Suyan fell silent, and the recollection ended. She bowed her head.

Hawk sighed. Behind him, the little crowd began to murmur at each other, unsettled by whatever they had just seen or heard.

"That was interesting to watch," Luu remarked at Hawk's shoulder. "You did not even need Vlad for that part."

Vlad massaged his eardrum with the tip of one finger as if to clear it. "I think that was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced," he said, looking puzzled.

Snatches of conversation from some inthe crowd reached them--"Did you hear that?" "Hear it??" < Offworlders really are very surprising. > Others lowered their voices, comforting each other quietly, more upset than astounded.

Luu, for their part, seemed to get over the shock almost immediately. "Assuming that's really what happened," they muttered, glancing to one side, "what does it give us to go on?"