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〃Sorry。 Thought I'd have the place to myself；〃 F'lessan said genially； striding forward； his dress shoes making very little sound on the stone floor。
Her startlement suggested to him that she； too； had thought she could study in solitary quiet。 She was in the act of pushing back her chair when he held out a hand to prevent her from rising。 Most riders knew who he was： he made a habit of flying Thread with the two southern Weyrs and usually attended every Impression。 The latter was sheer indulgence on his part； for at each Impression； he and Golanth reaffirmed their lifelong mitment to each other。 Now that he could see her full face； he recognized her。 〃You're Tai； aren't you？ Zaranth's rider？〃 he asked； hoping he remembered rightly。
You always do； Golanth murmured。 She'd Impressed； unexpectedly； nearly five Turns ago at Monaco Bay。 She'd e south； though he couldn't remember from where。 There had been so many people flooding through Landing since Aivas was discovered in 2538。 While she couldn't be much older than her mid twenties； he wondered if she'd been part of the workforce during those astonishing five Turns of Aivas。 After all； Aivas had demonstrated a distinct bias for green dragons and their riders。
F'lessan stepped forward； extending his hand to her。 She looked embarrassed； dropping her eyes as soon as their hands had clasped politely。 Her handshake was firm； if brisk almost to the point of rudeness； and he could feel some odd ridges； scars； on the back of her hand and on her forefinger。 She wasn't pretty； she didn't act sensual； the way some green riders did； and she was only half a head shorter than he was。 She wasn't too thin； but the lack of flesh on her bones gave her a slightly boyish appearance。
〃I'm F'lessan； Golanth's rider； of Benden。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said； shooting him a sharp look。 Her eyes were set at an unusual upward slant； but she looked away so quickly he couldn't see what color they were。 Oddly enough； she flushed。 〃I know。〃 She seemed to gather breath to continue。 〃Zaranth just told me that Golanth had apologized for disturbing her nap on the ledge。〃 She flicked him another almost contrite glance； awkwardly clasping her left wrist with her right hand so that the knuckles turned white。
F'lessan grinned in his most ingratiating fashion。 〃By nature； Golanth is very considerate。〃 He gave a little bow and gestured toward the volume open on the reading desk。 〃Don't let me disturb your studies。 I'll be over there。〃 He pointed to the far right。
He could just as easily work in the alcove as in the main room and not intrude on her solitude。 In no time at all he had collected three of the records he thought most likely to contain the information he sought； and brought them to the smaller reading desk in the alcove。 A narrow window gave him a view of the eastern hills and the barest sparkle of the sea。 He seated himself； placed the piece of paper that he had brought with him on the table； and started riffling through the thinly coated plastic pages of the Tower records。 He was looking for one name： Stev Kimmer； listed in the colony records as Stakeholder on Bitkim Island； now called Ista Hold。 He needed to find any connection between Kimmer and Kenjo Fusaiyuki； who had been the original Honshu Stakeholder。
In his careful clearing of debris in the ancient dwelling place； he had found the initials SK carved or etched on several surfaces： on the metal worktop in the garage of the ancient sled and on several drawers。 No other inhabitant had defaced or initialed anything。 The only SK not listed as going north in the Second Crossing…when the Thread…beleaguered colonists had resettled at Fort…was Stev Kimmer。 Previous research revealed that the man had disappeared with a sled after Ted Tubberman's illegal launch of an appeal for help from old Earth。 Kimmer had not been seen again。 The loss of a functional sled had been officially regretted； Kimmer's absence had not。
The interesting point in F'lessan's earlier search was that Ita Fusaiyuki had continued to hold at Honshu and resisted every invitation to move north with her children。 Other colonists； like those at Terne Island and some of the smaller holds in Dorado； had hung on in the south as long as they could。 Eventually all； save perhaps those at Honshu； had immigrated。 There had been no reference to Honshu or the Fusaiyukis in the early records at Fort Hold。
