So, before I left home, my elders were arranging my life for me. And after I left home, you still wanted to arrange my life? Then what was the point of leaving home in the first place?
At the thought, courage seemed to flood into Miss Taina Morn's heart and every vein in her body. She slammed her hand on the table and sprang to her feet. "Amita Senge Berenkest! I'm not Krell Belmont or Astri Enor. I'm not some dog you raised!"
She felt incredibly brave right then. Even when she and Yaxiu had faced an army of raiders in the Gray's ruins, she hadn't been this brave.
But her courage seemed to make no impression on the pillar of light across from her. Amita Senge Berenkest kept smiling, her eyes utterly unmoved, betraying not a trace of emotion.
"Taina, can you handle business worth trillions of faith-stars? Can you smooth over relations with politicians, businessmen, the military, the press, and even foreign powers? Can you help me solve the formula for the strong nuclear force? Or restore order in the Fermo Nebula right now? If you can't do any of that, why would I make you my dog?"
Taina Morn's courage dried up in an instant, like a puddle beneath the blazing sun on a scorching day.
Amita shook her head again. "You see, if you'd shown this kind of spirit from the start, I might have explained things to you differently. Admit it, little Taina. You don't really have the courage to fight your fate—not yet, anyway. So tell me, when will you?"
Taina lowered her head and clenched her fists, but didn't dare argue.
"You can't even understand what people like us fear most, or what we care about most. What does that make you? You