Shield's Lady

cutter.”
    Sariana bit her lip, disconcerted. Then common sense told her she was probably better off letting him change the subject. This man could be very unnerving.
    “You know what a prisma cutter is?”
    “Sure. The only kind of gadget that can cut, shape and polish prisma crystal.” Gryph spoke casually.
    “You seem to know more about it than I do,” Sariana said in businesslike tones. “I’d never even heard of prisma, let alone a prisma cutter until I came to Serendipity. At any rate, this cutting tool is vital to the status and prestige of the Avylyn Clan. They’ve held it in trust for each generation from the days of the First Generation. They’re very attached to it. The Avylyns are quite emotional about such things. Given their present precarious financial situation, I’m inclined to agree with them in this instance. They cannot afford to have it known that they have lost the symbol of their leadership in the field of the jewelers’ arts. It must be retrieved at all costs.”
    “Where do you think it went?”
    Sariana hesitated. “The Avylyns suspect it was stolen by a rival clan in the same field. Jasso thinks someone in the Nosorian Clan may be responsible. Apparently they’re a bunch of hotheads over there,” Sariana added wryly. “It’s amusing to hear an Avylyn labeling someone else a hothead. Everyone in the province seems to be hotheaded and emotional.”
    Gryph eyed her. “Maybe you’ll learn something while you’re living among us.”
    “I have already learned a great deal, I assure you,” she retorted. “None of it particularly comforting. Now about this cutter—”
    “You said you don’t know much about prisma,” Gryph interrupted thoughtfully.
    “We don’t have such a crystaline substance on the eastern continent.”
    “Your people were fortunate. You didn’t find any of the ships in your lands, apparently. Or maybe I should say you haven’t found any yet. They’re usually well hidden. If someone doesn’t accidentally trigger one, it can stay buried for years.”
    Sariana frowned in confusion. “What ships?”
    “The prisma crystal ships.” Gryph turned his head to give her an impatient glance. “Didn’t the Avylyns tell you about them?”
    “All I know is that the prisma is extremely rare and extremely valuable. According to the Avylyns there hasn’t been a new deposit of it found in the past fifty years or so.”
    “That’s because there hasn’t been a crystal ship found in fifty years. Prisma is the material the crystal ships and their weapons are made from. It’s rare and almost indestructible. You only get a new supply if you locate a crystal ship. The only thing that can cut prisma is a special cutting tool. Only a few of those tools were ever found inside the ships. No one’s ever discovered a way to cut prisma without one. That makes the tools as valuable as the prisma. By the Lightstorm, lady, you sure are ignorant, aren’t you?”
    Sariana drew a deep breath and spoke through her teeth. Her voice was a little too sweet, but she doubted if Gryph would notice the sarcasm. “I have only been here for a year,” she said. “I am attempting to learn as quickly as I can. You will understand the problems involved, I’m sure, when you stop and think about the rather exotic, not to say bizarre, customs and legends I am forced to deal with on a daily basis here. Kindly tell me a little more about the prisma ships.”
    “Well, well,” Gryph said with great interest, “you have a temper in the mornings, don’t you?”
    “I’m surprised you noticed.” Her voice was sweeter than ever.
    “Oh, I noticed, all right,” he replied. “It’s reassuring to know that being born and bred on the eastern continent didn’t strip you of all of the more interesting emotions. You want to know about crystal ships? I’ll tell you about them.”
    “You know a lot about them?”
    “I exist because of them.”
    Sariana’s eyes widened. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked in amazement.
    Gryph transferred his gaze back to the gardens. “The Shield class was created to deal with the prisma ships. There haven’t been any ships found for fifty years, so there hasn’t been much need for the Shields’ special talents lately. Fortunately, we’re versatile. We’ve made ourselves useful in other areas. We excel at bandit hunting, for example. A useful craft as far as the other social classes are concerned.”
    “But who makes these prisma