Serrin booked the suborbita! to New Jersey’s Newark International. All he could get for the next day was a standby at six-fifteen, unless he was prepared to pay for Deluxe Ripoff Class. At least he had the long-duration residence permit, allowing him a few precious days in Manhattan each year. What the hell, he had a week left on it and Christmas was only a month away. Looking at the huddled pair eagerly discussing the technicalities of decking, he realized that for the first time in a while he had people in his life for whom he might actually want to buy Christmas presents.