DRAGONQUEST – Pern 02
Anne McCaffrey

Copyright 1971

Contents
Prelude
I Morning at MasterCrafthall,FortHold
Several Afternoons Later at Benden Weyr
Midmorning (Telgar Time) at Mastersmith Crafthall, Telgar Hold
II Evening (Fort Weyr Time).
Meeting of the Weyrleaders atFortWeyr
III Morning over Lemos Hold
IV MiddayatSouthern Weyr
V Midmorning at Ruatha Hold
Early Evening at Benden Weyr
VI Midmorning atSouthern Weyr
Early Morning at Nabol HolNd:ext Day
VII Midmorning at Benden Weyr
Early Morning at the Mastersmith's Crafthall
in Telgar Hold
VIIIMidmorning atSouthern Weyr
IX Afternoon atSouthern Weyr S:ame Day
X Early Morning in HarperCrafthall atFortHold
Afternoon at Telgar Hold
XI Early Morning at Benden Weyr
XII Morning at Benden Weyr
Predawn at High Reaches Weyr
XIIINight atFortWeyr
S, ix Days Later
XIV Early Morning at Ruatha Hold
Middayat Benden Weyr
XV Evening at Benden WeyrI:mpression Banquet
XVI Evening at Benden Weyr Later Evening atFortWeyr Dragondex
PRELUDE
Rukbat, in the Sagittarian Sector, was a golden G-typeItstahra.d five planets, two asteroid belts, and a stray planet it had attracted and held in recent milWlenhneina. men first settled on Rukbat's third
world and called it Pern, they had taken little notice of the stranger planet, swinging around its adopted
primary in a wildly erratic elliptical orFboitr.
two generations, the colonists gave the bright red star little
thought, until the desperate path of the wanderer brought it close to its stepsister at perihelion.
When such aspects were harmonious and not distorted by conjunctions with other planets in the system, the indigenous life of the wanderer sought to bridge the space gap to the more temperate and hospitable planet.
The initial losses the colonists suffered were staggering, and it was during the subsequent long struggle to survive and combat this menace dropping through Pern's skies like silver threads that Pern's tenuous contact with the mother planet was broken.
To control the incursions of the dreadful Threads (for the Pernese had cannibalized their transport ships early on and abandoned such technological sophistication as was irrelevant to this pastoral planet), the resourceful men embarked on a long-term pTlahne. first phase involved breeding a highly specialized
variety of a life-form indigenous to their new wMorledn.
and women with high empathy ratings and some
innate telepathic ability were trained to use and preserve these unusual anTimheals'd. ragons' (named for
the mythical Terran beast they resembled) had two extremely useful characteristics, they could get from
one place to another instantly and, after chewing a phosphine-bearing rock, they could emit a flaming gas. As the dragons could 'fly,' they'd be able to char Thread mid-air, yet escape its worse ravages
themselves. It took generations to develop to the full the use of this firstThpehasec. ond phase of the proposed defense against the spore incursions would take longer to mFaoturreT. hread, a
space-traveling mycorrhizoid spore, devoured organic matter with mindless voracity and, once grounded, burrowed and proliferated with terrifying speed.
The originators of the two-stage defense program did not compensate sufficiently for chance nor for the psychological effect of visible extermination of this avidFoforei.t was psychologically reassuring and deeply satisfying to the endangered Pernese to see the menace charred to impotence in Amlsido-,aitrh.e southern continent, where the second phase was initiated, proved untenable and the entire colony was moved to the northern continent to seek refuge from the Threads in the natural caves of the northern mountain ranges.The significance of the southern hemisphere lost meaning in the immediate struggle to establish new settlements in the norRthe.collections of Earth receded further from Pernese history with
each successive generation until memory of their origins degenerated past legend or myth and into oblivion.
The original Fort constructed in the eastern face of the great West Mountain range soon grew too small to hold the colonistAs.nother settlement was started slightly to the north, by a great lake conveniently nestled near a cave-filled cliRffu. atha Hold, too, became overcrowded in a few generations.
Since the Red Star rose in the East, it was decided to start a holding in the eastern mountains, provided suitable accommodations could be founSdu.itable accommodations now meant caves, for only solid rock and metal (of which Pern was in distressingly light supply) were impervious to the burning score of Thread.
The winged, tailed, fiery-breathed dragons had now been bred to a size which required more space than the Cliffside Holds could providTeh.e ancient cave-pocked cones of extinct volcanoes, one high
above the first Fort, the other in the Benden mountains, proved to be adequate, needing only a few improvements to be made habitablHe.owever, such projects took the last of the fuel for the great stonecutters (which had been programmed for only diffident mining operations not wholesale cliff excavations), and subsequent holds and weyrs were hand-hewn.
The dragons and the riders in their high places and the people in their caves went about their separate tasks and each developed habits that became custom, which solidified into tradition as incontrovertible as law.
Then came an interval of two hundred Turns of the planet Pern around its primary, when the Red
Star was at the other end of its erratic orbit, a frozen, lonely
NcaoptiTvher.ead fell on Pern's soTilh.e
inhabitants began to enjoy life as they had thought to find it when they first landed on the lovely planet. They erased the depredations of Thread and grew crops, planted orchards, thought of reforestry for the slopes denuded by ThreadT. hey could even forget that they had been in grave danger of extiTnhcetinon.
the Threads returned for another orbit around the lush planet, fifty years of danger from the skies, and the Pernese again thanked their ancestors, now many generations removed, for providing the dragons who seared the dropping Thread mid-air with their fiery breath.
Dragonkind, too, had prospered during that interval; had settled in four other locations, following the master plan of interim defensMe.en managed to forget completely that there had been a secondary measure against Thread.
By the third Pass of the Red Star, a complicated socio-political-economic structure had been developed to deal with this recurrent eTvihl.e six Weyrs, as the old volcanic habitations of the
dragonfolk were called, pledged themselves to protect all Pern, each Weyr having a geographical section
of the northern continent literally under its wiTnghse.
rest of the population would tithe to support the
Weyrs since these fighters, the dragonmen, did not have any arable land in their volcanic homes, nor could they take time away from the nurture of dragonkind to learn other trades during peacetime, nor time away from protecting the planet during Passes.
Settlements, called Holds, developed wherever natural caves were found; some, of course, more extensive or strategically placed than otheIrts.took a strong man to hold frantic terrified people in
control during Thread attacks; it took wise administration to conserve victuals when nothing could safely
be grown, and extraordinary measures to control population and keep it useful and healthy until such time
as the menace had passedM.
en with special skills in metalworking, animal breeding, farming, fishing,
mining (such as there was), weaving, formed Crafthalls in each large Hold and looked to one Master Crafthall where the precepts of their craft were taught, and craft skills preserved and guarded from one generation to anotherS. o that one Lord Holder could not deny the products of the Crafthall situated in his Hold to others of the planet, the Crafts were decreed independent of a Hold affiliation, each Craftmaster of a hall owing allegiance to the Master of that particular craft (an elected office based on proficiency and administrative ability)T.he Master Craftsman was responsible for the output of his halls,
the distribution, fair and unprejudiced, of all craft products on a planetary rather than parochial basis.
Certain rights and privileges accrued to the different leaders of Holds and Masters of Crafts, and naturally, to the Dragonriders to whom all Pern looked for protection during Threadfalls.
The Red Star would swing inexorably close to Pern, but it would also Pass again, and life could settle into a less frenzied patterOn.ccasionally, the conjunction of Rukbat's natural five satellites would prevent
the Red Star from passing close enough to Pern to drop its fearful Ssopmoreetism. es, though, as siblings
will, Pern's sister planets seemed to draw the Red Star closer still and Thread rained relentlessly on the
unfortunate victim.Fear creates fanatics and the Pernese were no excepOtionnly.
the dragonmen could
save Pern, and their position in the structure of the planet became inviolable.
Mankind has a history of forgetting the unpleasant, the undesirBayblei.gnoring its existence, it can
make the source of past Terror disappeAarn.d the Red Star did not pass close enough to Pern to drop its Threads.The people prospered and multiplied, spreading out across the rich land, carving more holds out of solid rock, and so busy with their pursuits, that they did not realize that there were only a few dragons in the skies, and only one Weyr of Dragonriders left onThPeerRn.ed Star wasn't due back for
a long, long whileW. hy worry about such distant possibilitieIsn? five generations or so, the descendants of the heroic dragonmen fell into disfavTohr.e legends of past braveries and the very reason for their existence fell into disrepute.
When, in the course of natural forces, the Red Star began to spin closer to Pern, winking with a baleful red eye on its intended, ancient victim, one man, F'lar, rider of the bronze dragon, Mnementh, believed that the ancient tales had truth in thHeims .half-brother, F'nor, rider of brown Canth, listened to his arguments and found belief in them more exciting than the dull ways of the lone WeyWr hoefnPern.
the last golden egg of a dying queen dragon lay hardening on the Benden Weyr Hatching Ground, F'lar and F'nor seized this opportunity to gain control of the WSeeayrcr.hing through Ruatha Hold for a strong woman to ride the soon-to-be hatched young queen, F'lar and F'nor discovered Lessa, the only surviving member of the proud Bloodline of Ruatha HSohlde. Impressed young Ramoth, the new queen, and
became Weyrwoman of Benden WeyWr. hen F'lar's bronze Mnementh flew the young queen in her first
mating, F'lar became Weyrleader of Pern's remaining dragonmTehne.
three riders, F'lar, Lessa and
F'nor forced the Lord Holders and Craftsmen to recognize their imminent danger and prepare the almost defenseless planet against ThreadB. ut it was distressingly obvious that the scant two hundred dragons of Benden Weyr could not defend the sprawling settlemeSnitxs. full Weyrs had been needed in the olden
days when the settled land had been much smaIlnlerle. arning to direct her queen dragon between one
place and another, Lessa discovered that dragons could teleport between time aRs iswkeinllg.
her life as
well as Pern's only queen dragon, Lessa and Ramoth went back in time, four hundred Turns, before the mysterious disappearance of the other five Weyrs, just after the Last Pass of the Red Star had been completed.
The five Weyrs, seeing only the decline of their prestige and bored with inactivity after a lifetime of
exciting combat, agreed to help Lessa's Weyr and came forward to her Turn.
Seven Turns have now passed since that triumphant journey forward, and the initial gratitude of the
Holds and Crafts to the rescuing Oldtime Weyrs has faded and sAounrdedt.he Oldtimers themselves do not like the Pern in which they are now liFvoinugr. hundred Turns brought too many subtle changes, and dissentions mount.
CHAPTER I
Morning at Master Crafthall, Fort Hold
Several Afternoons Later at Benden Weyr
Midmorning (Telgar Time) at Mastersmith Crafthall, Telgar Hold
How to begin? mused Robinton, the Masterharper of Pern.
He frowned thoughtfully down at the smoothed, moist sand in the shallow trays of his wHoirskdesk. long face settled into deep-grooved lines and creases, and his eyes, usually snapping blue with inner amusement, were gray-shadowed with unusual gravity.
He fancied the sand begged to be violated with words and notes while he, Pern's repository and glib dispenser of any ballad, saga or ditty, was inarticuYlaetet . he had to construct a ballad for the upcoming wedding of Lord Asgenar of Lemos Hold to the half-sister of Lord Larad of TelgBarecHauosled. of
recent reports of unrest from his network of drummers and Harper journeymen, Robinton had decided to remind the guests on this auspicious occasion, for every Lord Holder and Craftmaster would be invited
of the debt they owed the dragonmen of PAesrn.the subject of his ballad, he had decided to tell of the fantastic ride, between time itself, of Lessa, Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr on her great golden queen, Ramoth. The Lords and Craftsmen of Pern had been glad enough then for the arrival of Dragonriders from the five ancient Weyrs from four hundred Turns in the past.
Yet how to reduce those fascinating, frantic days, those braveries, to a rEhvyemne?the most stirring
chords could not recapture the beat of the blood, the catch of breath the chill of fear and the hopeless surge of hope of that first morning after Thread had fallen over Nerat Hold, when F'lar had rallied all the frightened Lords and Craftmasters at Benden Weyr and enlisted their enthusiastic aid.
It had not been just a sudden resurgence of forgotten loyalties that had prompted the Lords, but the all too real sense of disaster as they envisioned their prosperous acres blackened with the Thread they had dismissed as myth, of the thought of burrows of the lightning propagating parasites, of themselves walled up in the cliff-Holds behind thick metal doors and shuTthteerys'.d been ready to promise F'lar
their souls that day if he could protect them from ThArneadd.it was Lessa who had bought them that protection, almost with her life.
Robinton looked up from the sandtrays, his expression suddenly bleak.
"The sand of memory dries quickly," he said softly, looking out across the settled valley toward the precipice that housed Fort HolTd.here was one watchman on the fire ridTgehse.re ought to be six, but it
was planting time; Lord Holder Groghe of Fort Hold had everyone who could walk upright in the fields, even the gangs of children who were supposed to weed spring grass from stone interstices and pull moss from the wallsL. ast spring, Lord Groghe would not have neglected that duty no matter how many dragonlengths of land he wanted to put under seed.
Lord Groghe was undoubtedly out in the fields right now, prowling from one tract of land to another on one of those long-legged running beasts which the Masterherdsman Sograny was deveGlorpoignhge.
of Fort Hold was indefatigable, his slightly protuberant blue eyes never missing an unpruned tree or a
badly harrowed rowH.
e was a burly man, with grizzled hair which he wore tied in a neHaits band.
complexion was florid, with a temper to maBtcuht., if he pushed his holders, he pushed himself as well, demanding nothing of his people, his children nor his fosterlings that he was not able to dIof hemself. was conservative in his thinking, it was because he knew his own limitations and felt secure in that knowledge.
Robinton pulled at his lower lip, wondering if Lord Groghe was an exception in his disregard for this
traditional Hold duty of removing all greenery near habitatiOornsw.
as this Lord Groghe's answer to Fort
Weyr's growing agitation over the immense forest lands of Fort Hold which the Dragonriders ought to protect? The Weyrleader of Fort Weyr, T'ron, and his Weyrwoman, Mardra, had become less
scrupulous about checking to see that no Thread burrows had escaped their wing riders to fall on the lush forests. Yet Lord Groghe had been scrupulous in the matter of ground crews and flame-throwing
equipment when Thread fell over his foreHstse. had a stable of runners spread out through the Hold in an efficient network so that if Dragonriders were competent in flight, there was adequate ground coverage for any Thread that might elude the flaming breath of the airborne beasts.
But Robinton had heard ugly rumors of late, and not just from ForSt inHcoeldh.e eventually heard every derogatory whisper and accusation uttered in Pern, he had learned to separate fact from spite, calumny from crimeN. ot basically an alarmist, because he'd found much sifted itself out in the course of time, Robinton was beginning to feel the stirrings of alarm in his soul.
The Masterharper slumped in his chair, staring out on the bright day, the fresh new green of the fields, the yellow blossoms on the fruit trees the neat stone Holds that lined the road up to the main Hold, the cluster of artisans' cotholds below the wide ramp up to the Great Outer Court of Fort Hold.
And if his suspicions were valid, what could he Wdor?ite a scolding songA?
satire?Robinton
snorted. Lord Groghe was too literal a man to interpret satire and too righteous to take a scold. Furthermore, and Robinton pushed himself upright on his elbows, if Lord Groghe was neglectful, it was in protest at Weyr neglect of far greater magnituRdoeb.inton shuddered to think of Thread burrowing in the
great stands of softwoods to the south.
He ought to sing his remonstrance's to Mardra and T'ron as Weyrleaders, but that, too, would be vain effort.Mardra had soured latelyS.he ought to have sense enough to retire gracefully to a chair and let men seek her favors if T'ron no longer attractedTohehre. ar the Hold girls talk, T'ron was lusty
enough. In fact, T'ron had better restrain himsLelof.rd Groghe didn't take kindly to too many of his chattels bearing dragonseed.
Another impasse, thought Robinton with a wry smHiloel.d customs differed so from Weyr morals. Maybe a word to F'lar of Benden WeUysre?less, again.In the first place there was really nothing the bronze rider could doW. eyrs were autonomous and not only could T'ron take umbrage for any advice
F'lar might see fit to offer, but Robinton was sure that F'lar might tend to take the Lord Holders' side.
This was not the first time in recent months that Robinton regretted that F'lar of Benden Weyr had been so eager to relinquish his leadership after Lessa had gone back between to bring the five lost Weyrs forward in timeF. or a brief few months then, seven Turns ago, Pern had been united under F'lar and
Lessa against the ancient menace of ThreEadv.ery Holder, Craftmaster, landsman, crafter, all had been of one mindT. hat unity had dissipated as the Oldtime Weyr-leaders had reasserted their traditional domination over the Holds bound to their Weyr for protection, and a grateful Pern had ceded them those rights. But in four hundred Turns the interpretation of that old hegemony had altered, with neither party
sure of the translation.
Perhaps now was the time to remind Lord Holders of those perilous days seven Turns ago when all
their hopes hung on fragile dragon wings and the dedication of a scant two hundred men.
Well, the Harper has a duty, too, by the Egg, Robinton thought, needlessly smoothing the wet sand. And the obligation to broadcast it.
In twelve days, Larad, Lord of Telgar, was giving his half-sister, Famira, to Asgenar, Lord of Lemos
Hold. The Masterharper had been enjoined to appear with appropriate new songs to enliven the
festivities. F'lar and Lessa were invited as Lemos Hold was weyrbound to Benden TWheeryer'd. be other notables among Weyr, Lord and Craft to signalize so auspicious an occasion.
"And among my jolly songs, I'll have stronger meat."
Chuckling to himself at the prospect, Robinton picked up his stylus.
"I must have a tender but intricate theme for LSehssea's. legend already."Unconsciously the Harper
smiled as he pictured the dainty, child-sized Weyrwoman, with her white skin, her cloud of dark hair, the flash of her gray eyes, heard the acerbity of her clever toNnogume.an of Pern failed of respect for her,
or braved her displeasure, with the exception of F'lar.
Now a well-stated martial theme would do for Benden's Weyrleader, with his keen amber eyes, his unconscious superiority, the intense energy of his lean fighter's frCamouel.d he, Robinton, rouse F'lar
from his detachment?Or was he perhaps unnecessarily worried about these minor irritations between Lord Holder and WeyrleaderB? ut without the Dragonriders of Pern, the land would be sucked dry of any sustenance by Thread, even if every man, woman and child of the planet were armed with flame
throwers. One burrow, well established, could race across plain and forest as fast as a dragon could fly it, consuming everything that grew or lived, save solid rock, water orRmobeitnalt.on shook his head,
annoyed with his own fancieAs.s if dragonmen would ever desert Pern and their ancient obligation.
Now, a solid beat on the biggest drum for Fandarel, the Mastersmith, with his endless curiosity, the great hands with their delicate skill, the ranging mind in its eternal quest for efSfiocmienechyo.w one
expected such an immense man to be as slow of wit as he was deliberate of physical movement.
A sad note, well sustained, for Lytol who had once ridden a Benden dragon and lost his Larth in an accident in the Spring Games, had it been fourteen or fifteen TurnLsyatoglo?had left the Weyr, to be
among dragonfolk only exacerbated his tremendous loss, and taken to the craft of wHeaev'dinbge. en
Crafthall Master in the High Reaches Hold when F'lar had discovered Lessa on FS'leaarrchha.d
appointed Lytol to be Lord Warder of Ruatha Hold when Lessa had abdicated her claim to the Hold to young Jaxom.
And how did a man signify the dragons of PNeorn?theme was grand enough for those huge, winged beasts, as gentle as they were great, Impressed at Hatching by the men who rode them, flaming against Thread, who tended them, loved them, who were linked, mind to mind, in an unbreakable bond that transcended speech!(What was that really likeR?obinton wondered, remembering that his youthful
ambition had been to be a dragonmaTnh.)e dragons of Pern who could transfer themselves in some mysterious fashion between one place and another in the blink of aBnetewyeee.n even one Time and another!
The Harper's sigh came from his soul but his hand moved to the sand and pressed out the first note, wrote the first word, wondering if he would find some answer himself in the song.
He had barely filled the completed score with clay to preserve the text, when he heard the first throb of the drumH. e strode quickly to the small outer court of the Crafthall, bending his head to catch the summons; it was his sequence all right, in urgent teHmepoc.oncentrated so closely on the drumroll that
he did not realize that every other sound common to the Harper's Hall had ceased.
"Thread?" His throat dried instantlyR. obinton didn't need to consult the timetable to realize that the
Threads were falling on the shores of Tillek Hold prematurely.
Across the valley on Fort Hold's ramparts, the single watchman made his monotonous round, oblivious to disaster.
There was a soft spring warmth to the afternoon air as F'nor and his big, brown Canth emerged from
their weyr in Benden WeyFr'nor yawned slightly and stretched until he heard his spine
Hcreac'dk.been
on the western coast all the previous day, Searching for likely lads, and girls, since there was a golden egg hardening on the Benden Weyr Hatching Grounds, for the next ImpreBsesniodne.n Weyr certainly
produced more dragons, and more queens, than the five Oldtimers' Weyrs, F'nor thought.
"Hungry?" he asked courteously of his dragon, glancing down the Weyr Bowl to the Feeding Grounds. No dragons were dining and the herdbeasts stood in their fenced pasture, legs spraddled, heads level with their bony knees as they drowsed in the sunlight.
"Sleepy," said Canth, although he had slept as long and deeply as hiTshreidbero. wn dragon proceeded to settle himself on the sun-warmed ledge, sighing as he sank down.
"Slothful wretch," F'nor said, grinning affectionately at his beast.
The sun was full on the other side of the enormous mountain cup that formed the dragonman's habitation on the eastern coast of PeTrnh.e cliffside was patterned with the black mouths of the individual dragon weyrs, starred where sun flashed off mica in the Trohceksw. aters of the Weyr's
spring-fed lake glistened around the two green dragons bathing as their riders lounged on the grass verge. Beyond, in front of the weyrling barracks, young riders formed a semi-circle around the Weyrlingmaster.
F'nor's grin broadenedH.
e stretched his lean body indolently, remembering his own weary hours in
such a semicircle, twenty odd Turns aTgoh.e rote lessons which he had echoed as a weyrling had far more significance to this present group of DragonridIenrsh. is Turn, the Silver Thread of those teaching
songs had not dropped from the Red Star for over four hundred Turns, to sear the flesh of man and beast and devour anything living which grew on POerfn.all the dragonmen in Pern's lone Weyr, only F'nor's
half-brother, F'lar, bronze Mnementh's rider, had believed that there might be truth in those old legends. Now Thread was an inescapable fact, falling to Pern from the skies with diurnal reOgunlcaeritmy.ore, its
destruction was a way of life for DragonridTehrse. their lives and, more important, their dragons.
lessons these lads learned would save their skins,
"The weyrlings are promising," Canth remarked as he locked his wings to his back and curled his tail against his hind legsH. e settled his great head to his forelegs, the many-faceted eye nearest F'nor
gleaming softly on his rider.
Responding to the tacit plea, F'nor scratched the eye ridge until Canth began to hum softly with pleasure.
"Lazybones!"
"When I work, I work," Canth repli"eWd.ithout my help, how would you know which holdbred lad would make a good dragonrideAr?nd do I not find girls who make good queen riders, too?"
F'nor laughed indulgently, but it was true that Canth's ability to spot likely candidates for fighting
dragons and breeding Queens was much vaunted by Benden Weyr dragonmen.
Then F'nor frowned, remembering the odd hostility of the small holders and crafters he'd encountered in Southern Boll's Holds and CrafYtse. s, the people had been hostile until, until he'd identified himself as
a Benden Weyr dragonriderH. e'd have thought it'd be the other way roSuonudt.hern Boll was
weyrbound to Fort WeyrT. raditionally, and F'nor grinned wryly since the Fort Weyrleaders T'ron, was so adamant in upholding all that was traditional, customary ... and static, traditionally, the Weyr which protected a territory had first claim on any possible riBduetrs.the five Oldtime Weyrs rarely sought
beyond their own Lower Caverns for candidatOesf. course, thought F'nor, the Oldtime queens didn't produce large clutches like the modern queens, nor many golden queenCeogmges. to think on it, only three queens had been Hatched in the Oldtime Weyrs in the seven Turns since Lessa brought them forward.
Well, let the Oldtimers stick to their ways if that made them feel sBupuetriFo'rn.or agreed with F'lar. It was only common sense to give your dragonets as wide a choice as pTohsosuibglhe.the women in
the Lower Caverns of Benden Weyr were certainly agreeable, there simply weren't enough weyr-born lads to match up the quantity of dragons hatched.
Now, if one of the other Weyrs, maybe G'narish of Igen Weyr or R'mart of Telgar Weyr, would throw open their junior queens' mating flights, the Oldtimers might notice an improvement in size of clutch and the dragons that hatcheAd. man was a fool to breed only to his own Bloodlines all the time.
The afternoon breeze shifted and brought with it the pungent fumes of numbweedF'an-obroil.
groaned. He'd forgotten that the women were making numbweed for salve that was the universal remedy
for the burn of Thread and other painful afflictiTohnast.
had been one main reason for going on Search
yesterday. The odor of numbweed was pervasivYee. sterday's breakfast had tasted medicinal instead of cereal. Since the preparation of numbweed salve was a tedious as well as smelly process, most dragonmen made themselves scarce during its manufactuFr'en.or glanced across the Weyr Bowl to the queen's weyr.Ramoth, of course, was in the Hatching Ground, hovering over her latest clutch of eggs, but bronze Mnementh was absent from his accustomed perch on the Fle'ldargea.nd he were off
somewhere, no doubt escaping the smell of numbweed as well as Lessa's uncertain Stehme per. conscientiously took part in even the most onerous duties of Weyrwoman, but that didn't mean she had to like them.
Numbweed stink notwithstanding, F'nor was hungHrye.
hadn't eaten since late afternoon yesterday,
and, since there was a good six hours' time difference between Southern Boll on the western coast and
Benden Weyr in the east, he'd missed the dinner hour at Benden Weyr completely.
With a parting scratch, F'nor told Canth that he'd get some food, and started down the stone ramp
from his ledgeO. ne of the privileges of being Wing-second was choice of quaSritnecrse. Ramoth as senior queen would permit only two junior queens in Benden Weyr, there were two unoccupied
Weyr-woman quarters.F'nor had appropriated one and did not need to disturb Canth when he wished to descend to a lower level.
As he approached the entrance of the Lower Caverns, the aroma of boiling numbweed made his eyes smart.He'd grab some klah, bread and fruit and go listen to the WeyrlingTmhaesyterw. ere
upwind. As Wing-second, F'nor liked to take every opportunity to measure up the new riders, particularly those who were not weyrbreLdi.fe in a Weyr required certain adjustments for the craft and holdbred. The freedom and privileges sometimes went to a boy's head, particularly after he was able to take his dragon between, anywhere on Pern, in the space it takes to count Atogatihnr,eeF.'nor agreed
with F'lar's preference in presenting older lads at Impression though the Oldtimers deplored that practice at Benden Weyr, tooB. ut, by the Shell, a lad in his late teens recognized the responsibility of his position (even if he were holdbred) as a dragonriHdeer.was more emotionally mature and, while there was no lessening of the impact of Impression with his dragon, he could absorb and understand the implications of a lifelong link, of an in-the-soul contact, the total empathy between himself and hisAdnragooldne.r boy
didn't get carried awayH. e knew enough to compensate until his dragonet's instinctive sensibility
unfolded. A baby dragon had precious little sense and, if some silly weyrling let his beast eat too much, the whole Weyr suffered through its tormeEnvt.en an older beast lived for the here and now, with little
thought for the future and not all that much recollection, except on the instinctive level, forThthaet was just as well, F'nor thougFhto.r dragons bore the brunt of Thread-scoPrer.haps if their memories were more acute or associative, they'd refuse to fight.
past.
F'nor took a deep breath and, blinking furiously against the fumes, entered the huge kitchen Cavern. It was seething with activitHy.alf the female population of the Weyr must be involved in this operation,
F'nor thought, for great cauldrons monopolized all the large hearths set in the outside wall of the Cavern. Women were seated at the broad tables, washing and cutting the roots from which the salve was extracted. Some were ladling the boiling product into great earthenware Tphootss.e who stirred the
concoction with long-handled paddles wore masks over nose and mouth and bent frequently to blot eyes watering from the acrid fumeOs.lder children were fetching and carrying, fuelrock from the store caves
for the fires, pots to the cooling caEvevse.ryone was busy.
Fortunately the night hearth, nearest the entrance, was operating for normal use, the huge klah pot and stew kettle swinging from their hooks, keeping warm over the Jcuostalsa.s F'nor had filled his cup,
he heard his name calleGd.lancing around, he saw his blood mother, Manora, beckon toHheirm. usually serene face wore a look of puzzled concern.
Obediently F'nor crossed to the hearth where she, Lessa, and another young woman who looked familiar though F'nor couldn't place her, were examining a small kettle.
"My duty to you, Lessa, Manora, " and he paused, groping for the third name.
"You ought to remember Brekke, F'nor," Lessa said, raising her eyebrows at his lapse.
"How can you expect anyone to see in a place dense with fuFm'noesr?"demanded, making much of blotting his eyes on his sleev"eI . haven't seen much of you, Brekke, since the day Canth and I brought you from your crafthold to Impress young Wirenth."
"F'nor, you're as bad as F'lar," Lessa exclaimed, somewhat te"sYtiloyu. name, but his rider's?"
never forget a dragon's
"How fares Wirenth, Brekke?F"'nor asked, ignoring Lessa's interruption.
The girl looked startled but managed a hesitant smile, then pointedly looked towards Manora, trying to turn attention from herselSf.he was a shade too thin for F'nor's tastes, not much taller than Lessa whose diminutive size in no way lessened the authority and respect she commTahnedreed.was,
however, a sweetness about Brekke's solemn face, unexpectedly framed with dark curly hair, that F'nor
did find appealingA. nd he liked her self-effacing modesHtye.
was wondering how she got along with
Kylara, the tempestuous and irresponsible senior Weyrwoman atSouthern Weyr , when Lessa tapped the empty pot before her.
"Look at this, F'norT.he lining has cracked and the entire kettle of numbweed salve is discolored."
F'nor whistled appreciatively.
"Would you know what it is the Smith uses to coat the mMeatanlo?r"a asked."I wouldn't dare use tainted salve and yet I hate to discard so much if there's no reason."
F'nor tipped the pot to the ligThht.e dull tan lining was seamed by fine cracks along one side.
"See what it does to the salve?" and Lessa thrust a small bowl at him,
The anesthetic ointment, normally a creamy, pale yellow, had turned a reddiRshathtaenr. a
threatening color, F'nor thoughHt. e smelled it, dipped his finger in and felt the skin immediately deaden.
"It works," he said with a shrug.
"Yes, but what would happen to an open Thread score with that foreign substance cooked into the salve?" asked Manora.
"Good point.What does F'lar say?"
"Oh, him."Lessa screwed her fine delicate features into a grim"aHce'.s off to Lemos Hold to see how that woodcraftsman of Lord Asgenar's is doing with the wood pulp leaves."
F'nor grinned."Never around when you want him, huh, Lessa?"
She opened her mouth for a stinging reply, her gray eyes snapping, and then realized that F'nor was teasing.
"You're as bad as he is," she said, grinning up at the tall Wing-second who resembled her Weyrmate so closely.Yet the two men, though the stamp of their mutual sire was apparent in the thick shocks of black hair, the strong features, the lean rangy bodies (F'nor had a squarer, broader frame with not
enough flesh on his bones so that he appeared unfinished), the two men were different in temperament and personality.F'nor was less introspective and more easygoing than his half brFo'tlhaer,r. the elder by
three Turns.The Weyrwoman sometimes found herself treating F'nor as if he were an extension of his half brother and, perhaps for this reason, could joke and tease witShhehimw.as not on easy terms with many people.
F'nor returned her smile and gave her a mocking little bow for the compliment.
"Well. I've no objections to running your errand to the MastersmithI'hmalls. upposed to be
Searching and I can Search in Telgar Hold as well as anywherRe'melasret.'s nowhere near as sticky as
some of the other Oldtime Weyr-leaderHs."e took the pot off the hook, peering into it once more, then glanced around the busy room, shaking his he"Ia'dll. take your pot to Fandarel but it looks to me as though you've already got enough numbweed to coat every dragon in all six, excuse me, seven Weyrs." He grinned at Brekke for the girl seemed curiously ill atLesassae. could be snap-tempered when she
was preoccupied and Ramoth was fussing over her latest clutch like a novice, which would tend to make
Lessa more irritableS. trange for a junior Weyrwoman fromSouthern Weyr to be involved in any brewing at Benden.
"A Weyr can't have too much numbweed," Manora said briskly.
"That isn't the only pot that's showing cracks, either," Lessa cut in, "tAesntdilyi.f we've got to gather more numbweed to make up what we've lost ..."
"There's the second crop at theSouthern Weyr ," Brekke suggested, then looked flustered for speaking up.
But the look Lessa turned on Brekke was grat"eIf'uvle.
no intention of shorting you, Brekke,
whenSouthern Weyr does the nursing of every fool who can't dodge Thread."
"I'll take the poIt.'ll take the pot," F'nor cried with humorous assura"nBcuet. more in me than a cup of klah."
first, I've got to have
Lessa blinked at him, her glance going to the entrance and the late afternoon sun slanting in on the floor.
"It's only just pastnoon in Telgar Hold," he said, patie"nYtleys.terday I was all day Searching at
Southern Boll so I'm hours behind myseHlf.e" stifled a yawn.
"I'd forgotten.Any luck?"
it."
"Canth didn't twitch an eaNr.ow let me eat and get away from the sDtionnk'.t know how you stand
Lessa snorted."Because I can't stand the groans when you riders don't have numbweed."
F'nor grinned down at his Weyrwoman, aware that Brekke's eyes were wide in amazement at their good-natured banter.He was sincerely fond of Lessa as a person, not just as Weyrwoman of Benden's senior queen.He heartily approved of F'lar's permanent attachment of Lessa, not that there seemed much chance that Ramoth would ever permit any dragon but Mnementh to fAlys hLeer.ssa was a superb Weyrwoman for Benden Weyr, so F'lar was the logical bronze Trihdeeyr. were well matched as
Weyrwoman and Weyrleader, and Benden Weyr, and Pern, profSitoedd. id the three Holds bound to Benden for protectionT. hen F'nor remembered the hostility of the people at Southern Boll yesterday until they learned that he was a Benden riHdeer. started to mention this to Lessa when Manora broke his
train of thought.
"I am very disturbed by this discoloratiFo'nn.or," she said". Here. Show Mastersmith Fandarel these," and she put two small pots into the larger v"eHsseelc. an see exactly the change that occurs. Brekke, would you be kind enough to serve F'nor?"
"No need," F'nor said hastily and backed away, pot swinging from hisHheanudse. d to be annoyed
that Manora, who was only his mother, could never rid herself of the notion that he was incapable of doing for himselfS. he was certainly quick enough to make her fosterlings fend for themselves, as his foster mother had made him.
"Don't drop the pot when you go between, F'nor," was her parting admonition.
F'nor chuckled to himselfO. nce a mother, always a mother, he guessed, for Lessa was as broody about Felessan, the only child she'd borJnues.t as well the Weyrs practiced fosteriFnegl.essan, as likely
a lad to Impress a bronze dragon as F'nor had seen in all his Turns at Searching, got along far better with his placid foster mother than he would have with Lessa had she had the rearing of him.
As he ladled out a bowl of stew, F'nor wondered at the perversity of Gwiorlms ewne. re constantly pleading to come to Benden WeyTrh.ey'd not be expected to bear child after child till they were
worn-out and oldW.
omen in the Weyrs remained active and appealMinga.nora had seen twice the
Turns that, for instance, Lord Sifer of Bitra's latest wife had, yet Manora looked yWouelnlg, ear. rider preferred to seek his own loves, not have them foisted onThheirme. were enough spare women in the Lower Caverns right now.
The klah might as well be mediciHne couldn't drink iHt. e quickly ate the stew, trying not to taste his food.Perhaps he could pick something up at SmithCrafthall at Telgar Hold.
"Canth! Manora's got an errand for us," he warned the brown dragon as he strode from the Lower
Cavern. He wondered how the women stood the smell.
Canth did, too, for the fumes had kept him from napping on the warmHelewdgaes. just as glad of an excuse to get away from Benden Weyr.
F'nor broke out into the early morning sunshine above Telgar Hold, then directed brown Canth up the long valley to the sprawling complex of buildings on the left of the Falls.
Sun flashed off the water wheels which were turned endlessly by the powerful waters of the three-pronged Falls and operated the forges of the SmJituhdyg.ing by the thin black smoke from the stone buildings, the smelting and refining smithies were going at full capacity.
As Canth swooped lower, F'nor could see the distant clouds of dust that meant another ore train coming from the last portage of Telgar's major rFivaenrd. arel's notion of putting wheels on the barges
had halved the time it took to get raw ore down river and across land from the deep mines of Crom and
Telgar to the Crafthalls throughout Pern.
Canth gave a bugle cry of greeting which was instantly answered by the two dragons, green and brown, perched on a small ledge above the main Crafthall.
"Beth and Seventh fromFortWeyr ," Canth told his rider, but the names were not familiar to F'nor.
Time was when a man knew every dragon and rider in Pern.
"Are you joining them?" he asked the big brown.
"They are together," Canth replied so pragmatically that F'nor chuckled to himself.
The green Beth, then, had agreed to brown Seventh's advaLncoeosk.ing at her brilliant color, F'nor thought their riders shouldn't have brought that pair away from their home Weyr at thAisspFha'nsoer. watched, the brown dragon extended his wing and covered the green possesFsi'vneolry.stroked
Canth's downy neck at the first ridge but the dragon didn't seem to need any conHsoe'ldatinoon. lack of partners after all, thought F'nor with little concGeriet.ens would prefer a brown who was as big as most bronzes on Pern.
Canth landed and F'nor jumped off quickTlyh.e dust made by his dragon's wings set up twin whirls, through which F'nor had to waIlkn. the open sheds which F'nor passed on his way to the Crafthall, men were busy at a number of tasks, most of them familiar to the browBnutridaet r.one shed he stopped,
trying to fathom why the sweating men were winding a coil of metal through a plate, until he realized that the material was extruded as a fine wHiree. was about to ask questions when he saw the sullen, closed expressions of the craftersH. e nodded pleasantly and continued on his way, uneasy at the indifference,
no, the distaste, exhibited at his presenHcee. was beginning to wish that he hadn't agreed to do
Manora's errand.
But Smithcraftmaster Fandarel was the obvious authority on metal and could tell why the big kettle had suddenly discolored the vital anesthetic salFv'en.or swung the kettle to make sure the two sample
pots were within, and grinned at the self-conscious gesture; for an instant he had a resurgence of his boyhood apprehension of losing something entrusted to him.
The entrance to the main SmithCrafthall was imposFinogu.r landbeasts could be driven abreast through that massive portal and not scrape their sDidieds. Pern breed Smithcraftmasters in proportion to that door?F'nor wondered as its maw swallowed him, for the immense metal wings stooWd hwaitde.
had been the original Smithy was now converted to the artificerAs' tulsaet.hes and benches, men were polishing, engraving, adding the final touches to otherwise completed wSuonrkli.ght streamed in from the windows set high in the building's wall, the eastern shutters were burnished with the morning sun which reflected also from the samples of weaponry and metalwork in the open shelves in the center of the big Hall.
At first, F'nor thought it was his entrance which had halted all activity, but then he made out two Dragonriders who were menacing TerrSy.urprised as he was to feel the tension in the Hall, F'nor was more disturbed that Terry was its brunt, for the man was Fandarel's second and his major innovator. Without a thought, F'nor strode across the floor, his bootheels striking sparks from the flagstone.
"And a good day to you, Terry, and you, Fsi'nrso.r" said, saluting the two riders with airy amiability. "F'nor, Canth's rider, of Benden."
"B'naj, Seventh's rider of Fort," said the taller, grayer of the twoHreideorbs.viously resented the interruption and kept slapping an elaborately jeweled belt knife into the palm of his hand.
"T'reb, Beth's rider, also of FoArtn. d if Canth's a bronze, warn him off Beth."
"Canth's no poacher," F'nor replied, grinning outwardly but marking T'reb for a rider whose green's amours affected his own temper.
"One never knows just what is taught at Benden Weyr," T'reb said with thinly veiled contempt.
"Manners, among other things, when addressing Wing-seconds," F'nor replied, still pleBasuatnt.
T'reb gave him a sharp look, aware of a subtle difference in his m"Gaononder.Master Terry, may I have a word with Fandarel?"
"He's in his study ..."
"And you told us he was not about," T'reb interrupted, grabbing Terry by the front of his heavy wher-hide apron.
F'nor reacted instantlyH.
is brown hand snapped about T'reb's wrist, his fingers digging into the
tendons so painfully that the green rider's hand was temporarily numbed.
Released, Terry stood back, his eyes blazing, his jaw set.
"Fort Weyr manners leave much to be desired," F'nor said, his teeth showing in a smile as hard as the grip with which he held T'reBbu. t now the other Fort Weyr rider intervened.
"T'reb! F'nor!" B'naj thrust the two apar"tH. is green's proddy, F'norH. e can't help it."
"Then he should stay weyrbound."
"Benden doesn't advise Fort," T'reb cried, trying to step past his Weyrmate, his hand on his belt knife.
F'nor stepped back, forcing himself to cool doTwhne.
whole episode was ridiculouDs.ragonriders
did not quarrel in publiNc.o one should use a Craftmaster's second in such a fasOhuiotsni.de, dragons bellowed.
Ignoring T'reb, F'nor said to B'naj, "You'd better get out ofShhee'rse.too close to mating."
But the truculent T'reb would not be silenced.
"Don't tell me how to manage my dragon, you ..."
The insult was lost in a second volley from the dragons to which Canth now added his warble.
"Don't be a fool, T'reb," B'naj sa"iCdo. me! Now!"
"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't wanted that kGneifte.it and come."
The knife B'naj had been handling lay on the floor by TerryT'shfeooCt.raftsman retrieved it in such a way that F'nor suddenly realized why there had been such tension in tTheheHDalrla. gonriders had
been about to confiscate the knife, an action his entrance had foresHtael'ldedh. eard too much lately of such extortion's.
"You'd better go," he told the Dragonriders, stepping in front of Terry.
"We came for the knifWe. e'll leave with it," T'reb shouted and, feinting with unexpected speed,
ducked past F'nor, grabbing the knife from Terry's hand, slicing the smith's thumb as he drew the blade.
Again F'nor caught T'reb's hand and twisted it, forcing him to drop the knife.
T'reb gave a gurgling cry of rage and, before F'nor could duck or B'naj could intervene, the infuriated green rider had plunged his own belt knife into F'nor's shoulder, viciously slicing downward until the point hit the shoulder bone.
F'nor staggered back, aware of nauseating pain, aware of Canth's scream of protest, the green's wild bawl and the brown's trumpeting.
"Get him out of here," F'nor gasped to B'naj, as Terry reached out to steady him.
"Get out!"the Smith repeated in a harsh voiHce signaled urgently to the other craftsmen who now moved decisively toward the dragonmeBn.ut B'naj yanked T'reb savagely out of the Hall.
F'nor resisted as Terry tried to conduct him to the nearest bItenwcahs.
bad enough that dragonrider
should attack dragonrider, but F'nor was even more shocked that a rider should ignore his beast for the sake of a coveted bauble.
There was real urgency in the green's shrill ululation Fn'onwor.
willed T'reb and B'naj on their beasts
and away.A shadow fell across the great portal of the SmithIthawlla. s Canth, crooning anxiouslTy.he green's voice was suddenly still.
"Are they gone?" he asked the dragon.
"Well gone," Canth replied, craning his neck to catch sight of his"Yroiduerh. urt."
"I'm all rightI.'m all right," F'nor lied, relaxing into Terry's urgent Ingriap. blackening daze, he felt
himself lifted, then the hard surface of bench under his back before the dizzying shock and pain overwhelmed him.His last conscious thought was that Manora would be annoyed that he had not seen Fandarel first.
CHAPTER II
Evening (Fort Weyr Time).
Meeting of the Weyrleaders at Fort Weyr
WHEN MNEMENTH burst out of between above Fort Weyr, he entered so high above the Weyr mountain that it was a barely discernible black point in the darkening landFb'laerlo'swe.xclamation of
surprise was cut off by the thin cold air that burned his lungs.
"You must be calm and cool," Mnementh said, doubling his rider's astonish"Ymoeunt.must command at this meeting.A" nd the bronze dragon began a long spiral glide down to the Weyr.
F'lar knew that no admonitions could change Mnementh's mind when he used that firHme tone. wondered at the great beast's unexpected initiatiBveu.t the bronze dragon was right.
F'lar could accomplish little if he stormed in on T'ron and the other Weyrleaders, bent on extracting justice for his wounded Wing-seconOd.r if F'lar was still seething from the subtle insult implicit in the timing of this meetingA. s Weyrleader of the offending rider, T'ron had delayed answering F'lar's courteously phrased request for a meeting of all Weyrleaders to discuss the untoward incident at the Craftmasterhall. When T'ron's reply finally arrived, it set the meeting for the first watch, Fort Weyr time; or high night, Benden time, a most inconsiderate hour for F'lar and certainly inconvenient for the other easterly Weyrs, Igen, Ista and even TelgDa'rr.am of Ista Weyr and R'mart of Telgar, and probably
G'narish of Igen would have something sharp to say to T'ron about such timing, though their lag was not as great as Benden Weyr's.
So T'ron wanted F'lar off balance and irritaTtehde.refore, F'lar would appear all amiabiliHtye. 'd
apologize to D'ram, R'mart and G'narish for inconveniencing them, while making certain that they knew
T'ron was responsible.
The main issue, to F'lar's now calm mind, was not the attack onThFe'nroera. l issue was the
abrogation of two of the strongest Weyr restrictions; restrictions that ought to be so ingrained in any dragonrider that their fracture was impossible.
It was an absolute that a dragonrider did not take a green dragon or a queen from her Weyr when she was due to rise for matiIntg.made no difference whatsoever that a green dragon was sterile because she chewed firestoneH. er lust could affect even the most insensitive commoners with sexual craAvings.
mating female dragon broadcast her emotions on a wide bSaonmde.
green-brown pairings were as loud
as bronze-gold.Herdbeasts within range stampeded wildly and fowls, wherries and whers went into witless hysterics.Humans were susceptible, too, and innocent Hold youngsters often responded with embarrassing consequences.That particular aspect of dragon matings didn't bother weyrfolk who had long since disregarded sexual inhibitionNs.o, you did not take a dragon out of her Weyr in that state.
