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      “Mom, why do I have to do it? Can’t Kestrel? She’s the one who reads all the time.”
      “Now Feldspar,it’s your turn this week, as you know very well. Kestrel did the forms last week.”
      “That’s right,” I cut in, not wanting any chance that I’ll get stuck with the most boring chore in the world. “And besides, I have to study.”
      “Study?” He counters. “It’s only one test, but she’s been studying forever. Mom, can’t you see that she’s just doing it to get out of work?”
      I glare at him.
      “Your turn will come,” she says, patting him on the head. “And when it does, I expect you to work as hard as Kestrel does.”
      He sticks his tongue out at me. “The only problem,” he says, “is that by the time I’m that old, there won’t be anyone but Mallee to do all the rest of the chores. And she won’t be able to do them all, so guess who is stuck with them for life--me, that’s who.”
      I pick up my mathmagics book and grin at him, “I’m sure it’s very good for you,” I offer. “I’m sure that you’ll be a better person because of it.”
      He just glares and unscrews the lid of the fountain pen before filling it from the inkwell.
      “Oh,and try not to blot too much,” Mom continues. “I’m nearly out of compost submission forms, and I don’t have time to go get more for a couple of days.”
      “At least that’s one chore that I can’t do.” Feld gives an exaggerated sigh.
      Normally I like Feld. He’ll find out soon enough what it’s like to have your entire future hanging over your head with one test. Especially since it’s not just my happiness that is hanging on it.
      Mom scoops up Mallee to read her a bedtime story. She sits in the kitchen rocker tonight so that Feld can listen without admitting that he is listening.
      Meanwhile I have work to do. I head upstairs. As much as she wants me to do well, my mom would send me to bed if I stay up too late. The only problem is that for the last eight months, and for the next week, I can’t afford to sleep much.
      I settle down at the little desk in my room, book open, pencil sharpened, paper waiting. Tonight I’m working on resistance and energy loss of medium grade crystals in a magical system. I’ve done it before, but I can’t remember all of the deatails, so I want to work through some equations just in case they have a practical application question on the exam.
I turn to the practice section. Question 1: If a D418 crystal in a copper mesh transfer pouch pulls a load of 1.8 units for a period of 4,336 hours, how much magic is lost?
      I adjust the lumilamp on my desk and put my pencil down to the paper. “Lets’ see,” I mutter to myself. “A D418 crystal at maximum capacity is...” And for the next several hours, I scribble, check, twist my hair out of my face with pencils, and read more questions. I don’t even notice the getting-ready-for-bed noises from the rest of the family until it suddenly hits me that it’s very late and very quiet.  


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