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In the shadows, he lifted one shoulder carelessly "He din’t need hest between old nobles and first-years that are new nobles’ sons They’re at the top of the top here, and we’re at the bottom of the bottom Not only first-years, but new nobles’ sons, too"

"But why does that put us at the bottom of the bottom?" Spink asked earnestly

Rory lifted his open hands, lost for words "Just because we are, I guess ’Cause it’s always been that way Old nobles’ son know the ropes, and they’re going to know each other from balls and dinners and all that social stuff So they’ll look out for the old noble first-years, and not ride ’em so hard But us, well, they just have at us You don’t hear much about any old nobles’ sons in the infirreed

"Someone ended up in the infirmary?" I hadn’t heard of this

Natred nodded soberly "A first-year from Skeltzin Hall Their third-years marched them out into the river fully dressed, up to their chests, and ave them the command to come in, one of the cadets slipped and went under and didn’t come up He was cold, the river rocks were slippery, and his uniforet back on his feet I heard so about it, that he’d nearly drowned in four feet of water"

"And he went to the infirmary for it?"

"Not him One of his friends lost his teed at the third-year who had started it The third-year and the other second-years jued from the school For insubordination"

"That’s one new noble’s son gone," Kort said quietly "They don’t bully their own first-years like that Oh, they have to scrub the steps or sing a song for an hour But they don’t feed them soap or trip them on the stairs Or half drown them"

"But it’s not fair," Spink said He sounded both hurt and bewildered "Our older brothers are heirs and will be lords, just like theirs By the king’s oord, we have as ht to be here If it hadn’t been for our fathers and their deeds, this Academy wouldn’t even exist! Why should we be treated so badly?" I could hear the anger building in his voice

I heard Rory’s puzzlement, too, when he objected, "Aw, Spink, it’s only six weeks Another teeks to go and we’ll be past it Besides, I think they’ve slacked off after the river incident They didn’t hurt Nevare any tonight Just chilled hi I don’t even knohy that Lieutenant Tiber stepped in It was just fun for them, and tests a first-year’s mettle a bit That’s all You aren’t hurt any, are you, Nevare?"

"No It wasn’t that drastic But it seemed important to Tiber that he stop it"

"Well, he’s touchy about such things," Trist said softly as he joined our group He had glided up behind us in the darkness, already dressed for bed He sank down on the hearthstones besidehis back to the warained all our attention

"Why?" I asked him when he’d let the silence stretch

"Well, he’s like that I don’t know him that well, but I’ve heard my brother’s friends talk about him He’s a new noble son, like us, but he’s dead brilliant at engineering, and that’s what he gets by on Even before Stiet cae, he ca kicked out And Rebin really liked his up He’s always saying that the new nobles’ sons aren’t treated fair, here or e go out into the cavalry He says we draw the bad postings and move up slower than old nobles’ sons And because it’s how he is, hechart on paper to prove it and presented it to Rebin last year as part of his project in military law"

"Is it true?" I asked

"I wouldn’t lie about it!" Trist declared angrily

"No, I don’t et the bad posts and don’t move up as fast?" Suddenly the disparity was personal to me Carsina awaited me only if I showed her father I could win rank quickly

"Well, of course it is, for most of us I even heard that when Roddy Newel’s faiment declined to have hiuess you don’t hear about it rew up in Old Thares know" He leaned closer to me "Haven’t you noticed? Our corporal is old nobility So are all the cadet officers They never put us with our own kind, or let us have officers fro the second– and third-year new nobles All the second-years and third-years in Carneston House are old nobility Next year, e’re second-years, do you think we’ll be here again, or in one of the nice new houses? No They’ll put us across the grounds in Sharpton Hall It used to be a tannery, and still stinks of it It’s where all the second– and third-year new nobles’ sons are housed"