It was irrelevant to F'lar's thinking that the second violation stemmed from thFeromfirsth. e moment
riders could take their dragons between, they were abjured to avoid situations that might lead to a duel, particularly since dueling was an accepted custom among Craft and AHnoyld.differences between
riders were settled in unarmed bouts, closely refereed within the WDreaygro. ns suicided when their
riders died.And occasionally a beast panicked if his rider was badly hurt or remained unconscious for long. A berserk dragon was almost impossible to manage and a dragon's death severely upset his entire Weyr. So armed dueling, which might injure or kill a dragon, was the most absolute proscription.
Today, a Fort Weyr rider had deliberately, judging from the testimony F'lar had from Terry and the other smithcrafters present, abrogated these two basic restrictioFn'lsa.r experienced no satisfaction that
the offending rider came from Fort Weyr even if T'ron, the major critic of Benden Weyr's relaxed attitudes toward some traditions, was in a very embarrassing posFit'iloanr .might argue that his innovations breached no fundamental Weyr precepts, but the five Old-time Weyrs categorically dismissed every suggestion originating from Benden WeAynr.d T'ron bleated the most about the
deplorable manners of modern Holders and Crafters, so different, so less subservient, F'lar amended, to the acquiescence of Holders and Crafters in their distant past Turn.
It would be interesting, F'lar mused, to see how T'ron the Traditionalist explained away the actions of his riders, now guilty of far worse offenses against Weyr traditions than anything F'lar had suggested.
Common sense had dictated F'lar's policy, eight Turns ago, of throwing open Impressions to likely
lads from Holds and Crafts; there hadn't been enough boys of the right age in Benden Weyr to match the number of dragon eggsI.f the Oldtimers would throw open the mating flights of their junior queens to
bronzes from other Weyrs, they'd soon have clutches as large as the ones at Benden, and undoubtedly
queen eggs, tooH.
owever, F'lar could appreciate how the Oldtimers
Tfehlte.
bronze dragons at Benden
and Southern Weyr were larger than most Oldtimer bronCzoens.sequently, they'd fly the queenBs.ut,
by the Shell, F'lar hadn't suggested that the senior queens be flown oHpeendliyd.
not intend to challenge
the Oldtimer Weyrleaders with modern bronzeHse.
did feel that they'd profit by new blood among their
beasts. Wasn't an improvement in Dragonkind anywhere of benefit to all the Weyrs?
And it was practical diplomacy to invite Holders and Crafters to ImpresTshioenres. wasn't a man alive in Pern who hadn't secretly cherished the notion that he might be able to Impress Tahadtrahgeon. could be linked for life to the love and sustaining admiration of these gentle greaTthbateahsets.could transverse Pern in a twinkling, astride a dragTohna.t he would never suffer the loneliness that was the condition of most men, a dragonrider always had his draSgoo,nw. hether the commoners had a relative
on the Hatching Ground hoping to attach a dragonet or not, the spectators enjoyed the vicarious thrill of being present, at witnessing this 'mysterious riHtee'.'d observed that they were also subtly reassured that
such dazzling fortune was available to some lucky souls not bred in the AWndeyrths.ose bound to a
Weyr should, F'lar felt, get to know the riders since those riders were responsible for their lives and livelihoods.
To have assigned messenger dragons to every major Hold and Craft had been a very practical measure, too, when Benden had been Pern's only dragonwTehyer. northern continent was broaIdt.
took days to get messages from one coast to the
TothheerH. arpercraft's system of drums was a poor
second when a dragon could transport himself, his rider and an ungarbled message instantly anywhere on the planet.
F'lar, too, was exceedingly aware of the dangers of isolaIntiotnh.e days before the first Thread had
again fallen on Pern, could it be only seven Turns ago?, Benden Weyr had been vitiated by its isolation, and the entire planet all but lost. ·Where F'lar earnestly felt that dragonmen should make themselves
accessible and friendly, the Oldtimers were obsessed by a need for prWivhaiccyh.
only fertilized the
ground for such incidents as had just occurTre'rde.b on a disturbed green had swooped down on the Smithmaster Crafthall and demanded, not requested, that a craftsman give up an artifact, which had been made by commission for a powerful Lord Holder.
With thoughts that were more disillusioned than vengeful F'lar realized that Mnementh was gliding fast toward Fort Weyr's jagged rimT.he Star Stones and the watchrider were silhouetted against the dying sunset. Beyond them were the forms of three other bronzes, one a good half-tail larger than the others. That would be Orth, so T'bor was already arrived from Southern BWuet yor.nly three bronzesW? ho
was yet to come to the meeting?
"Salth from High Reaches and Branth with R'mart of Telgar Weyr are aMbsneenmt."enth informed his rider.
High Reaches and Telgar Weyrs missinWg?ell, T'kul of High Reaches was likely late on purpose.
Odd though; that caustic Oldtimer ought to enjoy tonHigeh'td.
have a chance to snipe at both F'lar and
T'bor and he'd thoroughly enjoy T'ron's discomfituFr'ela.r had never felt any friendliness for or from the dour, dark-complected High Reaches WeyrleadeHr.e wondered if that was why Mnementh never used T'kul's name.Dragons ignored human names when they didn't like the beBauret r.for a dragon not to
name a Weyrleader was most unusual.
F'lar hoped that R'mart of Telgar would coOmfe.the Oldtimers, R'mart and G'narish of Igen were the youngest, the least set in their wTayhso.ugh they tended to side with their contemporaries in most
affairs against the two modern Weyrleaders, F'lar and T'bor, F'lar had noticed lately that those two were sympathetic to some of his suggestionCso. uld he work on that to his advantage today, tonHigeht!
wished that Lessa could have come with him for she was able to use deft mental pressures against dissenters and could often get the other dragons to answeSr hheerh. ad to be careful, for Dragonriders were apt to suspect they were being manipulated.
Mnementh was now within the Bowl of Fort Weyr itself and veering toward the ledge of the senior queen's weyr.T'ron's Fidranth was not there, guarding his queen Weyrmate as Mnementh would have been. Or perhaps Mardra, the senior Weyrwoman, was goSnhee. was as quick to find exception and
slights as T'ron, though once she hadn't been so touInchtyh.ose first days after the Weyrs had come up, she and Lessa had been exceedingly cloBseu.t Mardra's friendship had gradually turned into an active hatred. Mardra was a handsome woman, with a full, strong figure, and while she was nowhere near as promiscuous with her favors as Kylara of Southern Weyr, she was much sought after by bronze riders. By nature she was intensely possessive and not, F'lar realized, particularly intelLliegsesnat,. dainty, oddly beautiful, already a Weyr legend for that spectacular ride between time, had unconsciously attracted
attention from MardraM.
ardra evidently didn't consider the fact that Lessa made no attempt to entice
any favorite from Mardra, did not, indeed, dally with any man (for which F'lar was immensely pleased). Add to that the ridiculous matter of their mutual Ruathan origin, Mardra conceived a hatred for Lessa.
She seemed to feel that Lessa, the only survivor of that Bloodline, had had no right to renounce her claim on Ruatha Hold to young Lord JaxoNmo.t that a Weyrwoman could take Hold or would waTntheto.
bases for Mardra's hatred of Lessa were spurioLuess.sa had no control over her beauty and had had no real choice about taking Hold at Ruatha.
So it was as well the Weyrwomen had not been included in this mPeuettiMnga.rdra in the same room with Lessa and there'd be problemAsd.d Kylara of the Southern Weyr who was apt to make trouble for the pure joy of getting attention by disrupting others, and nothing would be accomplished Nadira of Igen Weyr liked Lessa but in a passiveBwedaeyl.la of Telgar Weyr was stupid and Fanna of Ista, taciturn.Merika of the High Reaches was as much a sour sort as her Weyrleader T'kul.
This was a matter for men to settle.
F'lar thanked Mnementh as he slid down the warm shoulder to the ledge, stumbling as his bootheels
caught on the ridges of claw scars on the eTd'rgoen.
might have put out a basket of glows, F'lar thought
irritably, and then caught himselAf.nother trick to put everyone in as unreceptive a mood as possible.
Loranth, senior queen dragon of Fort Weyr, solemnly regarded F'lar as he entered the main room of the Weyr.He gave her a cordial greeting, suppressing his relief that there was no sign ofIfMardra.
Loranth was solemn, Mardra would have been downright unpleaUsanndt.oubtedly the Fort
Weyrwoman was sulking beyond the curtain between weyr and sleeping
Mrooamyb.e this awkward
time had been her ideIat. was after western dinner hours and too late for more than wine for those from later time zonesS. he thus avoided the necessity of playing hostess.
Lessa would never resort to such mean-spirited strategFie'lsa.r knew how often the impulsive Lessa had bitten back quick answers when Mardra had patronizedInhefra.ct, Lessa's forbearance with the haughty Fort Weyrwoman was miraculous, considering Lessa's temFp'elar.r supposed that his
Weyrmate felt responsible for uprooting the OldtimeBrus.t the final decision to go forward in time had been theirs.
Well, if Lessa could endure Mardra's condescension out of gratitude, F'lar could try to put up with T'ron. The man did know how to fight Thread effectively and F'lar had learned a great deal from him at first. So, in a determinedly pleasant frame of mind, F'lar walked down the short passage to the Fort Weyr Council Room.
T'ron, seated in the big stone chair at the head of the Table, acknowledged F'lar's entry with a stiff nod. The light of the glows on the wall cast unflattering shadows on the Oldtimer's heavy, liInted face. struck F'lar forcibly that the man had never known anything but fighting THheremadu.st have been born
when the Red Star began that last fifty-Turn-long Pass around Pern, and he'd fought Thread until the Star
had finished its circuiTt.hen followed Lessa forwardA.
man could get mighty tired of fighting Thread in
just seven short TurnsF.'lar halted that line of thought.
D'ram of Ista Weyr and G'narish of Igen also contented themselves withT'nbor,s.however, gave
F'lar a hearty greeting, his eyes glinting with emotion.
"Good evening, gentlemen," F'lar said to "aIll.apologize for taking you from your own affairs or rest with this request for an emergency meeting of all Weyrleaders, but it could not wait until the regular Solstice Gathering."
"I'll conduct the meetings at Fort Weyr, Benden," T'ron said in a cold hars"hI'lvl owicaei.t for T'kul and R'mart before I have any discussion of your, your complaint."
"Agreed."
T'ron stared at F'lar as if that hadn't been the answer he'd anticipated and he'd gathered himself for an argument that hadn't materializeFd.'lar nodded to T'bor as he took the seat beside him.
"I'll say this now, Benden," T'ron continu"eTdh. e next time you elect to drag us all out of our Weyrs suddenly, you apply to me firFsto.rt's the oldest Weyr on PerDno. n't just irresponsibly send messengers
out to everyone."
"I don't see that F'lar acted irresponsibly," G'narish said, evidently surprised by T'ron's attitude. G'narish was a stocky young man, some Turns F'lar's junior and the youngest of the Weyrleaders to come forward in time".Any Weyrleader can call a joint meeting if circumstances warraAnnt dit.these
do!" G'narish emphasized this with a curt nod, adding when he saw the Fort Weyrleader scowling at him, "Well, they do."
"Your rider was the aggressor, T'ron," D'ram said in a stern Hveoicwea. s a rangy man, getting stringy with age, but his astonishing shock of red hair was only lightly grizzled at the"Fte'lmar'psles. within his rights."
"You had the choice of time and place, T'ron," F'lar pointed out, all deference.
T'ron's scowl deepened.
"Wish Telgar'd get here," he said in a low, irritated tone.
"Have some wine, F'lar?T"'bor suggested, an almost malicious smile playing on his lips for T'ron ought to have offered immediatel"yO. f course, it's not Benden Hold wine, but notNboatd.bad."
F'lar gave T'bor a long warning look as he took the proffereBdutcutph.e Southern Weyrleader was watching to see how T'ron reacteBde.nden Hold did not tithe of its famous wines as generously to the
other Weyrs as it did to the one which protected its lands.
"When are we going to taste some of those Southern Weyr wines you've been bragging about, T'bor?" G'narish asked, instinctively trying to ease the growing tensions.
"Of course, we're entering our fall season now," T'bor said making it seem that Fort was to blame for the chill outside, and inside, the We"yHr.owever, we expect to start pressing soWone.'ll distribute what
we can spare to you northerners."
"What do you meanW? hat you can spare?T" 'ron asked, staring hard at T'bor.
"Well, Southern plays nurse to every wounded dragonriWdeer. need sufficient on hand to drown their sorrows adequatelyS. outhern Weyr supports itself, you must remember."
F'lar stepped on T'bor's booted foot as he turned to D'ram and inquired of the Istan Weyrleader how the last Laying had gone.
"Very well, thanks," D'ram replied pleasantly, but F'lar knew the older man did not like the mood that was developing."Fanna's Mirath laid twenty-five and I'll warrant we've half a dozen bronzes in the
clutch."
"Ista's bronzes are the fastest on Pern," F'lar said graWvehlye.n he heard T'bor stirring restlessly
beside him, he reached swiftly to Mnementh with a silent "Ask Orth to please tell T'bor to speak with great thought for the consequenceDs.'ram and G'narish must not be antagonizeOd.u"t loud he said, "A
weyr can never have too many good bronIzfeso.nly to keep the queens happHy.e" leaned back,
watching T'bor out of the corner of his eye to catch is reaction when the dragons completed the message relay. T'bor gave a sudden slight jerk, then shrugged, his glance shifting from D'ram to T'ron and back to F'lar. He looked more rebellious than cooperativFe'l.ar turned back to D'ram"I.f you need some likely
prospects for any green dragons, there's a boy ..."
"D'ram follows tradition, Benden," T'ron cut "iWn.eyrbred is best for DragonkinPda. rticularly for greens."
"Oh?" T'bor glared with malicious intent at T'ron.
D'ram cleared his throat hastily and said in a too loud voice, "As it happens, we've a good group of likely boys in our Bower CavernTsh.e last Impression at G'narish's Weyr left him with a few he has
offered to place at Ista WeySro.
I thank you kindly, F'lGare. nerous indeed when you've eggs hardening
at Benden tooA.
nd a queen, I hear?"
D'ram exhibited no trace of envy for another queen egg at BendenAWndeyFr.anna's Mirath hadn't produced a single golden egg since she'd come time between.
"We all know Benden's generosity," T'ron said in a sneering tone, his eyes flicking around the room, everywhere but at F'lar".He extends help everywhereA. nd interferes when it isn't needed."
"I don't call what happened at the Smithhall interference," D'ram said, his face assuming grave lines.
"I thought we were going to wait for T'kul and R'mart," G'narish said, glancing anxiously up the passageway.
So, F'lar mused, D'ram and G'narish are upset by today's events.
"T'kul's better known for the meetings he misses than the ones he attends," T'bor remarked.
"R'mart always comes," G'narish said.
"Well, they're neither of them heAren. d I'm not waiting on their pleasure any longer," T'ron announced, rising.
"Then you'd better call in B'naj and T'reb," D'ram suggested with a heavy sigh.
"They're in no condition to attend a meetinTg'r.o"n seemed surprised at D'ram's reque"sTt.heir dragons only returned from flight at sunset."
D'ram stared at T'ron".Then why did you call the meeting for tonight?"
"At F'lar's insistence."
T'bor rose to protest before F'lar could stop him, but D'ram waved him to be seated and sternly reminded T'ron that the Fort Weyrleader had set the time, not F'lar of Benden.
"Look, we're here now," T'bor said, banging his fist on the table ir"rLitaebt'sly.get on with night in southern WeyrI.'d like ..."
Iit's full
"I conduct the Fort Weyr meetings, Southern," T'ron said in a loud, firm voice, although the effort of keeping his temper told in the flush of his face and the brightness of his eyes.
"Then conduct it," T'bor replie"dT. ell us why a green rider took his dragon out of your Weyr when she was close to heat."
"T'reb was not aware she was that close ..."
"Nonsense," T'bor cut in, glaring at T'r"oYn.ou keep telling us how much of a traditionalist you are, and how well trained your riders aTrhe.en don't tell me a rider as old as T'reb can't estimate his beast's condition."
F'lar began to think he didn't need an ally like T'bor.
"A green changes color rather noticeably," G'narish said, with some reluctance, F'lar"Unosuteadll.y a full day before she wants to fly."
"Not in the spring," T'ron pointed out quic"kNlyo.t when she's off her feed from ThreadscIotrec.an
happen very quicklyW.
hich it did."T'ron spoke loudly, as if the volume of his explanation would bear
more weight than its logic.
"That is possible," D'ram admitted slowly, nodding his head up and down before he turned to see what F'lar thought.
"I accept that possibility," F'lar replied, keeping his voice
Heveens.aw T'bor open his mouth to
protest and kicked the man under the ta"bHleo.wever, according to the testimony of Craftmaster Terry,
my rider urged T'reb repeatedly to take his dragon aTw'raeyb. belt knife."
persisted in his attempt to, to acquire the
"And you accept the word of a commoner against a riTd'eror?n" leaped on F'lar's statement with a great show of surprised indignation and incredulity.
"What would a Craftmaster," and F'lar emphasized the title, "gain by bringing false witness?"
"Those smithcrafters are the most notorious misers of Pern," T'ron replied as if this were a personal insult. "The worst of all the crafts when it comes to parting with honest tithe."
"A jeweled belt knife is not a tithe item."
"What difference does that make, BendenT?'"ron demanded.
F'lar stared back at the Fort WeyrleadSeor. T'ron was trying to set the blame on TTehrreyn! he knew that his rider had been at faWulht.y couldn't he just admit it and discipline the rFid'lear only wanted to see that there'd be no repetitions of such an incident.
"The difference is that that knife had been crafted for Lord Larad of Telgar as a gift to Lord Asgenar of Lemos Hold for his wedding six days from Tnhoew.blade was not Terry's to give or withhItold.
already belonged to a Lord HoldTerh.erefore, the rider was ..."
"Naturally you'd take the part of your rider, Benden," T'ron cut in with a slight, unpleasant smile on
his face."But for a rider, a Weyrleader, to take the part of a Lord Holder against dragonfolk, " and T'ron turned to D'ram and G'narish with a helpless shrug of dismay.
"If R'mart were here, you'd be, " T'bor began.
D'ram gestured at him to be qu"ieWt.e're not discussing possession but what seems to be a grave breach of Weyr discipline," he said in a voice that overwhelmed T'bor's p"Hrootewset.ver, F'lar, you do admit that a green, off her feed from Threadscore, can suddenly go into heat without warning?"
F'lar could feel T'bor urging him to deny that possibHileityk.new that he had made a mistake in pointing out that the knife had been commissioned for a Lord HOorldienr. taking the part of a Holder not bound to Benden WeyIrf. only R'mart had been here to speak in Lord Larad's bAeshailtf.was,
F'lar had prejudiced his casTe.he incident had disturbed D'ram so much that the man was deliberately closing his eyes to fact and seeking any extenuating circumstance he IcfouFl'lda.r forced him to see the
event clearly, would he prove anything to a man unwilling to believe that Dragonriders could be guilty of error? Would he get D'ram to admit that Craft and Hold had privileges, too?
He took a slow deep breath to control the frustrated anger h"eI hfealvt.e to concede that it is possible a green can go into heat without warning under those condiBtioesnisd."e him, T'bor cursed
under his breath". But for exactly that reason, T'reb ought to have known to keep his green in the Weyr."
"But T'reb's a Fort Weyr rider," T'bor began heatedly, jumping to h"isAnfedetI.'ve been told often enough that ..."
"You're out of order, Southern," T'ron said in a loud voice, glaring at F'lar, n"oCt aTn''bt oyro. u control your riders, F'lar?"
"That is quite enough, T'ron," D'ram cried, on his feet.
As the two Oldtimers locked glances, F'lar murmured urgently to T'bor, "Can't you see he's trying to anger us?Don't lose control!"
"We're trying to settle the incident, T'ron," D'ram continued forcefully, "not complicate it with irrelevant personalities.Since you are involved in this business, perhaps I'd better conduct the meeting. With your permission, of course, Fort."
To F'lar's mind, that was a tacit admission that D'ram realized, however he might try to evade it, how serious the incident wasT.he Istan Weyrleader turned to F'lar, his brown eyes dark with coFn'claerrn.
entertained a half hope that D'ram might have seen through T'ron's obstructiveness, but the Oldtimer's next words disabused him".I do not agree with you, F'lar, that the Crafter acted in gooNdo plaertt.me
finish. We came to the aid of your troubled time, expecting to be recompensed and supported in proper fashion, but the manner and the amount of tithing rendered the Weyrs from Hold and Craft has left much to be desiredP. ern is much more productive than it was four Hundred Turns ago and yet that wealth has not been reflected in the titheTsh.ere is four times the population of our Time and much, much more cultivated land.A heavy responsibility for the WeyArsn. d, " he cut himself off with a rueful l"aIu'mgh.
digressing, too.Suffice it to say that once it was obvious a dragonrider found the knife to his liking, Terry should have gifted it himA.s craftsmen used to, without any question or hesitation.
"Then," D'ram's face brightened slightly, "T'reb and B'naj would have left before the green went into full heat, your F'nor would not have become involved in a disgraceful publicYbesra, witl. is all too
plain," and D'ram straightened his shoulders from the burden of decision, "that the first error of judgment was on the part of the craftsmaHn.e" looked at each man, as if none of them had control over what a craftsman might doT. 'bor refused to meet his eyes and ground a bootheel noisily into the stone floor.
D'ram took another deep breatWh. as he, F'lar wondered bitterly, having trouble digesting that verdict?
"We cannot, of course, permit a repetition of a green in mating heat outside hOerr weyr. Dragonriders in an armed duel ..."
"There wasn't any duel!T"he words seemed to explode from T'b"oTr'.reb attacked F'nor without warning and sliced him uFp'.nor never even drew his kniTfeh.at's no duelT. hat's an unwarranted attack
..."
"A man whose green is in heat is unaccountable for his actions," T'ron said, loud enough to drown
T'bor out.
"A green who never should have been out of her weyr in the first place no matter how you dance
around the truth, T'ron," T'bor said, savage with frustra"tiTohne. Terry's."
first error in judgment was T'reNb'so.t
"Silence!" D'ram's bellow silenced him and Loranth answered irritably from her weyr.
"That does it," T'ron exclaimed, risin"gI'.m not having my senior queen upYseot.u've had your meeting, Benden, and your, your grievance has been aTirheids. meeting is adjourned."
"Adjourned?" G'narish echoed him in surpris"eB. ut, but nothing's been doneT."he Igen Weyrleader looked from D'ram to T'ron puzzled, worri"eAd.nd F'lar's rider was woundeIdf. the attack was ..."
"How badly wounded is the manD?"'ram asked, turning quickly to F'lar.
"Now you ask!"cried T'bor.
"Fortunately," and F'lar held T'bor's angry eyes in a stern, warning glance before turning to D'ram to
answer, "the wound is not seriouHse.
will not lose the use of the arm."
G'narish sucked his breath in with a whi"stIlet.hought he'd only been scratcheId.think we ..."
"When a rider's dragon is lustful, " D'ram began, but broke off when he caught sight of the naked fury on T'bor's face, the set look on F'la"Ar's.dragonrider can never forget his purpose, his responsibility, to
his dragon or to his WeyTrh.is can't happen againY. ou'll speak to T'reb, of course, T'ron?"
T'ron's eyes widened slightly at D'ram's question.
"Speak to him?You may be sure he'll hear from me aboutAthnids. B'naj, too."
"Good," said D'ram, with the air of a man who has solved a difficult problem eHqeuitnaboldyd.ed
toward the others". It would be wise if we Weyrleaders caution all our riders against the possibility of a repetition. Put them all on their guaArdg. reed?" He continued nodding, as if to spare the others the
effort. "It is hard enough to work with some of these arrogant Holders and Crafters without giving them any occasion to fault usD."'ram sighed deeply and scratched his heIadn.ever have understood how commoners can forget how much they owe Dragonriders!"
"In four hundred Turns, a man can learn many new things," F'lar r"eCpolimedin. g, T'bor?" and his tone was just short of comman"dM. y greetings to your Weyrwomen, rideGrso. od night."
He strode from the Council Room, T'bor pounding right behind him, swearing savagely until they got to the outer passageway to the Weyr ledge.
"That old fool was in the wrong, F'lar, and you know it!"
"Obviously."
"Then why didn't you ..."
"Rub his nose in it?F"'lar finished, halting in mid-stride and turning to T'bor in the dark of the passageway.
"Dragonriders don't fightP. articularly Weyrleaders."
T'bor let out a violent exclamation of utter disgust.
"How could you let a chance like that goWbhye?n I think of the times he's criticized you, Tu'bs,or" broke off."Never understand how commoners can forget all they owe Dragonriders?" and T'bor mimicked D'ram's pompous intonation, "If they really want to know ..."
F'lar gripped T'bor by the shoulder, appreciating the younger man's sentiments all too deeply.
"How can you tell a man what he doesn't want toWhearc?ouldn't even get them to admit that
T'reb was in the wrong T'reb, not Terry, and not today's and that's what I really worried about."
BF'untorI. don't think there'll be another lapse like
"What?" T'bor stared at F'lar in puzzled confusion.
"That such an incident could occur worries me far more than who was in the wrong and for what reason."
"I can't follow that logic any more than I can follow T'ron's."
"It's simple.Dragonmen don't fightW.
eyrleaders can't.T'ron was hoping I'd be mad enough to lose
control. I think he was hoping I'd attack him."
"You can't be serious!T"'bor was plainly shaken.
"Remember, T'ron considers himself the senior Weyrleader on Pern and therefore infallible."
T'bor made a rude noisDe.espite himself, F'lar grinned.
"True," he continued, "but I've never had a reason to challengeAnhdimd. on't forget, the Oldtimers taught us a great deal about Thread fighting we certainly didn't know."
"Why, our dragons can fight circles around the Oldtimers."
"That's not the point, T'boYr.ou and I, the modern Weyrs have certain obvious advantages over the Oldtimers, size of dragons, number of queens, that I'm not interested in mentioning because it only makes for bad feelingN. evertheless, we can't fight Thread without the OldtimWerse. need the Oldtimers more
than they need us.F"'lar gave T'bor a wry, bitter gr"iDn.'ram was partly righAt.
dragonman can never
forget his purpose, his responsibilitWy. hen D'ram said 'to his dragon, to his Weyr', he's wOrounrg. initial and ultimate responsibility is to Pern, to the people we were established to protect."
They had proceeded to the ledge and could see their dragons dropping off the height to meet them. Full dark had descended over Fort Weyr now, emphasizing the weariness that engulfed F'lar.
"If the Oldtimers have become introverted, we, Benden and Southern, caWnneotu.nderstand our
Turn, our peopleA.
nd somehow we've got to make the Oldtimers understand them, too."
"Yes, but T'ron was in the wrong!"
"Would we have been more right to make him say it?"
T'bor bit back an angry response and F'lar hoped that the man's rebellion was disTsihpearteingw. as good heart and mind in the Southern WeyrleaHdeer. was a fine dragonrider, a superb fighter, and his Wings followed him without hesitatioHn.e was not as strong out of the skies, however, but with subtle guidance had built Southern Weyr into a productive, self-supporting establishmHe itn. stinctively
looked to F'lar and Benden Weyr for direction and companionPsahritp.of that, F'lar was sure, was because of the difficult and disturbing temperament of the Southern Weyrwoman, Kylara.
Sometimes F'lar regretted that T'bor proved to be the only bronze rider who could cope with that female. He wondered what subtle deep tie existed between the two riders, because T'bor's Orth consistently outflew every bronze to mate with Prideth, Kylara's queen, though it was common knowledge that Kylara took many men to her bed.
T'bor might be short-tempered and not the most diplomatic adherent, but he was loyal and F'lar was grateful to himI.f he'd only held his temper tonight ...
"Well, you usually know what you're doing, F'lar," the Southern Weyrleader admitted reluctantly, "but I don't understand the Oldtimers and lately I'm not sure I care."
Mnementh hovered by the ledge, one leg extendBeedy.ond him, the two men could hear Orth's
wings beating the night air as he held his position.
"Tell F'nor to take it easy and get wI eklnl.ow he's in good hands down at Southern," F'lar said as he scrambled up Mnementh's shoulder and urged him out of Orth's way.
"We'll have him well in next to no tYimoeu. need him," replied T'bor.
Yes, thought F'lar as Mnementh soared up out of the Fort Weyr Bowl, I neI ecdouhlidm.have used
his wits beside me tonighIt.could have used his thinking on T'ron's invidious attempts to switch blame.
Well, if it had been another rider, wounded under the same circumstances, he couldn't have brought F'nor anyhow.And T'bor with his short temper would still have been present, and played right into T'ron's hands.He couldn't honestly blame T'boHr.e'd felt the same burning desire to make the Oldtimers see the facts in realistic perspectivBeu. t, you can't take a dragon to a place you've neverAsneden.
T'bor's outbursts had not helpeSd.trange, T'bor hadn't been so touchy as a weyrling nor when he was a
Benden Weyr Wing-secondB. eing Weyrmate to Kylara had changed him but that woman was enough to unsettle, to unsettle D'ram.
F'lar entertained the wild mental image of the blonde sensual Kylara seducing the sturdy Oldtimer. Not that she'd even glanced at the Istan WeyrleaAdnedr. she certainly wouldn't have stayed with him.
F'lar was glad that they'd eased her out of Benden WHaedynr.'t she been found on the same Search as Lessa? Where'd she come fromO? h, yes, Telgar HoldC. ome to think of it, she was the present Lord's full-blooded sister.Just as well Kylara was in WeyrlWifei.th her proclivity, she'd have had her throat sliced long ago in a Hold or a Crafthall.
Mnementh transferred them between and the cold of that awful nothingness made his bones ache. Then they emerged over the Benden Weyr Star Stones and answered the watchrider's query.
Lessa wasn't going to like his report of the meeting, F'lar thIofuognhlty.
D'ram, usually an honest
thinker, had seen past the obviouHse.
had a feeling that maybe G'narish had.
Yes, G'narish had been troubleMd. aybe the next time the Weyrleaders met to confer, G'narish might side with the modern riders.
Only, F'lar hoped, there wouldn't be another occasion for this evening's grievance.
CHAPTER III
Morning Over Lemos Hold
RAMOTH, Benden's golden queen, was in the Hatching Ground when she got the green's frantic summons from Lemos Hold.
"Threads at LemosT. hread falls at Lemos!R" amoth told every dragon and rider, her full-throated brassy bugle reverberating through the Bowl.
Men scrambled frantically from couch and bathing pool, upset tables and dropped tools before the first echo had rolled awaFy'.lar, idly watching the weyrlings drill, was dressed for fighting since the Weyr
had expected to be at Lemos Hold late that Mdnayem.
enth, his magnificent bronze, sunning himself on a
ledge, swooped down at such a rate that he gouged a narrow trench in the sand of the floor with his left wingtip. F'lar was atop his neck and they were circling to the Eye Rock before Ramoth had had time to stamp out of the Hatching Cavern.
"Thread at Lemos northeast," Mnementh reported, picking up the information from his mate Ramoth as she projected herself toward her weyr ledge for LDesrsaag.ons were now streaming from every weyr opening, their riders struggling into fighting gear or securing bulging firesacks.
F'lar didn't waste time wondering why Thread was falling hours ahead of schedule or northeast
instead of southwestH.
e checked to see if there were enough riders assembled and aloft to make up a
full low altitude wingH. e hesitated long enough to have Mnementh order every weyrling to proceed immediately to Lemos to help fly ground crews to the area and then told his dragon to take the wing between.
Thread was indeed falling, a great sheet plummeting down toward the delicate new leafing
hardwoods that were Lord Asgenar's prime forestry projSecrte. aming, flaming, dragons broke out of between, skimming the spring forest to get quick bearings before they soared up to meet the attack.
Incredibly, F'lar believed they had actually managed to beat Thread to theTfhoartesgt.reen's rider would have his choice of anything in F'lar's power toTghievet.hought of Thread in those hardwood stands chilled the Weyrleader more thoroughly than an hour between.
A dragon screamed directly above F'lEarv.en as he glanced upward to identify the wounded beast, both dragon and rider had gone between where the awful cold would shatter and break the entangling Threads before they could eat into membrane and flesh.
A casualty minutes into an attacEk?ven an attack that was so unpredictably eaFrl'yla?r winced.
Virianth, R'nor's brown, Mnementh informed his rider as he soared in search of
Ha etarcgreatn.ed
his sinuous neck around in a wide sweep, eyeing the forest lest Thread had actually started burrowing. Then, with a warning to his rider, he folded his wings and dove toward an especially thick patch, braking his descent with neck-snapping speeAd.s Mnementh belched fire, F'lar watched, grinning with intense satisfaction as the Thread curled into black dust and floated harmlessly to the forests below.
"Virianth caught his wingtip," Mnementh said as he beat upward
This Thread falls wrong."
"aHgaei'nll. return.We need him.
"Wrong and early," F'lar said gritting his teeth against the fierce wind of theirIf ahsceenhta. dn't been in the custom of sending a messenger on to the Hold where Thread was due ...
Mnementh gave him just enough warning to secure his hold as the great bronze veered suddenly toward a dense clumpT. he stench of the fiery breath all but choked HF'elarf.lung up an arm to protect
his face from the hot charred flecks of ThrTehaden.
Mnementh was turning his head for another block of
firestone before swooping again at dizzying speed after more Thread.
There was no further time for speculation; only action and reaDctiivoen..Flame. Firestone for
Mnementh to chewC. all a weyrling for another sacCka.tch it deftly mid-airF.ly above the fighting wings
to check the pattern of flying dragoGnso.uts of flame blossoming across the sSkuyn.
glinting off green,
blue, brown, bronze backs as dragons veered, soared, dove, flaming after THhree'dad.spot a beast going between, tense until he reappeared or Mnementh reported their rePtarertato. f his mind kept track
of the casualties, another traced the wing line, correcting it when the riders started to overlap or flew too
wide a patternH.
e was aware, too, of the golden triangle of the queens' wing, far below, catching what
Thread escaped from the upper levels.
By the time Thread had ceased to fall and the dragons began to spiral down to aid the Lemos Hold ground crews, F'lar almost resented Mnementh's summary.
"Nine minor brushes, four just wingtips; two bad lacings, Sorenth and Relth, and two face-burned riders."
Wingtip injuries were just plain bad judgmeRnitd.ers cutting it too finTe.hey weren't riding competitions, they were fightingF!'lar ground his teeth ...
"Sorenth says they came out of between into a patch that should not have beTenhethTehrer.eads are not falling right," the bronze sa"iTdh. at is what happened to Relth and T'gor."
That didn't assuage F'lar's frustration for he knew T'gor and R'mel as good riders.
How could Thread fall northeast in the morning when it wasn't supposed to drop until evening and in the southwest? he wondered, savage with frustrated worry.
Automatically, F'lar started to ask Mnementh to have Canth fly cloBsuet inth.en he remembered that F'nor was wounded and half a planet away in Southern FW'laeryrs.wore long and imaginatively, wishing T'reb of Fort Weyr immured between with Weyrleader T'ron fast besidWe hhyimd.id F'nor
have to be absent at a time like tIht istill rankled F'lar deeply that Fort's Weyrleader had tried to shift the blame of the fight from his very guilty rider to OTferaryll. the specious, contrived, ridiculous
contentions for T'ron to stand by!
"Lamanth is flying well," the bronze dragon remarked, cutting into his rider's thoughts.
F'lar was so surprised at the unexpected diversion that he glanced down to see the young queen.
"We're lucky to have so many to fly today," F'lar said, amused despite his other concerns by the bronze's fatuous toneL. amanth was the queen from Mnementh's second mating with Ramoth.
"Ramoth flies well too, for one so soon from the Hatching GTrohuirntdy.-eight eggs and another queen," Mnementh added with no modesty.
"We're going to have to do something about that third queen."
Mnementh rumbled about thaRt. amoth disliked sharing the bronze dragons of her Weyr with too many queens, in spite of the fact that she would mate only with MnMemaennythq. ueens were the mark
of virility in a bronze and it was natural for Mnementh to want to flaunt hisBpernodweenssW.
eyr had to
maintain more than one golden queen to placate the rest of the bronzes and to improve the breed in general, but three?
After the meeting the other night at Fort Weyr, F'lar hesitated to suggest to any of the other
Weyrleaders that he'd be glad of a home for the new qTuheeeyn'd:
probably contrive it to be bad
management of Ramoth or coddling of LesSstail.l, Benden queens were bigger than Old-timer queens, just as modern bronzes were bigger, tMooa.ybe R'mart at Telgar Weyr wouldn't take offeOnsre. G'narish? F'lar couldn't think how many queens G'narish had at Igen WHeeygrr.inned to himself,
thinking of the expression of T'ron's face when he heard Benden was giving away a queen dragon.
"Benden's known for its generosity, but what's behind such a maneuTv'eror?n" would say". It's not traditional."
But it wasT. here were precedentsF. 'lar would far rather cope with T'ron's snide remarks than Ramoth's temper.He glanced down, sighting the gleaming triangle of the queens' wing, with Ramoth easily sweeping along, the younger beasts working hard to keep up with her.
Threads dropping out of patternF!'lar gritted his teethW. orse, out of a pattern which he'd so painstakingly researched from hundreds of disintegrating Record skins in his efforts seven Turns ago to prepare his ill-protected planet.
Patterns, F'lar thought bitterly, which the Oldtimers had enthusiastically acclaimed and used, though that was scarcely traditionaJl.ust useful
Now how could Thread, which had no mind, no intelligence at all, deviate from patterns it had
followed to the split second for over seven TuHrnosw?
could it change time and place overnigThhte?
last Fall in Benden's Weyr jurisdiction had been on time and over upper Benden Hold as expected.
Could he possibly have misread the timetablFes'l?ar thought back, but the carefully drawn maps were clear in his mind and, if he had made an error, Lessa would have caught it.
He'd check, double check, as soon as he returned to the IWn etyhre. meantime, he'd better make sure they had cleared the Fall from Edge to EHdeged.irected Mnementh to find Asgenar, Lord Holder of Lemos.
Mnementh obediently turned out of the leisurely glide and dropped swFi'lfatlry.could thank good
fortune that it was Lord Asgenar of Lemos to whom he must explain rather than Lord Sifer of Bitra Hold or Lord Raid of Benden HoTldh.e former would rant against the injustice and the latter would contrive
to make a premature arrival of Thread a personal insult to him by dragSoonmeetnim. es the Lords Raid and Sifer tried F'lar's patiencTe.rue, those three Holds, Benden, Bitra and Lemos, had conscientiously tithed to support Benden Weyr when it was the sole dragonweyr oBuPterLno. rd Raid and Lord Sifer had an unpleasant habit of reminding Benden Weyr riders of their loyalty at every oppGorrtautnitiutyd.e
is an ill-fitting tunic that can chafe and smell if worn too long.
Lord Asgenar of Lemos Hold, on the other hand, was young and had been confirmed in his honors by the Lord Holders' Conclave only five Turns Hagiso.attitude toward the Weyr which protected his Holdlands from Thread was refreshingly untainted by invidious reminders of past services.
Mnementh glided toward the expanse of the Great Lake which separated Lemos Hold from upper Telgar Hold.The Threads' advance edge had just missed the verdant softwoods that surrounded the northern shores.Mnementh circled down, causing F'lar to lean into the great neck, grasping the fighting straps firmly.Despite his weariness and worry, he felt the sharp surge of elation which always gripped
him when he flew the huge bronze dragon; that curious merging of himself with the beast, against air and wind, so that he was not only F'lar, Weyrleader of Benden, but somehow Mneimmmenetnhs.ely
powerful, magnificently free.
On a rise overlooking the broad meadow that swept down to the Great Lake, F'lar spotted the green
dragon. Lemos' Lord Holder, Asgenar, would be near
Fh'elar.r smiled sardonically at the sigLhte.t the
Oldtimers disapprove, let them mutter uneasily when F'lar put non-weyrfolk on dragonback, but if F'lar had not, Thread would have fallen unseen over those hardwoods.
Trees! Another bone of contention between Weyr and Hold, with F'lar staunchly upholding the Lords' position.Four hundred Turns ago, such timber stands had not existed, were not permitted to grow. Too much living green to proteWct.ell, the Oldtimers were eager enough to own products of wood, overloading Fandarel's woodcraftsman, Bendarek, with their demanOdns. the other hand, they wouldn't permit the formation of a new Crafthall under BendParoekb.ably because, F'lar thought
bitterly, Bendarek wanted to stay near the hardwoods of Lemos, and that would give Benden Weyr a
Crafthall in its jurisdictionB. y the Egg, the Oldtimers were almost more trouble than they were worth!
Mnementh landed with sweeping backstrokes that flattened the thick meadow Fg'rlars.slid down
the bronze's neck to join Lord Asgenar while Mnementh trumpeted approval to the green dragon and
F'rad, his rider.
F'rad wants to warn you that Asgenar ...
"Not much gets through Benden's wings," Asgenar was saying by way of greeting so that Mnementh didn't finish his thoughTt.he young man was wiping soot and sweat from his face for he was one Lord who directed his ground crews personally instead of staying comfortably in his main"EHveonldi.f
Threads have begun to deviatHe.ow do you account for all these recent variations?"
"Variations?" F'lar repeated the word, feeling stupid because he somehow realized that Asgenar was not referring just to this day's unusual occurrence.
"Yes! And here we thought your timetables were the last wTo db.e relied on forever, especially since they were checked and approved by the OldtimAersg."enar gave F'lar a sly loo"kO.h, I'm not faulting you, F'larY. ou've always been open in our dealinIgsc.ount myself lucky to be weyrbound to you. A man knows where he stands with Benden WMeyyr.brother-in-law elect?Lord Larad, has had problems with T'kul of the High Reaches Weyr, you kAnonwd . since those premature falls at Tillek and Upper Crom, he's got a thorough watch system setAuspg.e"nar paused, suddenly aware of F'lar's tense
silence. "I do not presume to criticize weyrfolk, F'lar," he said in a more formal tone, "but rumor can
outfly a dragon and naturally I heard about the otIhecrasn.
appreciate the Weyrs not wishing to alarm
commoners but, well, a little forewarning would be only courteous."
"There was no way of predicting today's fall," F'lar said slowly, but his mind was turning so rapidly that he felt sickW. hy had nothing been said to hiRm'm? art of Telgar Weyr hadn't been at the meeting
about T'reb's transgressionsC. ould R'mart have been busy fighting Thread at that tAims ef?or T'kul of
the High Reaches Weyr imparting any information, particularly news that might show him in a bad light,
that one wouldn't give coordinates to save a rider's life.
No, they'd have had good reason not to mention premature falls to F'lar thaIft confided in anyoneB. ut why hadn't R'mart let them know?
Tni'kguhlt. had
"But Benden Weyr's not caught sleepinOgn. ce is all we'd need in those forests, huh, FA'lasrg?e"nar was saying, his eyes scanning the spongewoods possessively.
"Yes. All we'd needW.
hat's the report from the leading Edge of this HFavle?
you runners in yet?"
"Your queens' wing reported it safe two hours pAasstg."enar grinned and rocked back and forth on his heels, his confidence not a bit jarred by today's unpredicted Fe'vlaernte.nvied him.
Again the bronze rider thanked good fortune that he had Lord Asgenar to deal with this morning instead of punctilious Raid or suspicious Lord SHifeer.devoutly hoped that the young Lord Holder
would not find his trust misplaceBdu. t the question haunted himH.ow could Threads change so?
Both Weyrleader and Lord Holder froze as they watched a blue dragon hover attentively above a stand of trees to the northeaWst.hen the beast flew on, Asgenar turned to F'lar with troubled eyes.
"Do you think these odd falls will mean that those forests must be razed?"
"You know my views on wood, AsgenIat'sr. too valuable a commodity, too versatile, to sacrifice needlessly."
"But it takes every dragon to protect ..."
"Are you for or against?" F'lar asked with mild amusemHe tg.ripped Asgenar's shoulder".Instruct your foresters to keep constant watcThh.eir vigilance is essential."
"Then you don't know the pattern in the Thread shifts?"
F'lar shook his head slowly, unwilling to perjure himself to this"Im'llalne.ave the long-eyed F'rad with you."
A wide smile broke the thin troubled face of the Lord Holder.
"I couldn't ask, but it's a relIiefs.han't abuse the privilege."
F'lar glanced at him sharpl"yW.
hy should you?"
Asgenar gave him a wry smi"leT.hat's what the Oldtimers carp about, isn'tAint?d instant transportation to any place on Pern is a temptation."
F'lar laughed, remembering that Asgenar, Lord of Lemos, was to take Famira, the youngest sister of
Larad, Lord of Telgar Hold, to wWifeh. ile the Telgar lands marched the boundaries of Lemos, the
Holds were separated by deep forest and several ranges of steep rocky mountains.
Three dragons appeared and circled above them, wingriders reporting on the ground acNtiviniteies. infestations had been sighted and controlled with minimum loss of proSpweretye.priders had reported
that the mid-Fall area was cleFar'l.ar dismissed themA.
runner came loping up the meadow to his Lord
Holder, carefully keeping several dragonlengths between himself and the two bFeoarstsa.ll that every
Pernese knew the dragons would harm no human, many would never lose their fearDfurlangeosns.s
were confused by this distrust so that F'lar strolled casually to his bronze and scratched the left eye ridge affectionately until Mnementh allowed one lid to droop in pleasure over the gleaming opalescent eye.
The runner had come from afar, managing to gasp out his reassuring message before he collapsed on the ground, his chest heaving with the effort to fill his starvedAlsugnegnsa.r stripped off his tunic and
covered the man to prevent his chilling and made the runner drink from his own flask.
"The two infestations on the south slope are chAasr!g"enar reported to the Weyrleader as he rejoined him."That means the hardwood stands are safAe.s"genar's relief was so great that he took a
swig on the bottle himselTf.hen hastily offered it to the dragonridWerh. en F'lar politely refused, he went on, "We may have another hard winter and my people will need thatCrwoomodc. oal costs!"
F'lar nodded.Free provision of fuel wood meant a tremendous saving to the average holder, though not every Lord saw it in this aspLeoctr.d Meron of Nabol Hold, for instance refused to let his
commoners chop fuel wood, forcing them to pay the high rates for Crom coal, increasing his profit at their expense.
"That runner came from the south slopHee?'s fast."
