Years ago, Kamele Waitley had watched her onagrata, a challenging scholar, stimulating companion, surprising lover, and affectionate role-male for her daughter, demonstrate to that same daughter how a pilot packed for travel.
It had involved one modestly-sized suitcase, and the pockets of a jacket. She had watched, astonished, as first he weeded out those things that could be easily replaced—books, entertainment cubes, favorite teas—before adroitly packing many more than she would have thought possible of those things which were more difficult to replace into that one small bag.
He had then shaken out Theo’s jacket, and placed into the inside pockets the acceptance letter from Anlingdin Piloting Academy, her identification, a flat folder of pictures, and most of her money, leaving enough to buy sundries in an easy-to-reach outside pocket.
“A pilot will also have her license, and a weapon,” he had said, handing Theo the jacket with a smile in his dark eyes. “A pilot ought to always be ready to lift. That means that her essentials are in her jacket, and her jacket is always with her. The contents of the case—even those things that we have just agreed are essential—can be, and sometimes must be, left behind.”
-Daav to Theo (Dragon Ship)
Huh. I read this a long time ago and now I wonder if this is why I pack the way I do no matter where I go.
