The scene--the living room of the Average Mospheiran apartment. Mrs. Mospheiran is sitting on the couch, reading a book. Miss Mospheiran is at a table to the side of the room. On the table is a sewing machine. In the middle of the room is a suitcase and a pile of clothes sitting on a bathroom scale.

Miss Mospheiran: "This is so totally lame I can’t even tell you!"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Still having trouble, sweetie?"

Miss Mospheiran: "I can’t get this stupid collar to stand up right."

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Did you try the extra interfacing?"

Miss Mospheiran: "I did, but it still doesn’t look right. Here, see."

Miss Mospheiran brings the collar and a paper over to Mrs. Mospheiran.

Mrs. Mospheiran: "I see what you mean. Is this the best picture you have? Maybe your brother can get you something better from the University."

Miss Mospheiran: "The University’s newest stuff is a year old. I don’t want last year’s fashions! And this coat is sooo totally cool. But how do they make the collar do that?"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Some boning, maybe? Here."

Mrs. Mospheiran puts down her book, takes a pencil and paper and begins to sketch.

Master Mospheiran enters from the hall.

Master Mospheiran: "Mom, do you know where my black sweater is?"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Are you sure you want to take that one? It’s awfully heavy."

Master Mospheiran: "It’s warm. And it’s my favorite one. I can wear it on the shuttle, so it won’t count as part of my luggage."

Mrs. Mospheiran: "It should be with the rest of the drycleaning in the hall closet."

Master Mospheiran: "Thanks." ( Miss Mospheiran’s paper catches his eye.) "What’s this?"

Miss Mospheiran: "It’s a scan from this month’s [i]Modern Felicity[/i]. Isn’t it totally the coolest coat you’ve ever seen?"

Master Mospheiran: "How do they get the collar to do that?"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "That’s what we’re trying to figure out."

Master Mospheiran: "Some interfacing in...."

Miss Mospheiran and Mrs. Mospheiran: "Tried that."

Master Mospheiran: "Maybe some boning, then? This photo doesn’t show the construction very well. Why are you using it?"

Miss Mospheiran: "Because it’s the only one I have. Well, I have a newspaper photo, but that’s even worse. Somebody needs to teach the atevi how to do fashion photography."

Master Mospheiran: "Well, you can’t expect the designer to just give out patterns to whatever he’s making for Lady Damiri, can you?"

Miss Mospheiran considers this for a moment.

Miss Mospheiran: "How much extra room do you have?"

Master Mospheiran: "None. Why?"

Miss Mospheiran: "You could take a camera."

Master Mospheiran: "I can’t even take a week’s worth of underwear. I have to stay under the weight limit."

Miss Mospheiran: "You don’t need a week’s worth of underwear--just one to wear while the other one is drying. And I could make it worth your while."

Master Mospheiran: "How?"

Miss Mospheiran: "You know Susan’s cousin Jack’s brother-in-law is up on the station."

Master Mospheiran: "Yeah."

Miss Mospheiran: "You know they don’t allow video games in the data uploads. You have to bring them in luggage, if you want them."

Master Mospheiran: "Right. So?"

Miss Mospheiran: "So Susan’s cousin Jack’s brother-in-law writes games. He buys old handheld games, and puts his own code on them. He’ll give you ten apiece for Golf Deathmatch handhelds."

Master Mospheiran: "Golf Deathmatch was discontinued a year ago. Nobody has any to sell."

Miss Mospheiran: "I do."

Master Mospheiran: "No way!"

Miss Mospheiran: "Yes way."

Master Mospheiran: "Oh, my God! How much? And how many do you have?"

Miss Mospheiran: "So do you have room for a camera?"

Master Mospheiran: "Nobody on the station is going to be dressed by Lady Damiri’s designer."

Miss Mospheiran is silent.

Master Mospheiran: "I’m going to have to completely rearrange my packing."

Miss Mospheiran: "Collars. I want lots of collars. As many as you can get."

Master Mospheiran: "Oh, I can see that. ‘Excuse me, nadi, may I take a picture of your collar? It’s for my sister.’ What else do you want? Pictures of underwear?"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Oh, no, we already have excellent pictures of atevi underwear."

Master Mospheiran blanches.

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Now, sweetie, are you sure you have everything else taken care of? No errands you still need to run? Books you need to return to the library?"

Master Mospheiran: (nonchalantly) "Now that I think about it, I checked out some things from the University library for a project. And I thought I’d returned them, but I just found out they’re still out, and they’re overdue. Have you seen them?"

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Do you mean those magazines and papers you left on the kitchen table awhile ago?"

Master Mospheiran: "I guess those are the ones."

Mrs. Mospheiran: "They’re right over there by the sewing machine."

Master Mospheiran: "Thanks."

Mrs. Mospheiran: "Don’t mention it."

Master Mospheiran: "So, Sis, what are you charging for those Golf Deathmatch handhelds?"

Miss Mospheiran: "They’re my gift to you, for being such a good brother."

Master Mospheiran: "You know, you’ve always been my favorite sister."