"My forest men are the best in all PMerenr.on of Nabol has twice tried to lure that man from me."
"And?"
Lord Asgenar chuckled". Who trusts Meron?My man had heard tales of how that Lord treats his people." He seemed about to add another thought but cleared his throat instead, glancing nervously away as if catching a glimpse of something in the woods.
"What all Pern needs is an efficient means of communication," remarked the dragonman, his eyes on the gasping runner.
"Efficient?" and Asgenar laughed alou"dI.s all Pern infected with Fandarel's disease?"
"Pern benefits by such an illnesFs.'"lar must contact the Mastersmith the moment he got back to the
Weyr. Pern needed the genius of the giant Fandarel now more than ever.
"Yes, but will we recover from the feverish urge for perfecAtiosng?e"nar's smile faded as he added,
in a deceptively casual fashion, "Have you heard whether a decision has been reached about Bendarek's guild?"
"None yet."
"I do not insist that a Craftmaster's Hall be sited in Lemos, " Asgenar began, urgent and serious.
F'lar held up his han"dN. or I, though I have trouble convincing others of my sincLeermityo.s Hold
has the biggest stands of wood, Bendarek needs to be near his best source of supply, and he comes of
Lemos!"
"Every single objection raised has been ridiculous," Asgenar replied, his gray eyes sparkling with anger. "You know as well as I that a Craftmaster owes no allegiance to a LordBHenodladreerk. 's as unprejudiced as Fandarel as far as loyalty to anything but his craft is conAclelrnthede. man thinks of is wood and pulp and those new leaves or sheets or what-you-ma-callums he's mucking about with."
"I know.I know, AsgenarL. arad of Telgar Hold and Corman of Keroon Hold side with you or so they've assured me."
"When the Lord Holders meet in Conclave at Telgar Hold, I'm going to spLeaokrdouRta. id and
Sifer will back me, if only because we're weyrbound."
"It isn't the Lords or Weyrleaders who must make this decision," F'lar reminded the resolute young Lord. "It's the other CraftmastersT.hat's been my thought since Fandarel first proposed a new craft designation."
"Then what's holding matters upA?ll the Mastercraftsmen will be at the wedding at Telgar Hold. Let's settle it once and for all and let Bendarek aAlosngee."nar threw his arms wide with frustrati"oWn.e
need Bendarek settled, we need what he's been producing and he can't keep his mind on important work with all this shifting and shouting."
"Any proposal that smacks of change right now," (especially now, F'lar added to himself, thinking of this Threadfall.) "is going to alarm certain Weyrleaders and Lord HoSldoemrse.times I think that only the Crafts constantly look for change, are interested and flexible enough to judge what is improvement or progressive. The Lord Holders and the, " F'lar broke off.
Fortunately another runner was approaching from the north, his legs pumping strHoneglcya.me
straight past the green dragon, right up to his Lord.
"Sir, the northern section is cleTarh.ree burrows have been burned oAutl.l is secure."
"Good man.Well run."
The man, flushed with praise and effort, saluted the Weyrleader and hisThLeonr,d.breathing deeply but without labor, he strode over to the prone messenger and began massaging his legs.
Asgenar smiled at F'lar".There's no point in our rehearsing argumenWtse. agreement. If we could just make those others see!"
are basically in
Mnementh rumbled that the wings were reporting an all-cHleear.so pointedly extended his foreleg that Asgenar laughed.
"That does it," he sai"dA. ny idea how soon before we have another Fall?"
F'lar shook his head".F'rad is hereY. as we've definite news."
ou ought to have seven days frYeeo.u'll hear from me as soon
"You'll be at Telgar in six days, won't you?"
"Or Lessa will have my ears!"
"My regards to your lady."
Mnementh bore him upward in an elliptical course that allowed them to make one final check of the
forest lands.Wisps of smoke curled to the north and farther to the east, but Mnementh seemed unconcerned. F'lar told him to go betweeTnh.e utter cold of that dimension painfully irritated the Thread scores on his faceT. hen they were above Benden WeyMr.nementh trumpeted his return and hung, all
but motionless, until he heard the booming response of RamAot thth. at instant, Lessa appeared on the ledge of the weyr, her slight stature diminished still further by disAtasncMe.nementh glided in, she descended the long flight of stairs in much the same headlong fashion for which they criticized their weyrling son, Felessan.
Reprimands were not likely to break Lessa of that habit either, thoughTt hFe'nlarh. e noticed what Lessa had in her hands and rounded angrily on Mnem"eIn'mth.barely touched and you babble on me like a weyrling!"
Mnementh was not the least bit abashed as he backwinged to land lightly by the Feeding Ground. "Thread hurts."
"I don't want Lessa upset over nothing!"
"I don't want Ramoth angry over anything!"
F'lar slid from the bronze's neck, concealing the twinges he felt as the gritty wind from the Feeding Grounds aggravated the cold-seared lacerationTs.his was one of those times when the double bond between riders and dragons became a serious disadvantaPgaert.icularly when Mnementh took the
initiative, not generally a draconic characteristic.
Mnementh gave an awkward half jump upward, clearing the way for SLheessah.adn't changed from
wher-hide riding clothes and looked younger than any Weyrwoman ought as she ran towards them, her plaited hair bouncing behind heAr.lthough neither motherhood nor seven turns of security had added
flesh to her small-boned body, there was a subtle roundness to breast and hip, and that certain look in her great gray eyes that F'lar knew was for him alone.
"And you complain about the timing of other riders," she said, gasping, as she came to an abrupt stop at his sideB. efore he could protest the insignificance of his injuries, she was smearing numbweed on the
burns. "I'll have to wash them once the feeling's gCoa
ne.'t you duck ash yeVt?irianth will be all right
but Sorenth and Relth took awful lacinIgsd.o wish that glass craftsman of Fandarel's, Wansor's his name, isn't it?, would complete those eyeguards he's been blathering aMboanuot.ra thinks she can save P'ratan's good looks but we'll have to wait and see about hisSheeyep."aused to take a deep breath.
"Which is just as well because if he doesn't stop raiding Holds for new lovers, we won't be able to foster
all the babiesT. hose holdbred girls are convinced it's evil to abSohrte." stopped short, set her lips in the thin line which F'lar had finally catalogued as Lessa veering away from a painful subject.
"Lessa! No, don't look away.H" e forced her head up so she had to meet hisSheyeews.ho couldn't conceive must find it hard, too, to help terminate unwanted pregnaWncoieusl.d she never stop yearning for another child?How could she forget she had nearly died with FelesHsaen'd? been relieved that she had never quickened againT.he thought of losing Lessa was not even to be tho"uRgidhitn. g between so much makes it impossible for a Weyrwoman to carry to term."
"It doesn't seem to affect Kylara," Lessa said with bitter resentSmheenth. ad turned away, watching Mnementh rend a fat buck with such an intense expression in her eyes that F'lar had no difficulty guessing that she'd prefer Kylara thus rendered.
"That one!"F'lar said with a sharp laug"hD.ear heart, if you must model yourself after Kylara to bear children, Weyrwoman, I prefer you barren!"
"We've more important things to discuss than her," Lessa said, turning to him in a complete change of mood. "What did Lord Asgenar say about the ThreadfIa'dll?have joined you in the meadow, but
Ramoth's got the notion she can't leave her clutch without someone spying onOhth, eIms.ent messengers out to the other Weyrs to tell them what's happenedTheyre.ought to know and be on their guard."
"It would've been courteous of them to have apprised us first," F'lar said so angrily that Lessa glanced up at him startleHd.e told her then what the Lemos Lord Holder had said on the mountain meadow.
"And Asgenar assumed that we all kneTwh?at it was simply a matter of changing the timetables?" Shock faded from her face and her eyes narrowed, flashing with indign"Iatiwono.uld I had never gone back to get those Old-timerYs.ou'd have figured out a way for us to cope."
"You give me entirely too much credit, loHvee."hugged her for her loyal"tyH.owever, the Oldtimers are here and we've got to deal with them."
"Indeed we willW.
e'll bring them up to date if ..."
"Lessa," and F'lar gave her a little shake, his pessimism dispersed by the vehemence of her response and the transparency of her rapid calculations on how to bring about such c"hYanoguesc.an't change a
watch-wher into a dragon, my love ..."
"Who'd want to? demanded Mnementh from the Feeding Ground, his appetite sated.
The bronze dragon's tart observation elicited a giggle from LFe'slasra.hugged her gratefully.
"Well, it's nothing we can't cope with," she said firmly, allowing him to tuck her under his shoulder as they walked back to the wey"Ar.nd it's nothing I don't expect from that T'kul of the ever-so-superior
High Reaches.But R'mart of Telgar Weyr?"
"How long have the messengers been gone?"
Lessa frowned up at the bright midmorning s"kOyn.ly just.I wanted to get any last details from the
Sweepriders."
"I'm as hungry as MnementFhe. ed me, woman."
The bronze dragon had glided up to the ledge to settle in his accustomed spot just as a commotion started in the tunneHl. e extended his wings to flight position, neck craned toward the one land entrance
to the dragonweyr.
"It's the wine train from Benden, silly," Lessa told him, chuckling as Mnementh gave voice to a loud brassy grumble and began to arrange himself again, completely disinterested in wine trains "Now don't tell Robinton the new wine's in, F'lIatr.has to settle first, you know."
"And why would I be telling Robinton anythinFg'l?a"r demanded, wondering how Lessa knew that he had only just started to think of the Masterharper himself.
"There has never been a crisis before us when you haven't sent for the Masterharper and the Mastersmith." She sighed deeply". If we only had such cooperation from our own kHinedr."body went rigid under his arm".Here comes Fidranth and he says that T'ron's very agitated."
"T'ron's agitated?"F'lar's anger welled up instantly.
"That's what I said," Lessa replied, freeing herself and taking the steps two at"I'all toimrdee.r you food." She halted abruptly, turning to say over her shoulder, "Keep your teImspuesrp.ect T'kul never told anyone.He's never forgiven T'ron for talking him into coming forward, you know."
F'lar waited beside Mnementh as Fidranth circled smartly into the Fwroeymr. the Hatching Cavern came Ramoth's crotchety challengeM. nementh answered her soothingly that the intruder was only Fidranth and no threaAt. t least not to her clutcThh.en the bronze rolled one scintillating eye toward his rider. The exchange, so like one between himself and Lessa, drained anger fromWFhi'lcahr. was as
well, for T'ron's opening remarks were scarcely diplomatic.
"I found it!I found what you forgot to incorporate in those so-called infallible timetables of yours!"
"You've found what, T'ron?F"'lar asked, tightly controlling his tempIefr.T'ron had found anything that would be of help, he could not antagonize the man.
Mnementh had courteously stepped aside to permit Fidranth landing room, but with two huge bronze bodies there was so little space that T'ron slid in front of the Benden Weyrleader, waving a portion of a Record hide right under his nose.
"Here's proof your timetables didn't include every scrap of information from our Records!"
"You've never questioned them before, T'ron," F'lar reminded the exercised man, speaking evenly.
"Don't hedge with me, F'laYr.ou just sent a messenger with word that Thread was falling out of pattern."
"And I'd have appreciated knowing that Thread had fallen out of pattern over Tillek and High Crom in the past few days!"
The look of shock and horror on T'ron's face was too genuine to be faked.
"You'd do better to listen to what commoners say, T'ron, instead of immuring yourself in the Weyr," F'lar told him". Asgenar knew of it yet neither T'kul nor R'mar thought to tell the other Weyrs, so we could prepare and keep watcJhu. st luck I had F'rad ..."
"You've not been housing dragonmen in the Holds again?"
"I always send a messenger on ahead the day of aIf FIaldl.idn't follow the practice, Asgenar's forest lands would be gone by now."
F'lar regretted that heated referencIet. would give T'ron the wedge he needed for another of his diatribes about over forestationT. o divert him, F'lar reached for the piece of Record, but T'ron twitched it out of his grasp.
"You'll have to take my word for it ..."
"Have I ever questioned your word, T'ronT?h"ose words, too, were out before F'lar could censor them. He could and did keep his face expressionless, hoping T'ron would not read in it an additional allusion to that meeting".I can see that the Record's badly eroded, but if you've deciphered it and it bears on this morning's unpredicted shift, we'll all be in your debt."
"F'lar?" Lessa's voice rang down the corrid"oWr.here are your mannersT?he klah's cooling and it is predawn T'ron's time."
"I'd appreciate a cup," T'ron admitted, as obviously relieved as F'lar by the interruption.
"I apologize for rousing you ..."
"I need none, not with this news."
Unaccountably F'lar was relieved to realize that T'ron had obviously not known of ThrHeaedfhaaldl.
come charging in here, delighted at an opportunity to put F'lar and Benden in theHew'dronogt.
have
been so quick, witness his evasiveness and contradictions over the belt-knife fight, if he'd known.
When the two men entered the queen's weyr, Lessa was gowned, her hair loosely held by an intricate net, and seated gracefully at the tabJlues.t as if she hadn't ridden hard all morning and been suited five minutes before.
So Lessa was all set to charm T'ron again, Dhuehsp?ite the unsettling events, F'lar was amusSetdil.l,
he wasn't certain that this ploy would lessen T'ron's antagonHisemd.idn't know what truth there was in a rumor that T'ron and Mardra were not on very good terms for a Weyrwoman and Weyrleader.
"Where's Ramoth?"T'ron asked, as he passed the queen's empty weyr.
"On the Hatching Ground, of course, slobbering over her latest clLutecshs.a" replied with just the right amount of indifference.
But T'ron frowned, undoubtedly reminded that there was another queen egg on Benden's warm sands and that the Oldtimers' queens laid few gold eggs.
"I do apologize for starting your day so early," she went on, deftly serving him a neatly sectioned fruit and fixing klah to his taste "Rut we need your advice and help."
T'ron grunted his thanks, carefully placing the Record hide side down on the table.
"Threadfall could come when it would if we didn't have all those blasted forests to care for," T'ron
said, glaring at F'lar through the steam of the klah as he lifted his mug.
"What? And do without wood?L"essa complained, rubbing her hands on the carved chair which Bendarek had made with his consummate artis"trTyh. ose stone chairs may fit you and Mardra," she said in a sweet insinuating voice, "but I had a cold rear end all the time."
T'ron snorted with amusement, his eyes wandering over the dainty Weyrwoman in such a way that
Lessa leaned forward abruptly and tapped the Record.
"I ought not to take your valuable time with chHatatevre. missed?"
you discovered something here which we
F'lar ground his teethH. e hadn't overlooked a single legible word in those moldy Records, so how could she imply negligence so casually?
He forgave her when T'ron responded by flipping over the"Thihdee.skin is badly preserved, of course," and he made it sound as if Benden's wardship were at fault, not the depredations of four hundred Turns of abandonment, "but when you sent that weyrling with this news, I happened to remember seeing a reference to a Pass where all previous Records were nOonheelrpe.ason we never bothered with timetable nonsense."
F'lar was about to demand why none of the Oldtimers had seen fit to mention that minor fact, when he caught Lessa's stern looHk.e held his peace.
"See, this phrase here is partly missing, but if you put 'unpredictable shifts' here, it makes sense."
Lessa, her gray eyes wide with an expression of unfeigned awe (her dissembling nearly choked F'lar), looked up from the Record at T'ron.
"He's right, F'larT. hat would make senseS.ee, " and she deftly slipped the Record from T'ron's reluctant fingers and passed it to F'Hlaer. took it from her.
"You're right, T'ronV. ery right.This is one of the older skins which I had to abandon, unable to decipher them."
"Of course, it was much more readable when I first studied it four hundred Turns back, before it got so faded."T'ron's smug manner was hard to take, but he could be managed better so than when he was defensive and suspicious.
"But that doesn't tell us how the shift changes, or how long it lasted," F'lar said.
"There must be other clues, T'ron," Lessa suggested, bending seductively toward the Fort Weyrleader when he began to bristle at F'lar's wo"rWdsh.y would Thread fall out of a pattern they've followed to the second for seven mortal Turns this PYaosus? yourself told me that you followed a certain rhythm in your TimDe.id it vary much then?"
T'ron frowned down at the blurred lin"eNs.o," he admitted slowly, and then brought his fist down on the offending scrap". Why have we lost so many techniquWes?hy have these Records failed us just
when we need them most?"
Mnementh began to bugle from the ledge, with Fidranth adding his note.
Lessa 'listened,' head cocked.
"D'ram and G'narish," she sai"dI. man."
don't think we need expect T'kul, but R'mart is not an arrogant
D'ram of Ista and G'narish of Igen Weyrs entered togeBthoethr. men were agitated, sparing no time for amenities.
"What's this about premature Threadfall?" D'ram demand"eWd.here are T'kul and R'marYt?ou did send for them, didn't youW? ere your wings badly torn uHp?ow much Thread burrowed?"
"None. We arrived at first FaAll.nd my wings sustained few casualties, but I appreciate your concern, D'ram.We've sent for the others."
Though Mnementh had given no warning, someone was running down the corridor to the Weyr. Everyone turned, anticipating one of the missing Weyrleaders, but it was a weyrling messenger who came racing in.
"My duty, sirs," the boy gasped out, "but R'mart's badly hurt and there're so many wounded men and
dragons at Telgar Weyr, it's an awful siAghntd.
half the Holds of High Crom are said to be charred."
The Weyrleaders were all on their feet.
"I must send some help, " Lessa began, to be halted by the frown on T'ron's face and D'ram's odd expression. She gave a small impatient sno"rYt.ou heard the boy, wounded men and dragons, a Weyr demoralized. Help in time of disaster is not interferenTchea.t ancient lay about Weyr autonomy can be
carried to ridiculous lengths and this is one of tNheomt .to help Telgar Weyr, indeed!"
"She's right, you know," G'narish said, and F'lar knew the man was one step closer to gaining a modern perspective.
Lessa left the chamber, muttering something about personally flying to Telgar TWheywr.eyrling followed her, dismissed by F'lar's nod.
"T'ron found a reference to unpredictable shifts in this old Record Skin," F'lar said, seizing control. "D'ram, do you have any recollections from your studies of Istan Records four hundred Turns ago?"
"I wish I did," the Istan leader said slowly, then looked toward G'narish who was shaking his head. "Before I came here, I ordered immediate sweepwatches within my Weyr's bounds and I suggest we all do the same."
"What we need is a Pern-wide guard," F'lar began, carefully choosing his words.
But T'ron wasn't deceived and banged the table so hard that he set the crockery "juJumstping. waiting for the chance to lodge dragons in Holds and Crafthalls again, huhDrFag'laorn?folk stick together ..."
"The way T'kul and R'mart are doing by not warning the rest of us?" asked D'ram in such an acid tone that T'ron subsided.
"Actually, why should dragonfolk weary themselves when there is so much more manpower available in the Holds now?" asked G'narish in a surprised Hweays.miled slightly with nervousness when he saw
the others staring at him"I. mean, the individual Holds could easily supply the watchers we'll need."
"And they've the means, too," F'lar agreed, ignoring T'ron's surprised exclam"aItti'osnn. ot so very
long ago that there were signal fires on every ridge and hill, across the plains, in case Fax began another of his acquisitive marchesI.n fact, I shouldn't be surprised if most of those beacon fireguards are still in place."
He was faintly amused by the expressions on the three TfahceesO. ldtimers never had recovered from the utter sacrilege of a Lord attempting to hold more than one teFr'lraitrorhya.d no doubt this
prompted such conservatives as T'kul and T'ron to impress on the commoners at every opportunity just how dependent they were on dragonfolk; and why they tried to limit and curtail contemporary freedoms and licenses."Let the Holders light fires when Thread masses on the horizon, a few strategically placed riders could oversee great areaUs.se the weyrlings; that'd keep them out of mischief and give 'em good practice. Once we know how the Thread falls now, we'll be able to judge the cFha'lnagr efso."rced
himself to relax, smiling".I don't think this is as serious a matter as it first aPpapretaicrus.larly if shifts
have occurred beforeO.
f course, if we could find some reference to how long the shift lasted, if Thread
went back to the original pattern, it'd help."
"It would have helped if T'kul had sent word as you did," D'ram muttered.
"Well, we all know how T'kul is," F'lar said tolerantly.
"He'd no right to withhold such vital information from us," T'ron said, again pounding the table. "Weyrs should stick together."
"The Lord Holders aren't going to like this," G'narish remarked, no doubt thinking of Lord Corman of
Keroon, the most difficult one of the Holders bound to his Weyr.
"Oh," F'lar replied with more diffidence than he felt, "if we tell them we've expected such a shift at about this time in the Pass ..."
"But, but the timetables they havTe?hey're not fools," T'ron sputtered.
"We're the dragonfolk, T'ronW. hat they can't understand, they don't need to know, or worry about," F'lar replied firmly". It's not their business to demand explanations of us, afteArnadll.they'll get none."
"That's a change of tune, isn't it, F'lar?" asked D'ram.
"I never explained myself to them, if you'll think back D'ram I told them what had to be done and they did it."
"They were scared stupid seven Turns ago," G'narish remar"kSecda.red enough to welcome us with wide-open arms and goods."
"If they want to protect all those forests and croplands, they'll do as we suggest or start charring their profits."
"Let Lord Oterel of Tillek or that idiot Lord Sangel of Boll start disputing my orders and I'll fire their forests myself," said T'ron, rising.
"Then we're agreed," said F'lar quickly, before the hypocrisy he was practicing overcame him with disgust. "We mount watches, aided by the Holders, and we keep track of the neWwe'slhl ifsto.on know
how to judge it."
"What of T'kul?" G'narish asked.
D'ram looked squarely at T'ro"nW.
e'll explain the situation to him."
"He respects you two," F'lar agree"dIt. might be wiser, though, not to suggest we knew about ..."
"We can handle T'kul, without your advice, F'lar," D'ram cut him off abruptly, and F'lar knew that the
momentary harmony between them was at an eTnhde.
Oldtimers were closing ranks against the crime of
their contemporary, just as they had at that abortive meeting a few nighHtse acgoou.ld console himself with the fact that they hadn't been able to escape all the implications of this incident.
Lessa came back into the weyr just then, her face flushed, her eyes exceedinglyEvbernighDt.'ram bowed low to her in making his farewells.
"Don't leave, D'ram, T'ronI.'ve good word from Telgar Weyr," she cried, but catching F'lar's glance, did not try to keep them when they demurred.
"R'mart's all right?"G'narish asked, trying to smooth over the awkwardness.
Lessa recovered herself with a smile for the Igen leader.
"Oh that messenger, he's only a boy, he exaggeratReda.moth bespoke Solth the senior queen at
Telgar Weyr.R'mart is badly scored, yeBs.edella evidently overdosed him with numbweed powdSehre.
hadn't the wit to send word to anyoAnned.
the Wing-second assumed that we'd all been informed
because he'd heard R'mart telling Bedella to send messengers, never dreaming she Whahdenn't.R'mart passed out, she forgot everythingL."essa's shrug indicated her low opinion of Bede"Tllah.e
Wing-second says he'd be grateful for your advice."
"H'ages is Wing-second at Telgar Weyr," G'narish s"aAid.sound enough rider but he's got no initiative. Say, you're Thread-bared yourself, F'lar."
"It's nothing."
"It's bleeding," Lessa contradicted".And you haven't eaten a thing."
"I'll stop at Telgar Weyr, F'lar, and talk to H'aGge'nsa,"rish said.
"I'd like to come with you, G'narish, if you've no objections ..."
"I've objections," Lessa put i"nG. 'narish's capable of ascertaining the extent of the Fall there and can relay the information to uIs'l.l see him to the ledge while you start eatLinegss."a was so didactic that
G'narish chuckled.She tucked her arm in his and started toward the cor"rIi'dvoer.not made my duty to
Gyarmath," she said, smiling sweetly up at G'narish, "and he's a favorite of mine, you know."
She was flirting so outrageously that F'lar wondered that Ramoth wasn't roaring pArsotiefst. Gyarmath could ever catch Ramoth in fligThht!en he heard Mnementh's rumble of humor and was reassured.
I."
"Eat," his bronze advised him"L. et Lessa flatter G'narish Gyarmath doesn't miNndo.r Ramoth.Nor
"What I do for my Weyr," said Lessa with an exaggerated sigh as she returned a few moments later.
F'lar gave her a cynical loo"kG.'narish is more of a modern mind than he knows."
"Then we'll have to make him conscious of it," Lessa said firmly.
"Just so long as it is 'we' who make him," F'lar replied with mock severity, catching her hand and pulling her to him.
She made a token resistance, as she always did, scowling ferociously at him and then relaxed against
his shoulder all at onc"eS. ignal fires and sweepriding are not enough, F'lar," she said thoughtfully. "Although I do believe we've worried too much about the change in Threadfall."
"That nonsense was to fool G'narish and the others, but I thought you'd ..."
"But don't you see that you were right?"
F'lar gave her a long incredulous look.
"By the Egg, Weyrleader, you astonish mWeh. y can't there be deviationsB?ecause you, F'lar, compiled those Records and to spite the Oldtimers they must remain infaGllribealet?golden eggs, man, there were such things as Intervals when no Threads fell, as we bothWkhnyown.ot a change of pace in Threadfall itself during a Pass?"
"But why?Give me one good reason why."
"Give me one good reason why nToht!e same thing that affects the Red Star so that it doesn't always pass close enough to cast Thread on us can pull it enough off course to chaTnhge RFaeldl! Star is not
the only one to rise and set with the seaTsohnesre. but the Red Star."
"Where?"
could be another heavenly body affecting not only us
Lessa shrugged impatiently". How do I knowI?'m not long in the eye like F'Braudt. we can try to find out.Or have seven full Turns of certainty and schedule dulled your wits?"
"Now, see here, Lessa ..."
Suddenly she pressed herself close to him, full of contrition for her sharp Htoenghueeld.
her close,
all too aware that she was rigAhnt.d yet ..T. here had been that long and lonely wait until he and
Mnementh could come into their owTnh.e terrible dichotomy of confidence in his own prophecy that
Thread would fall and fear that nothing would rescue the Dragonriders from their leTtheanrgyth.e
crushing realization that those all too few dragonmen were all that could save an entire world from destruction; the three days of torture between the initial fall over the impending one at Nerat Hold and Telgar Hold with Lessa who-knew-wherDe.id he not have a right to relax his vigilaSnocme?e freedom
from the weight of responsibility?
"I've no right to say such things to you," Lessa was whispering in soft remorse.
"Why not?It's true enough."
"I ought never to diminish you, and all you've done, to placate a trio of narrow-minded, parochial, conservative ..."
He stopped her words with a kiss, a teasing kiss that abruptly became pasTsihoennateh.e winced as her hands curving sensuously around his neck, rubbed against the Thread-bared skin.
"Oh, I'm so sorryH. ere, let me, " and Lessa's apology trailed off as she swiveled her body around to reach for the numbweed jar.
"I forgive you, dear heart, for all your daily machinations," F'lar assured her senten"tIito'suselyas. ier to flatter a man than fight hIimw. ish I had F'nor here right now!"
"I still haven't forgiven that old fool T'ron," Lessa said, her eyes narrowing, her lips"Ophu,rswedh.y didn't F'nor just let T'reb have the knife?"
"F'nor acted with integrity," F'lar said with stiff disapproval.
"He could've ducked quicker theAn.nd you're no better.H" er touch was gentle but the burns stung.
"Hmmm. What I have ducked is my responsibility to Our Pern in bringing the Oldtimers forward.
We've let ourselves get bogged down on small issues, like whose was the blame in that asinine fight at the
Mastersmith's Hall.The real problem is to reconcile the old with theAnnedw.we may just be able to make this new crisis work there to our advantage, Lessa."
She heard the ring in his voice and smiled back at him approvingly.
"When we cut through traditions before the Oldtimers came forward, we also discovered how hollow and restrictive some of them were; such as this business of minimal contact between Hold, Craft and
Weyr. Oh, true, if we wish to bespeak another Weyr, we can go there in a few seconds on a dragon, but it takes Holder or Crafter days to get from one place to aTnohtehyerh. ad a taste of convenience seven
Turns ago.I should never have acquiesced and let the Oldtimers talk me out of continuing a dragon in
Hold and CraftT. hose signal fires won't work, and neither will SweepridYeorus.'re absolutely right
about that, LessaN.
ow if Fandarel can think up some alternative method of ... What's the Wmhatyter?
are you smiling like that?"
"I knew itI.
knew you'd want to see the Smith and the Harper so I sent for them, but they won't be
here until you've eaten and restedS.h"e tested the fresh numbweed to see if it had hardened.
"And of course you've eaten and rested, too?"
She got off his lap in one fluid movement, her eyes almost"Ib'lllachka.ve sense enough to go to bed when I'm tiredY. ou'll keep on talking with Fandarel and Robinton long after you've chewed your
business to deathA.
nd you'll drink, as if you haven't learned yet that only a dragon could out drink that
Harper and that Smith, " She broke off again, her scowl turning into a thoughtfu"lCofrmowe nt.o think of it, we'd do well to invite Lytol, if he'd cIo'dmeli.ke to know exactly what the Lord Holders' reactions are. But first, you eat!"
F'lar laughingly obeyed, wondering how he could suddenly feel so optimistic when it was now obvious that the problems of Pern were coming home to roost on his weyr ledge again.
CHAPTER IV
Midday at Southern Weyr
KYLARA whirled in front of the mirror, turning her head to watch her slender image, observing the swing and fall of the heavy fabric of the deep red dress.
"I knew itI.
told him that hem was uneven," she said, coming to a dead stop, facing her reflection,
suddenly aware of her own engaging scoSwhle.
practiced the expression, found one attitude that
displeased her and carefully schooled herself against an inadvertent re-use.
"A frown is a mighty weapon, dear," her foster mother had told her again and again, "but do cultivate a pretty oneT. hink what would happen if your face froze that way."
Her posing diverted her until she twisted, trying to assess her profile, and again caught sight of the swirl of the guilty hem.
"Rannelly!" she called, impatient when the old woman did not answer inst"aRnatlnyn.elly!"
"Coming, poppet.Old bones don't move as faBste.en setting your gowns to aTirh.ere do be such sweetness from that blooming treAe.ye, the wonder of it, a fellis tree grown to such aRasniznee.l"ly
carried on a continuous monologue once summoned, as if the sound of her name turned on her mind. Kylara was certain that it did, for her old nurse voiced, like a dull echo, only what she heard and saw.
"Those tailors are no better than they should be, and sloppy about finishing details," Rannelly muttered on, when Kylara sharply interrupted her maundering with the proSbhleeme.xhaled on the note of a bass drone as she knelt and flipped up the offending"Asykeirta. nd just see these stitcheTsa.ken in haste they were, with too much thread on the needle ..."
"That man promised me the gown in three days and was seaming it when IBuartriIvende.ed it."
Rannelly's hands stopped; she stared up at her cha"rYgoe.u weren't ever away from the Weyr without saying a word."
"I go where I please," Kylara said, stamping her "fIo'mot.no babe to be checking my movements with you.I'm the Weyrwoman here at SoutherIn.ride the queenN. o one can do anything to mDeo.n't forget that."
"There's none as forgets my poppet's ..."
"Not that this is a proper Weyr, at all ..."
"And that's an insult to my nursling, it is, to be in ..."
..."
"Not that they care, but they'll see they can't treat a Telgar of the Blood with such lack of courtesy
"And who's been discourteous to my little ..."
"Fix that hem, Rannelly, and don't be all week aboIumt
uits. t look my best when I go home," Kylara
said, turning her upper torso this way and that, studying the fall of her thick, wavy bl"oOndnely hair. good thing about this horrible, horrible plaTche.e sun does keep my hair bright."
"Like a fall of sunbeams, my sweetling, and me brushing it to bring out thMeorsnhiinge. and night I
brushes it.Never miss.Except when you're awayH. e was looking for you earlier ..."
"Never mind himF. ix that hem."
"Oh, aye, that I can do for ySoliup.
it offT. here now.Ooooh, my precious, my poppeWt. hoever
treated you so!Did he make such marks on ...
"Be quiet!"Kylara stepped quickly from the collapsed dress at her feet, all too aware of the livid
bruises that stood out on her fair sOkine.
more reason to wear the new goSwhne. shrugged into the
loose linen robe she had discarded earlWierh. ile sleeveless, its folds almost covered the big bruise on her
right arm.She could always blame that on a natural accidNeontt. that she cared a whistle what T'bor thought but it made for less recriminatiAonn.d he never knew what he did when he was well wined-up.
"No good will come of it," Rannelly was moaning as she gathered up the red gown and began to shuffle across to her cubb"yY. ou're weyrfolk nowN. o good comes of weyrfolk mixing with Holders.
Stick to your ownY. ou're somebody here ..."
"Shut up, you old fooTl.he whole point of being Weyrwoman is I can do what I Ip'mleanseo.t my mother. I don't need your advice."
"Aye, and I know it," the old nurse said with such sharp bitterness that Kylara stared after her.
There, she'd frowned unattractivelyS.he must remember not to screw her brows that way; it made wrinkles. Kylara ran her hands down her sides, testing the smooth curves sensuously, drawing one hand across her flat bellyF.lat even after five bratWs. ell, there'd be no morSe.he had the way of it noJwus.t
a few moments longer between at the proper time and ...
She pirouetted, laughing, throwing her arms up to the ceiling in a tendon-snapping stretch and hissing as the bruised deltoid muscle pained her.
Meron need not .S..he smiled languorouslyM.
eron did need to, because she needed it.
"He is not a dragonrider," said Prideth, rousing from sTleheepr.e was no censure in the golden dragon's tone; it was a statement of fMacat.inly the fact that Prideth was bored with excursions which landed her in Holds rather than WeyWrsh. en Kylara's fancy took them visiting other dragons, Prideth
was more than agreeableB. ut a Hold, with only the terrified incoherencies of a watch-wher for company was another matter.
"No, he's not a dragonrider," Kylara agreed emphatically a smile of remembered pleasure touching her full red lipsI.t gave her a soft, mysterious, alluring look, she thought, bending to theBmutirrtohre.
surface was mottled and the close inspection made her skin appear diseased.
"I itch," Prideth said, and Kylara could hear the dragon moTvhiengg. round under her feet echoed
the effect.
Kylara laughed indulgently and, with a final swirl and a grimace at the imperfect mirror, she went out to ease PridethI.f only she could find a real man who could understand and adore her the way the dragon did.If, for instance, F'lar ...
"Mnementh is Ramoth's," Prideth told her rider as she entered the clearing which served as gold queen's Weyr in SouthernT. he dragon had rubbed the dirt off the bedrock just beneath the sTuhrfeace. southern sun baked the slab so that it gave off comfortable heat right through the coolAesllt night. around, the great fellis trees drooped, the pink clustered blossoms scenting the air.
"Mnementh could be yours, silly one," she told her beast, scrubbing the itchy spot with the long-handled brush.
"No. I do not contend with Ramoth."
"You would quick enough if you were in mating heat," Kylara replied, wishing she had the nerve to attempt such a coup".It's not as if there was anything immoral about mating with your father or clutching your mother ..."
Kylara thought of her own mother, a woman too early used and cast aside by Lord Telgar, for younger, more vital bedmatesW. hy, if she hadn't been found on Search, she might have had to marry that dolt what-ever-his-name-had-beenS. he'd never have been a Weyrwoman and had Prideth to love her. She scrubbed fiercely at the spot until Prideth, sighing in an excess of relief, blew three clusters of blooms off their twigs
"You are my mother," Prideth said, turning great opalescent eyes on her rider, her tone suffused with love, admiration, affection, awe and joy.
Despite her annoying reflections, Kylara smiled tenderly at her draSghoen.couldn't stay angry with
the beast, not when Prideth gazed at her that Nwoaty.when Prideth loved her, Kylara, to the exclusion of all other considerationsG. ratefully the Weyrwoman rubbed the sensitive ridge of Prideth's right eye socket until the protecting lids closed one by one in contentTmheentg. irl leaned against the wedge
shaped head, at peace momentarily with herself, with the world, the balm of Prideth's love assuaging her discontent.
Then she heard T'bor's voice in the distance, ordering the weyrlings about, and she pushed away from Prideth.Why did it have to be T'bHore? was so ineffectuaHl. e never came near making her feel
the way Meron did, except of course when Orth was flying Prideth and then, then it wasBbuet arable. Meron, without a dragon, was almost enouMghe.ron was just ruthless and ambitious enough so that together they could probably control all Pern ...
"Good day, Kylara."
Kylara ignored the greetingT.'bor's forcedly cheerful tone told her that he was determined not to quarrel with her over whatever it was he had on his mind thSishetimweo. ndered what attraction he had ever held for her, though he was tall and not ill-favored; few DragonriderTs hwe etrhei.n lines of Thread scars more often gave them a rakish rather than repulsive appearTa'nbcoer. was not scarred but a frown of apprehension and a nervous darting of his eyes marred the effect of his good looks.
"Good day, Prideth," he added.
"I like him," Prideth told her rid"eAr.nd he is really devoted to yYouo.u are not kind to him."
"Kindness gets you nowhere," Kylara snapped back at her bSehaest.turned with indolent reluctance to the Weyrleader". What's on your mind?"
T'bor flushed as he always did when he heard that note in Kylara'sShveoimcee.ant to unsettle him.
"I need to know how many weyrs are Tfreeleg.ar Weyr is asking."
"Ask Brekke.How should I know?"
T'bor's flush deepened and he set his j"aIwt .is customary for the Weyrwoman to direct her own staff ..."
"Custom be Thread-bared!She knows.I don't.And I don't see why Southern should be constantly host to every idiot rider who can't dodge Thread."
"You know perfectly well, Kylara, why Southern Weyr ..."
"We haven't had a single casualty of any kind in seven Turns of Thread."
..."
"We don't get the heavy, constant Threadfall that the northern continent does, and now I understand
"Well, I don't understand why their wounded must be a constant drain on our resources ..."
"Kylara. Don't argue with every word I say."
Smiling, Kylara turned from him, pleased that she had pushed him so close to breaking his childish resolve.
"Find out from Brekke.She enjoys filling in for mSeh."e glanced over her shoulder to see if he understood exactly what she meanSt.he was certain that Brekke shared his bed when Kylara was otherwise occupied.The more fool Brekke, who, as Kylara well knew, was pining afterShFe'noarn.d
T'bor must have interesting fantasies, each imagining the other the true object of their unrequited loves.
"Brekke is twice the woman and far more fit to be Weyrwoman thanT'byooru!s"aid In a tight, controlled voice.
"You'll pay for that, you scum, you sniveling boy-lover," Kylara screamed at him, enraged by the unexpectedness of his retaliationT.hen she burst out laughing at the thought of Brekke as the Weyrwoman, or Brekke as passionate and adept a lover as she knew herselBf rteokkbee.the Bony,
with no more roundness at the breast than a Wbohy, even Lessa looked more feminine.
Thought of Lessa sobered Kylara abruptSlyh.e tried again to convince herself that Lessa would be no threat, no obstacle in her plLanes. sa was too subservient to F'lar now, aching to be pregnant again, playing the dutiful Weyrwoman, too content to see what could happen under heLresnsoasew. as a fool.
She could have ruled all Pern if she had half-Strhieed'd.
had the chance and lostTiht.e stupidity of going
back to bring up the Oldtimers when she could have had absolute dominion over the entire planet as Weyrwoman to Pern's only queenW! ell, Kylara had no intention of remaining in the Southern Weyr, meekly tending the world's wounded weyrmen and cultivating acres and acres of food for everyone else but herself.Each egg hatched a different way, but a crack at the right time speeded things up.
And Kylara was all ready to crack a few eggs, herNwobalye. Larad, Lord of Telgar Hold, might
not have remembered to invite her, his only full-blood sister, to the wedding, but surely there was no reason why she should remain distant when her own half sister was marrying the Lord Holder of Lemos.
Brekke was changing the dressing on his arm when F'nor heard T'bor calliSnhge hteern. sed at the sound of his voice an expression of compassion and worry momentarily clouding her face.
"I'm in F'nor's weyr," she said, turning her head toward the open door and raising her light voice.
"Don't know why we insist on calling a hold made of wood a weyr," said F'nor, wondering at
Brekke's reaction.She was such a serious child, too old for her
Pyerhrsa.ps being junior Weyrwoman
to Kylara had aged her prematureHlye.
had finally got her to accept his teasOinrgw. as she humoring
him, F'nor wondered, during the painful process of having the deep knife wound tended.
She gave him a little smi"lAe.
weyr is where a dragon is, no matter how it's constructed."
T'bor entered at that moment, ducking his head, though the door was plenty high enough to accommodate his inches.
"How's the arm, F'nor?"
"Improving under Brekke's expert carTe.here's a rumor," F'nor said, grinning slyly up at Brekke, "that men sent to Southern heal quicker."
"If that's why there are always so many coming back, I'll give her otherTd'buotiress."ounded so bitter that F'nor stared at hi"mB.rekke, how many more wounded can we accommodate?"
"Only four, but Varena at West can handle at least twenty."
From her expression, F'nor could tell she hoped there weren't that many wounded. "R'mart asks to send ten, only one badly injured," T'bor said, but he was still resentful. "He'd best stay here then."
F'nor started to say that he felt Brekke was spreading herself too thin asIt iwt awsaso.bvious to him
that, though she had few of the privileges, she had assumed all the responsibilities that Kylara ought to handle, while that one did much as she pleaIsnecdlu. ding complaining that Brekke was shirking or
stinting this or thaBt. rekke's queen, Wirenth, was still young enough to need a lot of care; Brekke
fostered young Mirrim though she had had no children herself and none of the Southern riders seemed to
share her bedY.
et Brekke also took it upon herself to nurse the most seriously wounded Dragonriders.
Not that F'nor wasn't grateful to hSehre.
seemed to have an extra sense that told her when numbweed
needed renewing, or when fever was high and made you fHreetfrulh. ands were miracles of gentleness, cool, but she could be ruthless, too, in disciplining her patients to health.
"I appreciate your help, Brekke," T'bor sa"iId.really do."
"I wonder if other arrangements ought to be made," F'nor suggested tentatively.
"What do you mean?"
Oh-ho, thought F'nor, the man's touch"yF.or hundreds of Turns, Dragonriders managed to get well
in their own WeyrsW. hy should the Southern ones be burdened with wounded useless men, constantly dumped on them to recuperate?"
"Benden sends very few," Brekke said quietly.
"I don't mean just BendeHn.alf the men here right now are from Fort WTehyery. on the beaches of Southern Boll ..."
"T'ron's no leader, " T'bor said in a disparaging tone.
could as well bask
"So Mardra would like us to believe," Brekke interrupted with such uncharacteristic asperity that
T'bor stared at her in surprise.
"You don't miss much, do you, little lady?" said F'nor with a whoop of l"aTuhgahtt'ser.what Lessa said and I agree."
Brekke flushed.
"What do you mean, Brekke?" asked T'bor.
"Just that five of the men most seriously wounded were flying in Mardra's wing!"
"Her wing?"F'nor glanced sharply at T'bor, wondering if this was news to him, too.
"Hadn't you heard?"Brekke asked, almost bitterly".Ever since D'nek was Threaded, she's been flying ..."
"A queen eating firestoneI?s that why Loranth hasn't risen to mate?"
"I didn't say Loranth ate firestone," Brekke contradic"teMda. rdra's got some sense leftA.
sterile
queen's no better than a greeAnn. d Mardra'd not be senior or WeyrwomNano., she uses a fire
thrower."
"On an upper level?F"'nor was stunnedA. tradition?"
nd T'ron had the nerve to prate how Fort Weyr kept
"That's why so many men are injured in her wing; the dragons fly close to protect thAeir queen.
flame thrower throws 'down' but not out, or wide enough to catch airborne Thread at the speed dragons fly."
"That is without doubt o..u. ch!" F'nor winced at the pain of an injudicious movement of his arm. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heDarode. s F'lar know?"
T'bor shrugged."If he did, what could he do?"
Brekke pushed F'nor back onto the stool to reset the bandage he had disarranged.
"What'll happen next?" he demanded of no one.
"You sound like an Oldtimer," T'bor remarked with a harsh l"aBuegmh.oaning the loss of order, the permissiveness of, of times which are so chaotic ..."
"Change is not chaos."
T'bor laughed sourly". Depends on your point of view."
"What's your point of view, T'bor?"
The Weyrleader regarded the brown rider so long and hard, his face settling into such bitter lines, that he appeared Turns older than he was.
"I told you what happened at that farce of a Weyrleaders' meeting the other night, with T'ron insisting it was Terry's fault.T"'bor jammed one fist into the palm of his other hand, his lips twitching with a bitter distaste at the memory".The Weyr above all, even common senSsteic. k to your own, the hindmost falls between. Well, I'll keep my own counsAeln. d I'll make my weyrfolk behavAel.l of themE. ven Kylara if
I have to ..."
"Shells, what's Kylara up to now?"
T'bor gave F'nor a thoughtful staTreh.en, with a shrug he said, "Kylara means to go to Telgar Hold four days henceS. outhern Weyr hasn't been inviteId.take no offense".Southern Weyr has no obligation
to Telgar Hold and the wedding is Holder businBeusts. she means to make trouble there, I'm sIure.
know the signsA.
lso she's been seeing the Lord Holder of Nabol."
"Meron?" F'nor was unimpressed with him as a source of tro"Mubelero. n, Lord of Nabol, was outmaneuvered and completely discredited at that abortive battle at the Benden Weyr Pass, eight Turns ago. No Lord Holder would ally himself with Nabol agNaoint . even Lord Nessel of Crom who never
was very brightH.
ow he got confirmed as Lord of Crom by the Conclave, I'll never understand."
"It's not Meron we have to guard agaiInt'sst. Kylara.Anything she touches gets, distorted."
F'nor knew what T'bor mean"tI.f she were going to, say, Lord Groghe's Fort Hold, I'd not be concerned. He thinks she should be strangleBdu. t don't forget that she's full blood sister to Larad of Telgar Hold.Besides, Larad can manage heAr.nd Lessa and F'lar will be theSrhee. 's not likely to tangle with Lessa.So what can she doC?hange the pattern of Thread?"
F'nor heard Brekke's sharp intake of breath, saw T'bor's sudden twitch of surprise.
"She didn't change Thread patternNs.o one knows why that happened," T'bor said gloomily.
"How what happened?"F'nor stood, pushing aside Brekke's hands.
"You heard that Thread is dropping out of pattern?"
"No, I didn't hear," and F'nor looked from T'bor to Brekke who managed to be very busy with her medicaments.
"There wasn't anything you could do about it, F'nor," she said calmly, "and as you were still feverish when the news came ..."
