The steel corner dug sharply into my palm.

“Sir,” I said.

“Who authorized these three tickets in the overflow section?”

The adjutant clicked his mouse and opened a subfolder.

“Those came through the civilian liaison office,” he said.

“Apparently the father made a fifty-thousand-dollar donation to the academy alumni fund last month.

He asked for special access to watch his daughter graduate.”

“His daughter,” I said.