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without exploding,” I told him, “but I’m really trying to calm down. This is no place to lose control, especially not when you’re still touching the power.”
    “That must be it,” he said with sudden understanding in his voice. “You’re still touching the power. I seem to be a different person too when I’m still in touch with it, one who’s a good deal more confident. Does this mean you were the one who stopped those fires earlier?”
    “Somebody had to do it,” I answered with a shrug. “Our very noble hosts and fellow guests seemed to find it beyond them, so I made the effort. Wouldn’t you have helped to put that poor man to sleep if the guard hadn’t been able to do it?”
    “It so happens I did,” he admitted, looking rueful. “I doubt if anyone noticed, though, because I discovered that I could … disguise my efforts by hiding them behind the efforts of others. I have no idea how I was able to do that, and standing here thinking about it hasn’t given me any answers.”
    “I’ve noticed an odd ability growing up every now and then too,” I said, feeling the frown I’d developed. “I think this is something we ought to discuss with the entire group, but not in
this
place. Besides, I actually came over to ask you a favor. There’s a very good chance you won’t want to, and if so that’s perfectly all right, but I still thought I would ask. Do you mind?”
    “If you ask?” he said with brows raised. “Of course not. We do happen to be friends, so if I can I’ll do it. What’s the favor?”
    “I need to be distracted from something,” I admitted, distantly wondering how I could say all that so calmly and coherently. “If you feel the same, you might not mind lying with me even though we don’t mean something special to one another. If you really don’t think you should, I’ll understand completely.”
    His mouth opened and closed a few times, as though he couldn’t decide what to say first, and then he shook his head.
    “Someday I’ll have to tell you how hearing that made me feel,” he said, his smile odd. “Right now I don’t think I can find the proper words to describe it, so let me say instead that most girls don’t make that offer quite so … flatly and openly. If they do it at all they just sort of hint around, so if I looked surprised that’s the reason.”
    “I suppose most girls have more experience with this sort of thing,” I said with a nod for the information he’d given me. “I’m only first starting to get that experience, so I’m bound to do
something
wrong. Does your response mean you aren’t interested?”
    “No, it so happens it doesn’t,” he answered with a grin. “I’m really not used to talking to you with you showing such an … overt personality, and the experience is fascinating. What I was going to say is that you’re right about my need to be distracted, but wrong to think you don’t mean something special to me. I may not be the sort of man a woman can count on for every minute of her lifetime, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do an occasional favor for a very good friend. Were you thinking about tonight?”
    “Tonight or tomorrow,” I agreed, now studying him with my head to one side. “But you don’t really believe that nonsense, do you? About you not being a man a woman can count on? Jovvi may have said that at some time, but that hasn’t stopped her from constantly worrying about you. Or thinking about you. You’re as important to her as she seems to be to you, so why can’t you take it a bit easier on yourself?”
    “Mainly because I’m a disappointment to myself,” he said, the grin long gone. “When we spoke that night we had dinner together, I actually believed I was over my problem of fearing burnout. It didn’t take long to find I was mistaken, though, so I’m completely disgusted with myself. Wouldn’t you be?”
    “I usually am when it comes to standing up for myself without leaning on the power,”