T'bor snorted, his eyes glittering as if he enjoyed F'nor's discompo"Nsuorte.that F'lar's precious Thread patterns ever included us here in the Southern contiWnehnot. cares what happens in this part of the world?"With that, T'bor strode out of the WWeyhr.en F'nor would have followed, Brekke grabbed his arm.
"No, F'nor, don't press himP.lease?"
He looked down at Brekke's worried face, saw the deep concern in her expressivWe aesytehsa. t
the way of itB? rekke fond of T'borA?
shame she had to waste affection on someone so totally
committed to a clutching female like Kylara.
"Now, be kind enough to give me the news about that change in ThreadMpyattaermn. wounded, not my head."
was
Without acknowledging his rebuke, she told him what had occurred at Benden Weyr when Thread
had fallen hours too soon over Lemos Hold's wide foFre'nstosr.
was disturbed to learn that R'mart of
Telgar Weyr had been badly scoredH.
e was not surprised that T'kul of High Reaches Weyr hadn't
even bothered to inform his contemporaries of the unexpected falls over his weyrbound terBriutot rihees. had to agree that he would have worried had he knHoewnw.as worried now but it sounded as if F'lar
was coping with his usual ingenuiAtyt.
least the Oldtimers had been rousTedo.ok Thread to do it.
"I don't understand T'bor's remark about our not caring what happens in this part of the world ..."
Brekke put her hand on his arm appealin"gIlty's. not easy to live with Kylara, particularly when it
amounts to exile."
"Don't I just know itF!"'nor had had his run-ins with Kylara when she was still at Benden Weyr and, like many other riders, had been relieved when she'd been made Weyrwoman at SoTuhteheornly
problem with convalescing here in Southern, however, was her proxiFmoirty.F'nor's peace, her interest in Meron of Nabol couldn't have been more fortunate.
"You can see how much T'bor has made out of Southern Weyr in the Turns he's been Weyrleader here," Brekke went on.
F'nor nodded, honestly impressed".Did he ever complete the exploration of the southern continent?" He couldn't recall any report on the matter coming in to Benden Weyr.
"I don't think soT. he deserts to the west are terribOlen.e or two riders got curious but the winds
turned them backA.
nd eastward, there's just oceaInt. probably extends right around to the desTehrits.
is the bottom of the earth, you know."
F'nor flexed his bandaged arm.
"Now you listen to me, Wing-second F'nor of Benden," Brekke said sharply, interpreting that gesture accurately. "You're in no condition to go charging back to duty or to go exYploourinhga.ven't the
stamina of a fledgling and you certainly can't go betwIneteenn.se cold is the worst thing for a half-healed wound. Why do you think you were flown here straight?"
"Why, Brekke, I didn't know you cared," F'nor said, rather pleased at her vehement reaction.
She gave him such a piercingly candid look that his smile Afasdeifd.she regretted that all too intimate glance, she gave him a half-playful push toward the door.
"Get out.Take your poor lonely dragon and lie on the beach in thReesstu. nC.an't you hear Canth calling you?"
She slipped by him, out the door and was across the clearing before he realized that he hadn't heard
Canth.
"Brekke?"
She turned, hesitantly, at the edge of the woods.
"Can you hear other dragons?"
"Yes." She whirled and was gone.
"Of all the, F"'nor was astounded". Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded of Canth as he strode into the sun-baked wallow behind the weyr and stood glaring at his brown dragon.
"You never asked," Canth replie"dI. like Brekke."
"You're impossible," F'nor said, exasperated, and looked, back in the direction Brekke had gone. "Brekke?" And he stared hard at Canth, somewhat disgusted by his obtuseDnreasgso. ns as a rule did
not name peopleT. hey tended to project a vision of the person referred to by pronoun, rarely by name. That Canth, who was of another Weyr, should speak of Brekke so familiarly was a doubleHseurprise. must tell that to F'lar.
"I want to get wetC."anth sounded so wistful that F'nor laughed aloud.
"You swim.I'll watch."
Gently Canth nudged F'nor on the good shoul"dYero.u are nearly welGl. ood. We'll soon be able to go back to the Weyr we belong to."
"Don't tell me that you knew about the Thread pattern changing."
"Of course," Canth replied.
"Why, you, wher-faced, wherry-necked ..."
"Sometimes a dragon knows what's best for his rYidoeur. have to be well to fight ThreIawd.ant to swim." And there was no arguing with Canth further, F'nor kAnewwa.re he'd been manipulated, F'nor
also had no redress with Canth so he put the matter Oansicdee.he was well, his arm completely healed, however ...
Although they had to fly straight toward the beaches, an irritatingly lengthy process for someone used to instantaneous transport from one place to another, F'nor elected to go a good distance west, along the coastline, until he found a secluded cove with a deep bay, suitable to dragon bathing.
A high dune of sand, probably pushed up from winter storms, protected the beach from the south. Far, far away, purple on the horizon, he could just make out the headland that marked Southern Weyr.
Canth landed him somewhat above the high-water mark in the cove, on the clean fine sand, and then,
taking a flying leap, dove into the brilliantly blue wFa'nteorr.
watched, amused, as Canth cavorted, an
unlikely fish, erupting out of the sea, reversing himself just above the surface and then diving deeply. When the dragon considered himself sufficiently watered, he floundered out, flapping his wings mightily until the breeze brought the shower up the beach to F'nor who protested.
Canth then irrigated himself so thoroughly with sand that F'nor was half-minded to send him back to rinse, but Canth protested, the sand felt so good and warm against hFis'nhoirdere. lented and, when the
dragon had finally made his wallow, couched himself on a convenient curlTohfe tasuiln. into drowsy inertia.
soon lulled them
"F'nor," Canth's gentle summons penetrated the brown rider's delicious somnolence, "do not move."
That was sufficient to dispel drowsy complacence, yet the dragon's tone was amused, not alarmed.
"Open one eye carefully," Canth advised.
Resentful but obedient, F'nor opened one eIyte.was all he could do to remain lRimetpu.rning his gaze was a golden dragon, small enough to perch on his bare foTrheearmtin. y eyes, like winking
green-fired jewels, regarded him with wary curiosSituyd. denly the miniature wings, no bigger than the span of F'nor's fingers, unfurled into gilt transparencies, aglitter in the sunlight.
"Don't go," F'nor said, instinctively using a mere mental whWispaesr. he dreaming?He couldn't believe his eyesT. he wings hesitated a beaTt.he tiny dragon tilted its head.
"Don't go, little one," Canth added with equal delic"aWcye.
are of the same blood."
The minute beast registered an incredulity and indecision which were transmitted to man and dragon. The wings remained up but the tautness which preceded flight reClauxreido.sity replaced indecision.
Incredulity grew strongerT. he little dragon paced the length of F'nor's arm to gaze steadfastly into his eyes until F'nor felt his eye muscles strain to keep from crossing.
Doubt and wonder reached F'nor, and then he understood the tiny one's problem.
"I'm not of your blooTd.he monster above us is," F'nor communicated so"ftYlyo.u are of his blood."
Again the tiny head cockeTd.he eyes glistened actively as they whirled with surprise and increased doubt.
To Canth, F'nor remarked that perspective was impossible for the little dragon, one hundredth his size.
"Move back then," Canth suggeste"dL. ittle sister, go with the man."
The little dragon flew up on blurringly active wings, hovering as F'nor slowHlye rowsael.ked several lengths from Canth's recumbent hulk, the little dragon followWinhge.n F'nor turned and slowly pointed back to the brown, the little beast circled, took one look and abruptly disappeared.
"Come back," F'nor criedM. aybe he was dreaming.
Canth rumbled with amusemen"t.How would you like to see a man as large to you as I am to her?"
"Canth, do you realize that that was a fire lizard?"
"Certainly."
"I actually had a fire lizard on my aDrom!you realize how many times people have tried to catch one of those creatures?"F'nor stopped, savoring the experiencHe.e was probably the first man to get that
close to a fire lizarAd.nd the dainty little beauty had registered emotion, understood simple directions and then, gone between.
"Yes, she went between," Canth confirmed, unmoved.
"Why, you big lump of sand, do you realize what that mTehaonsse? legends are true.You were bred from something as small as her!"
"I don't remember," Canth replied, but something in his tone made F'nor realize that the big beast's draconic complacency was a little shaken.
F'nor grinned and stroked Canth's muzzle affectionatel"yH. ow could you, big onWe?hen we-men-have lost so much knowledge and we can record what we know."
"There are other ways of remembering important matters," Canth replied.
"Just imagine being able to breed tiny fire lizards into a creature the size Hofe ywoaus!" awed, knowing how long it had taken to breed faster landbeasts.
Canth rumbled restlessly". I am usefulS. he is not."
"I'd wager she'd improve rapidly with a little hTelhpe." prospect fascinated F'nor".Would you mind?"
"Why?"
F'nor leaned against the great wedge-shaped head, looping his arm under the jaw, as far as he could reach, feeling extremely fond and proud of his dragon.
"No, that was a stupid question for me to ask you, Canth, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"I wonder how long it would take me to train her."
"To do what?"
"Nothing you can't do better, of courNseo., now wait a minutIef., by chance, I could train her to
take messages ..Y.
ou said she went betweenI?wonder if she could be taught to go between, alone, and
come back.Ah, but will she come back here to us nAowt ?t"his juncture, F'nor's enthusiasm for the project was deflated by harsh reality.
"She comes," Canth said very softly.
"Where?"
"Above your head."
Very slowly, F'nor raised one arm, hand outstretched, palm down.
"Little beauty, come where we can admire yWoue. mean you no harmF."'nor saturated his mental tone with all the reassuring persuasiveness at his command.
A shimmer of gold flickered at the corner of hisTheeyne. the little lizard hovered at F'nor's eye level, just beyond his reachH. e ignored Canth's amusement that the tiny one was susceptible to flattery.
"She is hungry," the big dragon said.
Very slowly F'nor reached into his pouch and drew out a meHaetrobllr.oke off a piece, bent slowly to lay it on the rock at his feet, then backed away.
"That is food for you, little one."
The lizard continued to hover, then darted down and, grabbing the meat in her tiny claws, disappeared again.
F'nor squatted down to wait.
In a second, the dragonette returned, ravenous hunger foremost in her delicate thoughts along with a wistful plea.As F'nor broke off another portion, he tried to dampen his eIlfatihounn.ger could be the
leash ...Patiently he fed her tiny bits, each time placing the food nearer to him until he got her to take the final morsel from his fingerAs.s she cocked her head at him, not quite sated, though she had eaten
enough to satisfy a grown man, he ventured to stroke an eye ridge with a gentle fingertip.
The inner lids of the tiny opalescent eyes closed one by one as she abandoned herself to the caress.
"She is a hatchlingY. ou have Impressed her," Canth told him very softly.
"A hatchling?"
"She is the little sister of my blood after all and so must come from an egg," Canth replied reasonably.
"There are others?"
"Of course.Down on the beach."
F'nor, careful not to disturb the little lizard, turned his head over his shHoeuldheard.
been so
engrossed in the one at hand, he hadn't even heard above the surf sounds the, pitiful squawks which were issuing from the litter of shining wings and boTdiheesr.e seemed to be hundreds of them on the beach,
above the high-tide mark, about twenty dragon lengths from him.
"Don't move," Canth cautioned himY.ou'll lose her.
"But if they're hatching t.h..ey can be Impressed
C...anth, rouse the WeyrS!peak to PridethS. peak
to Wirenth.Tell them to comeT.ell them to bring fooTd.ell them to hurryQ. uickly or it'll be too late."
He stared hard at the purple blotch on the horizon that was the Weyr, as if he himself could somehow bridge the gap with his thoughBtsu. t the frenzy on the beach was attracting attention from another
source. Wild wherries, the carrion eaters of Pern, instinctively flocked to the shore, their wings making an
ominous line of V's in the southern sTkhye.
vanguard was already beating to a height, preparing to dive
at the unprotected weak fledglingEs.very nerve in F'nor's body yearned to go to their rescue, but Canth repeated his warningF. 'nor would jeopardize his fragile rapport with the little queen if he mOor,ved.
F'nor realized, if he communicated his agitation to Hheer.closed his eyes. He couldn't watch.
The first shriek of pain vibrated through his body as well as the littleSlhizeardda'sr.ted into the folds of his arm sling, trembling against his rDibess.pite himself, F'nor opened his eyeBsu. t the wherries had
not stooped yet though they circled lower and lower with rapacious Tsphe dfl.edglings were
voraciously attacking each otherH. e shuddered and the little queen rattled her pinions, uttering a delicate fluting sound of distress.
"You're safe with meF.ar safer with meN. othing can harm you with me," F'nor told her repeatedly, and Canth crooned reassurance in harmony with that litany.
The strident shriek of the wherries as they plunged suddenly changed to their piercing wail of terror. F'nor glanced up, away from the carnage on the beach, to see a green dragon in the sky, belching flame, scattering the avian huntersT.he green hovered, several lengths above the beach, her head extended downward. She was riderless.
Just then, F'nor saw three figures, chargisnlgid.ing, slipping down the high sand dune, heading as straight as possible toward the many-winged mass of canniAballtsh.ough they looked as if they'd carom right into the middle, they somehow managed to stop.
"Brekke said she has alerted as many as she could," Canth told him.
"Brekke? Why'd you call herS?he's got enough to do."
"She is the best one," Canth replied, ignoring F'nor's reprimand.
"Are they too late?F"'nor glanced anxiously at the sky and at the dune, willing more men to arrive.
Brekke was wading toward the struggling hatchlings now, her hands exteTnhdedo. ther two were
following her exampleW.
ho had she broughtW? hy hadn't she got more riderTsh?ey'd know instantly
how to approach the beasts.
Two more dragons appeared in the sky, circled and landed with dizzying speed right on the beach their riders racing in to heTlph.e skyborne green flamed off the insistent wherries, bugling to her fellows
to help her.
"Brekke has oneA. dead."
nd the girlS. o does the boy but the beast is hBurretk. ke says that many are
Why, wondered F'nor suddenly, if he had only just seen the truth of the legend of fire lizards, did he ache for their deaths?Surely the creatures had been hatching on lonely beaches for centuries, been eaten by
wherries and their own peers, unseen and unmourn"Tedh.e strong survive," said Canth, undismayed.
"They saved seven, two badly huTrth.e young girl, Mirrim, Brekke's fosterling, attached three; two greens and a brown seriously injured by gouges on his softBbreklyk.e had a bronze with no mark on
him, the green's rider had a bronze, and the other two riders had blues, one with a wrenched wing which
Brekke feared might never heal properly for flight."
"Seven out of over fifty," said Brekke sadly after they had disposed of the broken bodies with agenothree. A precaution which Brekke suggested as a frustration for the carrion eaters and to prevent other fire lizards from avoiding the beach as dangerous to their"Ikiwndo.nder how many would have survived if you hadn't called us."
"She was already far from the others when she discovered us," F'nor rem"Parrkoebda.bly the first to hatch, or on top of the others."
Brekke'd had the wit to bring a full haunch of buck, though the Weyr might eat light thaStoevening. they had gorged the hatchlings into such a somnolent state that they could be carried, unresisting, back to the Weyr, or to Brekke's Infirmary.
"You're to fly home straight," Brekke told F'nor, in much the way a woman spoke to a rebellious weyrling.
"Yes, ma'am," F'nor replied, with mock humility, and then smiled because Brekke took him so seriously.
The little queen nestled in his arm sling as contentedly as if she'd found a weyr of"Ahewr eoywr ni.s
where a dragon is no matter how it's constructed," he murmured to himself as Canth winged steadily eastward.
When F'nor reached Southern, it was obvious the news had raced through theThWereeyrw. as
such an aura of excitement that F'nor began to worry that it might frighten the tiny creatures between.
"No dragon can fly when he is belly-bloated," Canth "sEavide.n a fire lizard.A" nd took himself off to his sun-warmed wallow, no longer interested.
"You don't suppose he's jealous, do yoFu'n?"or asked Brekke when he found her in her Infirmary, splinting the little blue's wrenched wing.
"Wirenth was interested, too, until the lizards fell asleep," Brekke told him, a twinkle in her green eyes as she looked up at him brief"lAy.nd you know how touchy Wirenth is right nMower.cy, F'nor, what is
there for a dragon to be jealous Tohfe?se are toys, dolls as far as the big ones are concAertnebde.st, children to be protected and taught like any fosterling."
F'nor glanced over at Mirrim, Brekke's foster chTilhde.
two green lizards perched asleep on her
shoulders. The injured brown, swathed from neck to tail in bandage, was cradled in Mheirrilmap.was sitting with the erect stiffness of someone who dares not move a mAunsdclseh. e was smiling with an incredulous joy.
"Mirrim is very young for this," he said, shaking his head.
"On the contrary, she's as old as most weyrlings at their first ImprAesnsdionsh. e's more mature in some ways than half a dozen grown women I know with several babes of their own."
"Oh-ho. The female of the species in staunch defense ..."
"It's no teasing matter, F'nor," Brekke replied with a sharpness that put F'nor in mind of Lessa. "Mirrim will do very weSllh. e takes every responsibility to hearTt.h"e glance Brekke shot her fosterling
was anxious as well as tender.
"I still say she's young ..."
"Is age a prerequisite for a loving heDarot?es maturity always bring compassionW? hy are some
weyrbred boys left standing on the sand and others, never thought to have a chance, walk off with the bronzes? Mirrim Impressed three, and the rest of us, though we tried, with the creatures dying at our feet, only managed to attach one."
"And why am I never told what occurs in my own WKeyylra?r"a demanded in a loud voicSeh.e
stood on the threshold of the Infirmary, her face suffused with an angry flush, her eyes bright and hard.
"As soon as I finished this splinting, I was coming to tell you," Brekke replied calmly, but F'nor saw her shoulders stiffen.
Kylara advanced on the girl, with such overt menace that F'nor stepped around Brekke, wondering to himself as he did so whether Kylara was armed with more than a bad temper.
"Events moved rather fast, Kylara," he said, smiling pleasa"nWtlye.
were fortunate to save as many
of the lizards as we dTido.o bad you didn't hear Canth broadcast the nYewosu. might have Impressed one yourself."
Kylara halted, the full skirts of her robe swirling around heSr hfeeegt.lared at him, twitching the sleeve of her dress but not before he saw the black bruise on hUenr aabrlme .to attack Brekke, she turned, spotting MirrimS. he swept up to the girl, staring down in such a way that the child looked
appealingly toward BrekkeA.
t this point, the tension in the room roused the liTzahredst.wo greens
hissed at Kylara but it was the crystal bugle of the bronze on G'sel's shoulder that diverted the
Weyrwoman's attention.
"I'll have the bronzeO! f course.The bronze'll do fine," she exclaimeTdh.ere was something so
repellent about the glitter in her eyes and the nasty edge to her laugh that F'nor felt the hair rise on the back of his neck.
"A bronze dragon on my shoulder will be most effective I think," Kylara went on, reaching for G'sel's bronze lizard.
G'sel put up a warning hand.
"I said they were Impressed, Kylara," F'nor warned her, quickly signaling the rider toG'rseefluse.
was only a green rider and new to this Weyr at that; he was no match for Kylara, particularly not in this mood. "Touch him at your own risk."
"Impressed, you say?"Kylara hesitated, turning to sneer at F'n"oWr.hy, they're nothing but fire lizards."
"And from what creature on Pern do you think dragons were bred?"
"Not that old nursery nonsensHe.ow could you possibly make a fighting dragon from a fire lizard?" She reached again for the little bronIztes. pread its wings, flapping them agitatedly.
"If it bites you, don't blame G'sel," F'nor told her in a pleasant drawl though it cost him much to keep his temper.It was too bad you couldn't beat a Weyrwoman with impHuneirtyd. ragon wouldn't permit it
but a sound thrashing was what Kylara badly needed.
"You can't be certain they're that much like dragons," Kylara protested, glancing suspiciously around at the others". No one's ever caught one and you just found them."
"We're not certain of anything about them," F'nor replied, beginning to enjoy hIitmwsealsf. a pleasure to see Kylara frustrated by a liz"aHrdo.wever, look at the similaritieMs.y little queen ..."
"You? Impressed a queen?"Kylara's face turned livid as F'nor casually drew aside a fold of his sling to expose the sleeping gold lizard.
"She went between when she was frightenSehde.
communicated that fright, plus curiosity, and she
evidently received our reassurancesA. t least she came bacCk.anth said she'd just hatcheId.fed her and she's still with meW. e managed to save only these seven because they got ImpreTshsedo. thers turned cannibal. Now, how long these will be dependent on us for food and companionship is pure conjecture. But the dragons admit a blood relationship and they have ways of knowing beyond ours."
"Just how did you Impress themK?"ylara demanded, her intentions transparen"tN. o one's ever caught one before."
If it got her out of the Weyr and kept her on sandy beaches and off Brekke's back, F'nor was quite agreeable to telling her.
"You Impress them by being there when they hatch, same as with dArafgtoernst.hat, I assume the
ones which survive stay wilAd.s to why no one ever caught any before, that's simple; the fire lizards hear them coming and disappear betweenA."nd, my dear, may it be a warm night between before you catch one.
Kylara stared hard at Mirrim and so resentfully at G'sel that the young rider began to fidget and the little bronze rustled his wings nervously.
"Well, I want it clearly understood that this is a working Wee'yv
re. no time for pets who serve no
purpose. I'll deal severely with anyone shirking their duties Sohr,e "broke off.
"No shirking or tramping the beaches until you've had a chance to get one first, huh, Kylara?" asked
F'nor, still grinning pleasantly.
"I've better things to do," She spat the words at him and then, skirts kicking out before her, swept out of the room.
"Maybe we ought to warn the lizards," F'nor said in a facetious way, trying to dispel the tension in the
Infirmary.
"There's no protection against someone like Kylara," Brekke said, motioning the rider to take his bandaged blue."One learns to live with her."
G'sel gave an odd gargle and rose, almost unsettling his lizard.
"How can you say that, Brekke, when she's so mean and nasty toMyiroruim?" cried, and subsided at a stern look from her foster mother.
"Make no judgments where you have no compassion," Brekke rep"lAiendd.
I, too, will not tolerate
any shirking of duties to care for these pretItiedso.n't know why we saved them!"
"Make no judgments where you have no compassion," F'nor retorted.
"They needed us."Mirrim said so emphatically that even she was surprised at her temerity, and immediately became absorbed in her brown.
"Yes, they did," F'nor agreed, aware of the little queen's golden body nestled trustingly against his ribs. She had twined her tail as far as it would reach around his"Awnadistr.ue weyrmen one and all, we responded to the cry for succor."
"Mirrim Impressed three and she's no weyrman," Brekke said in a dry, didactic cor"rAecntdionif. they are Impressionable by non-riders, they might well be worth every effort to save."
"How's that?"
Brekke frowned a little at F'nor as if she didn't credit his obtuseness.
"Look at the facts, F'noIr.don't know of a commoner alive who hasn't entertained the notion of catching a fire lizard, simply because they resemble small dragons, no, don't interruYpotumken.ow
perfectly well that it's just in these last eight Turns that commoners were permitted on the Ground as
candidates at ImpressionW.
hy, I remember my brothers plotting night after night in the hope of catching
a fire lizard, a personal dragon of their oIwdno.n't think it ever occurred to anyone, really, that there might be some truth in that old myth that dragons, weyrdragons, were bred fromItliwzaarsdsj.ust that
fire lizards were not proscribed to commoners, and dragons wOeurte.of our reach."
Her eyes softened with affection as she stroked the tiny sleeping bronze in the crook of her arm.
"Odd to realize that generations of commoners were on the right track and never Tkhneeswe
it.
creatures have the same talent dragons have for capturing our feeIlinogusg.htn't to take on another responsibility but nothing would make me relinquish my bronze now he's made himselfHmerinleip."s
curved in a very tender smiTleh.en, as if aware she was displaying too much of her inner feelings, she
said very briskly", It'd be a very good thing for people, for commoners, to have a small taste of dragon."
"Brekke, you can't mean you think that a fire lizard's loving company would mellow someone like Vincet of Nerat or Meron of Nabol toward DragonrideOrsu?t" of respect for her, F'nor did not laugh aloud. Brekke was a sackful of unexpected reactions.
She gave him such a stern look that he began to regret his words.
"If you'll pardon me, F'nor," G'sel spoke up, "I think Brekke's got a good thougIh'mt thorled.bred
myself. You're weyrbredY.
ou can't imagine how I used to feel about DragonriIdehrosn. estly didn't
know myself, until I Impressed RothH."is face lit with a startling joy at the memHoeryp. aused,
unabashed, to savor the moment ane"wIt.'d be worth a trEy.ven if the fire lizards are dumb, it'd make a difference. They wouldn't understand how much more it is with a drLaogokn., F'nor, here's this
perfectly charming creature, perched on my shoulder, adoring Hmee.was all ready to bite the Weyrwoman to stay with mYe.ou heard how angry he waYso. u don't know how, spectacular, it'd make a commoner feel."
F'nor looked around, at Brekke, at Mirrim, who did not evade his eyes this time, at the other riders.
"Are you all holdbredI? hadn't realizedS. omehow, once a man becomes a rider, you forget he ever had another affiliation."
"I was craftbred," Brekke said, "but G'sel's remarks are as valid for the Craft as the Hold."
"Perhaps we ought to get T'bor to issue an order that lizard-watching has now become a Weyr duty," F'nor suggested, grinning slyly at Brekke.
"That'll show Kylara," someone murmured very softly from Mirrim's direction.
CHAPTER V
Midmorning at Ruatha Hold
Early Evening at Benden Weyr
JAXOM'S PLEASURE in riding a dragon, in being summoned to Benden Weyr, was severely diminished by his guardian's glowering disapprovJaal.xom had yet to learn that most of Lord Warder
Lytol's irritation was for a far larger concern than his ward's mischievous habit of getting lost in the unused
and dangerous corridors of Ruatha HoAlds.
it was, Jaxom was quite downcaHset. didn't mean to
irritate Lytol, but he never seemed able to please him, no matter how hard Thheerteriewd.as such an unconscionable number of things that he, Jaxom, Lord of Ruatha Hold, must know, must do, must understand, that his head swam until he had to run away, to be by himself,Atondththinek.only empty
places to think in in Ruatha, where no one ever went or would bother you, were in the back portions of the hollowed-out cliff that was Ruatha HoAldn.d while he could, just possibly, get lost or trapped behind
a rockfall (there hadn't been a cave-in at Ruatha in the memory of living man or the Hold Records as far back as they were still legible), Jaxom hadn't got into trouble or dHaengkenr.ew his way around
perfectly. Who could tell?His investigations might someday save Ruatha Hold from another invader like
Fax, his fatherH.
ere Jaxom's thoughts falteredA.
father he had never seen, a mother who died bearing
him, had made him Lord of Ruatha, though his mother had been of Crom Hold and Fax his father, of the High Reaches.It was Lessa, who was now Weyrwoman at Benden, who had been the last of Ruathan Blood. These were contradictions he didn't understand and must.
He had changed his clothes now, from the dirty everyday ones to his finest tunic and trousers, with a wher-hide over-tunic and knee bootNs.ot that even they could stop the horrible cold of betJwaexeonm.
shuddered with delighted terrorI.t was like being suspended nowhere, until your throat closed and your bowels knotted and you were scared silly that you'd never again see the light of day, or even night's darkness, depending on local time of day where you were supposed to eHmeerwgea.s very jealous of Felessan, despite the fact that it was by no means sure his friend would be a draBguotnrFideleers.san
lived at Benden Weyr, and he had a mother and a father, and Dragonriders all around him, and ...
"Lord Jaxom!"Lytol's call from the Great Courtyard broke through the boy's reverie and he ran, suddenly afraid that they'd leave without him.
It was only a green, Jaxom thought with some disappointmYeonut'.d think they'd send a brown at the very least, for Lytol, Warder of Ruatha Hold, one time dragonrider hTimhesnelfJ.axom was overwhelmed by contritionL. ytol's dragon had been a brown and it was well known that half a man's soul left him when his dragon died and he remained among the living.
The green's rider grinned a welcome as Jaxom scrambled up the extended leg.
"Good morning, Jeralte," he said, slightly startled because he'd played in the Lower Caves with the young man only two Turns bacNko. w he was a full-fledged rider.
"J'ralt, please, Lord Jaxom," Lytol corrected his ward.
"That's all right, Jaxom," J'ralt said and looped the riding belt deftly around Jaxom's waist.
Jaxom wanted to sink; to be corrected by Lytol in front of Jer, J'ralt, and not to remember to use the honorific contraction!He didn't enjoy the thrill of rising, a-dragonback over the great towers of Ruatha
Hold, of watching the valley, spread out like a wall hanging under the dragon's sinuous greBeunt naesck.
they circled, Jaxom had to balance himself against the dragon's unexpectedly soft hide, and the warmth of that contact seemed to ease his inner misTerhye.n he saw the line of weeders in the fields and knew that they must be looking up at the dragDoind. those bullying Hold boys know that he, Jaxom, Lord of
Ruatha, was a-dragon-back?Jaxom was himself again.
To be a dragonman was surely the most wonderful thing in the Jwaxoormld. felt a sudden wave of overwhelming pity for Lytol who had had this joy and, lost it, and now must suffer agonies to ride another's beast.Jaxom looked at the rigid back in front of him, for he was sandwiched between the two men, and wished that he might comfort his WaLrdyetro.l was always fair, and if he expected Jaxom to
be perfect, it was because Jaxom must be perfect to be the Lord of RuathWahHicholdw. as no little honor, even if it wasn't being a dragonrider.
Jaxom's reflections were brought to an abrupt stop as the dragon took them between.
You count to three slowly, Jaxom told his frantic mind as he lost all sense of sight and sound, of contact, even of the soft dragon hide beneath his hHanedst.ried to count and couldnH'ti.s mind seemed
to freeze, but just as he was about to shriek, they burst out into the late afternoon, over Benden Weyr. Never had the Bowl seemed so welcome, with its high walls softened and colored by the lambent sun. The black maws of the individual weyrs, set in the face of the inner wall, were voiceless mouths, greeting him all astonished.
As they circled down, Jaxom spotted bronze Mnementh, surely the hugest dragon ever hatched, lounging on the ledge to the queen's wSeyhre.'d be in the Hatching Ground, Jaxom knew, for the new clutch was still hardening on the warm sanTdhse.re'd be another Impression sooAn.nd there was a
golden queen egg in the new clutJcahx.om had heard that another Ruathan girl had been one of those
chosen on SearchA.
nother Ruathan Weyrwoman, he was positive His Hold had bred up more
Weyrwomen ...Mardra, of course, was nowhere near as important as Lessa or Moreta, but she had come from RuathaS. he'd some real funny notions about the HSohlde. always annoyed LytoJl.axom
knew that, because the twitch in his Warder's cheek would start jumItpdinidgn. 't when Lessa visited. Except that lately Lessa had stopped coming to Ruatha Hold.
The young Lord of Ruatha spotted Lessa now, as they circled again to bring the queen's weyr in flight line. She and F'lar were on the ledTghe.e green called, answered by Mnementh's bass rAoarm. uffled
bellow reverberated through the WeyRr.amoth, the queen, took notice of their arrival.
Jaxom felt much better, particularly when he also caught sight of a small figure, racing across the
Bowl floor to the stairs up to the queen's wFelyers.san. His friend.He hadn't seen him in months. Jaxom didn't want the flight to end but he couldn't wait to see Felessan.
Jaxom was nervously conscious of Lytol's critical eyes as he made his duty to the Weyrwoman and to Weyrleader.He'd rehearsed words and bows often enouHghe. ought to have it down heart-perfect,
yet he heard himself stammering out the traditional words and felt the fool.
"You came, you cameI. told Gandidan you'd come," cried Felessan, dashing up the steps, two at a time. He clearly knocked Jaxom down with his antFicesle. ssan was three Turns his junior but he was of
the dragonfolk, and even if Lessa and F'lar had turned their son over to a foster mother, he ought to have
more manners.Maybe what Mardra was always carping about was manners.
Ttrhue. new weyrmen had no
In that instant, as if the younger boy sensed his friend's disapproval, he drew himself up and, still all smiles, bowed with commendable grace to Lytol,
"Good afternoon to you, Lord Warder LyAtonl.d thank you for bringing Lord JaxoMma.y we be
excused?"
Before any adult could answer, Felessan had Jaxom by the hand and was leading him down the steps.
"Stay out of trouble, Lord Jaxom," Lytol called after them.
"There's little trouble they can get into here," Lessa laughed.
"I had the entire Hold mustered this morning, only to find him in the bowels of the Hold itself, where a rock-fall ..."
Now why did Lytol have to tell LesJsaax?om groaned to himself, with a flash of his previous discontent.
"Did you find anything?F"elessan demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Find anything?"
"Yes, in the bowels of the HolFde."lessan's eyes widened and his voice took on Lytol's inflections.
Jaxom kicked at a rock, pleased by the trajectory and the distance "itOhfl,ewem. pty rooms, full of
dust and rubbishA.
n old tunnel that led nowhere but an old
Nsliodteh.ing great."
"C'mon, Jax."
Felessan's sly tone made Jaxom look at him closely.
"Where?"
"I'll show you."
The weyrboy led Jaxom into the Lower Cavern, the main chamber with a vaulting roof where the Weyr met for sociability and evening meTalhs.ere was a smell of warm bread and simmering meats. Dinner preparations were well along, tables set and women and girls bustling about, making pleasant chatter. As Felessan veered past a preparation table, he snatched up a handful of raw roots.
"Don't you dare spoil your dinner, you young wher-whelp," cried one of the women, swinging at the retreating pair with her ladl"eA. nd a good day to you, Lord Jaxom," she added.
The attitude of the weyrfolk toward himself and Felessan never failed to puzzle WJahxyo,m.
Felessan was just as important as a Lord Holder, but he wasn't always being watched, as if he might break apart or melt.
"You're so lucky," Jaxom sighed as he accepted his share of Felessan's loot.
"Why?" the younger boy asked, surprised.
"You're, you just are, that's all."
Felessan shrugged, chomping complacently on the sweet rHooet. led Jaxom out of the Main Cavern and into the inner one, which was actually not much smaller, though the ceiling waAs lwoiwde,.
banistered ledge circled the Cavern a half-dragonlength above the floor, giving access to the individual sleeping rooms that ringed the heigThth.e main floor was devoted to other homey taNskos.one was at
the looms now, of course, with dinner being prepared, nor was anyone bathing at the large pool to one side of the Cavern, but a group of boys Felessan's age were gathered by the miggOsynecibrcolye.
made a loud, meant-to-be-over-heard remark which was fortunately lost in the obedient loud cackles of laughter from the others.
"C'mon, Jaxom.Before one of those baby boys wants to tag along," Felessan said.
"Where are we going?"
Felessan shushed him peremptorily, looking quickly over his shoulder to see if they were being observed. He walked very fast, making Jaxom lengthen his stride to keep up.
"Hey, I don't want to get in trouble here, too," he said when he realized they were heading still farther into the cavesI.t was one thing, according to Jaxom's lexicon, to be adventurous in one's own Hold, but quite another to invade the sanctity of another's, much less a TWheayt r!was close to blasphemy, or so
he'd been taught by his ex-dragonrider guardiAann.d while he could weather Lytol's wrath, he never, never, never wanted to anger Lessaor.,.. his mind whispered the name, F'lar!
"Trouble? We won't get caughEt.verybody's too busy this near dinnIe'dr.'ve had to help if you hadn't come," and the boy grinned smug"lCy'.mon!"
They had arrived at a fork in the passageway, one leading left, deeper into the Weyr, the other bending right.This one was ill-lit and Jaxom falterYedo.u didn't waste glows on unused corridors.
"What's the matter?"Felessan asked, frowning back at his reluctant gu"eYsto.u're not afraid, are you?"
"Afraid?" Jaxom quickly stepped to Felessan's sid"eIt.'s not a question of fear."
"C'mon then.And be quiet."
"Why?" Jaxom had already lowered his voice.
"You'll see.Only be quiet now, huhA?nd take this."
From a hidey-hole, Felessan handed Jaxom a half-shielded basket with one feebly gleamingHeglow. had another for himselfW. hatever objections Jaxom might have had were stilled by the challenge in the
younger boy's eyesH.
e turned haughtily and led the way down the shadowy corHriedowr.as somewhat
reassured by the footprints in the dust, all leading the sameBuwtayth.is hall was not frequented by adults. All the footprints were smallish, not a bootheel amongW'ehme.re did it lead?
They passed locked, covered doorways, long unused and scary in the flickering light of the dim glows. Why couldn't Felessan have stolen some new ones while he was abTohuet siet?wouldn't last too long. Jaxom earnestly wanted to know how far they were gHoiengh.ad no liking for a trip through back halls and dangerous corridors without full illumination to aid his vision and reduce his imaBgiuntathioen. couldn't ask.What could there possibly be this far back in the WAeyhru?ge rectangle of absolute black
rose on his left and he swallowed against terror, as Felessan marched purposefully past it, his weak glow back-lighting the threatening maw into another innocently empty corridor junction.
"Hurry up," Felessan said, sharply.
"Why?" Jaxom was pleased with the steady, casual tone he managed.
"Because she always goes to the lake about this time of day and it's the only chance you'll ever get."
"Chance to what?Who's she?"
"Ramoth, thickwit," Felessan stopped so quickly that Jaxom bumped into him and the glow in his basket began to flicker.
"Ramoth?"
"Sure. Or are you afraid to sneak a look at her eggs?"
"At her eggs?Honest?" Breathless terror battled with insatiable curiosity and the knowledge that this would really put him one up on the Hold boys.
"Honest! Now, C'mon!"
The other corridors they passed held no unknown evils for Jaxom now, with such a promised end to
this dark trekA.
nd Felessan did seem to know where he was gToihnegir.
passage churned up the dust,
further dimming the glows, but ahead was a sliver of light.
"There's where we're heading."
"Have you ever seen an Impression, Felessan?"
"Sure. A whole gang of us watched the last one and ooh, that was the most scary-velIotuswatisme. just great.First the eggs wobbled back and forth, see, and then these great cracks apZpiegazraegdg.y
ones down the eggs, longwise," Felessan excitedly illustrated the point with his glow"Tbahsekne,t.all of
a sudden," and his voice dropped to a more dramatic pitch, "one enormous, dragon-sized split and the
head, comes throughY.
ou know what color the first one was?"
"Don't you know that from the color of the shell?"
"No, except for the queeTn.hey're biggest and they gleam kindYao. u'll see."
Jaxom gulped but nothing could have kept him from continuingNnoonwe. of the Hold boys or even the other young lordlings had seen eggs, or an ImpresMsioaynb. e he could lie a little ...
"Hey, keep off my heels," Felessan commanded.
The sliver of light ahead widened, touching the smooth wall opposite with a comforting reAcstangle. they got closer and their glows augmented the outside light, Jaxom could make out the end of the
corridor just beyond the fissure of the sTlohte.
jumble of rock gave evidence of an ancient
Bsluidte.sure
enough, they could really spy on the mottled eggs as they lay maturing on the mist-heated sands. Occasionally an egg rocked slightly as Jaxom watched, fascinated.
"Where's the queen egg?" he asked in a reverent undertone.
"You don't need to whispeSr.ee? Ground's empty.Ramoth's gone to the lake." "Where's the queen egg?J"axom repeated and was disgusted when his voice broke. "It's kinda to that side, out of sight."
Jaxom craned his neck up and down, trying to get a glimpse of the golden egg.
"You really want to see it?"
"Sure. Talina's been taken on Search from my Hold and she'll be a WeyrwRoumatahna.n girls always become Weyrwomen."
Felessan gave him a long stare, then shruggHeed.twisted sideways and inserted his body into the slit, easing his way past the rocks.
"C'mon," he urged his friend in a hoarse whisper.
Jaxom eyed the slit dubiouslHy.e was heavier as well as taller than FelesHsaen.presented the side
of his body to the slit and took a deep bHreiasthle. ft leg and arm got through fine but his chest was caught against the rocks Helpfully, Felessan grabbed his left arm and yJaanxkoemd. manfully suppressed a yelp as knee and chest were scraped skin deep by rock.
"Eggshells, I'm sorry, Jaxom."
"I didn't tell you to pulTl!h"en he added as he saw Felessan's contrite expression, "I'm all right, I
guess."
Felessan pulled his tunic up to dab at the young Lord's bloody bareThcehersotc. k had torn through fabric. Jaxom slapped his hand awaIyt. smarted enough as it waTsh.en he saw the great golden egg, reposing by itself, a little apart from the motley group.
"It's, it's, so glisteny," he murmured, swallowing against awe and reverence, and a growing sense of sacrilege. Only the weyrbred had the right to see the Eggs.
Felessan was casting a judicious eye over the gold egg.
"And big, tooB. igger'n the last queen egg at FoTrht.eir stock is falling off noticeably," he remarked with critical detachment.
"Not to hear Mardra talSk.he says it's obvious Benden stock is in trouble; the dragons are too large to maneuver properly."
"N'ton says Mardra's a pain in the ass, the way she treats T'ron."
Jaxom didn't like the trend of the conversation nAofwte.r all, Ruatha Hold was weyrbound to Fort
Weyr and while he didn't much like Mardra, he ought not listen to such talk.
"Well, this one's not so bLigo.oks like a wherry egIgt.'s half the size of even the smallest one of the others," and he touched the smooth shell of an egg that lay almost against the rock wall, apart from the others.
"Hey, don't touch it!F"elessan protested, visibly startled.
"Why not?Can't hurt it, can
HI?ard as leather," and Jaxom rapped it gently with his knuckles and
then spread his hand flat on the cu"rIvte's. warm."
Felessan pulled him away from the egg.
"You don't touch eggsN. ot ever.Not until it's your turAn.nd you're not weyrbred."
Jaxom looked disdainfully at him"Y. ou're scared to."And he caressed the egg again to prove that he was not.
"I am not scaredB. ut you don t touch eggs," and Felessan slapped at Jaxom's impious"Nhoatnd.
unless you're a candidateA. nd you're notA.
nd neither am I, yet."
"No, I'm a Lord Holder," and Jaxom drew himself up proHuedlyco. uldn't resist the urge to pat the
small egg once more because, while it was all right to be a Lord Holder, he was more than a little jealous of Felessan, and fleetingly wished that he, too, could look forward to being a dragonrider Aonde day.
that egg looked lonely, small and unwanted, so far from the others.
"Your being a Lord Holder wouldn't matter a grain of sand in Igen if Ramoth came back and caught us here,"Felessan reminded him and jerked Jaxom firmly toward the slit.
A sudden rumble at the far end of the Hatching Ground startledOtnheemlo.ok at the shadow on the sand by the great entrance was enouFgehl.essan, being more agile and faster, got to the exit first and squeezed through.This time Jaxom did not object at all as Felessan frantically yanked him past the rock. They didn't even stop to see if it really was Ramoth, retuTrhneinyg.grabbed the glow baskets and ran.
When the light from the slit was lost in the curve of the corridor, Jaxom stoppedHrius ncnhinegst. hurt from his exertions as well as from his rough passage through the fissure.
"C'mon," Felessan urged him, halting several paces further.
"I can't.My chest ..."
"Is it bad?"Felessan held his glow up; blood traced smeared patterns on Jaxom's pale skin, "That looks bad.We'd better get you to Manora quick."
"I ...got ...to ...catch ...my ...breath."
In rhythm with his labored exhalations, his glow sputtered and darkened completely.
"We'll have to walk slow then," Felessan said, his voice now shakier with anxiety than from running.
Jaxom got to his feet, determined not to show the panic he was beginning to feel; a cold pressure gripped his belly, his chest was hot and painful, while sweat was starting to creep down hisTfhoerehead. salty drops fell on his chest and he swore one of the wardguard's favorites.
"Let's walk fast," he said and, holding onto the now use less glow basket, suited action to words.
By common consent they kept to the outer edge of the corridor, where the now dimly seen footsteps gave them courage.
"It's not much further, is it?" Jaxom asked as the second glow flickered ominously.
"Ah, no.It better not be."
"What's the matter?"
"Ah, we've just run out of footprints."
They hadn't retraced their steps very far before they ran out of glow, too
"Now what do we do, Jaxom?"
"Well, in Ruatha," Jaxom said, taking a deep breath, a precaution against his voice breaking on him, "when they miss me, they send out search parties."
"In that case, you'll be missed as soon as Lytol wants to go home, woHne't long."
nyeovue?r stays here
"Not if Lytol gets asked to dinner and he will, if dinner is as close as you saJiadxoitmwcaosu."ldn't suppress his bitterness at this whole ill-advised explorat"ioHna.ven't you any idea where we are?"
"No," Felessan had to admit, sounding suddenly out of his d"Iepathlw. ays followed the footprints, just like I did nowT.here were footprintsY. ou saw them."
Jaxom didn't care to agree for that would mean he was in part to blame for their predicament. "Those other corridors we passed on the way to the hole, where do they go?" he finally asked. "I don't knowT. here's an awful lot of the Weyr that's emI'pvtey,. I've never gone any farther than
the slit."
"What about the othersH? ow far in have they gone?"
"Gandidan's always talking about how far he's gone but, but, I don't remember what he said."
"For the Egg's sake, don't blubber."
"I'm not blubberingI.'m just hungry!"
"Hungry? That's it.Can you smell dinnerS?eemed to me we could smell it an awful long ways down the corridor."
They sniffed at the air in all directioItnsw. as musty but not with steSwom.
etimes, Jaxom
remembered, you could smell fresher air and find your own wayHbeacpku.t out a hand to touch the wall; the smooth, cold stone was somehow comfortIingb. etween, you couldn't feel anything though this corridor was just as darHk.is chest hurt and throbbed, in a steady accompaniment to his blood.
With a sigh, he backed up against the smooth wall and, sliding down it, settled to the ground with a bump.
"Jaxom?"
"I'm all rightI.'m just tired."
"Me, too," and with a sigh of relief, Felessan sat down, his shoulder touching reassured them both.
"I wonder what it was like," Jaxom mused at length.
"Wonder what what was like?" asked Felessan in some surprise. "When the Weyrs and the Holds corridors were lighted and used." "They've never been used."
TJahxeomco'sn.tact
"Nonsense. No one wastes time carving out corridors that'll lead nowAhenrde. Lytol said there are over five hundred weyrs in Benden and only half-used ..."
"We have four hundred and twelve fighting dragons at Benden now."
"Sure, but ten Turns ago there weren't two hundred, so why so many weyrs if they weren't all used once? And why are there miles and miles of halls and unused rooms in Ruatha Hold if they weren't used once ..."
