Editing Vek's Journal on Randal (section)

=='''326-BW'''==
Renting a small garage unit, 326-BW, in one of the smaller areas of the arena I figured my work was done.  The BW block was tight, and dirty, rented by the season by riders young enough or poor enough to barely be able to afford a garage in the A Arena far reaches.  

The garage had an office, a bathroom and a small meeting room. It was accessible 28 hours a day if one had the proper keycard for the gate.  The leasing agent thought I was crazy to lease it for 400 years.  But being a rich eccentric excuses a lot of madness. So does being a Chaosian or an Amberite.  It had tight floor space and benches for working.  Looking around it I was delighted.  I now had lodgings.  The leasing agent would have thought me even more mad had he not left before I sat down in the middle of the space and began drawing a trump.

I spent several days in the garage.  Learning the bike, learning the world.  Training on the practice track.  Engaging in a few weekday races just to get my seat ready.   

I was invited to a few parties at night.  Local people.  I was certainly the odd person at the party.  It made me laugh in a lot of ways one of which was that it was nice to be among what I would call enthusiasts.  I owned a bike, was renting a garage, and was a natural on a bike, and was clearly from offworld.  They asked me about other worlds and about all I could say was that I had spent my life travelling on merchant freighters as a Hitcher.  Hitchers are a type of vagabond that trades services for transport.  It seemed like a good cover for me.  In my case though having a thick bank account marked me as an eccentric, not dangerous weirdo.