"Come change thy apparel with me, old churl,

again, Killashandra. Meanwhile, the Guild has pressing needs in any shade you can find. Even the rose you so despise. A gleam shone in his black eyes and his voice turned lugubrious as he said, I am certain that you will be distressed to learn that the Passover storms destroyed Moksoons site, too. Killashandra had stared at him a moment before her sense of the ridiculous got the better of her and she laughed. I am inconsolable! I thought you might be. His lips twitched with suppressed amusement. Then he reached down and pulled the plug on the radiant fluid. Youll find more crystal, Killa. It had been that calm and confident statement which had buoyed her flagging morale all during the next trip. Nor had it been entirely misplaced. The third week out, after disregarding two sites of rose and blue, she discovered white crystal but very nearly missed the vein entirely. If she had not been bolstering her spirits with arousing aria, causing the pinnacle under her hand to resonate, she might have missed the shy white crystal. Consistent with her long run of bad luck, the while proved elusive, the vein first deteriorating in quality and then disappearing entirely from the face at one point, resurfacing half a mile away in fractured shards. It had taken her weeks to clear the fault, digging away half the ridge before she got to usable crystal. Only the fact that white crystal had such a variety of potentially lucrative uses kept her going. Forewarned of the spring storm by her symbiotic adaptation to Ballybrans spore, Killashandra had cut at a frenzied pace until she was too hoarse to key the sonic cutter to the crystal. Only then had she stopped to rest. She had continued to cut until the first of the winds began to stroke the dangerous crystal sound from the Ranges. Recklessly, she had taken the most direct route back to the Complex, counting on the fact that shed be the last singer in from the Ranges to protect her claim. She had almost cut her retreat too fine: the hangar doors slammed shut against the shrieking storm as soon as her sled had cleared the baffles. She could expect a reprimand from the Flight Officer for her recklessness. And probably one from the Guild Master for ignoring the storm warnings. She forced several deep breaths in and out of her lungs, dredging sufficient energy to complete the final step necessary to leave Ballybran. On the last breath, she grabbed the top carton and walked it into the Sorting Room, depositing it on Enthors table just as the old Sorter turned toward the shed. Killashandra! You camera digital nature photography startled me. Enthors eyes flicked from normal to the augmented vision that was his adaptation to Ballybran. He reached eagerly for the carton. Did you find the black vein again? His face fell into lines of disappointment as his fingers found no trace of the sensations typical of the priceless, elusive black crystal. No such luck. Killashandras voice broke on weary disgust. But I devoutly hope its a respectable cut. She half sat on the table, needing its support to keep on her feet, as she watched Enthor unpack the crystal blocks from their plastic cocoons. Indeed! Enthors voice lilted with approval as he removed the first white crystal shaft and set it with appropriate reverence on his work table. Indeed! He subjected the crystal to the scrutiny of his augmented eyes. Flawless. White can so often be muddy. If I am not mistaken Thatll he the day, Killashandra muttered under her breath, her voice cracking. Never about crystal. Enthor shot her a glance from under his brows, blinking to adjust his eyes to normal vision. Killashandra idly wondered what Enthors eyes saw of human flesh and bone in the augmented mode. I do believe, my dear Killa, that youve anticipated the market. I have? Killashandra pulled herself erect. With white crystal? Enthor lifted out more of the slender sparkling crystal shafts. Yes, especially if you have matched groupings. These are a good start. What else did you cut? As one, they retraced their steps to the storage, each collecting another carton. Forty-four Ranked in size? Yes. Enthors excitement triggered hope in Killashandra. Forty-four, from the half centimeter By the centimeter? Half centimeter. Enthor beamed on her with almost as much enthusiasm as if she had brought him more black crystal. Your instinct is remarkable, Killa, for you could not have known about the order from the Optherians. An organ group? Enthor gestured for Killashandra to help him display the white shafts on the