"So?"
"I mean, where did all the people Agon?d how did they carve out whole mountains in the first place?"
Clearly the matter had never troubled Felessan.
"And did you ever noticeS?ome of the walls are smooth as ..."
Jaxom stopped, stunned by a dawning realizatiAonlm. ost fearfully he turned and ran his hand down
the wall behind himI.t was smoothH. "Felessan ...?"
"What, what's the matter?"
"This wall is smooth."
"So what?"
e gulped and his chest hurt more than the throb of the scratches.
"But it's smoothI.t's not rough!"
"Say what you mean.F"elessan sounded almost angry.
"It's smooth.It's an old wall."
"So?"
"We're in the old part of BendeJna.x"om got to his feet, running a hand over the wall, walking a few paces.
"Hey!" Jaxom could hear Felessan scrambling to his f"eDeto.n't leave meJ. axom! I can't see you."
Jaxom stretched his hand back, touched fabric, and jerked Felessan to his side.
"Now hang onI.f this is an old corridor, sooner or later it'll ruInntouat. dead end, or into the main section. It's got to."
"But how do you know you're going in the right direction?"
"I don't, but it's better than sitting on my rump getting hunWgritehr."one hand on the wall, the other clinging to Felessan's belt, Jaxom moved on.
They couldn't have walked more than twenty paces before Jaxom's fingers stumbled over the crack. An even crack, running perpendicular to the floor.
"Hey, warn a guy!" cried Felessan, who had bumped into him.
"I found something."
"What?"
"A crack up and down, evenlyE.x"citedly Jaxom stretched both arms out, trying to find the other side of what might even be a doorway.
At shoulder height, just beyond the second cut, he found a square plate and, in examining it, pressed. With a rumbling groan, the wall under his other hand began to slide back and light came up on the other side.
The boys had only a few seconds to stare at the brightly lit wonders on the other side of the threshold before the inert gas with which the room had been flooded rushed out to overcomBeutththeem.light
remained a beacon to guide the searchers.
"I had the entire Hold mustered this morning, only to find him in the bowels of the Hold itself where a rockfall had barred his way," Lytol said to Lessa as he watched the boys running toward the Lower Cavern.
"You've forgotten your own boyhood then," F'lar laughed, gesturing courteously for Lytol to proceed him to the weyr".Or didn't you explore the back corridors as a weyrling?"
Lytol scowled and then gave a snort, but he didn't s"mIt ilwe.as one thing for mIe.wasn't heir to the
Hold."
"But, Lytol, heir to the Hold or not," Lessa said, taking the man's arm, "Jaxom's a boy, like any other. No, now please, I am not criticiziHnge.'s a fine lad, well growYno. u may be proud of him."
"Carries himself like a Lord, too," F'lar ventured to say.
"I do my best."
"And your best is very well indeed," Lessa said enthusiastic"Wallhyy. , he's grown so since the last time I saw him!"
But the tic started in Lytol's cheek and Lessa fumed, wondering what Mardra had been complaining about in the boy latelTy.hat woman had better stop interferingL.e.s. sa caught herself, grimly reminded
that she could be accused of interfering right now, having invited Jaxom here onWahevnisiMt. ardra heard that Lytol had been to Benden Weyr ...
"I'm glad you think so," Lytol replied, confirming Lessa's suspicions.
Harper Robinton rose to greet Lytol, and the Mastersmith Fandarel's face broke into the almost feral expression that passed as his smiWle.hile F'lar seated them, Lessa poured wine.
"The new train is in, Robinton, but not settled enough to serve," she said, grinning dowInt watashim. a private joke that Robinton visited Benden more for the wine than for companionship or business. "You'll have to make do with last year's tithe."
"Benden wine is always acceptable to me," Robinton replied suavely, using the compliment as an excuse to take a sip.
"I appreciate your coming, gentlemen," F'lar began, taking charge of the m"eAetnindg.I apologize for taking you from your business at such short notice, but I ..."
"Always glad to come to Benden," Robinton murmured, his eyes twinkling as he tipped his cup again.
"I have news for you so I was glad of this opportunity," Fandarel rumbled.
"And I," Lytol said in a dark voice, the tic moving agitatedly.
"My news is very serious and I need to know your reaTcthioenres. has been premature Threadfall
..." F'lar began.
"Threadfalls," Robinton corrected him with no vestige of his previous l"eTvhitey.drumroll brought me the news from Tillek and Crom Holds."
"I wish I'd as reliable messengers," F'lar said bitterly, gritting his"Dteiedtnh'.t you question the
Weyrs' silence, Robinton?"He had counted the Harper his friend.
"My Craft is weyrbound to Fort, my dear F'lar," the Craftmaster replied, an odd smile on his lips, "although Weyrleader T'ron does not appear to follow custom in keeping the Master Harper advised of auspicious events.I had no immediate, or privy way to bespeak Benden Weyr."
F'lar took a deep breath; Robinton confirmed the fact that T'ron had not "kTn'kouwlns. aw fit not to inform the other Weyrleaders of the unscheduled Fall in Tillek Hold."
"That doesn't surprise me," the Harper murmured cynically.
"We learned only today that R'mar was so badly injured in the Fall at Crom Hold that he couldn't dispatch any messengers."
"You mean, that numbwitted Weyrwoman Bedella forgot to," Lessa interjected.
F'lar nodded and went o"nT. he first Benden knew of this was when Thread fell in Lemos northeast, midmorning, when the table indicated southwest and evenBinegc.ause I always send a rider on ahead to
act as messenger for any last moment problems, we were able to reach Lemos before the leading Edge."
Robinton whistled with appreciation.
"You mean, the timetables are wrongL?y"tol exclaimed.All the color had drained from his swarthy face at the news".I thought that rumor had to be false."
F'lar shook his head grimly; he'd been watching for Lytol's reaction to this news.
"They're not accurate any more; they don't apply to this shift," h"eLesassida. reminded me, as I do you, that there have been deviations in the Red Star's passage that cause long iWnteervmalus.st assume that something can cause a change in the rhythm of the Fall aAss wseolol.n as we can gauge a pattern again, we'll correct the tables or make new ones."
Lytol stared at him uncomprehendingl"yB. ut how long will it take yoWu?ith three Falls, you ought to have some idea nowI.'ve acres of new plantings, foresHtso. w can I protect them when I can't be sure where Thread will fall?H" e controlled himself with an effo"rIt. apologize but this is, this is terrible nIews.
don't know how the other Lord Holders will receive it on top of everythinHgeetloseo.k" of wine.
"What do you mean, on top of everything else?" F'lar asked, startled.
a quick drink
"Why, the way the Weyrs are behaviTngh.at disaster in Esvay valley in Nabol, those plantations of
Lord Sangel's."
"Tell me about the Esvay Valley and Lord Sangel."
"You hadn't heard that either?R"obinton asked in real surpris'e.Don't the Weyrs talk to one another?" And he glanced from F'lar to Lessa.
"The Weyrs are autonomous," F'lar replie"dW. e don't interfere ..."
"You mean, the Oldtimers keep exchanges with us contemporary radicals to a bare minimum," Lessa finished, her eyes flashing indignantl"yD. on't scowl at me, F'laYr.ou know it's trueT.hough I'm sure
D'ram and T'ron were as shocked as we were that T'kul would keep premature Threadfall a secret.
Now, what happened at Esvay Vale and in Lord Sangel's Southern Boll?"
It was Robinton who answered her in an expressionless v"oSiecve.eral weeks back, T'kul refused to help Meron of Nabol clear some furrows from wooded slopes above the EsvaySvaaidlleiyt . was the
job of the ground crews and Meron's men were lazy and ineffTichienwt. hole valley had to be fired in order to stop the burrows' spreadinLgy.tol sent help; he knowIs.went to see some of the families. They're holdless now and very bitter about dragonmen.
"A few weeks later, Weyrleader T'ron left Southern Boll Hold without clearing with Lord Sangel's groundchief. They had to burn down three adult plantatioWnsh.en Lord Sangel protested to T'ron, he
was told that the wings had reported the Fall under control.
"On another level but disturbing in the over-all picture, I've heard of any number of girls, snatched on the pretext of Search ..."
"Girls beg to come to the Weyr," Lessa put in tartly.
"To Benden Weyr, probably," Robinton agree"dB.ut my harpers tell me of unwilling girls, forced from their babes and husbands, ending as drudges to WeyrlaTdhier.e is deep hatred building, Lady
Lessa. There has always been resentment, envy, because Weyrlife is different and the ease with which Dragonriders can move across the continent while lesser folk struggle, the special privileges riders enjoy, " The Harper waved his hand"Ts.he Oldtimers really believe in special privilege, and that exacerbates the
dangers inherent in such outdated attitudeAss.
for matters in the Crafthalls, the belt knife incident at
Fandarel's is a very minor item in the list of depredaTtihoensc. rafts generously tithe of their products,
but Weaver Zurg and Tanner Belesden are bitterly disillusioned now by the stiff rate of additional levies."
"Is that why they were so cool to me when I asked for gown material?" Les"sBa uat sZkeudrg. himself helped me choose."
"I fancy that no one at Benden Weyr abuses privilege," Robinton r"eNploiedo.ne at Benden Weyr.
After all," and he grinned toothily, managing to resemble T'ron as he did so, "Benden is the backsliding
Weyr which has forgotten true custom and usage, become lax in their deWalhinyg, s.they permit Holds
bound to Benden Weyr to retain dignity, possession and foTrheesyt.
encourage the Crafts to proliferate,
hatching bastard breeds of who-knows-whaBt.ut Benden Weyr," and Robinton was himself again, and angry, "is respected throughout Pern."
"As a dragonrider, I ought to take offense," F'lar said, so disturbed by this indictment that he spoke lightly.
"As Benden's Weyrleader, you ought to take charge," Robinton retorted, his voice r"iWnghinegn.
Benden stood alone, seven Turns ago, you said that the Lord Holders and Craftsmen were too parochial in their views to deal effectively with the real probTlhemey. at least learned something from their
mistakes. The Oldtimers are not only incurably parochial, but worse, adamantly infleTxhibelye. will not,
they cannot adapt to our TurEnv.erything we accomplished in the four hundred Turns that separate our thinking is wrong and must be set aside, set back for their ways, their stPanerdnardhsa.s grown, is
growing and changingT. hey have notA.
nd they are alienating the Lord Holders and Craftsmen so
completely that I am sincerely concerned, no, I'm scared, about the reaction to this new crisis."
"They'll change their minds when Thread falls unexpectedly," Lessa said.
"Who will change?The Weyrleaders?The Holders?Don't count on it, Lady Lessa."
"I have to agree with Robinton," Lytol said in a tired "vTohiecree.'s been precious little cooperation from the WeyrsT. hey're overbearing, wrongheaded and demandinIg.find that I, Lytol, ex-dragonrider, resent any more demands on me as Lytol, Lord WaArdnedr. now it appears they are incapable even of
doing their jobW. anything?"
hat, for instance, can be done right in the present cArirseis?they willing to do
"There'll be cooperation from the Weyrs, I can guarantee it," F'lar toldHLeytmolu.st rouse the man from his dejection". The Oldtimers were shaken men this morniRngu.atha Hold's weyrbound to Fort and T'ron's setting up SweepridersY. ou're to man the watch fires on the heights and light them when Thread mass is sightedY. ou'll get prompt action the instant a watch fire is seen."
"I'm to rely on shaken men and fires on the heights?" Lytol demanded, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Fire is not efficient," Fandarel intone"dR.ain puts it ouFt.og hides it."
"I'll gladly assign my drummers to you if you think they'd be of help," Robinton put in.
"F'lar," Lytol said urgently, "I know Benden Weyr sends messengers ahead to Holds under
Threadfall. Won't the other Weyrleaders agree now to assign riders to the HJuosltdsu?ntil we know
about the shifts and learn to anticipate theImd?on't like most of the Fort Weyr riders, but at least I'd feel secure knowing there was instant communication with the Weyr."
"As I was saying," Fandarel boomed in such a portentous voice that they all turned to him a little startled, "there has been a regrettable lack of efficient communication on this planet which I believe my craft can effectively endT.hat is the news I brought."
"What?" Lytol was on his feet.
"Why didn't you speak up sooner, you great lout?" demanded the Harper.
"How long would it take to equip all major Holds and WFe'ylarsr'?s" question drowned the others. Fandarel looked squarely at the Weyrleader before he answered what had been almost a plea. "More time, unfortunately, than we apparently have as margin in this emerMgeynchya. lls have been
overbusy turning out flame throwerTs.here's been no time to devote to my little toys."
"How long?"
"The instruments which send and receive distance writing are easy to assemble, but wire must be laid between them.That process is time-consuming."
"Man-consuming, too, I warrant," Lytol added and sat down, deflated.
"No more than watch fires," Fandarel told him plac"idIflye. ach Lord and Weyr could be made to cooperate and work togetherW. e did once before," and the Smith paused to look pointedly at F'lar, "when Benden called."
Lytol's face brightened and he grabbed F'lar urgently by the arm.
"The Lord Holders would listen to you, F'lar of Benden, because they trust you!"
"F'lar couldn't approach other Lords, not without antagonizing the Weyrleaders," Lessa objected, but she too was alert with hope.
"What the other Weyrleaders don't know, " Robinton suggested slyly, warming to the strategy.
"Come, come, F'larT. his is not the time to stick at principles, at least ones which have proved untenable.
Look beyond affiliationsm.
an. You did before and we woCno. nsider Pern, all Pern, not one Weyr," and
he pointed a long callused finger at F'lar; "one Hold," and he swiveled it to Lytol; "or one Craft," and he cocked it at Fandare"l.When we five combined our wits seven Turns ago, we got ourselves out of a very difficult position."
"And I set the stage for this one," Lessa said with a bitter laugh.
Before F'lar could speak, Robinton was waggling his finger a"tShilelyr. people waste time assigning
or assuming guilt, LessaY. ou went back and you brought the Oldtimers forwTaord.save PernN.
ow we
have a different problemY. ou're not sillyY. ou and F'lar, and all of us, must find other soluNtionws. we've that so conveniently scheduled wedding at Telgar HTohlder.e'll be a bevy of Lords and
Craftmasters doing honor to Lemos and TelgWare.
are all invitedL.et us make very good use of that
social occasion, my Lady Lessa, my lord F'lar, and bend them all to Benden's way ofLtehtinking.
Benden weyr be a model, and all the other Holds and Crafts will follow those weyrbound to Benden ..."
He leaned back suddenly, smiling with great anticipation.
F'lar said quietly, "Disaffection is apparently univerWsale. example to change minds."
are going to need more than words and
"The Crafts will back you, Weyrleader, to the last Hall," Fandare"lYsoauid.champion Bendarek. F'nor defended Terry, and against dragonmen because they were in the wF'rnoonrg.is all right, is he not?" The Smith turned questioningly to Lessa.
"He'll be back in a week or so."
"We need him now," Robinton sa"idH.e'd be useful at Telgar Hold, the commoners account him a hero. What do you say, F'laWr? e're yours to command again."
They all turned to him, Lessa slipping a hand to his knee her eyeTsheisagwera.s what she wanted,
all right; for him to assume the responsibiIltityw. as what he knew he had to do, finishing the task he had relinquished, hopefully, to those he thought better qualified than he to protect Pern.
"About that distance-writer of yours, Fandarel, could you rig one to Telgar Hold in time for the marriage?" F'lar asked.
Robinton let out a whoop that reverberated through the chamber, causing Ramoth to grumble from
the Hatching GroundT. he Smith showed all his stained tusks and clenched his huge fists on the table as if choking any opposition a-borningT.he tic in Lytol's cheek gave a spasmodic leap and stopped.
"Marvelous idea," Robinton cried".Hope's a great encouragerG. ive the Lords a reliable means of keeping in touch and you've undone much of the Weyrs isolation policies."
"Can you do it, Fandarel?F"'lar asked the Smith. "To Telgar I could lay wiYree. s. It could be done." "How is this distance writing donIe?don't understand."
Fandarel inclined his head toward the Masterharp"eTrh. anks to Robinton, we have a code that
permits us to send long and complicated messaOgense.
must train a man to understand it, to send and
receive it.If you could spare an hour of your time ..."
"I can spare you as much time as you need, Fandarel," F'lar assured him.
"Let's go tomorrowT. here's nothing could fall here tomorrow," Lessa urged, excited.
"Good. I shall arrange a demonstratioIn.shall put more people to work on the wire."
"I shall speak to Lord Sangel of Southern Boll and Lord Groghe of Fort Hold," Lytol said.
"Discreetly, of course, but they know Ruatha is not favored by the
HWeeygro."t to his fee"tI. have
been a dragonrider, and a craftsman, and now I am a HBouldt eTr.hread makes no distinctioInt. sears wherever, whatever it touches."
"Yes, we must remind everyone of that," Robinton said with an ominous grin.
"I shall, of course, agree to whatever T'ron orders me to do, now I have hopes of a surer
deliverance." Lytol bowed to Lessa".My duty to you, my ladI'yll. of a return flight ..."
"You've missed your lunch, stay for our dinner."
collect Lord Jaxom and beg the favor
Lytol shook his head regretfull"yT. here'll be much to set in motion."
"In the interests of conserving dragon strength, I'll ride with Lytol and Jaxom," Robinton said, swallowing the rest of his wine after a rueful toast to such"Thhaaste.will leave you two beasts to share the burden of Fandarel."
Fandarel stood up, a tolerantly smiling giant, his massive bulk dwarfing the Harper, who was by no measure a short man".I sympathize with dragons, forced to endure the envy of frail, small creatures."
None of them left, however, because neither Jaxom nor Felessan could be lOocnaetedo.f Manora's women remembered seeing them pilfering vegetables and thought they'd gone to join the boys playing
miggsy. On questioning, one of the children, Gandidan, admitted seeing them go toward the back corridors.
"Gandidan," Manora said sternly, "have you been teasing Felessan about the peekhole aTghaein?" child hung his head and suddenly the others couldn't look at an"Hyomnme.m," and she turned to the
anxious parents."I've been missing used glows again, F'lar, so I imagine there've been some trips to look at the eggs."
"What?" Lessa exclaimed, as startled as the boys who had turned to guilty statues. Before she could berate them, F'lar laughed alo"uTdh.at's where they are, then." "Where?"
The boys huddled together, terrified by the coldness in her voice, even if it was directed toward the
Weyrleader.
"In the corridor behind the Hatching GrouOndh., don't fuss, LessaT.hat's all part of growing up in the Weyr, isn't it, LytoIl?did it when I was Felessan's age."
"You've been aware of these excursions, ManorLa?e"ssa demanded imperiously, ignoring F'lar.
"Certainly, Weyrwoman," Manora replied unintimidate"dA. nd kept track to be sure they all returned. How long ago did they set out, GandidDanid? they play with you for a time?"
"No wonder Ramoth's been so upset; I kept thinking she was only being Hbroowodyco. uld you allow such activities to continue?"
"Come now, Lessa," F'lar said soothing"lyIt.'s a matter of adolescent pride," and F'lar dropped his voice to a whisper and widened his eyes dramatically, "not to shrink from the challenge of dark, dusty corridors; dim, flickering glowsW. ill the glows last long enough to get us to the peekhole andOrback?
will we be lost forever in the blackness of the Weyr?"
The Harper was grinning, the boys stunned and open-moutLhyedto.l was not amused, however.
"How long ago, Gandidan?M" anora repeated, tipping the boy's face
Wuph. en he seemed unable to
speak, she glanced at the scared expressions of the ot"hIertsh.ink we'd better looIkt.'s easy to take the wrong turning if you have inadequate glowAsn.d they did."
There was no lack of searchers, and F'lar quickly split them up into sections to explore each corridor segment. Sounds echoed through halls undisturbed for hundreds of TuBrunts. it was not long before F'lar
and Lytol led their group to the guiding lOignhct.e they saw the figures lying in the patch of light, F'lar sent for the others.
"What's the matter with them?L"ytol demanded, supporting his ward against him, and anxiously feeling for his pulse".Blood?" He held up stained fingers, his face bleak, cheek a-twitch.
So, thought F'lar, Lytol's heart had unfrozen a lLitetlses.a was wrong to think Lytol too numb to care
for the boyJ. axom was a sensitive boy and children needed affection, but there are many ways of loving.
F'lar gestured for more glowHs.e turned back the dusty linen of the boy's shirt, baring the horizontal scratches.
"Doesn't look to me like more than scraPperos.bably stumbled against the wall in the dWarkh.o's got some numb-weed on himD?on't look like that, LytoTl.he pulse is strong."
"But he's not asleepH. e doesn't wake."Lytol shook the limp figure, at first gently, then more insistently.
"There isn't a mark on Felessan," the Weyrleader said, turning his son in his arms.
Manora and Lessa came running then, kicking up dust in spite of F'lar's urgent Bcuaut tiMona.nora
reassured them that the boys were all right and briskly delegated two men to carry them back to the
Weyr proper.Then she turned to the curious crowd that had assembled in the corridor.
"The emergency is overE.veryone back.Dinner's ready, my lady, my lordPsi.ck up your feet, Silon. No need to stir up more duSsth."e glanced at the Weyrleader and the MastersmAitsh.one, the two men approached the mysterious doorway, Lessa and Lytol joining them.
Her crisp instructions cleared the corridor quickly until there were only the five remaining.
"The light is not made by glows," announced the Mastersmith as he peered cautiously into the bright room. "And from the smoothness of the walls, this is part of the original HWe esycr.o"wled at F'lar.
"Were you aware such rooms existedI?t"was almost an accusation.
"There were rumors, of course," F'lar said, stepping inside, "but I don't think I ever got very far down any of the unused corridors when I was a weyDrliindg.you, Lytol?"
The Lord Warder snorted irritably but now that he knew Jaxom was all right, he could not resist looking in.
"Perhaps you should give him leave to prowl in Ruatha if he can find treasure rooms like this one," Robinton suggested slyly". And what under the sun could this represeLnets?sa, you're our expert on wall hangings, what do you say?"
He pointed to a drawing, composed of weird interconnecting varicolored rods and balls which spread in several ladder-like columns from floor to ceiling.
"I wouldn't call it artistic, but the colors are pretty," she said, peering closely at Sthe twoaulcl.hed
a portion with a finge"rW.
hy, the color is baked on the wAanlld.
look here!Someone didn't like it
although I don't think their correction helIpt's more a scribble than a desiAgnn.d it's not even in the same type of coloring."
Fandarel scrutinized the drawing, his nose an inch from the"Owdaldl. Very odd."Then he moved
off to other wonders, his huge hands reverently caressing the metallic counters, the hanging Hshiselves.
expression was so rapt that Lessa suppressed a gig"Sglime.ply amazing.I believe that this countertop was extruded in a single sheeHt."e clucked to himself".If it has been done, it can be dIonmeu. st think about it."
F'lar was more interested in the scribble-desigTn.here was something tantalizingly familiar about it.
"Lessa, I'd swear I've seen just such a nonsense before."
"But we've never been herNe.o one has."
"I've got itI.t's like the pattern on that metal plate F'nor found at Fort TWheeyorn. e that mentioned
fire lizards.See, this word," his finger traced lines that would read "eureka" to older eyes, "is the same.
I'd swear itA.
nd it was obviously added after the rest of this picture."
"If you want to call it a picture," Lessa said dubi"oBusulty.I do think you're rigOhtn. ly why would they circle this part of the ladder, and that one over there, with a scribble?"
"There are so many, many puzzles in this room," Fandarel intHone'edd.opened a cabinet door, struggling briefly with the magnetic catch, then opened and closed it several times, smiling absently in delight for such efficiencyO. nly then did he notice the strange object on the deep shelf.
He exhaled in wonder as he took the ungainly affair down.
"Have a care. It may waddle away," Robinton said, grinning at the Smith's performance.
Though the device was as long as a man's arm, the Smith's great hands seemed to envelop it as his fingers explored its exterior".And they could roll metal without seaHmm. mm. It's coated," and he
glanced up at F'lar, "with the same substance used in the big Ckeotatlted.
for protection?With what?"
He looked at it, peered at the
"toAph.
glass.Fine glass.Something to look through?H" e fiddled with the
easily swiveled coated glass that was fitted under a small ledge at the base of the inHsterupmlaecnet.d his eye at the opening on the top of the"Ntuobteh.ing to see but throughH."e straightened, his brows
deeply furrowed.A rumbling sound issued from him as if the gears of his thinking were shifting audibly. "There is a very badly eroded diagram which Wansor showed me not lonAg daegvoic. e," and his
fingers rested lightly on the wheels placed alongside the barrel, "which magnifies objects hundreds of times their proper sizeB. ut it takes so long to make lenses, polish miHrromrms.m." He bent again and
with extremely careful fingers played with the knobs at the side of thHeetugblaen. ced quickly at the
mirror, wiped it with one stained finger and looked at it once with his own eye, then again through the tube. "Fascinating. I can see every imperfection in the glaHsse."was completely unconscious of the fact
that everyone else was watching him, fascinated by his behaHveiorp.ulled a coarse short hair from his head and held it under the end of the barrel, above the mirror, right across a smallAanpoethrteurre. careful adjustment and he gave a bellow of "jLooyo. k. Look. It is only my haiBr.ut look at the size of it now. See dust like stones, see the scales, see the broken end."
Exuberantly, he pulled Lessa into position, all but holding her head down to the e"yIef pyieocue. can't see clearly, move this knob until you can."
Lessa complied, but with a startled exclamation, jumped bRacokb.inton stepped up before F'lar could.
"But that's fantastic," the Harper muttered, playing with the knobs and quickly taking a comparative look at the actual hair.
"May I?" asked F'lar so pointedly that Robinton grinned an apology for his monopoly.
Taking his place, F'lar in turn had to check the specimen to believe in what he saw through the instrument. The strand of hair became a coarse rope, motes of dust sparkling in the light along it, fine lines making visible segmentation points.
When he lifted his head, he turned toward Fandarel, speaking softly because he almost dared not utter this fragile hope alou"dI.f there are ways of making tiny things this large, are there ways of bringing distant objects near enough to observe closely?"
He heard Lessa's breath catch, was aware that Robinton was holding his, but F'lar begged the Smith with his eyes to give him the answer he wanted to hear.
"I believe there ought to be," Fandarel said after what seemed to be hours of reflection.
"F'lar?"
He looked down at Lessa's white face, her startled eyes black with awe and fear, her hands half-raised in frightened protest.
"You can't go to the Red StaHr!e"r voice was barely audible.
He captured her hands, cold and tense, and though he drew her to him reassuringly, he spoke more to the others.
"Our problem, gentlemen, has always been to get rid of ThWrehayd. not at its sourceA?
go anywhere if he's got a picture of where he's going!"
dragon can
When Jaxom woke, he was instantly aware that he was not in theHeHopde.ned his eyes bravely, scared though he was, expecting darkneIsns.stead, above him was a curving roof of stone, its expanse sparkling from the full basket of glows in its ceHneterg.ave an inarticulate gasp of relief.
"Are you all right, ladD?oes your chest hurt?M" anora was bending over him.
"You found us?Is Felessan all right?"
"Right as rain, and eating his dinnNeor.w, does your chest hurt?"
"My chest?"His heart seemed to stop when he remembered how he got that BinujturMy.anora was watching him.He felt cautiously". No, thank-you, for-inquiring."
His stomach further embarrassed him with its grinding noises.
"I think you need some dinner, too."
"Then Lytol's not angry with mOe?r the Weyrleader?"he dared to ask.
Manora gave him a fond smile, smoothing down his tousled hair.
"Not to worry, Lord Jaxom," she said kin"dAly.stern word or two perhapLso.rd Lytol was beside himself with worry."
Jaxom had the most incredible vision of two Lytols side by side, cheeks a-twitch in unison.
"However, I wouldn't advise any more unauthorized expeditions anywhSerhee." gave a little laugh. "That is now the special pastime of the adults."
Jaxom was too busy worrying if she knew about the slit, if she knew the weyrboys had been peeking through. If she knew he haHd.e endured a little death, waiting to hear her say Felessan had confessed to their crime, then realized she had said they weren't to be more than sYcoudecdo.uld always trust
Manora. And if she knew and wasn't angryBu..t. if she didn't know and he asked, she might be angry ...
"You found those rooms, Lord JaxoIm'd.
rest on my honors, now, were I you."
"Rooms?"
She smiled at him and held out her h"aIndth.ought you were hungry."
Her hand was cool and soft as she led him onto the balcony which circled the sleepItinmg ulsetvel. be late, Jaxom thought, as they passed the tightly drawn curtains of the sleepingThroeomcesn.tral fire was banked.A few women were grouped by one of the worktables, seTwhienyg. glanced up as
Manora and Jaxom passed, and smiled.
"You said 'rooms'?"Jaxom asked with polite insistence.
"Beyond the room you opened were two others and the ruins of a stairway leading up."
Jaxom whistled."What was in the rooms?"
Manora laughed softly". I never saw the Mastersmith so excitTedh.ey found some odd-shaped instruments and bits and pieces of glass I can't make out at all."
"An Oldtimer room?"Jaxom was awed at the scope of his discovAenryd. he'd had only the shortest look.
"Oldtimers?" Manora's frown was so slight that Jaxom decided he'd imaginMedaniot.ra never frowned. "Ancient timers, I'd say."
As they entered the Main Cavern, Jaxom realized that their passage interrupted the lively conversations of the dragonmen and women seated around the big diningAcacreuas.tomed as he was to such scrutiny, Jaxom straightened his shoulders and walked with measured sHtreidteu.rned his head
slowly, giving a grave nod and smile to the riders he knew and those of the women he rHeceognized. ignored a sprinkle of laughter, being used to that, too, but a Lord of the Hold must act with the dignity appropriate to his rank, even if he were not quite turned twelve and in the presence of his superiors.
It was full dark, but around the great inner face of the Bowl, he could see the lambent circles of
dragon eyes on the weyr ledgeHse.
could hear the muted rush of air as several stirred and stretched their
enormous pinions.He looked up toward the star Rocks, black knobs against the lighter sky, and saw the giant silhouette of the watch dragoFna.r down the Bowl, he could even hear the restless tramping of the penned herdbeasts.In the lake in the center, the stars were mirrored.
Quickening his step now, he urged Manora fasDteigr.nity could be forgotten in the darkness and he was desperately hungry.
Mnementh gave a welcoming rumble on the queen's weyr ledge, and Jaxom, greatly daring, glanced
up at the near eye which closed one lid at him slightly in startling imitation of a human wink.
Do dragons have a sense of humor? he wondeTrhede. watch-wher certainly didn't and he was the same breed.
"The relationship is very distant."
"I beg your pardon?J"axom said, startled, glancing up at Manora.
"For what, young Lord?" "Didn't you say something?" "No."
Jaxom glanced back at the bulky shadow of the dragon, but Mnementh's head wasThtuernnehde. could smell roasted meats and walked faster.
As they rounded the bend, Jaxom saw the golden body of the recumbent queen and was suddenly guilt-struck and fearfulB. ut she was fast asleep, smiling with an innocent serenity remarkably like his foster mother's newest babeH. e looked away lest his gaze rouse her, and saw the faces of all those adults at the tableI.t was almost too much for hFim'la. r, Lessa, Lytol and Felessan he'd expected, but
there was the Mastersmith and the Masterharper, too.
Only drill helped him respond courteously to the greetings of the celebHreitiews.asn't aware when
Manora and Lessa came to his assistance.
"Not a word until the child has had something to eat, Lytol," the Weyrwoman said firmly, her hands pressing him gently to the empty seat beside FelesTshane. boy paused between spoonfuls to look up
with a complex series of facial contortions supposed to convey a message that escaped"JJaaxxoomm. missed lunch at the Hold and is several hours hungrier in conseqHueencise. well, Manora?"
"He took no more harm than Felessan."
"He looked a little glassy-eyed as you crossed the wLeeysrs."a bent to peer at Jaxom who politely looked at her, chewing with sudden self-consciousne"sHs.ow do you feel?"
Jaxom emptied his mouth hurriedly, trying to swallow a half-chewed lump of vegFeetlaebslsea.n
tendered a cup of water and Lessa deftly swatted him between the shoulder blades as he started to choke.
"I feel fine," he managed to s"aIy.feel fine, thank youH."e waited, unable to resist looking at his
plate and was relieved when the Weyrleader laughingly reminded Lessa that she was the one who said the boy should eat before anything else.
The Mastersmith tapped his stained, branchlike finger on the faded Record skin which draped the table, except where the boys were sittiFnagn. darel had one arm wrapped possessively around something in his lap, but Jaxom couldn't see what it was.
"If I judge this accurately, there should be several levels of rooms in this section, both beyond the one the boys found and above."
Jaxom goggled at the map and caught Felessan's Heyee.was excited, too, but he kept on eating. Jaxom spooned up another huge mouthful, it tasted so good, but he did wish that the skin were not upside down to him.
"I'd swear there were no upper weyr entrances on that side of the Bowl," F'lar muttered, shaking his head.
"There was access to the Bowl on the ground level," Fandarel said, his forefinger covering what he ought to be showing".We found it, sealed uPp.ossibly because of that rockfall."
Jaxom looked anxiously at Felessan who became engrossed in his Wplhateen. faces, had he meant he hadn't told theOmr?he had?Jaxom wished he knew.
Felessan made those
"That seam was barely discernible," the Masterharper said. "The sealing substance was more effective than any mortar I've ever seen; transparent, smooth and strong."
"One could not chip it," rumbled Fandarel, shaking his head.
"Why would they seal off an exit to the BoLwels?s"a asked.
"Because they weren't using that section of the Weyr," F'lar sugg"eCsteerdta. inly no one has used
those corridors for the Egg knows how many TuTrhnesr.e weren't even footprints in the dust of most of them we searched."
Waiting for the adult wrath that must surely descend on him now, Jaxom kept his eyes on his plate. He couldn't bear Lessa's recriminationHs.e dreaded the look in Lytol's eyes when he learned of his
ward's blasphemous actH.
ow could he have been so deaf to all Lytol's patient teachings?
"We found enough of interest in the dusty, moldy old Records that had been ignored as useless," F'lar's voice went on.
Jaxom hazarded a glance and saw the Weyrleader tousle Felessan's hair; watched as the man actually grinned at him, JaxomJa.xom was almost sick with reliNefo. ne of the adults knew what he and Felessan had done in the Hatching Grounds.
"These boys have already led us to exquisite treasures, eh, Fandarel?"
"Let us hope that they are not the only legacies left in forgotten rooms," the Mastersmith said in his deep rumble of a voicAe.bsently he stroked the smooth metal of the magnifying device cradled in the crook of his arm.
CHAPTER VI
Midmorning at Southern Weyr Early Morning at Nabol Hold: Next Day
HOT, sandy and sticky with sweat and salt, triumph over-rode all minor irritations as Kylara stared down at the clutch she had unearthed.
"They can have their seven," she muttered, staring in the general direction of northeast and the Weyr. "I've got an entire nesAt.nd another gold."
Exaltations welled out of her in a raucous laJuugsht. wait until Meron of Nabol saw these beauties!
There was no doubt in her mind that the Holder hated dragonmen because he envied them their beasts. He'd often carped that Impressions ought not to be monopolized by one inbred sWodeall,tyle. t's see if
mighty Meron could Impress a fire lizaSrhde.
wasn't sure which would please her miofreh:e could or if
he couldn't. Either way'd work for hBeru. t if he could Impress a fire lizard, a bronze, say, and she had a queen on her wrist, and the two mateIdt m...ight not be as spectacular as with the larger beasts, but
then, given Meron's natural endowment K..y. lara smiled in sensuous anticipation.
"You'd better be worth this," she told the eggs.
She put the thirty-four hardened eggs into several thicknesses of the firestone bagging she'd brought along. She wrapped that bundle in wher-hides and then in her thick woolSchleo'dak.been Weyrwoman
long enough to realize that a suddenly cooled egg would never Ahnatdcht.hese were mighty close to cracking shell.
"So much the better."
Prideth had been tolerant of her rider's preoccupation with fire-lizard Sehgegsh. ad obediently
landed in a hundred coves along the western coast, waiting, not unhappily in the hot sun, while Kylara quartered the burning sands, looking for any trace of fire-lizard burByiuntgsP.rideth grumbled anxiously
when Kylara gave her the coordinates for Nabol Hold, not Southern Weyr.
It was just first light, Nabol time, when Kylara's arrival sent the watch-wher screaming into its lair. The watchguard knew the Southern Weyrwoman too well to protest her entry and some poor wit was dispatched to wake his LorKd.ylara blithely disregarded Meron's angry frown when he appeared on the stairs of the Inner Hold.
"I've fire-lizard eggs for you, Lord Meron of Nabol," she cried, gesturing to the lumpy bundle she'd had a man bring i"nI. want tubs of warm sand or we'll lose them."
"Tubs of warm sand?M" eron repeated with overt irritation.
So, he'd someone else in his bed, hadKhyel?ara thought, of half a mind to take her treasure and disappear.
"Yes, you foolI.'ve a clutch of fire-lizard eggs about to haTthceh. chance of your lifetimYe.ou
there," and Kylara pointed imperiously at Meron's holdkeeper who'd come shuffling in, half-dressed. "Pour boiling water over all the cleansing sand you've got and bring it here instantly."
Kylara, born to a high degree in one Hold, knew exactly the tone to take with lesser beings, and was, in fact, so much the female counterpart of her own irascible Lord that the woman scurried to her bidding without waiting for Meron's consent.
"Fire-lizard eggs?What on earth are you babbling about, woman?"
"They're Impressionable.Catch their minds at their hatching, just like dragons, feed 'em into stupidity and they're yours, for lifeK."ylara was carefully laying the eggs down on the warm stones of the great fireplace. "And I've got them here just in time," she said in tri"uAmspsehm. ble your men, quicklyW. e'll
want to Impress as many as possible."
"I'm trying," Meron said through gritted teeth as he watched her performance with some skepticism and much malice, "to apprehend exactly how this will benefit anyone."
"Use your wits, man," Kylara replied, oblivious to the Lord Holder's sour reaction to her imperiousness. "Fire lizards are the ancestors of dragons and they have all their abilities."
It took only a moment longer for Meron to grasp the signifiEcavnecne.as he shouted orders for his men to be roused, he was beside Kylara, helping her to lay the eggs out before the fire.
"They go between?They communicate with their owners?"
"Yes. Yes."
"That's a gold egg," Meron cried, reaching for it, his small eyes glittering with cupidity.
She slapped his hand away, her eyes flash"inGgo.ld is for meB. ronze for youI.'m fairly sure that that second one, no, that one, is a bronze."
The hot sands were brought and shoveled onto the hearth sMtoneeros.n's men came clattering down the steps from the Inner Hold, dressed for ThreadPfearlel.mptorily Kylara ordered them to put aside their paraphernalia and began to lecture them on how to Impress a fire lizard.
"No one can catch a fire lizard," someone muttered, well back in the ranks.
"I have but I doubt you will, whoever you are," Kylara snapped.
There was something, she decided, in what the Oldtimers Hsaoildd:ers were getting far too arrogant
and aggressive.No one would have dared speak up in her father's Hold when he was giving instructions. No one in the Weyrs interrupted a Weyrwoman.
"You'll have to be quick," she sa"iTdh. ey hatch ravenous and eat anything in reaTchhe.y turn cannibal if you don't stop them."
"I want to hold mine till it hatches," Meron told Kylara in an undHeer'tdonbee. en stroking the three eggs whose mottled shells he fancied contained bronzes.
"Hands aren't warm enough" Kylara replied in a loud, flat
Fresh-slaughtered is the best."
"vWoicee'l.l need red meat, plenty of it.
The platter which was subsequently brought in was contemptuously dismissed as inadeTqwuaote. additional loads were prepared, still steamy from the body heat of the slaughtered aTnhime aslms.ell of
the bloody raw meat was another odor to mingle with the sweat of men, the overheated crowded hall and the general tension.
"I'm thirsty, MeronI.
require bread and fruit and some chilled wine," Kylara said.
She ate daintily when the food was brought, eyeing Lord Meron's sloppy table habits with veiled amusement. Someone passed bread and sour wine to the men, who had to eat standing about the room. Time passed slowly.
"I thought you said they were about to hatch," Meron said in an aggrieveHd evowicaes. as restless as his men and beginning to have second thoughts about this ridiculous project of Kylara's.
Kylara awarded him a slightly contemptuous sm"ilTeh. ey are, I assure yoYu.ou Holders ought to
learn patience.It's needed in dealing with DragonkinYdo. u can't beat dragons, you know, or fire lizards, as you do a landbeasBt.ut it'll be worth it."
"You're sure?"Meron's eyes glittered with unconcealed irritation.
"Think of the effect on dragonmen when you arrive at Telgar Hold in a few days with a fire lizard clinging to your arm."
The slight smile on Meron's face told Kylara that her suggestion appealed Ytoesh,imM.eron could be patient if it gave him any advantage over dragonmen.
"It will be at my beck and caMll?e"ron asked, his gaze avidly caressing his trio.
Kylara didn't hesitate to reassure him, though she wasn't at all sure a fire lizard would be faithful, or intelligent. Still, Meron didn't require intelligence, just obedienOcer. compliance.And if the fire lizards
did not live up to his expectation, she could always say the lack was in him.
"With such messengers, I'd have the advantage," Meron said so softly that she barely caught the words.
"More than mere advantage, Lord Meron," she said, her voice an insinuatin"gCpountrrro. l"
"Yes, to have solid, dependable communications would mean I'd have coIntcrooul.ld tell that wherry-blooded High Reaches Weyrleader T'kul to ..."
One of the eggs rocked on its long axis and Meron started from hHisocahrsaeilry. men to come closer, swearing as they halted at the normal distance from him.
he ordered his
"Tell them again, Weyrwoman, tell them exactly how they are to capture these fire lizards."
It never troubled Kylara that even after nine Turns in a Weyr and seven Turns as a Weyrwoman herself, she could not have given the criteria by which one candidate was accepted by a dragon and another, discernibly as worthy, was rejected by an entire HatcNhionrg.why the queens invariably chose women raised outside the Wey(rF. or instance, at the time that boy-thing Brekke had Impressed
Wirenth, there had been three other girls, any of whom Kylara would have thought considerably more interesting to a dragonette queeBn.ut Wirenth had made a skyline directly to the craftbredThgeirlt.hree
rejected candidates had remained at Southern Weyr, any girl in her right mind would, and one of them, Varena, had been presented at the next queen Impression and tOakne .simply couldn't judge.)
Generally speaking, weyrbred lads were always acceptable at one Hatching or another, for a weyrboy could attend Hatchings until he was in his twentieth TNuorno. ne was ever required to leave his Weyr,
but those few who did not become riders usually left, finding places in one of the crafts.
Now, of course, with Benden and Southern Weyrs producing more dragons' eggs than the Weyrwomen bore babies, it was necessary to range Pern to find enough candidates to stand on the Hatching Grounds.Evidently a commoner simply couldn't realize that the dragons, usually the browns or bronzes, did the choosing, not their riders.
There seemed to be no accounting for draconic taAstews.ell-favored commoner might find himself passed over for the skinny, the unattractive.
Kylara looked around the hall, at the variety of anxious expressions on the rough men asIstembled. could be hoped that fire lizards weren't as discriminating as dragons for there wasn't much to offer them in this motley groupT.hen Kylara remembered that that brat of Brekke's had Impressed Itnhrethea. t
case, anything on two legs in this room would stand a cIhtanhcaed. been handed them, their one big opportunity to prove that Dragonkind did not need special qualities for Impression, that common Pernese
of Holds and Crafts need only be exposed to dragons to have the same chance as the elite of the Weyrs.
"You don't capture them," Kylara corrected Meron with a malicious
Lsmetileth. ese Holders see that
there is far more to being chosen by a dragon than physical presence at the moment of "HYaotuching. lure them to you with thoughts of affectAiond. ragon cannot be possessed."
"We have fire lizards here, not dragons."
"They are the same for our purposes," Kylara said sha"rNployw.
heed me or you'll lose the lot of
them." She wondered why she'd bothered to sweat and toil and bring him a gift, an opportunity which he was obviously unable to accept or appreciaAten.d yet, if she had a gold and he a bronze, when they
mated it ought to be worth her troub"lSehs.ut out any thought of fear or profit," she told the listening circle. "The first puts a dragon off, the second he can't underAstasnsdo. on as one will approach you,
feed it.Keep feeding itG.
et it on your hand, if possible, and move to a quiet corner and keep feeding it.
Think how much you love it, want it to stay with you, how happy its presence mTahkiensk yoofu.
nothing else or the fire lizard will go betwTeheenr.e's just the short time between its hatching and its first big meal in which to make ImpressiYono.u succeed or you donI't's up to you."
"You heard what she saiNd.ow do itD. threateningly.
o it rightT. he man who fails, " Meron's voice trailed off
Kylara laughed, breaking the ominous silence that followSehde. laughed at the black look on
Meron's face, laughed until the Lord Holder angered beyond caution, shook her arm roughly, pointing to the eggs which were now indulging in wild maneuvers as their occupants tried to break out.
"Stop that cackling, WeyrwomanI.t'll prejudice the hatchlings."
"Laughter is better than threats, Lord MerEonv.en you can't order the preference of Dragonkind.
And tell me, good Lord Meron, will you be subject to the same dire unspeakable punishment if you fail?"
Meron grabbed her arm in a painful grip, his eyes riveted on the cracks now showing in one of his chosen eggs.He snapped his fingers for meBatl.ood oozed from the raw handful as he knelt by the eggs, his body bowed tautly in his effort to effect an Impression.
Trying to show no concern, Kylara rose languidly from her Scheairs.trolled to the table and picked over the meaty gobbets until she had a satisfactory heap on the trSenhcehesrig. naled the tense
guardsmen to supply themselves as she moved sedately back to the hearth.
She could not suppress her own excitement and heard Prideth warbling from the heights above the Hold. Ever since Kylara had seen the tiny fledglings F'nor and Brekke had Impressed, she had craved one of these dainty creatureSs.he would never understand that her imperious nature had subconsciously fought against the emotional symbiosis of her dragon quIenesnti.nctively Kylara had known that only as a Weyrwoman, a queen's rider, could she achieve the unparalleled power, privilege and unchallenged freedom as a woman on PerSnk.illed at ignoring what she didn't wish to admit, Kylara never realized
that Prideth was the only living creature who could dominate her and whose good opinion she had to have. In the fire lizard, Kylara saw a miniature dragon which she could control, easily control, and physically dominate in a way she could not dominate Prideth.
