"Of course," Tagetarl replied with some heat. "I'm a MasterHarper. Which reminds me: where did you so handily assemble that crew of yours? One of the Halls?" There was something familiar about them that Tagetarl couldn't place.

"Here and there," Pinch replied enigmatically but added with uncharacteristic candor. "Runners, a few of 'em are seafolk waiting for a ship, useful types. All vouched for, I assure you. Ran me ragged getting here in time. Quick over the roof, too." He glanced outside. "Experienced with brushes… of all sorts."

Then he and Bista were out of the kitchen before Tagetarl could ask anything else. Bewildered by Pinch and the imminent threat to his Hall, Tagetarl looked around, wondering how he was going to break this news to Rosheen. Well, if he washed the cups and put them away, she wouldn't know at first glance that there had been early morning visitors.

"Come, my dear Tai," F'lessan said as she entered the kitchen area at Honshu, "we will eat-and get down to business." He rose and came to meet her.

She gave him a wary smile. He had a tendency to jump in different directions, as if he enjoyed catching her off balance. He probably did. She'd thought that, once Golanth had flown Zaranth, F'lessan would disengage from her, perhaps more kindly than others had. On the contrary, he had insisted that she remain at Honshu, that she choose a room as her own-though they mainly shared the large one he preferred, and had shown her every part of an installation that must have originally been designed to support a large population. She hadn't known there were so many levels in the stone mountain. She loved the well-equipped machine and tool room, just off the ground level where the covered hulk of an Ancient's sled was stored. The night of the Fireball, when so many displaced Monacans had found shelter at Honshu, had probably been the first time in centuries the Weyrhold had been even half full.

He encouraged her to talk about her interest in astronomy and managed to bring texts from the Archives that she was certain Master Esselin did not realize he had borrowed. He was very conscientious about returning them.

"We've put it off long enough, I think!"

A sparkle in his eye was all the warning she had before he swung her up in his arms and twirled around. She clung to his shoulders, not fearing that he would drop her, but so she had this excuse to touch him. She wasn't yet accustomed to either his spontaneity or his preference for touching but she was learning to welcome them. His gray eyes echoed his smile. If she weren't so familiar with the weather and worry lines on his face, she'd've thought him much younger than she knew him to be when he smiled like that. Such an open, merry smile!

"Put what off?" she said, humoring his mood. He wanted to surprise her, that was certain.

"It's a beautiful clear night." He paused tantalizingly, and then she knew what he meant and could not suppress a gasp of excitement. "Yes, tonight, my dear green, we can hook up the scope."

Tai couldn't suppress her crow of delight. "You got a monitor!"

"And the operating disks. Erragon copied them for us and supplied fresh blanks for the imager. He's given us a search pattern to follow. As if we'd ever get enough exposures to do a thorough job." His eyes flashed with determination. "All we need is the rightone at the righttime of night or piece of sky."

He was right, of course, she knew, but with his merry grin and wide-open eyes, it was as if he was somehow going to succeed despite the odds against it. His was a personality of great contrast. She was fascinated by it and rebuked herself that she had ever considered him shallow. Over the last few sevendays, she had seen how seriously he took responsibilities, exuding an optimism that could fire those around him, and how he never shirked tasks, like the Benini Hold planting, which he could have delegated to another rider. He was certainly not the casual reckless weyrbred lad Mirrim had described.

"I can certainly help with the search patterns," she said, noticing how easily he involved her in his schemes. "Erragon trusted me with comparisons and scannings."

"I'd prefer scanning just you, Tai m'dear," he said, kissing the hollow in her throat; his teasing lips were warm against flesh still chilled from her trip between."But we'll have to show Erragon results from Honshu or he'll insist on dragging you back to Cove Hold."

Slowly he let her down. She liked the feel of his body against hers; F'lessan was so vital, so energetic, so-alive! He did not release her entirely, affectionately looping one arm across her shoulders.

"I also spent my day doing what Aivas used to call a refresher course," he added with one of his mischievous grins.

"I don't think I paid as much attention to him the first time as I should have."

She noticed how his eyes darkened with the knowledge of wasted opportunity. She touched his cheek in a brief caress. "If only we all knew then what we know now."

"Ah, yes," and his lips curved with a touch of bitterness.

Once again she was amazed that F'lessan was willing to show his regrets. He always appeared so self-confident. Still feeling a little embarrassed by such intimacy, she caught sight of the steaming pot on the range.

"You cooked?" And looked again. "That isn't a Honshu pot."

"No," and he chuckled, giving her a hug as he guided her to the range. "I stopped off at Sagassy's hold on the way back. I'd some nails for them from Landing's Smithcrafthall. She insisted that I take this as a delivery fee." He shrugged. "Remind me to return the pot."

"I will," she replied. "After I'm sure you've washed it properly." She couldn't resist teasing him as she picked up the wooden spoon to stir the stew. "Oh, you've nearly let it scorch!"

"Then it's hot enough to eat."

F'lessan pushed her out of the way, gesturing her to sit at the end of the table that she saw had been set for two, and began ladling the stew into the wide, deep bowls. Mirrim would never believe that F'lessan could be so useful. She pinched the bread loaf and it was fresh; there was a salad, too, as greens were beginning to flourish again along the coast. She poured wine from the skin into glasses while F'lessan brought heaped plates to the table.

"Sagassy said that Riller, Jubb, and Sparling have all seen signs of felines creeping back into the valley," he said. "They haven't run a check for missing stock but the herds have been spooky lately." He blew on his spoon to cool the gravy-soaked meat. "Those sharding creatures may be hunting on this side of the ridge again."

Eight families, gradually clearing enough land to grow essential crops as well as round up wild herdbeasts, had settled the valley that spread out north of Honshu. They protected their cluster of buildings and beastholds with dragon dung and firestone mash, the best deterrents for any pests in the south, apart from trundlebugs. Visiting dragons-and those staying at Honshu after the Fireball had added considerably to the perimeter-were encouraged to donate. Once the residues dried, there was little smell to aggravate human sensitivities, but what there was was sufficient to put off all but the hungriest predators.

She and F'lessan had hunted there during their first week together. She and Zaranth had just missed catching one of the cloudy-coats that wore such valuable pelts. There was so much else to do that they hadn't been able to take time to hunt felines again.

"We'll have to plan to swing round the holds' borders and re-discourage the carnivores," he said, breaking off a piece of bread and offering it to her before taking some for himself. "You've about finished curing the last pelts we got, haven't you?"