e planet to those of another-factors, merchants, travelers-had to depend on Chronology Tables, or, where the need was recurrent (as in CHOAM) relegated the duty to meatats For thousands of years, local chronologies served local needs and Ate Kaitaiman calendar served bureaucratic needs THE IMPERIAL UNION STANDARD CAL ENDAR In 4996, Mgonpo Shesrab, Chain berlatn of Coma XHl* conceived the idea of standardizing the calendar throughout the Impenum, in honor both of the emperor, who by chance bore the name of the House, and of the approaching fifth millennia! cele bration of the foundation of the Impenum For the weekdays, Shesrab selected Sadai, Madai, Gwenzai, Zhanzai, Fnizai, and Sud-arazai (the names already in use on hundreds of worlds), the etymologies of all these are lost m antiquity except for Sun's day, "Moon's day," and of course "Jehannes day" For the names of the months of the year Shesrab took those already established by centuries of tradition with one exception All derived ongmally from Galach phrases meaning "in Sheuset s month, 'in Saudir's ' month, and so on The only one not named for a great former emperor (at that time) was neFrekim, from Fredhnk Comno, the father of Comn XIII Beginning the year with the Spring equinox, Shesrab made official these names neSheustim ntlioodim naSaudnm mMikhm neFrekim nEzhnni nAvlardim nlstaivim naShadmim nAlmanim noCormm nAudnm The division of months into five weeks of six days each had already been used for thousands of years, but was made a part of the "Imperidl Calendar' presented tu Corrm XIII Cornn was known to prefer more concrete gifts but he did authorize the calendar for Kaitain and such other planets as wished to adopt it Many planets did When the lengths of the sidereal years ot planets inhabitable by hu mans are graphed, their distribution forms the normal probability curve Adding local leap days at penods determined by the amount of variation from Kaitain s sidereal year kept the years in step for those who adopted the calendar But few felt the desire and fewer still the need to sacrihce the local names of months for those of Kaitan Shesrab (supported by his master's indifference to the subject) indulged his passion tor order and regulanty He devised a way to have days of the week and months of the year instantly related throughout the Impenum CALENDAR 148 CALENDAR no matter what the length of the planet's sidereal year this scheme was the "Imperial Union Standard Calendar" To understand how the IUSC was intended to work, consider a hypothetical case of four planets, A, B, C and D, with years (in Kaitaiman measure) of 6 months, 9 months, 14 months, and 18 months For simplicity of illustration, we assume that the days of these four are exactly equal to Kattam's day C 14 MONTH D 18 MONTH STSTANDA A 6-MONTH YEAR B 9 MONTH YEAR YEAR YEAR neSheustim GwaneSheustim same as A same as B same as C naSaudnm TaunaSaudniB same same same neFrefcim FreeneFrekiai same same same nAvlardim FbnAVlac&ra same same same naShadimm RinaShjdmim same same same noCornim SmoComan same same same nElroodim GwanEJroodim SeunElroodim same same mMiklim IkuiuM&hm AiiuMiklim same same nEzhnm FrcenBzhrim NitnEiknm same same nlstaivim Fonlstaivim GwanlsUavim Tenlstaivim same nAlmamm FunAUnaiHBi TaunAlmamm ElvnAImaram same nAudnm StnAudrim FreenAudnm TwelnAudnm same neSheustim GwaaeSheusam FoneSheustim FarneSheustim same naSaudnm liunaSaudriffl FiinaSaudnm FornaSaudnm same neFrekim FrecnePrekim StneFrekim GwaneFrekim FipneFrekim nAvlardim fbnAvlardim SeunAvlardim TaunAvlardim SignAvlardim naShadnum FimaShadmtm AinaShadmim FreenaShadmim SvenaShadmim noCornim SmoConwn NunoCornm FonoConum hnoCornim nElroodim GwanElfoodiin same FimElroodim GwanElroodim mMiklim Tsur.