And in presenting these fire-lizard eggs to a Holder, particularly the most despised Holder of all, Meron of Nabol, Kylara struck back at all the ignominies and imagined slights she had endured at the hands of both dragonmen and PernesTeh.e most recent insult, that the dishfaced fosterling of Brekke's
had Impressed three, rejecting Kylara, would be completely avenged.
Well, Kylara would not be rejected heSrhee. winner.
knew the way of it and, whatever else, she would be a
The golden egg rocked violently, and a massive crack split it lengtAhwtiisney. appeared.
"Feed her.Don't waste time," Meron whispered to her hoarsely.
golden beak
"Don't tell me how to hatch eggs, you
Tfoeonld.
to your own."
The head had emerged, the body struggled to right itself claws scrabbling against the wet shell. Kylara concentrated on thoughts of welcoming affection, of joy and admiration, ignoring the cries and exhortations around her.
The little queen, no bigger than her hand, staggered free of its casing and instantly looked around for
something to eatK.
ylara laid a glob of meat in its path and the beast swoopeKd yolanrait.placed a
second a few inches from the first, leading the fire lizard towaSrdquhaewr.king ferociously, the fire lizard pounced, her steps less awkward, the wings spread and drying raHpiudnlyg.er, hunger, hunger was the pulse of the creature's thoughts and Kylara, reassured by receipt of this broadcast, intensified her thoughts of love and welcome.
She had the fire-lizard queen on her hand by the fifthShleurero. se carefully to her feet, popping
food into the wide maw every time it opened, and moved away from the hearth and the chaos there.
For it was chaos, with the over anxious men making every mistake in the Record, despite her advice. Meron's three eggs cracked almost at onTcwe.o hatchlings immediately set upon each other while
Meron was awkwardly trying to imitate Kylara's actioInnsh. is greed, he'd probably lose all three, she thought with malicious pleasureT.hen she saw that there were other bronzes emergWinegl.l, all was not lost when her queen needed to mate.
Two men had managed to coax fire lizards to their hands and had followed Kylara's example by removing themselves from the confused cannibalism on the hearth.
"How much do we feed them, Weyrwoman?" one asked her, his eyes shining with incredulous joy and astonishment.
"Let them eat themselves insensiblTe.hey'll sleep and they'll stay by yAous. soon as they wake, feed them again.And if they complain about itchy skin, bathe and rub them wAithpoaitlc.hy skin breaks between and the awful cold can kill even a fire lizard or dHraogwon.o"ften she'd told that to weyrlings when she'd had to lecture them as WeyrwomWane.ll, Brekke did that now, thank the First Egg.
"But what happens if they go betweeHno?w do we keep them?"
"You can't keep a dragoHn.e stays with youY. ou don't chain a dragon like a watch-wher, you know."
She became bored with her role as instructor and replenished her supply oTf hmene,atd.isgustedly observing the waste of creatures dying on the hearth, she mounted the steps to the InnSehre'dHowlda.it
in Meron's chambers, there'd better be no one else there now, to see if he had, after all, managed to
Impress a fire lizard.
Prideth told her that she wasn't happy that she had transported the clutch to death on a cold, alien hearth.
"They lost more than this at Southern, silly one," Kylara told her d"Trahgiosnt.ime we've a pretty darling of our own."
Prideth grumbled on the fire ridge, but not about the lizard so Kylara paid her no heed.
CHAPTER VII
Midmorning at Benden Weyr
Early Morning at the Mastersmith's
Crafthall in Telgar Hold
F'LAR RECEIVED F'nor's message, five leaves of notes, just as he was about to set out to the
SmithCrafthall to see Fandarel's distance-writing mechanisLme.ssa was already aloft and waiting.
"F'nor said it was urgenIt's about the, G" 'nag said.
"I'll read it as soon as I can," F'lar interruptedThemm. an would talk your ear o"Mff.y thanks and my apologies."
"But, F'lar ..."The rest of the man's sentence was lost as Mnementh's claws rattled against the stone of the ledge and the bronze dragon began to beat his way up.
It didn't help F'lar's temper to realize that Mnementh was making a gentleLaesscseanth. ad been so right when she had teased him about staying up drinking and talking with RoTbhientomna. n was a sieve for wine Around midnight Fandarel had left, taking his treasure of a contrLaepstisoan.had wagered that he'd never go to bed, and likely no one in his Hall wouldAeftiethreer.xtracting a promise from F'lar that he'd get some rest soon, too, she'd retired.
He had meant to, but Robinton knew so much about the different Holds, which minor Holders were important in swaying their Lords' mind, essential information if F'lar was going to effect a revolution.
Reverence for the older rider was part of Weyrlife, and respect for the able ThreaSdefivgehnter.
Turns back, when F'lar had realized humbly how inadequate was Pern's one Weyr, Benden, and how ill-prepared for actual Threadfighting conditions, he had ascribed many virtues to the Oldtimers which were difficult, now, for him arbitrarily to sweep awHaey, .and all Benden's Dragonriders, had learned
the root of Threadfighting from the OldtimeHrsa.d learned the many tricks of dodging Thread, gauging
the varieties of Fall, of conserving the strength of beast and rider, of turning the mind from the horrors of a full scoring or a phosphine emission too cWloshea.t F'lar didn't realize was how his Weyr and the Southerners had improved on the teaching; improved and surpassed, as they could on the larger,
stronger, more intelligent contemporary dragonFs'lar had been able, in the name of gratitude and loyalty to his peers, to ignore, forget, rationalize the Oldtimers' shortcomHinegsc.ould do so no longer as the weight of their insecurity and insularity forced him to reevaluate the results of theirInacstipointes. of this
disillusionment, some part of F'lar, that inner soul of a man which requires a hero, a model against which to measure his own accomplishments, wanted to unite all the dragonmen; to sweep away the Oldtimers' intractable resistance to change, their tenacious hold on the outmoded.
Such a feat rivaled his other goal, and yet, the distance separating Pern and the Red Star was only a different sort of step betweeAn.nd one man had to take if he was ever to free himself of the yoke of Thread.
The cool air, the sun was not full on the Bowl yet, reminded him of his face scores but it felt good against his aching foreheadA. s he bent forward to brace himself against Mnementh's neck, the leaves of
the message pressed into his ribWs.ell, he'd find out what Kylara was doing later.
He glanced below, squeezing his lids shut briefly as the dizzying speed affected his unfocusing eyes. Yes, N'ton was already directing a crew of men and dragons in the removal of the sealedWeinthtrance. more light and fresher air flooding the abandoned corridors, exploration could go on effeTchtievye'ldy.
keep Ramoth out of the way so she'd not complain that men were coming too close to her maturing clutch.
"She knows," Mnementh informed his rider.
"And?"
"She is curious."
They were now poised above the Star Rocks, above and beyond the watchrider, who saluted them. F'lar frowned at the Finger RocNko. w, if a man had a proper lens, fitted into the Eye Rock, would he
be able to see the Red StNaro?, because at this time of year you did not see the Red Star at that angle. Well ...
F'lar glanced down at the panorama, the immense cup of rock at the top of the mountain, the tail-like road starting at a mysterious point on the right face, leading down to the lake on the plateau below the Weyr. The water glittered like a gigantic dragon eHyee.worried briefly about haring off on this project
with Thread falling so erraticallHy.e had set up sweep patrols and sent the diplomatic N'ton (again he regretted F'nor's absence) to explain the necessary new measures to those Holds for which Benden Weyr was responsibleR. aid had sent a stiff reply in acknowledgment, Sifer a contentious rebuke, although that old fool would come round after a night's thought on the alternatives.
Ramoth dipped her wings suddenly and disappeared from sMighnte.menth followed.A cold instant
later they were wheeling above Telgar's chain of brilliant stair lakes, startlingly blue in the early morning
sun. Ramoth was gliding downward, framed briefly against the water, sunlight unnecessarily gilding her bright body.
She's almost twice the size of any other queen, F'lar thought with a surge of admiration for the magnificent dragon
"A good rider makes a good beast," Mnementh remarked voluntarily.
Ramoth coyly swooped into a high banking turn before matching her speed with her Weyrmate's.
The two flew, wingtip to wingtip, up the lake valleys to the SmiBthechrianfdt.
them the terrain dropped
slowly seaward, the river which was fed by the lakes running through wide farm and pasture lands, converging with the Great Dunto River which finally emptied into the sea.
As they landed before the Crafthall, Terry came running out of one of the smaller buildings set back in a grove of stunted fellis treHese. urgently waved them his waTyh.e Craft was getting an early start
today, sounds of industry issued from every buildTinhge.ir riders aground, the dragons said they were going to swim, and took off agaAins. F'lar joined Lessa, she was grinning, her gray eyes dancing.
"Swimming, indeed!"was her comment and she caught her arm around his waist.
"So I must suffer uncomforted?" But he put an arm around her shoulders and matched his long stride to hers as they crossed the distance to Terry.
"You are indeed welcome," Terry said, bowing continuously and grinning from ear to ear.
"Fandarel's already developed a long-distance glass?" asked F'lar.
"Not quite yet," and the Craft-second's merry eyes danced in his tired face, "but not for want of trying all night."
Lessa laughed sympathetically but Terry quickly demurred.
"I don't mind, reallyI.t's fascinating what the fine-viewer can make visiWblea.nsor is jubilant and
depressed by turnsH.
e's been raving all night to the point of tears for his own inadequacy."
They were almost at the door of the small hall when Terry turned, his face solemn.
"I wanted to tell you how terribly I feel about IFf'nIo'dr. only given them that rackety knife in the
first place, but it had been commissioned as a wedding gift for Lord Asgenar from Lord Larad and I
simply ..."
"You had every right to prevent its appropriation," F'lar replied, gripping the Craft-second's shoulder for emphasis.
"Still, if I had relinquished it ..."
"If the skies fell, we'd not be bothered by Thread," Lessa said so tartly that Terry was obliged to desist from his apologies.
The Hall, though apparently two-storied to judge by the windows, was in fact a vast single room.
There was a small forge at one of the two hearths that were centered in eTahceh belnadck.
stone walls,
smoothed and apparently seamless, were covered with diagrams and numAberlos.ng table dominated
the center of the room, its wide ends deep sand trays, the rest a conglomerate of Record skins, leaves of paper and a variety of bizarre equipmeTnht.e Smith was standing to one side of the door,
spread-legged, fists jammed against the wide waist belt, chin jutting out, a deep frown scoring his brow. His bellicose mood was directed toward a sketch on the black stone before him.
"It must be a question of the visual angle, Wansor," he muttered in an aggrieved tone, as if the sketch were defying his wil"l.Wansor?"
"Wansor is as good as between, Craftmaster," Terry said gently, gesturing toward the sleeping body all but invisible under skins on the outsized couch in one corner.
F'lar had always wondered where Fandarel slept, since the main Hall had long ago been given over
to working spaceN.
o ordinary craft cot would be spacious enough to house the CraftmNaoswter.he
remembered seeing couches like this in most of the major builUdindgos.ubtedly Fandarel slept
anywhere and anytime he could no longer stay awTahke. Smith thrived on what could burn out another man.
The Smith glanced crossly at the sleeper, grunted with resignation and only then noticed Lessa and
F'lar. He smiled down at the Weyrwoman with real pleasure.
"You come early, and I'd hoped to have some progress to report on a distance-viewer," he said, gesturing toward the sketchL.essa and F'lar obediently inspected the series of lines and ovals, innocently white on the black wa"llI.t is regrettable that the construction of perfect equipment is dependent on the frailty of men's minds and bodiIesa. pologize ..."
"Why? It is barely morning," F'lar replied with a droll expres"sIiowni.ll give you until nightfall before
I accuse you of inefficiency."
Terry tried to smother a laugh; what came out was a slightly hysterical giggle.
They were all somewhat startled to hear the booming gargle that was Fandarel'sHelaungeha.rly knocked F'lar down with a jovial slap on the shoulder blades as he whooped with mirth.
You give me .u..ntil nightfall ..b. efore ...inefficiency ..."the Smith gasped between howls. "The man's gone madW. e've put too much of a strain on him," F'lar told the others. "Nonsense," Lessa replied, looking at the convulsed Smith with small symp"Hatehyh. asn't slept and
if I know his single-mindedness, he hasn't eaHteans.
he, Terry?"
Terry plainly had to search his mind for an answer.
"Rouse your cooks, thenE.ven he," and Lessa jerked her thumb at the exasperating Smith, "ought to stoke that hulk of his with food once a week."
Her insinuation that the Smith was a dragon was not lost on Terry, who this time began to laugh uncontrollably.
"I'll rouse them myselfY. ou're all next to useless, you men," she complained and started for the door.
Terry intercepted her, masterfully suppressing his laughter, and reached for a button in the base of a
square box on the waIlln.
a loud voice he bespoke a meal for the Smith and four others.
"What's that?"F'lar asked, fascinatedI.t didn't look capable of sending a message all the way to
Telgar.
"Oh, a loudspeakerV.
ery efficient," Terry said with a wry grin, "if you can't bellow like the
Craftmaster. We have them in every haSlal.ves a lot of running around."
"One day I will fix it so that we can channel the message to the one area we want tTohespeak to." Smith added, wiping his eyes, "Ah, but a man can sleep anAytimlaue.gh restores the soul."
"Is that the distance-writer you're going to demonstrate for us?" asked the Weyrleader, frankly skeptical.
"No, no, no," Fandarel reassured him, dismissing the accomplishment almost irritably and striding to a complex arrangement of wires and ceramic po"Ttsh. is is my distance-writer!"
It was difficult for Lessa and F'lar to see anything to be proud of in that mystifying jumble.
"The wallbox looks more efficient," F'lar said at length, bending to test the mixture in a pot with a finger.
The Smith struck his hand away.
"That would burn your skin as quick as pure agenothree," he excla"Bimaesedd.
on that solution, too.
Now, observe.these tubs contain blocks of metal, one each of zinc and copper, in a watered solution of sulfuric acid which makes the metal dissolve in such a way that a chemical reactionThoisccguirvse. s us
a form of activity I have called chemical reaction enTerhgey.c.r.produced can be controlled at this point," and he ran a finger down the metal arm which was poised over an expanse of thin grayish material, attached at both ends to rolleTrhs.e Smith turned a knoTb.he pots began to bubble gently He tapped the arm and a series of red marks of different lengths began to appear on the material which wound slowly forward". See, this is a messagTe.he Harper adapted and expanded his drum code, a different sequence and length of lines for every soAundli.ttle practice and you can read them as easily as written words."
..."
"I do not see the advantage of writing a message here," and F'lar pointed to the roll, "when you say
The Smith beamed expansively".Ah, but as I write with this needle, another needle at the
Masterminer's in Crom or at the Crafthall at Igen repeats the line simultaneously."
"That would be faster than dragon flight," Lessa whispered, a"wWehda. t do these lines sayW? here did they go?"She inadvertently touched the material with her finger, snatching it back for a quick examination. There was no mark on her finger but a blotch of red appeared on the paper.
The Smith chuckled raspingly.
"No harm in that stufIft. merely reacts to the acidity of your skin."
F'lar laughed."Proof of your disposition, my dear!"
"Put your finger there and see what occurs," Lessa ordered with a flash of her eyes.
"It would be the same," the Smith remarked didactic"aTllhye.
roll is made of a natural substance,
litmus, found in Igen, Keroon and TillWeke.
have always used it to check the acidity of the earth or
solutions. As the chemical reaction energy is acid, naturally the litmus changes color when the needle touches its surface, thus making the message for us to read."
"Didn't you say something about having to lay wEixrep?lain."
The Smith lifted a coil of fine wire which was hooked into the contIrtaprtainono. ut the window to a stone post.Now F'lar and Lessa noticed that posts were laid in a line marching toward the distant mountains, and, one assumed, the Masterminer in Crom Hold.
"This connects the c.r. distance-writer here with the one at CTrhoamt .other goes to IgeIn.can send messages to either Crom or Igen, or both, by adjusting this dial."
"To which did you send thatL?e"ssa asked, pointing to the lines.
"Neither, my lady, for the c.r. was not being broadIcahsatd. send. It is very efficient, you see."
the dial set to receive messages, not
At this point, two women, dressed in the heavy wher-hide garb of smithcrafters, entered the room, laden with trays of steaming fooOdn. e was evidently solely for the Smith's consumption, for the woman
jerked her head at him as she placed the heavy platter on a rest evidently designed to receive it and not
disturb work in the sand tray beneaSthe.
bobbed to Lessa as she crossed in front of her, gesturing
peremptorily to her companion to wait as she cleared space on theShtaebldei.d this by sweeping things out of her way with complete disregard for what might be disarranged or Sbhroekegna.ve the bared
surface a cursory swipe with a towel, signaled the other to put the tray down, then the two of them swept out before Lessa, stunned by such perfunctory service, could utter a sound.
"I see you've got your women trained, Fandarel," F'lar said mildly, catching and holding Lessa's indignant eyes."No talking, no fluttering, no importunate demands for attention."
Terry chuckled as he freed one chair of its pile of abandoned clothing and gestured LeFss'laarto sit. righted one overturned stool that would serve him while Terry hooked a foot round a second that had got kicked under the long table, seating himself with a fluid movement that proved he had long familiarity with
such makeshift repasts.
Now that he had food before him, the Smith was eating with single-minded intensity.
"Then it is the wire-laying process that holds you up," F'lar said, accepting the klah Lessa poured for him and Terry". How long did it take you to extend it from here to Crom Hold, for instance?"
"We did not stick to the work," Terry replied for his Craftmaster whose mouth was too full for speech. "The posts were set up first by apprentices from both halls and those Holders willing to take a few hours from their own taskIts.was difficult to find the proper wire, and it takes time to extrude
perfect lengths."
"Did you speak to Lord LaraWd?ouldn't he volunteer men?"
Terry made a face".Lord Holder Larad is more interested in how many flame throwers we can make him, or how many crops he can plant for food."
Lessa had taken a sip of the klah and barely managed to swallow the acTihdestburfefa. d was
lumpy and half-baked, the sausage within composed of huge, inedible chunks, yet both Terry and
Fandarel ate with great appetitIen.different service was one matter; but decent food quite another.
"If this is the food he barters you for flame throwers, I'd refuse," she ex"cWlaihmye, de.ven the fruit is rotten."
"Lessa!"
"I wonder you can achieve as much as you do if you have to survive on this," she went on, ignoring
F'lar's reprimand.
"What's your wife's name?"
"Lessa," F'lar repeated, more urgently.
"No wife," the Smith mumbled, but the rest of his sentence came out more as bread crumbs than words and he was reduced to shaking his head from side to side.
"Well, even a headwoman ought to be able to manage better than this."
Terry cleared his mouth enough to expla"iOn.ur headwoman is a good enough cook but she's so
much better at bringing up faded ink on the skins we've been studying that she's been doing that instead."
"Surely one of the other wives ..."
Terry made a grimace".We've been so pressed for help, with all these additional projects," and he waved at the distance-writer, "that anyone who can has turned craHfte ,br"oke off, seeing the consternation on Lessa's face.
"Well, I've women sitting around the Lower Cavern doing make-wI'lolrkh.ave Kenalas and those two cronies of hers here to help as soon as a green can briAnngd,'e"mL.essa added emphatically,
pointing a stern finger at the Smith, "they'll have strict orders to do nothing in the craft, no matter what!"
Terry looked frankly relieved and pushed aside the meat-roll he had been gobbling down, as if he had only now discovered how it revolted him.
"In the meantime," Lessa went on with an indignation that was ludicrous tHoeFk'lanre.w who managed Benden Weyr's domestic affair"sI.'m making a decent brew of klHaho.w you could have choked down such bitter dregs as this is beyond my comprehenSsihoen!"swept out the door, pot in hand, her angry monologue drifting back to amused listeners.
"Well, she's right," F'lar said, laughin"gT.his is worse than the worst the Weyr ever got."
"To tell the truth, I never really noticed before," Terry replied, staring at his plate quizzically.
"That's obvious."
"It keeps me going," the Smith said placidly, swallowing a half-cup of klah to clear his mouth.
"Seriously, are you that short of men that you have to draft your women, too?"
"Not short of men, exactly, but of people who have the dexterity, the interest some of our projects require," Terry spoke up, in quick defense of his Craftmaster.
"I mean no criticism, Master Terry," F'lar said, hastily.
"We've done a good deal of reviewing of the old Records, too," Terry went on, a little defensively still. He flipped the pile of skins that had been spilled down the center of t"hWe eta'vbeleg. ot answers to problems we didn't know existed and haven't encountered yet."
"And no answers to the troubles which beset us," Fandarel added, gesturing skyward with his thumb.
"We've had to take time to copy these Records," Terry continued solemnly, "because they are all but illegible now ..."
"I contend that we lost more than was saved and uSsoefmuel. skins were worn out with handling and their message obliterated."
The two smiths seemed to be exchanging portions of a well-rehearsed complaint.
"Did it never occur to you to ask the Masterharper for help in transcribing your Records?" asked
F'lar.
Fandarel and Terry exchanged startled glances.
"I can see it didnI't's not the Weyrs alone who are autonomoDuosn. 't you Craftmasters speak to
each other?" F'lar's grin was echoed by the big Smith, recalling Robinton's words of the previous evening. "However, the Harperhall is usually overflowing with apprentices, set to copying whatever Robinton can
find for themT. hey could as well take that burden from you."
"Aye, that would be a great help," Terry agreed, seeing that the Smith did not object.
"You sound doubtful, or hesitanAt?re any Crafts secret?"
"Oh, no.Neither the Craftmaster nor I hold with cabalistic, inviolable sanctities, passed at deathbed from father to son ..."
The Smith snorted with such powerful scorn that a skin on the top of the pile slithered to the floor. "No sons!"
"That's all very well when one can count on dying in bed and at a given time, but I, and the
Craftmaster, would like to see all knowledge available to all who need it," Terry said.
F'lar gazed with increased respect at the stoop-shouldered Craft-secHoned'd.
known that Fandarel
relied heavily on Terry's executive ability and tactfulnTeshse.
man could always be counted on to fill in
the gaps in Fandarel's terse explanations or instructions, but it was obvious now that Terry had a mind of his own, whether it concurred with his Craftmaster's or not.
"Knowledge has less danger of being lost, then," Terry went on less passionately but just as fervently. "We knew so much more oncAen. d all we have are tantalizing bits and fragments that do almost more
harm than good because they only get in the way of independent development."
"We will contrive," Fandarel said, his ineffable optimism complementing Terry's volatility.
"Do you have men enough, and wire enough, to install one of those things at Telgar Hold in two days?" asked F'lar, feeling a change of subject might help.
"We could take men off flame throwers and hardwAanred. I can call in the apprentices from the Smithhalls at Igen, Telgar and Lemos," the Smith said and then glanced slyly "aTthFey'la'dr. come faster dragonback!"
"You'll have them," F'lar promised.
Terry's face lit up with reli"eYf.ou don't know what a difference it is to work with Benden Weyr. You see so clearly what needs to be done, without any hedging and hemming."
"You've had problems with R'mart?" asked F'lar with quick concern.
"It's not that, Weyrleader," Terry said, leaning forward earne"sYtlyo.u still care what happens, what's happening."
"I'm not sure I understand."
The Smith rumbled something but there seemed to be no interrupting Terry.
"I see it this way, and I've seen riders from every Weyr bTyhenoOwl.dtimers have been fighting
Thread since their birthT.hat's all they've knownT.hey're tired and not just from skipping forward in time four hundred TurnsT. hey're heart-tired, bone-tiredT. hey've had too much rising to alarms, seen too
many friends and dragons die, Thread-scoreTdh.ey rest on custom, because that's safest and takes the least energy.And they feel entitled to anything they wTanhet.ir minds may be numb with too much time between, though they think fast enough to talk you out of anyAthsinfga.r as they're concerned, there's always been ThreadT. here's nothing else to look forward Ttoh.ey don't remember, they can't really conceive of a time, of four hundred Turns without ThWreaed.can.Our fathers could and their fathers.
We live at a different rhythm because Hold and Craft alike threw off that ancient fear and grew in other ways, in other paths, which we can't give up Wnoew.exist only because the Oldtimers lived in their
Time and in oursA. nd fought in both TimeWs. e can see a way out, a life without ThTrehaedy. knew
only one thing and they've taught us tHhaotw.
to fight ThreadT.hey simply can't see that we, that
anyone, could take it just one step further and destroy Thread forever."
F'lar returned Terry's earnest stare.
"I hadn't seen the Oldtimers in just that light," he said slowly.
"Terry's absolutely right, F'lar," said LesSsah.e'd evidently paused on the threshold, but moved now
briskly into the room, filling the Smith's empty mug from the pitcher of klah she'd"Abrnedweitd's. a
judgment we ought to consider in our dealings with thSehme."smiled warmly at Terry as she filled his cup. "You're as eloquent as the HarpAerr.e you sure you're a smith?"
"That is klah!"announced Fandarel, having drunk it all.
"Are you sure you're a Weyrwoman?" retorted F'lar, extending his cup with a slTyosmTielrer.y he said, "I wonder none of us realized it before, particularly in view of recentAevmeannts.can't fight day
after day, Turn after Turn, though the Weyrs were eager to come forward, " He looked questioningly at
Lessa.
"Ah, but that was something new, exciting," she rep"lAiedn.d it was new here, too, for the Oldtimers. What isn't new is that they have another forty-some Turns to fight Thread in oSuormteimoef. them
have had fifteen and twenty Turns of fighting ThrWeaed.have barely seven."
The Smith put both hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet.
"Talk makes no miraclesT.o effect an end to Thread we must get the dragons to the Tseorurryc,e. pour a cup of that excellent klah for Wansor and let us attack the problem with good heart."
As F'lar rose with Lessa, F'nor's message rustled at his belt.
"Let me take a look at F'nor's message, Lessa, before we go."
He opened the closely written pages, his eye catching the repetition of "fire lizard" before his mind grasped the sense of what he was reading.
"Impressing? A fire lizard?" he exclaimed, holding the letter so that Lessa could verify it.
"No one's ever managed to catch a fire lizard," Fandarel said.
"F'nor has," F'lar told him, "and Brekke, and MirWrimho.'s Mirrim?"
"Brekke's fosterling," the Weyrwoman replied absently, her eyes scanning the message as rapidly as possible. "One of L'trel's by some woman or other ofNhoi,s.Kylara wouldn't have liked that!"
F'lar shushed her, passing the sheets over to Fandarel who was curious now.
"Are fire lizards related to dragons?" asked the Craft-second.
"Judging by what F'nor says, more than we realizFe'dla.r" handed Terry the last page, looking up at
Fandarel. "What do you think?"
The Smith began to realign his features into a frown but stopped, grinning broadly instead.
"Ask the MasterherderH.
e breeds animalsI.
breed machines."
He saluted Lessa with his mug and strode to the wall he had been contemplating when they entered, immediately lost in thought.
"A good point," F'lar said with a laugh to his remaining audience.
"F'lar? Remember that flawed piece of metal, with that garble of wTohrdes?one with the scribble like last night'sI.t mentioned fire lizards, toTo.hat was one of the few words that made sense."
"So?"
"I wish we hadn't given that plate back to Fort WIt ewyra.s more important than we realized."
"There may be more at Fort Weyr that's important," F'lar said, glo"oImt iwlya.s the first WeyWr. ho knows what we might find if we could search there!"
Lessa made a face, thinking of Mardra and T'ron.
"T'ron's not hard to manage," she mused.
"Lessa, no nonsense now."
"If fire lizards are so much like dragons, could they be trained to go between, as dragons can, and be messengers?" asked Terry.
"How long would that take?" asked the Smith, less unaware of his surroundings than he looked. "How much time have we got this Turn?"
CHAPTER VIII
Midmorning at Southern Weyr
"No, Rannelly, I've not seen Kylara all morning," Brekke told the old woman patiently, for the fourth time that morning.
"And you've not taken a good look at your own poor queen, either, I'll warrant, fooling around with these, these nuisancy flitterbys," Rannelly retorted, grumbling as she limped out of the Weyrhall.
Brekke had finally found time to see to Mirrim's wounded bHroewnw.as so stuffed with juicy tidbits from the hand of his overzealous nurse that he barely opened one lid when Brekke inspected him. Numbweed worked as well on lizard as on dragon and human.
"He's doing just fine, dear," Brekke told the anxious girl, the greens fluttering on the child's shoulders in response to her exaggerated sigh of re"liNefo.w, don't overfeed themT.hey'll split their hides."
"Do you think they'll stay?"
"With such care as you lavish on them, sweeting, they're not likely toBulet ayvoe.u have chores which I cannot in conscience permit you to shirk ..."
"All because of Kylara ..."
"Mirrim!"
Ashamed, the girl hung her head, but she deeply resented the fact that Kylara gave all the orders and
did no work leaving her tasks to fall to BreItkkwea. sn't fairM. lizards had preferred her to that woman.
irrim was very very glad that the little
"What did old Rannelly mean about your queYeno?u take good care of WirenSthh.e lacks for
nothing," said Mirrim.
"Ssssh. I'll go seeI.
left her sleeping."
"Rannelly's as bad as KylarSa.he thinks she's so wise and knows everything ..."
Brekke was about to scold her fosterling when she heard F'nor calling her.
"The green riders are bringing back some of the meat hung in the salt caves," she said, issuing quick instructions instead."None of that is to go to the lizards, MiNrroimw., mind.The boys can trap wild
wherries. Their meat is as good, if not beWtteer.'ve no idea what effect too much red-blood meat will have on lizards."With that caution to inhibit Mirrim's impulsive generosity, Brekke went out to meet F'nor.
"There's been no rider in from Benden?" he asked her, easing the arm sling across his shoulder.
"You'd've heard instantly," she assured him, deftly adjusting the cloth at his"Inefcakc.t," she added in mild rebuke, "there are no riders in the Weyr at all today."
F'nor chuckled."And not much to show for their absence, eiTthheerr.e isn't a beach along the coastline that doesn't have a dragon couchant, with rider a-coil, feigning sleep."
Brekke put her hand to her mouIt w.
ouldn't do for Mirrim to hear her giggling like a weyrling.
"Oh, you laugh?"
"Aye, and they've made a note of both occasions that I did," she said with due solemnity, but her eyes danced.Then she noticed that the saying was missing its usual occu"Wpahnet.re's ..."
"Grall is curled between Canth's eyes, so stuffed she'd likely not move if we went Wbehtwicehen.
I've half a mind to dIof . you hadn't told me I could trust G'nag, I'd swear he's not delivered my letter to
F'lar, or else he's lost it."
"You are not going between with that wound, FA'nnodr. if G'nag said he delivered the letter, he did. Perhaps something has come up."
"More important than Impressing fire lizards?"
"There could be somethingT.hreads are falling out of phase, " Brekke broke off, she oughtn't to have reminded F'nor of that, judging by the bleak expression on his"Mfaacyeb. e not, but they've got to get
the Lord Holders to supply watchers and fires and it may be F'lar is occupied wItitchertaiantl.y isn't your fault you're not there to helTp.hose odious Fort riders have no self-contIrmola.gine taking a green out of her Weyr close to mating, " Brekke stopped again, snapping her mouth"BculotseRda.nnelly said
'my queen,' not 'her' queen."
The girl turned so white that F'nor thrust his good hand under her elbow to steady her.
"What's the matter?Kylara hasn't ducked Prideth out of here when she's due to Wmhaeter?e is
Kylara, by the way?"
"I don't knowI.
must check WirenthO. h, no, she couldn't be!"
F'nor followed the girl's swift steps through the great hanging trees that arched over the Southern
Weyr's sprawling compound.
"Wirenth's scarcely hatched," he called after her and then remembered that Wirenth was actually a
long time out of her sheIltl.was just that he tended to think of Brekke as the most recent of the Southern
Weyrwomen. Brekke looked so young, much too young ...
"She is the same age as Lessa was when Mnementh first flew Ramoth," Canth informed him.
"Is Wirenth ready to rise?F"'nor asked his brown, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Soon. Soon." Bronzes will know.
F'nor ticked over in his mind the bronze complement of SouTthheernt.ally didn't please himN.ot
that the bronzes were few in number, a discourtesy to a new queen, but that their riders had always contended for Kylara, whether Prideth's mating was at stake oNr onomt. atter whose bronze flew
Wirenth, the rider would have Brekke and the thought of anyone who had vyed for Kylara's bed favor making love to Brekke irritated the brown rider.
Canth's as big or bigger than any bronze here, he thought resenHtfeullhya.d never entertained such an invidious comparison before and ruthlessly put it out of his mind.
Now, if N'ton, a clean-cut lad and a top wingrider just happened to be in SOour thBe'rdno?r of Ista
Weyr. F'nor had ridden with the Istan when his Weyr and Benden joined forces over Nerat and Keroon. Nicely conformed bronzes, both of them, and while F'nor favored N'ton more, if B'dor's beast flew Wirenth, she and Brekke would have the option of removing to IstaTWheeyy'dr. only three queens
there, and Nadira was a far better Weyrwoman than Kylara, despite her coming from the Oldtime.
Pleased with this solution, though he hadn't a notion how to accomplish it, F'nor continued along the path to Wirenth's sun-baked clearing.
He paused at the edge, affected by the sight of Brekke, totally involved with heTrhequgeiernl .
stood at Wirenth's head, her body gracefully inclined against the dragon, as she tenderly scratched the
near eye ridgeW.
irenth was somnolent, one lid turning back enough to prove she was aware of the
attention, her wedge-shaped head resting on one foreleg, her hindquarters neatly tucked under and framed by her long, graceful taIinl. the sun she gleamed with an orange-yellow of excellent health, a color which would very shortly turn a deeper-burnished gAolldl. too shortly, F'nor realized, for Wirenth had
lost every trace of the fatty softness of adolescence; her hide was sleek and smooth, not a blemish to suggest imperfect careS. he was an extremely well-proportioned dragon; not one bit too leggy,
short-tailed or wherry-neckedD.
espite her size, for she was easily the length of Prideth, she had a more
lithesome appearance.She was one of the best bred from Ramoth and Mnementh.
F'nor frowned slightly at Brekke, subtly changed in her dragon's presSehneces.eemed more
feminine, and desirableS. ensing him, Brekke turned, and the languid look of adoration for her queen made her radiant face almost embarrassing to F'nor.
He hastily cleared his throa"tS. he'll rise soon, you realize," he said, more gruffly than he intended.
"Yes, I think she will, my beaIutwy.onder how that will affect him," Brekke asked, her expression altering. She stepped to one side and pointed to the tiny bronze tucked between Wirenth's jaw and forearm.
"Can't tell, can we?F"'nor replied and, with another series of throat-clearings, covered his savagery at the thought of Brekke mating any of the bronze riders at Southern.
"You're not sickening with something, are you?" she asked with concern and was abruptly transformed back into the Brekke he knew best.
"No. Who's going to be the lucky rider?" he heard himself aIstkiwnga.s a civil enough questioHne. was, after all, F'lar's Wing-second and had a right to be curious about such "mYaotutercsa. n ask for an open flight, you know," he added defensively.
She turned pale and leaned back against WireAntsh.if for comfort.
As if for comfort, F'nor repeated the observation to himself, and remembered, with no relief, the way
Brekke had looked at T'bor the day bef"oIrte.doesn't matter if the rider's already attached, you know, not in a first matingH."e blurted it out, then realized, like the greenest dolt that that wasBsrteukpkide.'d
know exactly what Kylara's reaction would be if T'bor's Orth flew WSirheen'tdh.know she would have no peace at alHl. e groaned at his ineptitude.
"Your arm is hurting?" she asked, solicitous.
"No. Not my arm," and he stepped forward, gripping her shoulder with his good"Lhoaonkd, . it'd be better if you called for an open fliTghe.re are plenty of good bronzeNs'.ton of Benden Weyr, B'dor of Ista Weyr.Both are fine men with good beaTsths.en you could leave Southern ..."
Brekke's eyes were closed and she seemed to go limp in his grasp.
"No! No!" The denial was so soft he barely hear"dI ibt.elong hereN.
ot, Benden."
"N'ton could transfer."
A shudder went through Brekke's body and her eyes flew Sohpeens.lipped away from his grip.
"No, N'ton, shouldn't come to Southern," she said in a flat voice
"He's got no use for Kylara, you know," F'nor continued, determined to reassu"rSehehedr.oesn't succeed with every man, you knoAwn. d you're a very sweet person, you know."
With a shift of mood as sudden as any of Lessa's, Brekke smiled up at him.
"That's nice to know."
And somehow F'nor had to laugh with her, at his own blundering interference, at the notion of him, a brown rider giving advice to someone like Brekke, who had more sense in her smallest finger than he.
Well, he was going to get a message to N'ton and B'dor anRyahmoowth.
would help him.
"Have you named your lizard?" he asked.
"Berd. Wirenth and I decidedS.he likes him," Brekke replied, smiling tenderly on the sleeping pair. "Although it's very confusingW. hy do I have a bronze, you a queen and Mirrim three?"
F'nor shrugged and grinned at h"eWr. hy not?Of course, once we tell them that's not how it's done, they may conform to time-honored couplings."
"What I meant was, if the fire lizards, who seem to be miniature dragons, can be Impressed by anyone who approaches them at the crucial moment, then fighting dragons, not just queens who don't chew firestone anyhow, could be Impressed by women, too."
"Fighting Thread is hard worLk.eave it to men."
"You think managing a Weyr isn't hard worBkr?e"kke kept her voice even but her eyes darkened angrily. "Or plowing fields and hollowing cliffs for HoAldns?d ..."
F'nor whistled."Why, Brekke, such revolutionary thoughts from a craftbred Wgirhl?ere women know there's only one place for themOh..,. you've got Mirrim in mind as a rider?"
"Yes. She'd be as good or better than some of the male weyrlings I know," and there was such
asperity in Brekke's voice that F'nor wondered just which boys she found so
Impress three fire lizards indicates ..."
"laHcekrinagb. ility to
"Hey, backwing a bit, girWl. e've enough trouble with the Oldtimers as it is without trying to get them to accept a girl riding a fighting dragCo'nm!on, Brekke.I know your fondness for the child and she
seems a good intelligent girl, but you must be realistic."
"I am," Brekke replied, so emphatically that F'nor looked at her in suSropmrisee.riders should have been crafters or farmers, or, nothing, but they were acceptable to dragons on HaOtcthheinrsg.are real riders, heart and soul and minDdr.agons are the beginning and end of their ambiMtioinrr.im ..."
A dragon broke into the air above the Weyr, trumpeting.
"F'lar!" With such a wingspan, it could be no other.
F'nor broke into a run, motioning Brekke to follow him to the Weyr landing field.
"No. You go.Wirenth's waking.I'll wait."
F'nor was relieved that she preferred to sHtaey. didn't want her to come out with that drastic theory
in front of F'lar, particularly when he wanted his half-brother to shift N'ton and B'dor here for her sake. Anything to spare Brekke the kind of scene Kylara would throw if T'bor's Orth flew Wirenth.
"Where is everyone?"was F'lar's curt greeting as his brother joined
Mnementh can't find PridethS.he's not to be haring off on her own."
"Everyone's out trying to trap fire lizards."
"hWimh.ere's Kylara?
"With Thread falling out of patterOn?f all the stupidities T...his continent is by no means immune! Where in the image of all shells is T'Tbohra?t'd be all we need, Threads ravaging the southern continent!"
The outburst was so uncharacteristic that F'nor stared at the WeyrleFa'ldaerr.passed his hand over his eyes, rubbing his templeTs.he cold of between had started his headache agTahine. talk at the Crafthall had been unsettlingH. e gripped his half-brother's arm in apology.
"That was inexcusable of me, F'nIor.beg your pardon."
"Accepted, of courseT. hat's Orth wheeling in right nowF.'"nor decided to wait before asking F'lar what was really bothering himH.e could just imagine what Raid of Benden Hold or Sifer of Bitra Hold had had to say about new levies of manpoPwreorb.ably felt that the change of Threadfall was a personal insult, dreamed up by Benden Weyr to annoy the faithful Holds of Pern.
T'bor landed and strode toward the waiting men.
Perhaps Brekke was not so far off in her heretical doctrine, F'nor thTo'buogrhth. ad made Southern
Weyr self-sufficient and productive, no small taHske.'d obviously have made a good Holder.
"Orth said you were here, F'lWar.hat brings you to SouthernY?ou heard our news about the fire lizards?" T'bor called, brushing the sand from his clothes as he walked.
"Yes, I did," replied F'lar in so formal a tone that T'bor's welcoming smil"eAfnaddeId.thought you'd heard ours, that Thread is dropping out of pattern."
"There's a rider along every inch of coastline, F'lar, so don't accuse me of negligence," T'bor said, his smile returning."Dragons don't need to be a-wing to spot ThrSehaedl.ls, man, you can hear it hissing
across the water."
"I assume you were looking for fire lizard egFg'sla?r" sounded testy and not completely reassured by
T'bor's report."Have you found any?"
T'bor shook his head".There's evidence, far to the west, of another clutch, but there isn't a sign of shell or corpseT. he wherries can make fast work of anything edible."
"Were I you, T'bor, I'd not release an entire Weyr to search for lizaTrdheergeg'ss.no guarantee
Thread will move in on this continent from the ocean."
"But it always hasW. hat little we get."
"Thread fell ten hours before schedule across Lemos north when it should have fallen on Lemos south and Telgar southeast," F'lar told him in a hard v"oIichea.ve since heard that Thread fell, unchecked,"
and he paused to let that sink in to T'bor's mind, "in Telgar Hold and Crom Hold, both times out of phase with the tables, though we do not yet know the time differWenetiacla. n't rely on any previous
performance."
"I'll mount guards immediately and send the wings to sweep as far south as we've penetrated," T'bor said briskly and, shrugging into his riding jacket, trotted back toTOheryth.were aloft in one great leap.
"Orth looks well," F'lar said and then eyed his half-brother closely before he smiled, jabbing a fist
affectionately at F'nor's good shoulde"rY. ou do, tooH.
ow's the arm healing?"
"I'm at Southern," F'nor replied in oblique explanat"ioAnr.e Threadfalls really that erratic?"
"I don't know," F'lar said with an irritable sh"rTuegl.l me about these fire lizards if you pleAarsee.
they worth the time of every able-bodied rider in this WWehyerr?e's yours?I'd like to see it for myself before I go back to BendenH."e glanced northeast, frowning.
"Shells, can't I leave Benden Weyr for a week without everything falling Fap'naorrt?"demanded so vehemently that F'lar stared at him in momentary surprise before he chuckled and seemed to relax. "That's better," F'nor said, echoing the gr"iCno. me. There are a couple of the lizards in the Weyrhall and I need some klahI. was out hunting clutches all morning myself, you kOnor ww. ould you prefer to
sample some of Southern's wine?"
"Ha!" F'lar made the exclamation a challenge.
When they entered the Weyrhall, Mirrim was there alone stirring the stew in the bigThkeetttwleos. greens were watching her from the long, wide maSnhteel. gave the appearance of having an odd deformity of chest until F'nor realized that she had rigged a sling around her shoulders in which the wounded brown was suspended, his little eyes pinpoints of Aligt htth. e sound of their boots on the
paving, she swung round, her eyes wide with an apprehension which turned to surprise as she glanced from F'nor to F'larH. er mouth made an "o" of astonishment as she recognized the Benden Weyrleader by his resemblance to F'nor.
"And you're the, the young lady who Impressed three?" F'lar asked, crossing the big room to her.
Mirrim bobbed a series of nervous curtsies, causing the brown to squawk in protest to such bouncing.
"May I see him?F"'lar asked and deftly stroked a tiny eye ri"dHge'.s a real beautyC! anth in miniature," and F'lar glanced slyly at his half-brother to see if the jibe reg"iWsteilrledh.e recover from his wounds, ah ..."
"Mirrim is her name," F'nor prompted in a bland tone that implied his brother's memory was failing
him.
"Oh, no, Weyrleader, he's healing nicely," the girl said with another bob.
"Full stomach, I see," F'lar commented approvinglHy.e glanced at the pair huddled together on the mantel and crooned soft encouragemenTt.hey began to preen, stretching fragile, translucent green wings, arching their backs and emitting an echoing hum in plea"sYuoreu.'ll have your hands full with this trio."
"I'll manage them, sirI. promise.And I won't forget my duties, either," she said breathlessly, her eyes
still wide.With a gasp, she turned to give a splashing stir to the contents of the nearest pot, then whirled
back again before the men could tu"rBn.rekke's not hereW. some ..."
ould you like some klahO?r the stew?Or
"We'll serve ourselves," F'nor assured her, picking up two mugs.
"Oh, I ought to do that, sir ..."
"You ought to watch your kettles, MirrWime.'ll manage," F'lar told her kindly, mentally contrasting
the state of domestic affairs at the Crafthall to the order and the cooking of good rich food at this hall.
He motioned the brown rider to take the table furthest from the kitchen hearth.
"Can you hear anything from the lizards?" he asked in a low voice.
"From hers, you meanN? o, but I can easily see what they must be thinking from their reactions. Why?"
"Idle question.But she's not from a Search, is she?"
"No, of course noSt.he's Brekke's fosterling."
"Hmmm. Then she's not exactly proof, is she?"
"Proof of what, F'lar? I've suffered no head injury but I can't follow your thought."
F'lar gave his brother an absent smile and then exhaled wearily.
"We're going to have trouble with the Lord Holders, they're disillusioned and dissatisfied with the
Oldtime Weyrs and are going to balk at any more expeditious measures against Thread."
"Raid and Sifer give you a hard time?"
"I wish it were only that, F'nTohr.ey'd come round."F'lar gave his half-brother a terse account of what he'd learned from Lytol, Robinton and Fandarel the day before.
..."
"Brekke was right when she said something really important had come up,' F'nor said af"tBeruwt ard.
"Yes, that news's a hard roll to eat, all right, but our ever efficient Craftsmith's got what might be an answer, not only to the watch on Thread but to establishing decent communications with every Hold and
Hall on PernE. specially since we can't get the Old-timers to assign riders outside the
IWseaywrs.a
demonstration of the device today and we're going to rig one for the Lord Holders at Telgar's wedding
..."
"And the Threads will wait for that?"
F'lar snorted."They may be the lesser evil, frankTlyh.e Threads prove to be more flexible in their ways than the Oldtimers and less trouble than the Lord Holders."
"One of the basic troubles between Lord Holders and Weyrmen are dragons, F'lar, and those fire lizards might just ease matters."
"That's what I was thinking earlier, considering that young Mirrim had ImpressedThthart'ese.really astonishing, even if she is weyrbred."
