“If Thread got her,” said the shipmaster darkly. He rather favored the notion that she’d fallen into a crevice or over the edge of the bluff, in terror at finding herself out during Threadfall. “Her body’d wash up around the Dragon Stones. Current throws up a lot of sea trash down that way.”

Mavi caught her breath in a sound very like a sob.

“I don’t know the girl,” Elgion said quickly, seeing Mavi’s distress. “But if she did, as you say, stay out a good deal of the time, she’d know the land too well to go over the edge of a cliff.”

“Threadfall’s enough to rattle anyone’s wits ... ” said the shipmaster.

“Menolly is not stupid,” said Alemi with such feeling that everyone looked at him in surprise. “And she knew her Teaching well enough to know what to do if she were caught out.”

“Right enough, Alemi,” said Yanus sharply and rose to his feet “If she were able and of a mind to return, she’d have done so. Everyone who is abroad is to keep a sharp eye for any trace of her. That includes sea as well as land. As Sea Holder, I cannot in conscience do more than that, under the circumstances. And the tide is making. To the boats now.”

While Elgion did not actually expect the Sea Holder to institute an intensive search for a lost girl, he was surprised at the decision. Mavi, even, accepted it, almost as if she were glad of an excuse, as if the girl were an embarrassment The shipmaster was obviously pleased by his Sea Holder’s impartiality. Only Alemi betrayed resentment. The Harper motioned to the young man to hang back as the others filed out.

“I’ve some time. Where would you suggest I look?” Hope flashed in Alemi’s eyes, then as suddenly wariness clouded them,

“I’d say it’s better if Menolly remains where she is ... ”

“Dead or hurt?”

“Aye.” Alemi sighed deeply. “And I wish her luck and long life.”

“Then you think she’s alive and chooses to be without Hold?”

Alemi regarded the Harper quietly. “I think she’s alive and better off wherever she is than she would be in Half-Circle.” Then the young Sea Man strode after the others, leaving the Harper with some interesting reflections.

He was not unhappy at Half-Circle Hold. But the Masterharper had been correct in thinking that Elgion would have to make quite a few adjustments to life in this Sea Hold. It would be a challenge, Robinton had told Elgion, to try to broaden the narrow outlook and straitened thinking of the isolated group. At the moment Elgion wondered if the Masterharper had not vastly overrated his abilities when he was unable to get the Sea Holder, or his family, to even try to rescue a blood relation.