When I woke up, it was two days later. I was really embarrassed, but Da said it was all right. He said he wasn't surprised I was exhausted after pulling off a spell like that in the tunnel. Anyway, pretty soon we were so busy, I didn't even have time to be embarrassed.

       The city was a mess after the flood caused by the earthquake. The archmage enlisted Kalindra and Da to help the rescue operations, but by the time I woke up, everyone who could be rescued had been rescued. Those who could not be rescued were past rescuing.

       Now, the slower work of clean up and recovery was underway. Da said I wasn't off the hook — I still had to spend the week on my own, fending for myself. Kalindra had gotten me a new place to stay. That evening they departed.

       I didn't really have a plan, so the next day I wandered through the city doing whatever jobs presented themselves. It was an exhausting day. Most jobs were either nerve wracking — magically restringing live power cables without touching the linemen or the metal girders — or foul smelling — magically removing sewage from basements so sewer pipes could be repaired. That night, I was asleep as soon as I had curled up in my sleeping cushion.

       The next day I ran in to one of the disaster relief co-ordinators. Soon they were sending me to the jobs that were most important to getting the city on its feet again. It was still nerve wracking and smelly.

       By the end of the next day, there wasn't much more for a generalist like me to do. Now it was in the hands of the specialists. I would either need to find a job, or be serving meals in the food kitchen. As honorable as serving food to the unfortunate is, I was supposed to be making my way as a mage. I resolved the next day to go job hunting again.

       As I lay there in my bed that evening, it was the first time I really had a chance to think back over the disaster in the tunnel. I thought about Valgenis, and Toctiran, and little Tes. I wondered what they were up to now? What about the people in the second train? I broguht their faces to mind in turn. I wondered if they ever reached their destinations. And Da and Na! That was so cool the way they cam swooping in! Da pushing the shuttle while Na and I held the shield.... I thought about how much I loved them.

       And there was a mystery too. Who was that first person who helped me? I didn't know anything about who it could have been. I just remembered that brief mental touch, not much more than raw encouragement and a desire to help. The willingness to hold on and the refusal to let me give up — that I could remember unmistakably. I wished I knew who it had been. I wanted to say thank you, and even to get to know this brave and generous individual.

       Last time, the person responded to my mental shout. I wondered if it would work again?

       I gathered myself. Mentally, I gathered my breath, then shouted out to the world like I had done before.

       *HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?*

       I thought about that touch and listened carefull for the response.

       I was immediately inundated by a cacophony of responses from a great multitude of people. I had been looking for the faint twinkle of a star, and suddenly hundreds of people were shining flashlights right in my face!

       *GOD DAMN IT, LAN LOUIS, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!* I heard Na scream at me over the mental din. My mother, the most skilled telepath on Velar, immediately turned to the crowd. My shout had been heard by every telepathic sensitive on the planet. To the weakly sensitive, unskilled, and sleepy, she sent calm and the suggestion to forget that anything had happened. To the adept, she sent a brief and perfunctory apology. To the masterful few, she individually and sincerely apologised. And then she turned to me.

       I felt as small as a pebble.

       *What were you thinking? How irresponsibly careless could you be? That shout was probably heard half way to Menzeii. You intruded on every telepathically sensitive person on Velar. More than a few are going to have headaches. Even the latent telepaths are going to be scratching their heads trying to figure out what just happened.*

       *I'm sorry, Mother, I was just —*

       *I don't want to hear it! You've damaged the honor of the nas Kan and we will discuss the consequences later. It's very late and I'm going to bed. Don't ever do anything that thoughtless again!* And with that, she was gone.

       I was miserable. Na was right. I hadn't thought, and now I had annoyed tens of thousands of people around the globe. The nas Kan have been the talk of the planet before, but never for a reason this foolish. Even with all the brouhaha, I hadn't heard a thing from my mysterious rescuer either.

       It was quite late before I finally fell asleep.