"Brekke would like to see her Impress a fighting dragon," F'nor said in a casual way, watching his half-brother's face closely.
F'lar gave him a startled stare and then threw back his head and laughed.
"Can you ..i.magine ...T'ron's reaction?"... he managed to say.
"Well enough to spare myself your version, but the fire lizard may do thAendtr,ichka!ve the added talent of keeping Hold in contact with Weyr if these creatures prove amenable to training."
"If, if!Just how similar to dragons are fire lizards?"
F'nor shrugged."As I told you, they are Impressionable, if rather undiscriminating," he pointed to
Mirrim at the Hearth and then grinned maliciously, "although they detested Kylara oTnhseiyg'hret. slaves
to their stomachs, though after Hatching that's very definitely dracTohneicy.
respond to affection and
flattery. The dragons themselves admit the relationship, seem totally free of jealousy of the crIeatures.
can detect basic emotions in the thoughts of mine and they generally inspire affection in those who handle them."
"And they can go between?"
"Grall, my little queen, diAd.bout chewing firestone I couldn't hazard a guWesse.'ll have to wait and see."
"And we don't have time," F'lar said, clenching his fists, his eyes restless with the current of his thoughts.
"If we could find a hardened clutch, all set to Hatch, in time for that wedding, that, combined with
Fandarel's gadget, " F'nor let his sentence trail off.
F'lar got up in a single decisive movem"eIn'dt. like to see your queeYno. u named her Grall?"
"You're solid dragonman, F'lar," F'nor chuckled, remembering what Brekke had"Ysaoiud. had no
trouble remembering the lizard's name but the girls? Never mind,GFr'alallr's.
with Canth."
"Any chance you could call her, here?"
F'nor considered the intriguing possibility but shook his head.
"She's asleep, full up to the jawline."
She was and daintily curled in the hollow by Canth's leHftereabr.elly was distended from the morning's meal and F'nor dabbed it with sweetShoeil. condescended to lift two lids but her eye was so dull she did not take notice of the additional visitor, nor Mnementh peering dowHeatthhoeurg. ht her a very interesting creature.
"Charming. Lessa'll want one, I'm sure," F'lar murmured, a delighted half-smile on his face as he jumped down from Canth's forearm on which he'd stood to observ"eHhoepre. she grows a littlCe.anth could yawn and inadvertently inhale her."
"Never," and the brown's comment did not need to be passed to the bronze rider.
"If we'd only an estimate of how long it would take to train them, if they areBturat intiambele's. as
inflexible as an Oldtimer.F"'lar looked his half-brother squarely in the eye, no longer hiding the deep worry that gnawed at him.
"Not entirely, F'lar," the brown rider said, returning his gaze ste"aAdislyy. ou said, the greater evil is the sickness in our own ..."
A dragon's brassy scream, the klaxon of Thread attack, stopped F'nor mid-senTtehneceb.rown
rider had swung toward his dragon, instinctively reacting to the alert, when F'lar caught him by the arm.
"You can't fight thread with an unhealed wound, mWahne.re do they keep firestone here?"
Whatever criticism F'lar might have had of T'bor's permissiveness at Southern, he could not fault the instant response of the Weyr's fighting complemeDnrta. gons swarmed in the skies before the alert had
faded. Dragons swooped to weyrs while riders fetched fighting gear and fireTsthoeneW.
eyr's women
and children were at the supply shed, stuffing saAcksm. essage had been sent to the seahold where
fishermen from Tillek and Ista had established a settlemTehnety. was equipped and aloft, T'bor was issuing the coordinates.
acted as ground crewB.y the time F'lar
Thread was falling in the west, at the edge of the desert where the terrain was swampy, where sharp broad-edged grasses were interspersed with dwarfed spongewoods and low berry buFsohresT. hread,
the muddy swamp was superb burrowing ground, with sufficient organisms on which to feed as the burrow proliferated and spread.
The wings, fully manned and in good order, went between at T'bor's comAmnadn, di.n a breath, the dragons hung again in sultry air and began to flame at the thick patches of Thread.
T'bor had signaled a low altitude entry, of which F'lar apprBouvtedt.he wing movement was upward, seeking Thread at ever higher levels as they eliminated the immediate airborne Wdaenygrefor.lk
and convalescents swelled the seahold group as ground crew but F'lar thought they'd need low ground support here.There were only three fighting queens, and where was Kylara?
F'lar directed Mnementh to fly a skim pattern just as the ground crews arrived, piling off the transport dragons, and flaming any patch of grass that seemed to mThoevye. kept shouting to know where the
leading Edge of the Fall was and F'lar directed Mnementh east byMnnoermthe. nth complied, and abruptly turned due north, his head barely skimming the vegetaHtieonb.ackwinged so abruptly that he
nearly offset his riderH. e hovered, peering so intently at the ground, that F'lar leaned over the great neck to see what attracted himD.ragons could adjust the focus of their eyes to either great distances or close
inspection.
"Something moved, away," the dragon said.
The gusts of his backwinging flattened grassTehs.en F'lar saw the pin-sized, black-rimmed punctures of Thread on the leaves of the berry busHhes.stared hard, trying to discern the telltale evidence of burrows, the upheaval of soil, the consumption of the lush swamp greTehneryb.ush, the grass, the soil stood still.
"What moved?"
"Something bright.It's gone."
Mnementh landed, his feet sinking into the oozing terFra'lianr. jumped off and peered closely at the bush. Had the holes been made by droplets of hot Thread during a previouNsoF. aTllh?e leaves would long since have dropped ofHf.e examined every nearby hummock of graNsso.t a sign of burrowYs.et
Thread had fallen, and it had to be this Fall, had pierced leaves, grass and tree over a widespread area, and vanished without a tracNe.o, that was impossibleG! ingerly, for viable Thread could eat through
wher-hide gloves, F'lar dug around the berry buMshn.ementh helpfully scooped out a deep trench nearby. The displaced soil teamed with grub life, writhing in among the thick tough graTssheroots. unexpectedly gray, gnarly taproots of the bush were thick with the black earth but not a sign of Thread.
Mystified, F'lar raised his eyes in answer to a summons from the hovering weyrlings.
"They wish to know if this is the Edge of Threadfall," Mnementh reported to his rider.
"It must be further south," F'lar replied and waved the weyrlings in that diHreectisotono. d looking down at the overturned earth, at the grubs burrowing frantically away from suHneligphitc.ked up a stout barkless branch and jabbed the earth of the trench Mnementh had made, prodding for the cavities that meant Thread infestations". It has to be further souIth.don't understand this.H" e ripped a handful of the leaves from a berry bush and sifted them through his g"loIfvetsh.is happened some time ago, rain would have washed the char from the puncturTehs.e damaged leaves would have dropped."
He began to work his way south, and slightly east, trying to ascertain exactly where Thread had started. Foliage on every side gave evidence of its passage but he found no burrows.
When he located drowned Thread in the brackish water of a swamp pool, he had to consider that as the leading EdgeB. ut he wasn't satisfied and bogged himself down in serious muds investigating, so that Mnementh had to pull him free.
So intent was he on the anomalies of this Fall, that he did not notice the passagHeeofwatisme. somewhat startled, then, to have T'bor appear overhead, announcing the end oAf nFdalbl.oth men were
alarmed when the ground-crew chief, a young fisherman from Ista named Toric, verified that the Fall had lasted a scant two hours since discovery.
"A short Fall, I know, but there's nothing above, and Toric here says the ground crews are mopping up the few patches that got through," T'bor said, rather pleased with the efficient performance of his Weyr.
Every instinct told F'lar that something was wroCnogu.ld Thread have changed its habits that drastically? He had no precedenIt.t always fell in four-hour spans, yet clearly the sky was bare.
"I need your counsel, T'bor," he said and there was that edge of concern in his voice that brought the other to his side instantly.
F'lar scooped up a handful of the brackish water, showing him the filaments of drowned Thread.
"Ever notice this before?"
"Yes, indeed," T'bor replied in a hearty voice, obviously relie"Hveadp.pens all the time herNe.ot many fish to eat Thread in these foot-sized pools."
"Then there's something in the swamp waters that does for them?"
"What do you mean?"
Wordlessly, F'lar tipped back the scarred foliage nearest
Hhiem.warily turned down the broad
saw-edged swamp grassesC. atching T'bor's stunned eyes, he gestured back the way he had come, where ground crews moved without one belch of flame from their throwers.
"You mean, it's like thaHt?ow far back?"
"To Threadfall Edge, an hour's fast walk," F'lar replied gr"imOlry.rather.that's where I assume
Thread Edge is."
"I've seen bushes and grasses marked like that in these swampy deltas closer to the Weyr," T'bor admitted slowly his face blanched under the tan, "but I thought it waWs echmara.rk so few infestations,
and there've been no burrows."
T'bor was shaken.
"Orth says there have been no infestations," Mnementh reported quietly and Orth briefly turned glowing eyes toward the Benden Weyrleader.
"And Thread was always short-timed?" F'lar wanted to know. "Orth says this is the first, but then the alarm came late." T'bor turned haunted eyes to F'lar.
"It wasn't a short Fall, then," he said, half-hoping to be contradicted.
Just then Canth veered in to laFn'dla. r suppressed a reprimand when he saw the flame thrower on
his half-brother's back.
"That was the most unusual Fall I've ever attended," F'nor cried as he saluted the two bronze riders.
"We can't have got it all airborne, but there's not a trace of
Abunrdrowde.ad Thread in every water
pocket. I suppose we should be gratefBulu. t I don't understand it."
"I don't like it, F'lar," T'bor said, shaking his h"Ieaddo. n't like iTt.hread wasn't due here for another few weeks, and then, not in this area."
"Thread apparently is falling when and where it chooses."
"How can Thread choose?T"'bor demanded with the anger of a frightened m"Iat'sn. mindless!"
F'lar gazed up at tropical skies so brilliant that the fateful stare of the Red Star, low on the horizon, wasn't visible.
"If the Red Star deviates for four hundred Turn Intervals, why not a variation in the way it falls?"
"What do we do then?" asked T'bor, a note of desperation in hisThvroeiacde. that pierces and doesn't burrow!Thread falling days out of phase and then for only two hours!"
"Put out Sweepriders, to begin with, and let me know where and when Thread faAllss yhoeure. said, Thread is mindlessE.ven in these new Shifts, we may find a predictable patFte'lranr."frowned up
at the hot sun; he was sweating in the wher-hide fighting clothes more suited to upper levels and cold between.
"Fly a sweep with me, F'lar," T'bor suggested anxiou"Fsl'yn.or, are you up to Iift?we missed even one burrow here ..."
T'bor had Orth call in every rider, even the weyrlings, told them what to look for, what was feared.
The entire complement of Southern spread out, wingtip to wingtip, flying at minimum altitude, and scanned the swampy region right back to Fall ENdgoet . one man or beast could report any unusual disturbance of greenery or grounTd.he land over which Thread had so recently fallen was now undeniably Threadfree.
The clearance made T'bor even more apprehensive, but another tour seemed poiTnhtleesfsi.ghting wings went between to the Weyr then, leaving the convalescents to fly straight.
As T'bor and F'lar glided in over the Weyr compound, the roofs of the weyrholds and the bare black soil and rock of the dragonbeds flashed under them like a pattern through the leaves of the giant fellis and spongewood trees.In the main clearing by the Weyrhall, Prideth extended her neck and wings, bugling to
her Weyrmates.
"Circle once again, Mnementh," F'lar said to his broFnizrset.
he'd better get over the urge to beat
Kylara, and give T'bor the chance to reprimand her privaHte yr.egretted once more, that he had ever suggested to Lessa that she pressure that female into being a WeyrwIotmhaand. seemed a logical
solution at the timeA. nd he was sincerely sorry for T'bor although the man did manage to keep her worst depredations under controlB. ut the absence of a queen from a WeWyre.l.l., how could Kylara have
known Thread would fall here ahead of scheduYlet where was she that she couldn't hear that alarm? No dragon slept that deeply.
He circled as the rest of the dragons peeled off to their weyrs and realized that none had had to descend by the Infirmary.
"Fighting Thread with no casualties?"
"I like that," Mnementh remarked.
Somehow that aspect of the day's encounter unsettled F'lar the Rmaothste.r than delve into that,
F'lar judged it time to lanHde.
didn't relish the thought of confronting Kylara, but he hadn't had the
chance to tell T'bor what had been happening north.
"I told you," Kylara was saying in sullen anger, "that I found a clutch and Impressed thWisheqnueen.
I got back, there wasn't anyone left here who knew where you'd alPl rigdoenthe. has to have
coordinates, you know."She turned toward F'lar now, her eyes glitter"inMgy.
duty to you, F'lar of
Benden," and her voice took on a caressing tone which made T'bor stiffen and clench "hHisowteeth. kind of you to fight with us when Benden Weyr has troubles of its own."
F'lar ignored the jibe and nodded a curt acknowledgment.
"See my fire lizardI.sn't she magnificent?"She held up her right arm, exhibiting the drowsing golden lizard, the outlines of her latest meal pressing sharp designs against her belly hide.
"Wirenth was here and BrekkTe.hey knew," T'bor told her.
"Her!" Kylara dismissed the Weyrwoman with a negligent shrug of conte"mShpet. gave me some nonsensical coordinates, deep in the western swamTph.reads don't fall."
"They did today," T'bor cried, his face suffused with anger.
"Do tell!"
Prideth began to rumble restlessly and Kylara, the hard defiant lines of her face softening, turned to reassure her.
"See, you've made her uneasy and she's so near mating again."
T'bor looked dangerously close to an outburst which, as Weyrleader, he could nKotylrairsak's.
tactic was so obvious that F'lar wondered how the man could fallWfourldit.it improve matters to have T'bor supplanted by one of the other bronze riders hFe'lraer? considered, as he had before, throwing Prideth's next mating flight into open competitiAonn.d yet, he owed T'bor too much for coping with this, this female to insult him by such a meaOsunre.the other hand, maybe one of the more vigorous Oldtime bronzes with a rider just sufficiently detached from Kylara's ploys, and interested enough in retaining a Leadership, might keep her firmly in line.
"T'bor, the map of this continent's in the Weyrhall, isnF't'laitr?"asked, diverting the ma"nI.'d like to set the co-ordinates of this Fall in my m. i"nd.
"Don't you like my queen?K"ylara asked, stepping forward and raising the lizard right under F'lar's nose.
The little creature, unbalanced by the sudden movement, dug her razor-sharp claws into Kylara's arm, piercing the wher-hide as easily as Thread pierced Wleiathf. a yelp, Kylara shook her arm, dislodging the fire lizardI.n midfall, the creature disappeareKd.ylara's cry of pain changed to a shriek of anger.
"Look what you've done, you foYolo. u've lost her."
"Not I, Kylara," F'lar replied in a hard, cold v"oTicaek.e good care you do not push others to their limit!"
"I've limits, too, F'lar of Benden," she screamed as the two men strode quickly toward the Weyrhall.
"Don't push meD.
'you hear?Don't push me!"She kept up her curses until Prideth, now highly agitated,
drowned her out with piteous cries.
At first the two Weyrleaders went through the motions of studying the map and trying to figure out where Thread might have fallen elsewhere undetected on the Southern contTinheennt. Prideth's
complaints died away and the clearing was vacant.
"It comes down to manpower again, T'bor, F'lar sTahider.e ought to be a thorough search of this continent. Oh, I'm aware," and he held up his hand to forestall a defensive rebuttal, "that you simply don't have the personnel to help, even with the influx of holderfolk from the mBaiuntlanTdh.read can cross
mountains," he tapped the southern chain, "and we don't know what's been happening in these uncharted
areas. We've assumed that Threadfall occurred only in this coastline poOrtinocne.
established though, a
single burrow could eat its way across any land mass
Haned,m"ade a slashing movement of both
hands. "I'd give a lot to know how Thread could fall unnoticed in those swamps for two hours and leave no trace of a burrow!"
T'bor grunted agreement but F'lar sensed that his mind was not on this problem.
"You've had more than your share of grief with that woman, WT'hbyor.not throw the next flight open?"
"No!" And Orth echoed that vehement refusal with a roar.
F'lar looked at T'bor in amazement.
"No, F'lar.I'll keep her in hanId'l.l keep myself in hand, toBou. t as only as Orth can fly Prideth, Kylara's mine."
F'lar looked quickly away from the torment in the other's face.
"And you'd better know this, too," T'bor continued in a heavy low"Svhoeicefo. und a full clutcShh. e took them to a HolPd.rideth told Orth."
"Which Hold?"
T'bor shook his head wearil"yP. rideth doesn't like it so she doesn't namSeheit. doesn't like taking fire lizards away from the weyrs either."
F'lar brushed his forelock back from his eyes in an irritated moveTmhiesntw. as the most unhealthy development. A dragon displeased with her rideTr?he one restraint they had all counted on was Kylara's bond with PridethT. he woman wouldn't be fool enough, wanton enough, perverted enough to strain that, too, in her egocentric selfishness.
"Prideth will not hear me," Mnementh said sudde"nSlyh.e will not hear OrtShh. e is unhappyT. hat isn't good."
Threads falling unexpectedly, fire lizards in Holder hands, a dragon displeased with her rider and another anticipating his rider's questionAs!nd F'lar had thought he'd had problems seven Turns ago!
"I can't sort this all out right now, TP'bloear.se mount guards and let me know the instant you've any news of any kindI.f you do uncover another clutch, I would very much appreciate some of thLeeteggs. me know, too, if that little queen returns to KyIlagrraa.nt the creature had reason, but if they frighten between so easily, they may be worthless except as pets."
F'lar mounted Mnementh and saluted the Southern Weyrleader, reassured by nothing in this visit. And he'd lost the advantage of surprising the Lord Holders with fire Ilnizafradcst., Kylara's precipitous donation would undoubtedly cause more troubAle. Weyrwoman meddling in a Hold not bound to her
own Weyr?He almost hoped that these creatures would be nothing more than pets and her action could be soft-talked. Still, there was the psychological effect of that miniature dragon, Impressionable by anyone. That would have been a valuable asset in improving Weyr-Hold relations.
As Mnementh climbed higher, to the cooler levFe'la.r worried most about that ThreadfaIltl.had
fallen. It had pierced leaf and grass, drowned in the water, and yet left no trace of itself in the rich earth. Igen's sandworms would devour Thread, almost as efficiently as agenotBhurete.the grub life that had
swarmed in the rich black swamp mud bore little resemblance to the segmented, shelled worms.
Unable to leave Southern without a final check, F'lar gave Mnementh the order to transfer to the western swamp.The bronze obediently brought him right to the trench his claw hadFm'laardsel.id from
his shoulder, opening the wher-hide tunic as the humid, sticky, sun-steamed swamp air pressed against him like a thick wet skTinh.ere was a ringing, rasping chorus of tiny sound all around him, splashings and burblings, none of which he'd noted earlier in theIndafya.ct, the swamp had been remarkably silent, as
if hushed by the menace of Thread.
When he turned back the hummock of grass by the roots of the berry bush, the earth was untenanted, the gray roots sleekly damKpi.cking up another section, he did find a small cluster of the larvae, but not in the earlier profusiHone. held the muddy ball in his hand, watching the grubs squirm away from light and aiIrt. was then that he saw that the foliage of that bush was no longer
Thread-scored. The char had disappeared and a thin film was forming over the hole, as if the bush were mending itself.
Something writhed against the skin of his palm and he hastily dropped the ball of dirt, rubbing his hand against his leg.
He broke off a leaf, the sign of Thread healing in the green foliage.
Could the grubs possibly be the southern continent's equivalent of sandworms? Abruptly he gave a running jump to Mnementh's shoulder, grabbing the riding straps. "Mnementh, take me back to the beginning of this TFhaaltl'.d make it six hours bacTkh.e sun would
be at zenith."
Mnementh didn't grumble but his thoughts were pl"aFin'l.ar was tired, F'lar ought to go back to
Benden and rest, talk to LessJau.mping between time was hard on a rider."
Cold between enveloped them and F'lar hastily closed the tunic he'd opened, but not before the cold seemed to eat into his chest boHnee. shivered, with more than physical chill, as they burst out over the steamy swamp againI.t took more than a few minutes under that blazing sun to counteract the merciless cold. Mnementh glided briefly northward and then hovered, facing due south.
They didn't have long to waHiti.gh above, the ominous grayness that presaged Threadfall darkened the sky.As often as he had watched it, F'lar never rid himself oAfnfdeairt. was harder still to watch that distant grayness begin to separate into sheets and patches of silvery TThoreawda. tch and to permit it to
fall unchecked on the swamp beloTwo.
watch as it pierced leaf and green, hissing as it penetrated the
mud. Even Mnementh stirred restlessly, his wings trembling as he fought every Instinct to dive, flaming, at
the ancient menaceY.
et he, too, watched as the leading Edge advanced southward, across the swamp, a
gray rain of destruction.
Without needing a command, Mnementh landed just short of the AEdngde.F'lar, fighting an inward revulsion strong that he was sure he'd vomit, turned back the nearest hummock, smoking with Thread penetration, Grubs feverishly active, populated the concourse of the rAoos tsh.e held the hummock up, bloated grubs dropped to the ground and frantically burrowed into theHeeartdhr.opped that clump, uprooted the nearest bush, baring the gray, twisted rootIbtalall.so teemed with grub life that burrowed away from the sudden exposure to air and lTighhet. leaves of the bush were still smoldering from Thread puncture.
Not quite certain why, F'lar knelt, pulled up another hummock and scooped up a clump of squirming grubs into the fingers of his riding gloHvee.twisted it tightly shut and secured it under his belt.
Then he mounted Mnementh and gave him the coordinates of the Masterherdsman's Crafthall in Keroon, where the foothills that rose eventually to the massive heights of Benden range gently merged with the wide plains of Keroon Hold.
Masterherdsman Sograny, a tall, bald, leathery man so spare of flesh that his bones seemed held in position by his laced vest, tight hide pants and heavy boots, showed no pleasure in an unexpected visit from Benden's Weyrleader.
F'lar had been met with punctilious courtesy, if some confusion, by crSaoftgerrasn. y, it seemed, was supervising the birth of a new mix of herdbeasts, the very swift plains type with the heavy-chested mountain one.A messenger led F'lar to the great bCaronn. sidering the importance of the event, F'lar thought it odd that no one had left his tHaseksw. as led past neat cots of immaculately cleaned stone, well-tended gardens, past forcing sheds and equipment baFrn'lsa.r thought of the absolute chaos that prevailed at the Smith's, but then remembered what marvels that man accomplished.
"You've a problem for the Masterherdsman, have you, WeyrleadSeor?g"rany asked, giving F'lar a curt nod, his eyes on the laboring beast in the box"Hsotawll. does that happen?"
The man's attitude was so defensive that F'lar wondered what D'ram of Ista Weyr might have been doing to irritate him.
"Mastersmith Fandarel suggested that you would be able to advise me, Masterherdsman," F'lar replied, no trace of levity in his manner and no lack of courtesy in his address.
"The Smithcrafter?"Sograny looked at F'lar with narrowed, suspicious e"yWesh. y?"
Now what could Fandarel have done to warrant the bad opinion of the Masterherdsman?
"Two anomalies have come to my attention, good MasterherdsmThaen. first, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs hatched in the vicinity of one of my riders and he was able to Impress the queen ..."
Sograny's eyes widened with startled disbelief.
"No man can catch a fire lizard!"
"Agreed, but he can Impress onAen. d certainly didW. related to the dragons."
e believe that the fire lizards are directly
"That cannot be proved!S"ograny pulled himself straight up, his eyes darting toward his assistants who suddenly found tasks far from F'lar and the Masterherdsman.
"By inference, yesB. ecause the similar characteristics are obviouSse.ven fire lizards were Impressed
on the sands of a beach at SouthOerne.
by my Wing-second, F'nor, Canth's rider ..."
"F'nor? The man who fought those two thieving weyrmen at the SmithCrafthall?"
F'lar swallowed his bile and noddeTdh.at regrettable incident had hatched an unexpected brood of benefits.
"The fire lizards exhibit undeniable draconic traUitsn.fortunately, one of them is to stay close to their
Impressor or I'd have proof positive."
Sograny only grunted, but he was suddenly receptive.
"I was hoping that you, as Masterherdsman, might know something about the fire Iglieznards. certainly abounds with them ..."
Sograny was cutting him off with an impatient wave of his hand.
"No time to waste on flitterbyUss.eless creatures.No crafter of mine would ..."
"There is every indication that they may be of tremendous useAtfoterusa. ll, dragons were bred from fire lizards."
"Impossible!" Sograny stared at him, thin lips firmly denying such an improbability.
"Well, they weren't bred up from watch-whers."
"Man can alter size but only so Hfaer. can, of course, breed the largest to the largest and improve on the original stock," and Sograny gestured toward the long-legged "cBouwt. to breed a dragon from a fire lizard? Absolutely impossible."
F'lar wasted no further time on that subject but took the glove from his belt and emptied the grubs into the other, gloved palm.
"These, sir.Have you seen such as these ..."
Sograny's reaction was immediateW. ith a cry of fear, he grabbed F'lar's hand, tumbling the grubs to the stone of the barYn.elling for agenothree, he stamped on the squirming grubs as if they were essence of evil.
"How could you, a dragonman, bring such filth into my dwellings?"
"Masterherdsman, control yourself!"F'lar snapped, grabbing the man and shaking h"iTmh.ey devour
Thread. Like sandworms.Like sandworms!"
Sograny was trembling beneath F'lar's hands, staring at Hhiem.shook his skull-like head and the wildness died from his eyes.
"Only flame can devour Thread, dragonman!"
"I told you," F'lar said coldly, "that those grubs devoured Thread!"
Sograny glared at F'lar with considerable animus.
"They are an abominationY. ou waste my time with such nonsense."
"My deep apologies," F'lar said, with a curt bBouwt . his irony was wasted on the mSaong.rany turned back to his laboring cow as though F'lar had never interrupted him.
F'lar strode off, pulling on his gloves, his forefinger coming into contact with the wet, slippery body of a grub.
"See the Masterherdsman, eh?" he muttered under his breath, waving aside the services of the guide as he left the breeding barAn. bellow from a herdbeast followed him "oYute.s, he breeds animals, but
not ideas.Ideas might waste time, be useless."
As he and Mnementh circled upward, F'lar wondered how much trouble D'ram was having with that old fool.
CHAPTER IX
Afternoon at Southern WeySr:ame Day
IT WAS a long flight, the straight way, from the western swamps to Southern Weyr's hAetadland.
first, F'nor rebelledA.
short hop between would not affect his healing arm, but Canth became
unexpectedly stubborn.The big brown soared, caught the prevailing wind and, with great sweeps of his wings, sped through the cooler air, high above the monotonous terrain.
As Canth settled down into long-distance flying, the rhythm began to sootheWFh'naot r.ought to have been a tedious journey became the blessing of uninterrupted time for refAlecntdionF.'nor had much to think about.
The brown rider had noticed the widespread Thread-scorHineg. had turned back bush after bush, heavily pitted by Threadmark, to find no trace of burrow at all in the swamp mud arouNnodt tohnecme.
had he used his flame throwAern. d the ground crews told him they had so little to do they wondered the Weyr called them at aMll.any were from the fishing settlement and they were beginning to resent being taken from their labors, for they were trying to complete stone holds against the winter Tshtoerymasl.l
preferred Southern to their old homes, though they did not complain against Tillek's Lord Oterel, or Lord
Warbret of Ista.
It had always amused F'nor that people he had scarcely met were willing to confide in him, but he had found that this was often an advantage, despite the hours he'd had to spend listening to maundering tales. One of the younger men, the ground-crew chief, Toric, informed him that he'd staked out a sandy cove near his holdI.t was almost inaccessible from the landside, but he'd seen certain fire-lizardHseigns.
was determined to Impress one and positive that he could, for he'd been lucky with watcHh-ew'dhers.
tried to convince Fort Weyr that he should have a chance at Impressing a dragon, but he hadn't been given the courtesy of seeing T'roTno.ric was quite bitter about weyrmen and, knowing (as everyone
seemed to, F'nor had discovered) about the belt-knife fight, Toric expected F'nor to be disaffected, too. He was surprised when F'nor brusquely cut off his carping recital.
It was this curious ambivalence of Holder feeling toward dragonmen that occupied F'nor's thought. Holders claimed that weyrfolk held themselves aloof, acted patronizing or condescending, or plain arrogant in their presenceY. et there wasn't a man or woman, Holder or Crafter, who hadn't at one time or another wished he or she had Impressed a draAgnodn. in many this turned to bitter enWvye.yrmen
insisted they were superior to commoners even while they consistently exhibited the same appetites as other men for material possessions and nubile womYeent. they did indeed refute the Crafter contention
that dragonriding was a skill no more exacting than any craft on Pern, for in no other craft did a man risk life as a matter of coursAen. d far worse, the loss of half his Rlieffel.exively, F'nor's thought sheered
sharply away from any hint of threat to the great brown he rode.
The little queen stirred inside the heavy arm sling where he had been carrying her.
Young Toric, now, would lose some of his bitterness if he did Impress a firHeeliwzaorudl.d feel
that his claim was vindicateAd.nd if fire lizards did take to anyone, and could carry messages back and forth, what a boon that would Abe.lizard for everyoneT?hat would be quite a battle cFr'yn.or chortled
as he thought of the Oldtimers' reactions to Dthoat.them good, it would, and he chuckled at the vision of
T'ron trying to lure a fire lizard which ignored him to be Impressed by a lowly crSafotemrcehthilidn.g had better pierce the Oldtimers' blind parochialiYtye. t even they, at a crucial moment in the sensitive awareness of adolescence, had appealed to Dragonkind; they endured cold and possible death to fight
an endless and mindless enemBy.ut there was more to living than that initial achievement and that eternal alert. Adolescence was only a step of life, not a career inWithseelnf. one matured, one knew there was more to living.
Then F'nor remembered that he'd not had the chance to mention Brekke's problem AtondF'lar. F'lar would probably have gone back to Benden Weyr by Fn'noowr. upbraided himself for what was downright interference.Comes from being a wing-second so long, he thouYgohut. cannot go around meddling in another's WeyrT.'bor had enough stressB. ut, by the First Egg, F'nor hated to think of the scenes Kylara would subject Brekke to, if Orth flew Wirenth.
He grew restless with traveling and wasn't even amused when Canth began to croon sooBtuhtingly. when the journey was accomplished, and they were circling down into the late afternoon sun over
Southern, he felt no fatiguAe. wished to be fed.
few riders were feeding their beasts in the pasture and he inquired if Canth
"Brekke wants to see you," Canth advised F'nor as he landed neatly in his weyr.
"Probably to scold me," F'nor said, slapping Canth's muzzle affectionaHte ys.tood aside watching until the brown settled himself in the warmth of his dusty wallow.
Grall peeked out of the folds of the sling and F'nor transferred her to his
Sshhoeulsdqeur.eaked a
protest as he strode quickly toward Brekke's weyrhold and dug her claws into the shoulder pad for balance. She was thinking hungry thoughts.
Brekke was feeding her lizard, Berd, when F'nor enteSrheed. smiled as she heard Grall's shrill demand, and pushed the bowl of meat toward F'nor.
"I was worried that you might fly between."
"Canth wouldn't let me."
"Canth has senseH.
ow's the arm?"
"Took no hurtT. here wasn't much to be done."
"So I hear."Brekke frowned."Everything's askew.I have the oddest sensation ..."
"Go on," F'nor urged when she broke "oWff.hat kind of a sensation?W" as Wirenth about to rise?
Brekke seemed to remain untouched by so many disturbances, a serene competent personality, tranquilly
keeping the Weyr going, healing the woundFeodr.
her to admit to uncertainty was disturbing.
As if she caught his thoughts, she shook her head, her lips set in a fierce line.
"No, it's not personaIl.t's just that everything is going awry, disorienting, chang. i.n"g.
"Is that all?Didn't I hear you suggesting a minor change or Ltwetoti?ng a girl Impress a fighting dragon? Handing out fire lizards to placate the common mass?"
"That's change.I'm talking about a disorientation, a violent upheaval ..."
"And your suggestions don't rank under that headiOngh?, my dear girl," and F'nor suddenly gave her a long, penetrating lookS.omething in her candid gaze disturbed him deeply.
"Kylara pestering you?"
Brekke's eyes slid from his and she shook her head.
"I told you, Brekke, you can request other bronSzoems.eone from another Weyr, N'ton of Benden
or B'dor of Ista
T...hat would shut Kylara up."
Brekke shook her head violently, but kept her face ave"rDteodn.'t keep foisting your friends on me!" Her voice was sharp".I like SouthernI.'m needed here."
"Needed? You're being shamelessly exploited and not just by Southerners!"
She stared at him, as surprised by the impulsive outburst as hFeorwaosn.e moment he thought he understood why, but her eyes became guarded and F'nor wondered what Brekke could want to hide.
"The need is more apparent than the exploitatIiodno. n't mind hard work," she said in a low voice and popped a piece of meat into the brown's wide-open m"oDuotnh'.t rob me of what fragile contentment I can contrive."
"Contentment?"
"Sssh. You're agitating the lizards."
"They'll survive.They fight.The trouble with you, Brekke, is that you wYono'ut. deserve so much
more than you geYt. ou don't know what a kind, generous, useful, oh, shells!" and F'nor broke off in confusion.
"Useful, worthwhile, wholesome, capable, dependable, the list is categoric, F'nor, I know the entire
litany," Brekke said with a funny little catch in her
"vRoiecset. assured, my friend, I know what I am."
There was such a bitterness in her light words, and such a shadow in her usually candid green eyes
that F'nor could not tolerate Tito.
erase that self-deprecation, to make amends for his own
maladroitness, F'nor leaned across the table to kiss her on the lips.
He meant it as no more than a guerdon and was totally unprepared for the reaction in himself, in
Brekke. Or for Canth's distant bugle.
His eyes never leaving Brekke's, F'nor rose slowly and circled theHteabsleli.d beside her on the bench, pulling her against him with his good Haremr . head fell back on his shoulder and he bent to the incredible sweetness of her lipHs.er body was soft and pliable, her arms went around him, pressing him to her with a total surrender to his virility that he had never before expeNrioenmceadt.ter how eager
others had seemed, or gratified, there had never been such a total commitment Stuochhiman. of ...
Abruptly F'nor raised his head, looking deep into her eyes.
innocence
"You've never slept with T'borH."e stated it as a fa"cYt.ou've never slept with any man." She hid her face in his shoulder, the pliancy of her bodyHegognen. tly forced her head up. "Why have you deliberately let it be assumed that you and T'bor ..."
She was shaking her head slightly from side to side, her eyes concealing nothing, her face a mask of sorrow.
"To keep other men from youF?'"nor demanded, giving her a little sha"kWe.hy? Whom are you keeping yourself for?"
He knew the answer before she spoke, knew it when she placed her finger on his lips to silence him. But he couldn't understand her sorroHwe. 'd been a fool but ...
"I have loved you since the first day I sawYyoouu.were so kind to us, yanked away from Craft and
Hold, dazed because we'd been brought all the way here on Search for WOinre
tohf. us would
actually be a WeyrwomanA. nd you, you were all a dragonman should be, tall and handsome, sIo kind. didn't know then, " and Brekke falterTedo. F'nor's concern, tears filmed her ey"eHs.ow could I know
that only bronze dragons fly queens!"
F'nor held the weeping girl to his chest, his lips against her soft hair, her trembling hands folded in his. Yes, there was much about Brekke he could understand now.
"Dear girl," he said when her tears lessened, "is that why you refused N'ton?"
She nodded her head against his shoulder, unwilling to look at him.
"Then you're a silly clunch and deserve all the anguish you've put yourself through," he said, his teasing voice taking the sting from his woHrdes.patted her shoulder and sighed exaggerated"lAy.nd
craftbred as wellH.
ave you taken in nothing you've been told about dragonWfoleky?rwomen can't be
bound by any commoner moralitieAs.
Weyrwoman has to be subservient to her queen's needs, including
mating with many riders if her queen is flown by different drMagoosnts.craft and holdbred girls envy such freedom ..."
"Of that I'm all too aware," Brekke said and her body seemed to resent his touch.
"Does Wirenth object to me?"
"Oh, no," and Brekke looked startleId.meant, oh, I don't know what I meIalnotv. e Wirenth, but
can't you understand?I'm not weyrbredI.
don't have that kind of, of, wantonness in my nIa'mtu,reI.'m
inhibited. There! I said itI.
am inhibited and I'm terrified that I'll inhibit WirIenctahn.'t change all of me to
conform to Weyr customsI.'m the way I am."
F'nor tried to soothe heHr.e wasn't sure now how to proceed, for this over wrought girl was a different creature entirely from the calm, serious, reliable Brekke he knew.
"No one wants or expects you to change compleYteolyu. wouldn't be our BrekkBe.ut dragons don't criticize.Neither do their ridersM. ost queens tend to prefer one bronze above the others consistently ..."
"You still don't understand.T"he accusation was a hopeless wa"iIl. never saw any man I wanted to,
to have, " The word was an aspirated whis"pNeor.t that wayN.
ot until I saw yoIu.don't want any other
man to possess meI.'ll freeze.I won't be able to draw Wirenth baAcnkd.
I love herI. love her so and
she'll be rising soon and I can'It
t..h.ought I'd be able to, but I know I'll ..."
She tried to break away from him, but even with one arm the brown rider wasTsrtarpopngeder,. she began to cling to him with the strength of utter despair.
He rocked her gently against him, removing his arm from the sling so he could stroke her hair.
"You won't lose WirenthI.t's different when dragons mate, lovYeo. u're the dragon, too, caught up in emotions that have only one resolutionH."e held her tightly as she seemed to shrink with revulsion from him as well as the imminent eveHnet. thought of the riders here at Southern, of T'bor, and he experienced a disgust of another soTrth.ose men, conditioned to respond to Kylara's exotic tastes, would brutalize this inexperienced child.
F'nor glanced round at the low couch and rose, Brekke in hisHaermstsa.rted for the bed, halted, hearing voices beyond the clearinAg.nyone might come.
Still holding her, he carried her out of the weyrhold, smothering her protest against his chest as she realized his intentionT. here was a place behind his weyrhold, beyond Canth's wallow, where the ferns grew sweet and thick, where they would be undisturbed.
He wanted to be gentle but, unaccountably, Brekke fought Shhiem.pleaded with him, crying out wildly that they'd rouse the sleeping WirenHthe. wasn't gentle but he was thorough, and, in the end, Brekke astounded him with a surrender as passionate as if her dragon had been involved.
F'nor raised himself on his elbow, pushing the sweaty, fern-entangled hair from her closed eyes, pleased by the soft serenity of her expression; excessively pleased with hiAmsmelaf.n never really knew how a woman would respond in loSvoe. much hinted at in play never materialized in practice.
But Brekke was as honest in love, as kind and generous, as wholesome as ever; in her innocent wholeheartedness more sensual than the most skilled partner he had ever enHjoeyrede.yes opened, met
his in a wondering stare for a long momWenitth.
a moan, she turned her head, evading his scrutiny
"Surely no regrets, Brekke?"
"Oh, F'nor, what will I do when Wirenth rises?"
F'nor began to curse then, steadily, hopelessly, as he cradled her now unresponsive body against him. He cursed the differences between Hold and Weyr, the throbbing wound in his arm that signalized the difference which existed even between dragonmHene. railed at the inescapable realization that what
he loved most was insufficient to his neHeed.hated himself, aware that in his effort to help Brekke, he had compromised her values and was probably destroying her.
Instinctively his confused thoughts reached out to Canth, and he found himself trying to suppress that contact. Canth must never know his rider could fault him for not being a bronze.
"I am as large as most bronzes," Canth said with unruffled equanAimlmitoys.t as if he was surprised he had to mention the fact to his r"idI ear.m strongS. trong enough to out last any bronze here."
F'nor's exclamation roused Brekke.
"There's no reason Canth can't fly WirenBthy. the Shell, he could out fly any bronze Ahenrde. probably Orth, too, if he puts his mind to it."
"Canth fly Wirenth?"
"Why not?"
"But browns don't fly queenBs.ronzes do."
F'nor hugged her fiercely, trying to impart his jubilation, his almost inarticulate joy and relief.
"The only reason browns haven't flown queens is that they're smTahleleyr. don't have the stamina to last in a mating flighBt.ut Canth's bigC. anth's the biggest, strongest, fastest brown in PeDrno. n't you
see, Brekke?"
Her body uncurledH.
ope was restoring color to her face, life to her green eyes.
"It's been done?"
F'nor shook his head impatientl"yI.t's time to discard custom that hampeWrsh. y not this one?"
She permitted him to caress her but there was a shadow lingering in her eyes and a reluctance in her body.
"I want to, oh how I want to, F'nor, but I'm so Is'cmaresdca. red to my bones."
He kissed her deeply, ruthlessly employing subtleties to arouse"Phleera.se, Brekke?"
"It can't be wrong to be happy, can it, F'nor?" she whispered, a shiver rippling along her body.
He kissed her again, using every trick learned from a hundred casual encounters to wed her to him, body, soul and mind, aware of Canth's enthusiastic endorsement.
Seething with fury, Kylara watched the men walk off and leave her, standing in the Hceleraring. conflicting emotions made it impossible for her to retaliate suitably, but she'd make them both regret their words. She'd pay F'lar back for losing the lizard quSeheen'.d score T'bor for daring to reprimand her,
the Weyrwoman of Southern, of the Telgar Bloodline, in the presence oOf hF,'lahre.'d regret that insult. They'd both regret iSt.he'd show them.
Her arm throbbed from the clawing and she cradled it against her, the pain acerbating her other complaints. Where was some numbweedW? here was that BrekkeW? here was everyone else at a time when the Weyr compound should be full of peoWplaes? everyone avoiding herW? here was Brekke?
"Feeding the lizardI.'m hungry, too," Prideth said so firmly that Kylara looked around in surprise at her queen.
"Your color isn't good," she said, her stream of mental vituperation deflected by the habit of concern for Prideth's well-being and the instinctive awareness that she must not alienate her dragon.
Well, she didn't want to have to look at Brekke's broad commoneSrhfeaccee.rtainly didn't want to
see a lizardN.
ot now.Horrible creatures, no gratitudeN. o real sensitivity or the thing would have known
it was only being shown oPffr.ideth jumped them to the Feeding Ground and landed so smartly that
Kylara gave a gasp of pain as her arm was jTareraerds. formed in her eyePs.rideth, too?
But Prideth gave a flying jump to the back of a fat, stupid herdbeast and began to feed with a
savagery that fascinated Kylara out of her self-pTithye.
queen finished the beast with ravenous speed.
She was upon a second buck and disemboweling it so voraciously that Kylara could not escape the fact
that she had indeed been neglecting PrideSthe.
felt herself caught up in the hunger and vicariously
dissipated her anger by imagining T'bor as the second buck, F'lar as the third, Lessa as the big wherry. By the time Prideth's hunger was sated, Kylara's mind was clear.
She took her queen back to the weyr and spent a long time sanding and brushing her hide until it lost all trace of dullnessF.inally Prideth curled in a contented drowse on the sun-warmed rock and Kylara's
guilt was absolved.
"Forgive me, PridethI.
didn't mean to neglect yoBuu. t they've slighted me so ofteAnn. d a blow at
me is a slam at your prestige, Stoooo.n they won't dare ignore uAsn. d we won't stay immured in this
dreary, underside WeyrW.
e'll have strong men and the most powerful bronzes begging us for favors.
You'll be oiled and fed and scrubbed and scratched and pampered as youYoou'lhl t.see.They'll regret their behavior."
Prideth's eyes were completely lidded now, and her breath came and went with a faint whistle. Kylara glanced at the bulging belSlyh.e'd sleep a long time with that much to content her.
"I ought not to have let her gorge so," Kylara murmured, but there had been something so gratifying in the way Prideth tore into her meat; as if all indignities and affronts and discourtesy had leaked out of Kylara as blood from the slaughtered animals had seeped into the pasture grass.
Her arm began to hurt agaSinh.e'd removed the wher-hide tunic to groom Prideth, and sand and dust coated the new scabSs.uddenly Kylara felt filthy, disgustingly filthy with sand and dust and sweat. She was aware of fatigue, toSoh.e'd bathe and eat, have Rannelly rub her well with sweet oil and cleansing sand.First, she'd get some numbweed from little nurse-goody Brekke.
She came past the side window of Brekke's weyrhold and heard the murmur of a man's voice and the low delighted laughing response from BrekKkey.lara halted, astonished by the rippling quality of the girl's voice.She peered in, unobserved, because Brekke had eyes only for the dark head bent toward her.
F'nor! And Brekke?
The brown rider raised his hand slowly, stroked back a wayward strand of hair from Brekke's cheek with such loving tenderness that there was no doubt in Kylara's mind that they had only recently been lovers.
Kylara's half-forgotten anger burst into cold heBarte. kke and F'nor!When F'nor had repeatedly turned aside her favorsB? rekke and F'nor indeed!
Because Kylara moved on, Canth did not tell his rider.
CHAPTER X
Early Morning in HarperCrafthall at
Fort Hold
Afternoon at Telgar Hold
Robinton, Masterharper of Pern, adjusted his tunic, the rich green pile of the fabric pleasing to the
touch as well as the eyHee.
turned sideways, to check the fit of the tunic across his shoulders.
Masterweaver Zurg had compensated for his tendency to slouch, so the hem did not Thhikeeguilpd.ed belt and the knife were just the proper dress accouterments.
Robinton grimaced at his reflectio"nB. elt knives!"He smoothed his hair behind his ears, then stepped back to check the pantMs. astertanner Belesdan had surpassed himselTf.he fellis dye had turned the soft wher-hide into a deep green the same shade as the tuTnhiec. boots were a shade darkTehr.ey fit snug
to his calf and foot.
Green! Robinton grinned to himselfN. either Zurg nor Belesdan had been in favor of that shade, though it was easily obtainablAe.bout time we shed another ridiculous superstition, Robinton thought.
He glanced out of his window, checking the sun's posIitiowna. s above the Fort range noTwh.at meant mid-afternoon at Telgar Hold and the guests would be gathHerein'dg.been promised transport.
T'ron of Fort Weyr had grudgingly acceded to that request, though it was a tradition of long standing that the Harper could request aid from any Weyr.
A dragon appeared in the northwest sky.
Robinton grabbed up his overcloak, the dress tunic would never keep out the full cold of between,
his gloves and felted case that contained the best Hgieta'dr. hesitated about bringing
Cit.had had a fine
instrument at Telgar Hold, but fine wood and gut would not be chilled by those cold seconds of between as mere flesh would.
