelve Leafydale Place

Greensward-by-Efraim

Delgado

"Why do I have to go with her?" Theo demanded, and winced at the quaver in her voice. She'd meant to sound cool and remote and adult. Instead, she just sounded like a kid on the edge of a tantrum.

Housefather Kiladi looked up from his work screen and regarded her just a shade too seriously. Theo bit her lip.

"Because," he said in his deep, calm voice, "in the culture predominant upon Delgado, children – by which I mean those persons who have not attained what that same culture deems as their majority – are understood to be submissive to, and the responsibility of, their biological mother." He raised a strong eyebrow. "Surely you are aware of these things, Theo."