At the corner of the manor he was bowled over by a shouting Papa who was in full flight as he shot out around a hedge, heading for the guest house.
"All your fault it is!" he cried, recovering his balance and plunging on. "You it be who caused this! that I'll remember!"
Cassidy sat up, arms resting on his updrawn knees, and stared after the old man.
"Ow! Riva! Ouch!" Papa clutched his rear as he neared the cottage. "Help! Oh, my aching back!"
Cassidy found Mason frozen in the shadow of the ship, fascinated by another girl chase that was in progress nearby.
The swirl of action swerved toward him and Mason tensed, shifting from one foot to the other. With the wind pressing her clothes in revealing tightness about her, the flaxen-haired sprite swept past and he lunged for her.
"Mason!" Cassidy shouted.
"Seemed like a good idea," Mason explained, checking himself. "Wonder what it takes to get in on that chase."
Cassidy forced a fetching thought of Riva out of his mind. "What we ought to be wondering is how soon we can blast off."