Log Date: 4/23/95
Intro: This little bit of contemplation should be assumed to take place
concurrently with Kevlan's encounter on Shankill with Reece. Submitted
for your chance to get a glimpse of the mind of our Guildmaster... :)

----------	
	Maxwell Farantine, Guildmaster of the Heptite Guild, tapped his 
personal code into the terminal, then sat with fingers steepled before 
his chin and stared thoughtfully at the resultant data display. The 
computer presented him the information with the same guileless 
forthrightness captured in the image of CS Kevlan Sharr, but most of 
the proffered items were not of immediate interest. With determined 
briskness, the Guildmaster skimmed down through lines of text till he 
reached the first item he sought. Next to Kevlan Sharr's small 
holographic picture, the section entitled _Psychological Profile: 
Comments_ proclaimed:

	"CS Sharr displays remarkable levels of honesty,
	selflessness, idealism, and compassion. Intelligence is
	average; however, the Singer displays a possibly
	empathically-based intuition which allows him to quickly
	grasp matters of a not necessarily intellectual nature. His
	self-confidence is of an extremely low level and he embarrasses
	easily. Subtle persuasion and encouragement are recommended
	if he is needed for any situation which would require him to
	put his own abilities on display."

	Seeing his own notes, Maxwell smiled a little. Ever since this young 
man had joined the Heptite Guild and adapted to the black crystal, the 
Guildmaster had been keeping an eye on him; the young Estenari had 
taken quickly to the training for his new job, and had displayed a 
sensitivity to the black notable for being the result of a 
less-than-Milekey adaptation. Equally notable were the shy, modest 
mannerisms that had earned him the nickname 'Galahad', and a musical 
aptitude that commanded attention despite its untutored roughness.
	It had come as no surprise to Maxwell, given all this, that Sharr's 
preferred audience for his baritone voice was his crystal cutter and a 
face of rock. Maxwell almost hated to remind the lad that a Crystal 
Singer's position inevitably drew him or her into a wider scrutiny; 
innocence such as Kevlan's was a rare commodity in the Heptite Guild, 
and the Guildmaster wished it preserved in its possessor for as long as 
possible.
	Now, though, the Guild needed this young man, and Maxwell found 
himself hoping that Sharr's inherent naivety would not prevent him from 
accomplishing the crystal installation for Hesperia. He had the 
background necessary, even without formal training: seven years of work 
as a spacer, maintaining crystals in starship drives. And he was the 
Singer who had cut this particular dodecahedron chord; he better than 
any other Singer would be able to sense any problems with the crystals. 
If he could insure that Kevlan would not balk at the high visibility of 
the task, it should serve as a starting point for grooming him into 
further similar ventures for the Heptite Guild.
	Maxwell touched another button, studying the information he'd amassed 
on the young Singer's current status. Only one cut brought in since the 
last Passover, but that was unsurprising; the Guildmaster smiled a 
little, for most of Sharr's time lately had been spent haunting the 
corridors outside Maxwell's own offices, awaiting a window in his 
superior's schedule. Kevlan's pending request for his Guildmaster to 
perform a marriage for him and his fiancee, Bernadette Marshall, was 
still tagged as requiring Maxwell's attention.
	Bernadette Marshall, though. Maxwell frowned, as Kevlan's file showed 
him a current entry from medic Nathan Randale, expressing a note of 
concern over the young Singer's emotional state over his fiancee's 
backing out of their impending marriage. That raised the Guildmaster's 
eyebrows, and he tabbed over to Bernadette Marshall's file, to find 
recent commentary there from the medical staff.

	"CS Marshall's high resonance levels, combined with incidents of
	 personal trauma, have given us cause for concern over her mental
	 condition. Despite serious injuries sustained in the crash that
	 killed CS Brandon Reilly, she attempted to flee the Infirmary
	 after being informed of CS Reilly's death. Time offplanet has been
	 recommended."

	Still frowning, Maxwell noted Bernadette as currently listed offworld, 
and he suspected that her recent personal troubles had brought about a 
falling out with her fiance and partner. This more than anything about 
young Sharr concerned him; would the boy be able to handle an important 
assignment in the wake of abandonment by the woman he'd wanted to marry?
	But then, this young man _was_ the best choice among the available 
Singers to carry out the installation. Maxwell would simply have to 
speak with him, and determine whether Kevlan Sharr was also the wisest choice.
	The Guildmaster turned at his desk, activated his communit, and 
instructed his assistant in the outer office, "Send in CS Sharr, please."