The initials； S and K； were distinctively carved。 F'lessan needed to find any other samples of Stev Kimmer's handwriting to be sure of his identification。 Not that it mattered； except to him。 With atypical zeal； F'lessan yearned to plete the history of Honshu itself as accurately as possible： who had lived there； when they had left； where they had gone； and why。
Honshu was also an excellent example of colonial self…sufficiency。 Clearly it had been occupied by quite a few people and designed for many more： a whole floor of bedrooms had never been furnished。 Then； all at once and in some hurry； considering details like drawers left pulled out in a workshop that had otherwise been meticulously kept； everyone had left。 Twelve of them at least。 To judge by strands of moldering material； even garments had been left behind； folded on the shelves； in drawers； or hanging in closets。 The fact that all the utensils were still stored and hung about the capacious kitchen argued that； wherever the inhabitants had gone； they hadn't needed to bring along household equipment。 Storage canisters filled with desiccated remnants indicated that few； if any； staples had been taken。 There were homely artifacts like rusted needles； pins； and scissors。 There had been no human bones to suggest a sudden annihilation from attack or disease。
Although all the other entrances to the interior of Honshu had been shut； the heavy doors to the beasthold had been propped open； suggesting that the Ancients had released their livestock but had left the creatures access to a refuge。
He turned page after page of the daily ings and goings from Landing； neatly recorded by the Tower duty officers。 He saw again the reference to Kimmer's defection with a much…needed operational sled。
S。K。 involved in the Tubberman launching。 Observed on a northwestern course。 Suspect that's the last we'll see of him and the sled。 ZO。
F'lessan had already tried to find any notes in Kimmer's handwriting from his time as Stakeholder at Bitkim。 There had been none from either him or Avril Bitra about their mining operations； though the Minercrafthall still excavated the occasional fine gemstones from the clay at their original site。
He closed the final volume with a frustrated soft whoosh； and then glanced apologetically over his shoulder for disturbing the quiet。 He noticed that the surface of Tai's worktable was covered with bound volumes。 Idly he wondered if she was having any more luck with her research than he was。 Craning his neck he could read the spine on the book facing in his direction： Volume 35…YOKO 13。20…28/。 The last four digits； which would be the relevant Turn； had been overwritten in red marker to read 2520。 The correction had been made in the precise numerals only Master Esselin could produce。
Stuffing the note with the replica of the initials back into his belt pocket； he rose with quiet agility； trying not to scrape the chair on the stone floor。 Collecting the volumes he had been consulting； he returned them to the proper shelf。 He stood for a moment； fists jammed into his belt； glaring at the rows of records that would not produce the answer to his puzzle。 Was there a reason why he had to identify SK？ Who would care？ He did； for some obscure reason he didn't understand。 He made sure the books were properly aligned on the shelf。 Master Esselin was very particular about how his precious volumes were returned。
Hearing Tai get to her feet and push back her chair； F'lessan swiveled around to see her picking up the outsized book she had been studying。 She hefted it up； pirouetting gracefully on tiptoe to return it to the special shelf in the case behind her。
〃I hope you had better luck；〃 he said with a rueful grin。
Startled； she lost her grip on the awkward； heavy tome。 One edge was wedged against the lower shelf。 She struggled to get it up again and into its assigned place； but her hand slipped。 Knowing how difficult Master Esselin could be about damage to any artifact in his custody； F'lessan leaped across to catch the volume； just managing to keep one corner from impacting on the stone floor。
〃Not a bad save； if I say so myself；〃 he said； grinning up at her。 Why was she regarding him as if he were dangerous？ Or shifty？ 〃I've got it。 Allow me？〃 With what he sincerely hoped was a cheerful smile； he took the volume from her nerveless fingers and shoved it safely into place。
That was when he saw the raw scrapes on the back of her left hand。
〃That looks nasty。 Seen a healer？〃 he asked。 He reached out to examine the injury； at the same time fumbling in his belt pouch for numbweed。
She tried to pull free of his grasp。
〃Tai； did I hurt you？〃 he asked； instantly releasing her fingers。 He quickly displayed the distinctive green glass jar used for numbweed。
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