No, Dr. Baxter can't afford the interstellar postal rates.

Dear Sir Williard,

I tried to mail these notes this morning and found to my dismay that the combination of my severely depleted finances and the expense of sending even a small packet of letters to Earth made mailing these impossible. I did of course send a letter to my mother assuring her that all was well here on Rajah-4 and telling her about both my positions and the villa that comes with it. It will appeal to her sense of self to hear about my rise in station. I did not, of course, mention any of the peculiarities of life in New Delhi, heaven help me Sir Williard if she ever decides to come visit me in New Thames. My mother would be incapacitated merely by the style of dress popular on this planet, if she ever saw what I did in the hotel gardens she would turn whiter than polar snow and shriek louder than the newest of London's steam engines. Thankfully, as I understand her current situation she has neither the courage nor the financial wherewithal to surprise me with a visit, in order to quell any such notions I stressed the unkempt conditions in the villa and the dangers we face here between raids by poorly disguised American privateers and the daily incursions by the untamed wilderness. If I have to, I will send her a newspaper clipping about the latest 'Rilla abduction. That, Sir Williard, will give her second thoughts about leaving Earth.

So I am back in my library after another day at work. I am pleased to report that my skill with the micro-suture has been noticed by Gangesh and Saminya, I was able to delicately stitch a gash just above the eye of a little girl, using three tiny stitches to repair her fine skin and greatly reduce the chance of any scarring. So far my fears of having to compromise my professional standards have not been tested although twice during the day I was asked by Dr.Miller to join me in his office as he consulted with wives of company officials. I suspect he wanted to introduce me so the fine ladies could confirm I was indeed a white man of British descent and not completely unattractive. In all modesty I believe the women found both my my face and form pleasing, no doubt, my grey eyes, straight teeth and light brown hair helped ease their minds and at six feet and fourteen stone I can honestly report that I am both fit and light on my feet. In fact, I feel more energetic and alert after only a week in Rajah's clean air and vibrant aura than I can ever remember ever feeling on Earth, it is no wonder the colonials here refer to the planet as a fountain of youth.

Indeed, Sir Williard, I have resolved to practice the exercises taught by the Shaolin teachers of Chinese style boxing each evening in the privacy of my villa; in this wild and passionate land the ability to defend oneself might come in handy. Like most British citizens I have absolute faith in the Gurkhas that patrol the city and nearby forests, but I have seen unsavory characters openly carrying side arms or single-edged bush-swords. These long chopping blades are used for both hacking at ubiquitous vines and the multitude of skittering and slithering creatures that are native to this planet, but the heavy steel would make short work of a man as well. When my finances permit, I plan to buy a aetherrifle or perhaps an old fashioned pump-action scattergun like I used at your estate when we went birding. There is nothing like having a firearm to help keep your house and body safe.

This lack of money is becoming an annoyance, I am far wealthier on paper than at any point during my life but I have only a handful of coin to last me until I get paid. The Company makes payments at the end of each month so I have four weeks to stretch what little funds I have left. I have already had to pass on an invitation by one of my patients to join him at his club for a game of cards, and I have to eat my meals with out even cheap local wines. Perhaps I will see if the I can secure a line of credit based on my new position and income, surely I am not the only colonial that finds himself in need of funds when starting up a household. I desperately need to buy furniture for my house, I cannot continue to dine off of this oversized desk that I am writing upon and I have been told that both of my maids and Andrews are sleeping on woven grass mats rolled out on the floor. Mrs. O'Brian claimed the other bed for herself and Andrews had it moved it to her room without protest, whether because he is a gentleman or because he is afraid of the grey haired battle ax remains to be seen. My staff appears to be settling in under the supervision of Andrews.

I have yet to have any interaction with the gardener, but in these first two days most of the vines and weeds have been cut away, and the grounds are looking much less deserted. Hilda, the curvy blonde scullery maid, is from north-central Europe and speaks the king's English with a Germanic accent. The young woman is always cheerful as she works; she was singing as she brought in the laundry this afternoon. I will however, Sir Williard, have to speak to her about her habit of peeping through open doors. Yesterday, she was watching me as I practiced the Shaolin forms in the empty dining room ; I was wearing only a loose fitting pair of trousers and a sleeveless undershirt because of the heat and was certainly not expecting to be seen by any of the gentler sex as I exercised. I caught her gazing with unabashed interest at the exotic looking stances so different from the martial arts she is used to in the west. I was glistening with perspiration when I spotted her by the doorway and I glared at her sternly before waving her away. Hilda apparently felt no shame at being caught, she smiled cheekily and departed with a jiggly curtsy. Akemi on the other hand is as quiet and graceful as a summer breeze, I do not think I've heard her speak more than on or two words but my room is always impeccably tidied and Andrews tells me that she is always attentive and eager to please.

I find myself wondering how these two beautiful young women came to be sent so far from their homes and families. I know from my own experience that the East Orion Trading Company uses physical appearance as one of the criteria for granting passage to Rajah-4, I remember the discomfort I felt when I was required to strip down to my undershorts as part of the application process. I suspect (but do not know for sure) that this shameful procedure is even more troubling for female applicants who are far less accustomed to disrobing in the company of others than men. I wonder that the parliament allows such liberties, I suppose that as long as the demand for passage so greatly exceeds the number of available seats the cosmoliner companies can do pretty much as they please with the lower classes. At least I had my British citizenship and medical credentials to bolster my application, girls like Hilda and Akemi with no such skills and have to rely solely on their looks to be allowed a spot on a cosmoliner, and there is no guarantee of employment upon arrival.

It is a frightful risk to take, Sir Williard, according to Andrews if these lovely young teenagers cannot find a placement in a household, many find themselves assigned to houses of ill-repute or sent to the mines to be abused by the convicts and hooligans that work the dark tunnels. Furthermore, judging by Andrew's comments from the previous night and innuendo dropped by Dr. Miller, even those young women who are properly employed often find themselves compromised by the very masters and mistresses whose duty it is to protect them.

I think I will have each of them sent to me after dinner. I can interview them, learning more about their passage and also assure them that, as long as they work diligently, they will be treated well.