When he passed the window, he noticed a second dragon winging down, and was mildly surprised.
By the time he reached the small court of the HarperCrafthall, he gave a snort of amAustehmirednt. dragon had appeared from due east.
Never around when you want 'em, thouRgho.binton sighed, for it seemed the problems of the day
had already begun, instead of waiting dutifully for him (as what trouble does?) at Telgar Hold, where he'd expected it.
Green, blue, and ah-ha, bronze dragon wings in the early morning sun.
"Sebell, Talmor, Brudegan, Tagetarl, into your fine rHagusr.ry or I'll skin you and use your lazy innards for strings," Robinton called in a voice that projected into every room facing the Court.
Two heads popped out of an upper window of the apprentice barracks, two more at the journeyman's Hold.
"Aye, sir.""Coming, sir.""In a moment!"
Yes, with four harpers of his own, and the three at Telgar Hold, Sebell played the best bass line, not to mention Chad the Telgar Harper improvising in the treble, they'd have a grand louRdogbirnotuopn.
tossed his overcloak to his shoulder, forgetting that the pile of the green tunic might crush, and grinned sardonically at the wheeling dragonHs.e half-expected them all to wink out again at the discovery of this multiplicity.
He should pick the Telgar Weyr blue on the grounds that he appeareHdowfiresvte. r, the green dragon came from Fort Weyr, to whom his Craft was weyrbYouent dB. enden Weyr did the honor of sending a bronzeP. erhaps I should take the first to land, though they're all taking their time about it, he thought.
He stepped out of the Court quadrangle to the fields beyond, since it was obvious that's where the beasts were landing.
The bronze landed last, which canceled that method of impartial cThohiecet.hree riders met
mid-field, some few dragonlengths from the disputed passenEgearc.h man began arguing his claim at once. When the bronze rider became the target of the other two, Robinton felt obliged to intervene.
"He's weyrbound to Fort WeyWr. e have the right," said the green rider indignantly.
"He's guest of Telgar HolLd.ord Holder Larad himself requested ..."
The bronze rider (Robinton recognized him as N'ton, one of the first non-weyrbred to Impress a dragon at Benden Weyr Turns ago) appeared neither angry nor disconcerted.
"The good Masterharper will know the right of it," and N'ton bowed graciously to Robinton.
The others gave him scarcely a glance but renewed their quarrel.
"Why, there's no problem at all," Robinton said in the firm, decisive tone he rarely employed and which was never contradicted.
The two wranglers fell silent and faced him, the one sullen, the other indignant.
"Still, it does the Craft honor that you've to serve it," and Robinton accorded the two dissidents an
ironic bow."Fortunately, I have need of three beaIs'tvse.
four more harpers to transport to Telgar Hold
to grace the happy occasionH."e emphasized the adjective, noticing the glares that passed between blue
and green ridersY.
oung N'ton, though not weyrbred, had excellent manners.
"I was told to take you," the Fort Weyr man said in a sour voice.
"And took such joy of the assignment, it has made my morning merry," Robinton repliedHecrisply. saw the smug look on the blue rider's f"aAcne.d while I appreciate Weyrleader R'mart's thoughtfulness
in spite of his recent, ah, problems at Telgar Hold, I shall ride the Benden WeyFr odrrathgeoyn. do not grudge the Masterharper the prerogative."
His craftsmen came racing out of the Hall, riding cloaks askew on their shoulders, fitting their instruments in felt wrappings as they camReo.binton gave each a cursory glance as they came to a ragged line in front of him, breathless, flushed and, thank the Shell, Hheappnyo.dded toward Sebell's
pants, indicated that Talmor should adjust his twisted belt, approved Brudegan's immaculate appearance, and murmured that Tagetarl was to smooth his wild hair.
"We're ready, sirs," Robinton announced and, giving a curt bow of his head to the other riders, turned on his heel to follow N'ton.
"I've half a mind, " the green rider began.
"Obviously," Robinton cut in, his voice as cold as between and as menacing as "TBhruredaedg.an, Tagetarl, ride with himS.ebell, Talmor, on the green."
Robinton watched as Brudegan, with no expression on his face, gestured politely to the shorter,
green rider to precede themO.f all men on Pern, harpers feared fAewny.
one deliberately antagonizing
them for no cause found himself the butt of a satirical tune which would be played around the land.
There were no further protestAs.nd Robinton was rather pleased to notice that N'ton gave no indication that there'd been any display of ill nature.
Robinton on N'ton's bronze arrived in the air, facing the cliff-palisade that was TelgaTrheHoswldi.ft
river that had its source in the great striding eastern range of mountains had cut through the softer stone and made a deep incision that gradually widened until a series of high palisades flanked the green, wide Telgar valley.Telgar Hold was situated in one such soaring palisade, at the apex of a slightly triangular section of the cliffsI.t faced south, with sides east and west and its hundred or so windows, on five distinct levels, must make pleasant and well lit rooAmlls.had the heavy bronze shutters which marked
Telgar Hold for a wealthy one.
Today the three cliff faces of Telgar Hold were brilliant with the pennants of every minor Hold which had ever aligned its Blood with theTirhs.e Great Court was festooned with hundreds of flowering
branches and giant fellis blooms, so that the air was heavy with mingled fragrances and appetizing kitchen odors. Guests must have been arriving for hours, to judge by the mass of long-legged runners among the pastured herdbeasts.Every room in old Telgar Hold ought to be filled this night and Robinton was glad that his rank gave him a sure plAacel.ittle crowded perhaps because he'd brought four more harpers.
They might be superfluous; every Harper who could must have wangled his way in heMre atyobdeayi.t would be a happy occasion, after all.
I'll concentrate on positive, happy thoughts, Robinton mused to himself, coining Fandarel's phrase. "You'll be staying on, N'ton?"
The young man grinned back at the Harper, but there was a serious shadow in "hLiisotehyeasn.d I
have a sweep to ride, Master Robinton," he said, leaning forward to slap his bronze affectionately on the neck. "But I did want to see Telgar Hold, so when Lord Asgenar asked me to oblige him by bringing you, I was glad of the chance."
"I, too," Robinton said in farewell, as he slid down the dragon's sh"oMulydetrh. anks to you, Lioth, for a smooth journey."
"The Harper has only to ask."
Startled, Robinton glanced up at N'ton, but the young man's head was turned toward a party of brightly garbed young women who were walking up from the pasture.
Robinton looked at Lioth, whose opalescent eye gleamed at him an iTnshteant.the dragon spread his great wingsH. astily Robinton backed away, still not positive he'd heard the drYageot nt.here was no other explanation.Well, this day was certainly unfolding surprises!
"Sir?" inquired Brudegan respectfully.
"Ah, yes, lads."He grinned at themT.almor had never flown and the boy was a bit glassy in the eye. "Brudegan, you know the haTll.ake them to the Harper's room so they'll know theirAwnady.take my
instrument, too.I'll not need it until the banquTeht.en, lads, you're to mingle, play, talk, lisYteonu. the ditties I've been rehearsinUg.se them."
know
"You've heard the drum messageUs.tilize them.Brudegan, take Sebell with you, it's his first public performance. No, Sebell, you'd not be with us today if I'd no faith in your Tabaillmitoiers,. watch that temper of yoursT. agetarl, wait until after the banquet to charm the Rgiermls.ember, you'll be a full Harper too soon to jeopardize a good HoldAinlgl . of you, mind the distilled wines."
He left them so advised and went up the busy ramp into the Great Court, smiling and bowing to those he knew among the many Holders, Craftsmen and ladies passing to and fro.
Larad, Lord of Telgar Hold, resplendent in dark yellow, and the bridegroom Asgenar, Lord of Lemos, in a brilliant midnight blue, stood by the great metal doors to the Hold's MTahine wHoalml.en of Telgar were in white with the exception of Larad's half-sister, Famira, theHber dbel.ond hair streamed to the hem of her traditional wedding dress of graduated shades of red.
Robinton stood for a moment to one side of the gate into the Court, slightly in the shadow of the right-hand tower, scanning the guests already making small groups around the decorated CouHrteyard. spotted the Masterherdsman, Sograny, near the stabTlhe.e man oughtn't to look as if he smelled
something distasteful.Probably not the vicinity, but his neighboSrosg. rany disapproved of wasting time. Masterweaver Zurg and his nimble wife moved constantly from group to Rgroobuipn.ton wondered if
they were inspecting fabric and fHita. rd to tell, for Weaver Zurg and spouse nodded and beamed at everyone with good-natured impartiality.
Masterminer Nigot was deep in talk with Mastertanner Belesden and the Masterfarmer Andemon, while their women formed a close conversation knot to oneLsoirdde. Corman of Keroon was
apparently lecturing the nine young men ringing hsiomn:s, foster and blood undoubtedly, since most of
them bore the old man's nosy signatuTrhe.ey must be recently arrived for, at a signal from him, the boys all smartly turned on their heels and followed their parent, right up to thLeorsdtepRsa. id of Benden was talking to his host and, seeing Corman approach, bowed and stepped Laowrday.Sifer of Bitra gestured
for Lord Raid to join him and a group of minor Holders conversing near the watchtowOefr tshteps.
other Lord Holders, Groghe of Fort, Sangel of Boll, Meron of Nabol, Nessel of Crom, Robinton saw nothing. Dragons trumpeted on high and a half wing of them began to spiral down to the wide field where Robinton had landed.
Bronzes, blues, ah, and five golden queens, came to rest bDrieisfclyh.arging their passengers, most of them leaped skyward again, toward the fire ridges above the Hold.
Robinton made his way hastily to his host then, before the newest arrivals swarmed up the ramp to the Great Court.
There was a hearty cheerfulness about Lord Larad's greeting that masked a deep inner Hanisxiety.
eyes, blue and candid, restlessly scanned the CoTuhrte.
Lord of Telgar was a handsome man though
there was scant resemblance between him and his only full sibling, KEyvliadrean. tly it was Kylara who had inherited their sire's appetiteJsu.st as well.
"Welcome, Master Harper, we all look forward to your entertaining songs," Lord Larad said, according the Harper a deep bow.
"We shall play in tune with the times and the occasion, Lord Larad," Robinton replied, grinning broadly at such bluntnessT.hey both heard the ripple of music as the young harpers began to move among the guests.
The whoosh of great wings drew their eyes upwTahrde. dragons flew across the sun, briefly
shadowing the CourtA.
ll talk died for a moment, then renewed more loudly than before.
Robinton moved on, greeting Lord Larad's first lady and true love, for he had no others besides her. The young Lord of Telgar, at least, was constant.
"Lord Asgenar, my felicitationsL.ady Famira, may I wish you all happiness, to have and to hold."
The girl blushed prettily, glancing shyly at Lord AsgeHnearr. eyes were as blue as her half-brother's. She had her hand on Asgenar's arm, having known him a longLatriamde.and Asgenar had been
fosterlings at the Hold of Lord Corman of Keroon, though Larad had been elected earlier to his dignities than Asgenar.There'd be no problem with this wedding, although it remained for the Conclave of Lord Holders to ratify it, since the progeny of this marriage might one day Hold either Telgar orALemos.
man cast his seed widely if he was a Lord HHoledehr.ad many sons in the hope that one male of his
Blood would train up strong enough to be acceptable to the Conclave, when the question of Succession arose. Not that that ancient custom was as scrupulously observed as it hadThbeeewn.ise Lord
extended fosterage to the Blooded children of other Lords, to gain support in Conclave as well as to insure his own progeny being well-fostered.
Robinton stepped quickly among the guesTtso.
hear what he could, enter a conversation with an
amusing story, climax another with a deft phrHasee.helped himself to a handful of finger-sized meatrolls from the long tables set up near the kitchen entrHaneces.cooped up a mug of cidTehr.ey'd not sit to
table until sunsetF. irst the Lord Holders and the major Small Holders would have their Co(nHcleave.
hoped that Chad had found a way for him to 'attend' that meeting for he'd a notion that the discussion wouldn't be limited to the Bloodlines of Telgar and Lemos Holds.)
So he wandered, every perception tuned high, every nuance, shrug, laugh, gesture and frown
weighed and measuredH.
e observed the groupings, who shifted between the lines of region, craft and
rank. When he realized he had seen nothing of the Mastersmith Fandarel or his Craft-second, Terry, or, indeed, any smithcrafters, he began to wondHear.d Fandarel's distance-writer been installedH?e took a
look down the side of the Hold and could see no posts as had been describeHd etochheiwme.d thoughtfully at a rough spot on his lower lip.
Voices and laughter seemed to have a strident eFdrgoem.
his detached vantage point, he surveyed
the Great Court, now so full it appeared as a moving carpet of solid bodies, here and there a tight knot of bent heads.As if, as if everyone were determined to enjoy themselves, frantically grasping pleasure.
Dragons trumpeted from the heightRs.obinton grinned.They spoke in thirds, he noticeNdo. w, if a man could direct them, what an accompaniment to his Ballad.
"Good Masterharper, have you seen F'lar or FandarLely?t"ol had come up to him, the young Lord
Jaxom at his elbow.
"Not yet."
Lytol frowned, suggested pointedly that Jaxom look for the young Bloods of Telgar Hold and drew
Robinton further from the nearest guests.
"How do you think the Lords will react to Lord Meron of Nabol?"
"React to Meron?"Robinton snorted derisively". By ignoring him, of coursNe.ot that his opinion would influence the Conclave."
"I don't mean thaIt. mean his possession of a fire lizard, " Lytol broke off as the Harper stared at him. "You didn't hear?The messenger went through Ruatha Hold yesterday, bound for Fort Hold and your Crafthall."
"He missed me or, was he free with his news?"
"To me, yesI.
seem to attract confidences."
"Fire lizard?What about them?I used to spend hours trying to catch Noneev.er did In fact I never heard of one being caughHt.ow did Meron manage the trick?"
Lytol grimaced, the tic beginning in his ch"eTekh.ey can be ImpressedT.here always was that nursery tale that fire lizards are the ancestors of dragons."
"And Meron of Nabol Impressed one?"
Lytol gave a mirthless laug"hU. nlikely, I grant youT.he fire lizards exhibit a woeful lack of tBasutte.
you can rest assured that Meron of Nabol would not waste time on fire lizards if they weren't of use to him."
Robinton considered this and then shrugge"dI. don't think you need be concernBedu.t how did
Nabol get one?How can they be ImpressedI?thought that was strictly a draconic trait."
"How Lord Meron of Nabol acquired one is what bothers me the most," Lytol said, gl"oTwhearting. Southern Weyrwoman, Kylara, brought him a whole clutch of Oegfgsc.ourse, they lost most in the Hatching, but the few that survived are making quite a stir in NaboTl hHe omlde. ssenger had seen one,
and he was all bright-eyed in the tell'iAng.regular dragon in miniature' he said, and he's all for trying his luck on the sandy beaches in Southern Boll and Fort from the gleam in his eye."
" 'A regular dragon in miniature,' huRh?o"binton began to turn the significance of this around in his mind. He didn't like the angles he saw.
There wasn't a boy alive on Pern that hadn't at one time dreamed of suddenly becoming acceptable to Dragonkind, of ImpressingO. f having at his beck and call (little dreaming it was more the other way round) an immense creature, capable of going anywhere on Pern in a breath, of defeating all enemies with his flame-ridden breath (also fallacious as dragons never flamed anything but Thread, wouldn't knowingly harm a human)L. ife at the mountaintop Weyrs assumed a glamor all out of proportion to reality, yet dragonmen were not stooped by the heavy labor of the fields, orchards and craft benches; they were straight and tall, dressed in beautifully tanned wher-hides, and seemed somehow suVpeerriyor.few boys
could become Lord Holders, unless they were properly BlooBdeudt .there was always that tantalizing possibility that a dragonrider might choose you to go to the Weyr for an ImpSroessgieonne.rations of boys had vainly tried to catch a fire lizard, symbolic of that other yearning.
And a 'regular miniature dragon' in the possession of a sly-faced underhanded malcontent like Meron of Nabol, who was sour about dragonmen anyway (with some justification in the matter of the Esvay valley against T'kul of the High Reaches Weyr), could be an embarrassment for F'lar at the least, and might disrupt their plans for the day at the worst.
"Well, if Kylara brought the fire-lizard eggs to Nabol Hold, F'lar will know," Robinton told the worried Lord Warder". They keep pretty close tabs on that woman."
Lytol's glower deepened". I hope soM. embarrass F'lar.Have you seen F'lar?"
eron of Nabol will certainly let no chance pass to irritate or
They both glanced around, hopefullTy.hen Robinton caught sight of a familiar grizzled head, bobbing toward himself and the Warder.
"Speaking of Benden, here's old Lord Raid charging down oIn'veusa.n idea what he wants and I
will not sing that ancient lay about the Holders one moreExticmuese.
me, Lytol."
Robinton slipped into the milling guests, working as rapidly away from the Benden Lord Holder as possible. He happened to dislike Lord Raid's favorite ballad with a passion and, if Raid cornered him, he'd have no choice but to singHeit.felt no compunction about leaving Lytol exposed to Lord Raid's
pompous manner.Lytol enjoyed an unusual status with the Lord HoldTehresy.
weren't certain how to
treat a man who'd been a dragonrider, Weaverhallmaster, and was now Lord Warder of a Ruatha prospering under his guidanceH. e could deal with Raid.
The Masterharper halted at a point where he could look up at the cliff, trying to spot Ramoth or
Mnementh among the dragons lining the edge.
Fire lizards?How was Meron going to use a fire lizUarndl?ess it was because Kylara, a Weyrwoman, had given him onYe.es. That was guaranteed to sow dissensioUnn. doubtedly every Lord Holder here would want one, so as to be equal to MTehreorne. couldn't be enough eggs to go around. Meron would capitalize on forgotten yearnings, and chalk up one more irritation against dragonmen.
Robinton found that the meatrolls sat heavily in his stomSaucdhd.enly Brudegan detached himself from the crowd, bowing with a rueful grin to those he'd been serenading as if he were reluctantly answering his Master's summons.
"The undercurrent is something fierce," the journeyman said, pretending to tune his instrument. "Everyone's so determined to have a good tiOmded. , too.It's not what they say, but how they say it that tips you off."The boy flushed as Robinton nodded approving"lFyo. r instance, they refer to 'that
Weyrleader' meaning their own weyrbound lead'eTrh. e Weyrleader' always means F'lar of Bend'eTnh.e Weyrleader' had understood'.The Weyrleader' had tried'S. he' means Lessa'.Her' means their own Weyrwoman. Interesting?"
"Fascinating. What's the feeling about Threadfall?"
Brudegan bent his head to the gitar, twanged strings discordaHnetlyd.rew his hand across all eight in
a dissonant chord that ran a chill down the Masterharper's song.
Tsphienne. Brudegan turned away with a gay
Robinton wished that F'lar and Lessa would arrHivee. did see D'ram of Ista Weyr talking earnestly
to Igen's Weyrleader, G'narishH. e liked that pair best of the Oldtimers, G'narish being young enough to change and D'ram essentially too honest to deny a truth when his nose wTarsouinbleit.was, he kept his
nose inside Ista Weyr too much.
Neither man looked at ease, as much because there was an island of empty space around them, an obvious ostracization with the Court so crowded, as anything Tehlseey. greeted Robinton with grave
relief.
"Such a happy occasion," he said and, when they reacted with surprise, he hur"rHieadveony.ou heard from F'lar?"
"Should we?There's been more Thread?G" 'narish asked, alarmed.
"Not that I know of."
"Have you seen T'ron or T'kul aboWut?e just arrived."
"No, in fact, none of the western people seem to be here except Lord Warder Lytol of Ruatha."
D'ram clenched his teeth with an audible snap.
"R'mart of Telgar can't come," the Oldtimer s"aHide.
took a bad scoring."
"I'd heard it was wicked at Crom Hold," Robinton murmured, sympatheti"cNaloly.way to predict it'd fall there at that time, either."
"I see Lord Nessel of Crom and his Holders are here in strength, though," D'ram said, his voice bitter.
"He could scarcely stay away without insulting Lord LaHraodw. casualties? And if R'mart's out of action, who's leading?"
bad were the Telgar Weyr's
D'ram gave the Harper the distinct feeling that he'd asked an impertinent question, but G'narish answered easily.
"The wing-second, M'rek, took over but the Weyr is so badly under strength that D'ram and I talked it over and sent replacementAs.s it happens, we've enough weyrlings who've just started chewing stone
so we're wing-full."G'narish glanced at the older dragonman as if he suddenly realized that he was
discussing Weyr affairs with an outsidHere.
gave a shrug".It makes more sense with Thread falling out
of phase and the Crom Hold demoralizWede.
used to do it in the Oldtime when a Weyr was
understrength. In fact, I flew with Benden one season as a weyrling."
"I'm certain that Crom and Telgar Holds will appreciate your cooperation, Weyrleaders," Robinton said. "Tell me, though, have you had any luck Impressing some fire liIzgaernds?and Ista ought to be
good hunting grounds."
"Impressing? Fire lizards?"D'ram snorted with as much incredulity as Robinton had expressed earlier.
"That'd be a trick," G'narish laughe"dL.ook, there's Ramoth and Mnementh now."
There was no mistaking the two beasts who were gliding to the fire Ihteiwghasts.also unmistakable that the dragons already perched on the pinnacle moved aside to make room for them.
"Now, that's the first time, " G'narish muttered under his breath and stopped, because a sudden lull in the conversation had swept through the assembly, punctuated by audible hushings and scrapings as
people turned to the Gate.
Robinton watched, with fond pride, as Lessa and F'lar mounted the steps to theTirhehyostws.ere both wearing the soft green of new leaves and the Harper wanted to aHppolwauedv.er, he restrained himself and, signaling to the dragonmen, began to thread his way toward the new Aarnroivthaelsr.
dragon, closely followed by a bronze, swept in at dangerously low alGtitould .wingtips showed above
the outer wall of the Court and the wind from her backstrokes flung up dust, dirt and the skirts of the ladies nearest the GateT. here was a spate of screams and angry protests from those discommoded
which settled into an ominous murmur.
Robinton, his height giving him an advantage, noticed Lord Larad hesitate in the act of bowing to
Lessa. He saw Lord Asgenar and the ladies staring intently beyIrornitda.ted that he was missing something. Robinton pushed urgently on.
He broke through to the corner of the stairs, took the first four in two big strides and halted.
Resplendent in red, her golden hair unbound like a maiden's, Kylara approached the Hall entrance, her smile composed of pure malice, not pleasHureer. right hand rested on the arm of Lord Meron of Nabol Hold, whose red tunic was slightly too orange in cast to blend wSithuchedrse.tails Robinton remembered at another timeN. ow all he saw were the two fire lizards, wings slightly extended for balance; a gold one on Kylara's left arm, a bronze on M'eRreognu'sl.ar miniature dragons,' beautiful,
evoking a feeling of envy and desire in the HaHrpeers.wallowed hastily, firmly suppressing such unbecoming emotions.
The murmur grew as more people became aware of the newest arrivals.
"By the First Shell, they've got fire lizarLdso!r"d Corman of Keroon Hold belloweHde.
stepped out
of the crowd into the aisle that had been opened to the Hall entrance, and stalked forward to have a good look.
The golden lizard screamed at his approach, and the little bronze hissed in wTahrenriengw. as an irritatingly smug smirk on Meron's face.
"Did you know Meron had oneD?"'ram demanded in a harsh whisper at the Harper's elbow. Robinton raised a hand to still further questions.
"And here come Kylara of Southern and Lord Meron of Nabol Hold with living examples of this small token of our best wishes for the happy couple," F'lar's voice rang out.
Utter silence fell as he and Lessa presented felt-wrapped round bundles to Lord Asgenar and his bride, Lady Famira.
"They are just now hard," F'lar said in a loud voice that carried over the murmurings, "and must be kept in heated sands to crack, of couTrshee.y come to you through the generosity of one Toric, a
seaholder at Southern Weyr, from a clutch he discovered only hourWs aegyorl.eader T'bor brought them to me."
Robinton glanced back at KylarHa.er flushed face now matched Meron's tunic while he looked ready to killL. essa, smiling graciously, turned to Kylara.
"F'lar told me he'd seen your little pet."
"Pet nothing!"Kylara blazed with anger".She ate Thread yesterday at High Reaches."
What else she'd had to say was lost as her words, "ate Thread," "ate Thread," ricocheted back through the assemblyT. he raucous screams of the two lizards added cacophony and Kylara and Meron had all they could do to soothe their creatuTroes.Robinton it was plain that whatever effect Meron of
Nabol had planned had been foileHde. dragon.'
was not the only Lord Holder to own 'a regular miniature
Two minor Holders, from Nerat to judge by their devices, bore down on D'ram and G'narish.
"As you love your dragons, pretend you knew about the lizards," Robinton said in an urgent undertone to the twoD. 'ram started to protest but the anxious Holders closed in with a barrage of eager questions on how to acquire a fire lizard just like Meron's.
Recovering first, G'narish answered with more poise than Robinton thought he'dPhreasvsein. g
against the stone wall, the Harper inched his way up the stairs, to push in around the women clustered about Lord Asgenar, his lady Famira and F'lar.
"LORD HOLDERS, OF MAJOR AND MINOR DEGREE, PRESENT YOURSELVES FOR THE CONCLAVE," boomed out the Telgar Hold guard capAtainb.rass chorus of dragons echoed from the heights, satisfactorily stunning the guests into momentary silence.
The Captain repeated his summons and abjured the crowd to make room.
Lord Asgenar handed Famira his egg, murmuring something in her ear and pointing into Hthee Hall. stepped aside, gesturing for Lessa and Famira to pass inAsisdew. ell they did for the Holders were now massing up the stairsR. obinton tried to signal F'lar but the dragonman was struggling toward Kylara, against the currentS. he was arguing heatedly with Meron who gave an angry shrug, left her and began shoving roughly into the Hall, past more polite Holders.
There was another exodus, Robinton noticed, of Craftmasters who congregated near the kitchen.
"F'lar needs the Harper."
Robinton glanced around him, wondering who had spoken amazed that so soft a voice had reached him over the gabblingH. e was alerted by a dissonant twang of strings and turning his head unerringly toward the sound, spotted Brudegan up on the sentry walk with Chad, from the lookHaodf hthime .
resident Harper of Telgar Hold found a way to over hear the Conclave?
As Robinton changed his direction for the tower steps, a dragonrider confronted him.
"F'lar wants you, Masterharper."
Robinton hesitated, looking back to the two harpers who were urgently signaling him to hurry.
"Lessa listens."
"Did you speak?"Robinton demanded of the rider.
"Yes, sir.F'lar wants you to join hiImt's.
important."
The Harper looked toward the dragons and Mnementh dipped his head up andRodboiwntno.n shook his, trying to cope with another of this day's astonishing sAhocpkiesr.cing whistle reached him from above.
He pursed his lips and gave the 'go-ahead' sequence, adding in its different tempo the tune for 'report later'.
Brudegan strummed an 'understand' chord with which Chad apparently disagMreaerdk. s for the journeyman, Robinton thought, and whistled the strident trill for 'comHpelyw'. ished the harpers had as flexible a code as the one he'd developed for the Smith, and where was he?
That was one man easily spotted in a crowd but, as Robinton followed the dragonrider, he didn't see
a Smithcrafter anywhereO.
f course, the impact of the distance-writer would be anticlimactic to the
introduction of the lizardsR. obinton felt sorry for the Smith, quietly perfecting an ingenious means of communication only to have it overshadowed by Thread-eating miniature draCgorneas.tures who could
be Impressed by non-weyrfolkT. he average Pernese would be far more struck by a draconic substitute than by any mechanical miracle.
The dragonrider had led him to the watchtower to the right of thWe hGeante.Robinton looked back over his left shoulder, Brudegan and Chad were no longer visible on the sentry walk.
The lower floor of the tower was a single large room, the stone stairs which rose to the right side of the sentry walk were on the far wSallele. ping furs were piled in one corner in readiness for such guests
as might have to be lodged there that nTigwhot.
slit windows, facing each other on the long sides of the
room, gave little lighGt. 'narish, the Igen Weyrleader, was unshielding the glow basket in the ceiling as the
Harper entered.Kylara was standing right under it, glaring furiously at T'bor.
"Yes, I went to NaboMl. y queen lizard was therAe.nd well I did, for Prideth saw Thread sign across the High Reaches RangeS!"he had everyone's attention nowH.er eyes gleamed, her chin lifted
and, Robinton noted, the shrewish rasp left her voKicyela.ra was a fine looking female, but there was a hard ruthlessness about her that repelled him.
"I flew instantly to T'kulH."er face twisted with ange"rH. e's no dragonman!He refused to believe me. Me! As if any Weyrwoman wouldn't know the sign when she sIeedsouitb. t he's even bothered
with Sweepriders.He kept harping on the fact that Thread had fallen six days ago at Tillek Hold and couldn't be falling this soon at High ReacSheos.I told him about Falls in the western swamp and north Lemos Hold, and he still wouldn't believe me."
"Did the Weyr turn out in timFe?'l"ar interrupted her coldly.
"Of course," and Kylara drew herself up, her posture tightening the dress against her full-bosomed
body. "I had Prideth sound the alarmH."er smile was malicious".T'kul had to acAt. there isn't a male dragon alive that will disobey one!"
queen can't lieA. nd
F'lar inhaled sharply, gritting his teeTth'k. ul of the High Reaches was a taciturn, cynical, tired man. However justified Kylara's actions were, her methods lacked diplomAacnyd. she was contemporary weyrfolk. Oh, well, T'kul was a lost cause anyhFo'wla.r glanced obliquely at D'ram and G'narish, to see what effect T'kul's behavior had on theSmur.ely now ... They looked strained.
"You're a good Weyrwoman, Kylara, and you did wVeelrly.
well," F'lar said with such conviction
that she began to preen and her smile was a smirk of self-satisfTahcetinons.he stared at him.
"Well, what are you going to do about T'Wkuel?can't permit him to endanger the world with that
Oldtime attitude of his."
F'lar waited, half-hoping that D'ram might speak Ifupj.ust one of the Oldtimers ...
"It seems that the Dragonriders had better call a conclave too," he said at length, aware of the tapping
of Kylara's foot and the eyes on h"iTm'r.on of Fort Weyr must hear of tAhinsd. go on to Telgar Weyr for R'mart's opinion."
perhaps we'd all better
"Opinion?" demanded Kylara, infuriated by this apparent evas"ioYno.u ought to ride out of here now, confront T'kul with flagrant negligence and ..."
"And what, Kylara?"F'lar asked when she broke off.
"And, well, there must be something you can do!"
For a situation that had never before arisFe'nla?r looked at D'ram and G'narish. "You've got to do something," she insisted, swinging toward the other men. "The Weyrs are traditionally autonomous."
"A fine excuse to hide behind, D'ram."
"There can be no hiding now," D'ram went on, his voice rough, his expressio"nSobmleeatkh.ing will have to be doneB. y all of usW. hen T'ron comes."
More temporizing?F'lar wondered."Kylara," he said aloud, "you mentioned your lizard eating Thread." There was a lot more to be discussed in this matter than T'kul's incredible b"eAhnadviomr.ay I inquire how you knew your lizard had returned to Nabol?"
"Prideth told meS. he Hatched there so she returned to Nabol Hold when you frightened her at
Southern."
"You had her at High Reaches Weyr, though?"
"No. I told youI.
saw Thread over the High Reach Range and went to FTir'kstu!lO.
nce I'd roused
the Weyr, I realized that there might have been Thread over Nabol so I went to check."
"And told Meron about the premature Threadfall?"
"Of course."
"Then?"
"I took the lizard back with mI ed.idn't want to lose her agaiWn."hen F'lar ignored that jibe, she went on."I picked up a flame thrower, so naturally I flew with Merika'sScwainntg.thanks I got for my help from that Weyrwoman."
She was telling the truth, F'lar realized, for her emotions were very much in evidence.
"When my lizard saw Thread falling, she seemed to goI mcaodu.ldn't control herS.he flew right at a patch and, ate it."
"Did you give her firestone?D"'ram asked, his eyes keen with real interest.
"I didn't have anyB. esides, I want her to mate," and Kylara's smile had a very odd twist to it as she stroked the lizard's back".She'll burrow, too," she added, extolling her creature's abili"tAiesg. round
crewman said he'd seen her enter oOnef. course I didn't know that until later."
"Is the High Reaches Hold clear of Thread now?"
Kylara shrugged indifferently". If they aren't, you'll hear."
"How long did Threadfall continue after you sawWietr?e you able to determine the leading Edge when you flew over to Nabol?"
"It lasted about three hourUs.nder, I'd sayT. hat is, from the time the wings finally got thSehre "
gave a condescending smile".As to the leading Edge, I'd say it must have been high up in the Range," and she dared them to dispute it, hurrying on when no on"eIt'd df.all on bare rock and snow thIerdei.d
sweep the Nabol side but Prideth saw no sign."
"You did extremely well, Kylara, and we are exceedingly grateful to you," F'lar said, and the other Leaders endorsed his commendation so firmly that Kylara smiled expansively, turning from one man to another, her eyes glittering with self-appreciation.
"We've had five Falls now," F'lar went on gravely, glancing at the other Leaders, trying to see how far he could continue in his move to consolidate himself as their spokTes'kmual'ns. defection had shaken
D'ram badly.What T'ron's reaction would be, F'lar didn't try to guess, but if the Fort Weyrleader found himself in a minority of one against the other four Leaders, would he decide to act against T'kul, even if it did mean siding with F'la"r?At Tillek Hold, eight days ago; Upper Crom Hold, five; high Lemos Hold
north, three; Southern far west, two; and now High Reaches UHnodldo.ubtedly Thread fell in the
Western Sea but there is no question that Falls are more frequent and increasing iNnoscpoopien.t on
Pern is safeN. "Tradition!"
o Weyr can afford to relax its vigil to a traditional six-day mHaregisnm."iled grimly.
D'ram looked about to argue, but F'lar caught and held his eyes until the man slowly nodded.
"That's easy to say, but what are you going to do about OTr'kTul'r?on?"Kylara had just realized no one was paying her any attentio"nH. e's just as badH. e refuses to admit times have changEedv.en when Mardra deliberately ..."
There was a brisk knock on the door but it swung open instantly, to admit the giant frame of
Fandarel.
"I was told you were here, F'lar, and we are ready."
F'lar scrubbed at his face, regretting the diversion.
"The Lord Holders are in Conclave," he began and the Smith grunted acknowledgment, "and there has been another unexpected development ..."
Fandarel nodded toward the fire lizard on Kylara's
"aIrmw. as told about themT.here are many
ways to fight Thread, of course, but not all are effiTchieentm.
erits of such creatures remain to be seen."
"The merits, " Kylara began, ready to explode with outrage.
Robinton the Harper was beside her, whispering in her ear.
Grateful to Robinton, F'lar turned to attend the Smith, who had stepped to the door, obviously wanting the dragonmen to accompany hiFm'l.ar was reluctant to see the distance-wriItet r.wouldn't
receive the attention it deserved from the Lords or the people or theThriededrsis.tance-writer made so much more sense in this emergency than unreliable lizAarndds. yet, if they did eat Thread ...
He paused on the threshold, looking back toward Kylara and the HRaorpbeinr.ton looked directly at him.
Almost as if the Harper read his mind, F'lar saw him smile winningly down at Kylara (though F'lar knew the man detested her).
"F'lar, do you think it's wise for Kylara to go out into thaTthmeyo'lbl !scare the lizard," said the
Harper.
"But I'm hungry, " Kylara proteste"dA.nd there's music, " as the nearby thrum of a gitar was plainly audible.
"That sounds like Tagetarl," Robinton said, with a bright "gI'rllinc. all him in and send you choice victuals from the kitchenF.ar better than struggling with that noisome rabble out there, I assureHeyou." handed her to a chair with great courtesy, motioning behind his back to F'lar to leave.
As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, the crowd swirling noisily around them, F'lar saw the merry-faced young man, gitar in hand, who had answered the Harper's wUhnisdtloeu.btedly Robinton
would be free to join them in a few moments if he read mattersThrieghytloyu.ng journeyman would definitely appeal to Kylara's, ah, nature.
Fandarel had set up his equipment in the far corner of the Court, where the outside wall abutted the cliff-Hold, a dragonlength from the staiTrsh.ree men were perched atop the wall, carefully handing
something down to the group working on the apparAatus s.the Weyrleaders followed Fandarel's swath through the press of bodies (the fellis blossom fragrance had long since given way to other odors), F'lar was the object of many sidelong glances and broken conversations.
"You watch, you'll see," a young man in the colors of a minor Hold was saying in a carrying voice. "Those dragonmen won't let us near a clutch ..."
"The Lord Holders, you mean," another sa"iFda.ncy anything trusting that NabolesWe. hat? Oh. Great shells!"
Now, if everyone on Pern could possess a fire lizard, wondered F'lar, would that really solve the problem?
"More dragons in the skyH."e glanced up and recognized T'ron's Fidranth and Mardra's queen, Loranth. He sighed.He wanted to see what Fandarel planned with his distance-writer before he had to tackle T'ron.
"Mnementh, what is happening at the Conclave?"
"Talk. They await the other two Lord Holders."
F'lar tried to see if the Fort Weyrleaders had brought the missing Lords Groghe of Fort and Sangel of South BollT. hose two wouldn't take kindly to a Conclave adjudicating without Bthuetmi.f Lord
Groghe had heard about High Reaches Hold.
F'lar suppressed a shudder, trying to smile with sincere apologies as he edged past a group of small
Holders who apparently couldn't see hiAms.
if recognizing the smithcrafters as neutral, the Weyrwomen
had gathered in a wary group to the right of the mass of equipment which Fandarel's people were setting up. They were pretending great interest, but even G'narish's pretty Weyrmate, Nadira, looked troubled
and she was a sweet-tempered ladBye.della, representing Telgar Weyr, looked completely confused but she wasn't bright.
Just then Mardra broke through the guests, demanding to know what was goHinagd oTn'.kul and Merika arrived?Where were their Hosts?Modern Holds were certainly lacking in plain courtSeshye. didn't expect traditional ceremonies any more but ...
At that moment, F'lar heard the clang of steel against steel and saw Lord Groghe of Fort pounding the Hall door with his knife handle, his heavy featured face suffused withThaengselrig. hter, frosty
Sangel, Lord of South Boll, was scowling darkly behind Thhime .door opened a slit, widened slightly to allow the two Lord Holders to enJteurd.ging by their expression, it would take time and more talk before these two were pacified.
"How much more needs to be done?" asked F'lar as he joined theHSemtirtihe.d to remember how the distance-writer had looked in the HTalhl.is collection of tubes and wire seemed much too big.
"We need only attach this wire so," Fandarel replied, his huge fingers deftly fitting word to action,
"and that one, hereN. ow. I place the arm in position over the roll and we shall send out a message to the
Hall to be sure all is in ordFear.n"darel beamed down at his instrument as fondly as any queen over a golden egg.
F'lar felt someone rather too close behind him and looked irritably over his shoulder to see
Robinton's intent faceT. he Harper gave him an abstracted smile and nodded for him to pay attention.
The Smith was delicately tapping out a code, the irregular lengths of red lines appearing on the gray paper as the needle moved.
" 'Hook-up completed,' " Robinton murmured in F'lar's "ea'Er.fficiently and on time.R' "obinton chuckled through that translation". 'Stand by.' That's the long and the short oTfheit."Smith turned the switch to the receive position and looked expectantly at AF'tlatrh. at moment, Mnementh gave a squall from the heightsH. e and all the dragons began to extend their wTinhges.mass movement blotted out the
sun which was lowering over the Telgar Cliffs and sent shadows over the guests to still their chatter.
"Groghe told the Lords that T'ron has found a distance-viewer atHFe ohrta.s seen the Red Star through it.They are upsetB. e warned," said Mnementh.
The doors of the Great Hall swung wide and the Lord Holders came stridOinnge oluoto. k at Lord
Groghe's face confirmed Mnementh's reporTt.he Lord Holders ranged themselves on the steps, in a
solid front against the Dragonmen gathered in the coLrnoerrd.
Groghe had lifted his arm, pointed it
accusingly at F'lar, when a disconcerting hiss split the pregnant silence.
"Look!" the Smith bellowed and all eyes followed his hand as the distance-writer began receiving a message.
"Igen Hold reports Thread fallinTg.ransmission broken off mid-sentence."
Robinton reported the sounds as they were printed, his voice growing hoarser and less confident with each word.
"What nonsense is this?L"ord Groghe demanded, his florid face brick-red as attention was diverted
from his proposed announcemen"t.Thread fell in the High Reaches at noon yesterHdaoyw. at Igen Hold this eveningW? hat the Shells is that contraption?"
could it fall
"I don't understand," G'narish protested loudly, staring up at Lord Laudey of Igen Hold who stood in stunned horror on the step"sI.'ve Sweepriders on constant patrol ..."
The dragons bugled on the heights just as a green burst into the air over the court, causing the crowd to scream and duck, scurrying to the walls for safety.
"Threads fall at Igen southwest," came the message loud and "cTleoarb. e echoed by the
Dragonriders in the court."
"Where are you going, F'lar?" bellowed Lord Groghe as the Benden Weyrleader followed G'narish's plunge to the GateT.he air was full of dragon wings now, the screams of frightened women counterpointing the curses of men.
"To fight Thread at Igen, of course," F'lar shouted back.
"Igen's my problem," G'narish cried, halting and wheeling toward F'lar, but there was gratitude, not rebuke in his surprised face.
"G'narish, wait!Where in Igen?"Lord Laudey was demandingH. e pushed past the infuriated Lord
Groghe to catch up with his Weyrleader.
"And Ista?Is the island in danger?L"ord Warbret wanted to know.
"We'll go and see," D'ram reassured him, taking his arm and urging him toward the Gate.
"Since when has Benden Weyr concerned itself with Igen and TIs'rtoa?n" planted himself squarely in
F'lar's way.The menace in his voice carried to the steps of theHHisablle. lligerent stance, obstructing the way to the Gate, halted them "aAlln.d rushed to Nabol's aide"
F'lar returned his scow"l.Thread falls, dragonmanI.gen and Ista fly winglight, with riders helping at
Telgar Weyr.Should we feast when others fight?"
"Let Ista and Igen fend for themselves!"
Ramoth screamed on highT.he other queens answered heWr. hat she challenged no one knew, but she suddenly winked ouFt.'lar had no attention to spare to wonder that she'd gone between without Lessa riding for he saw T'ron's hand on his belt knife.
"We can settle our difference of opinion later, TI'rnonp.rivate!Thread falls ..."
The bronzes had begun to land outside the Gate, juggling to let as many land close as possible.
The green rider from Igen had directed his beast to perch on thHe eGwataes. message to the static, tense group below.
repeatedly yelling his
T'ron would not stop".Thread falls, huh, F'larN? oble Benden to the rescuAe!nd it's not Benden's concern." He let out a raucous shout of derisive contempt.
"Enough, man!"D'ram stepped up to pull T'ron asiHdee. gestured sharply at the silent spectators.
But T'ron ignored the warning and shook him off so violently that the heavy-set D'ram staggered.
"I've had enough of BendenB!enden's notions!Benden's superiority!Benden's altruism!And
Benden's Weyrleader."
With that last snarled insult, T'ron launched himself toward F'lar, his drawn knife raised for a slashing blow.
As the ragged gasp of fear swept through the ranks of spectators, F'lar held his ground until there was no chance T'ron could change his directTiohne.n he ducked under the blade, yanking his own out of its ornamental sheath.
It was a new knife, a gift from LeItsshaa. d cut neither meat nor bread and must now be christened
with the blood of a maFno.r this duel was to the death and its outcome could well decide the fate of
Pern.
F'lar had sunk to a semicrouch, flexing his fingers around the hilt testing its Tboaolanmceu.ch depended on a single belt knife, a half-hand shorter than the blade in his opponent'sT'frionngehrsa.d the
reach of him and the added advantage of being in wher-hide riding gear whereas F'lar wore flimsy cloth. His eyes never left T'ron as he faced the older Fm'laarn.was aware of the hot sun on the back of his
neck, the hard stones under his feet, of the deathly hush of the great Court, of the smells of bruised fellis blooms, spilled wines and fried food, of sweat, and fear.
T'ron moved forward, amazingly light on his feet for a man of his size Fa'nladr alegte.him come, pivoted as T'ron angled off to his left, a circling movement designed to place him off balance, a transparent maneuver.F'lar felt a quick surge of relief; if this were the measure of T'ron's combat strategy
...
With a bound the Oldtimer was on him, knife miraculously transferred to his left hand with a motion too quick to follow, his right arm coming over and down in a blow that struck F'lar's wrist as he threw himself backward to avoid, by the thickness of a hair, the hissing stroke of the foot loHneg blade.
backed, his arm half-numbed, aware of the shock that coursed through him like a drenching of icy water.
For a man blind with anger, T'ron was a shade too controlled for F'lar'Ws lhikaitngp.ossessed the
man to pick a quarrel, here and noFwor? T'ron had pushed this fight, deliberately baiting F'lar with that specious quibble.D'ram and G'narish had been relieved at his offer ofShoelTp.'ron had wanted to fight. Why? Then suddenly, F'lar knewT.'ron had heard about T'kul's flagrant negligence and knew that the other Oldtimers could not ignore or obliquely condonNe oitt. with F'lar of Benden likely to insist that T'kul step aside as Weyrleader of High ReacIhfesT. 'ron could kill F'lar, he could control the others. And F'lar's public deal would leave the modern Lord Holders without a sympathetic WeyTrlheeader. domination of Weyrs over Hold and Craft would continue unchallenged, and unchanged.
T'ron moved in, pressing the attacFk'l.ar backed, watching the center of the Oldtimer's
wher-hide-cased chest.Not the eyes, not the knife haTndh.e chest!That was the spot that telegraphed the next move most accuratelTy.he words of old C'gan, the weyrling instructor, seven Turns dead, seemed to echo in F'lar's minOdn. ly C'gan had never thought his training would prevent one Weyrleader from killing another, to save Pern in a duel before half the world.
F'lar shook his head sharply, rejecting the angry line his thoughts were Ttahkisingw. asn't the way to survive, not with the odds against him.
He saw T'ron's arm move suddenly, swayed back in automatic evasion, saw the opening, lunged ...
The watchers gasped as the sound of torn fabric was clearly Thheeardp.ain at his waist had been
such a quick stab that F'lar had all but decided T'ron's swipe was only a scratch when a wave of nausea swept him.
"Good try.But you're just not fast enough, OldtimeFr'!l"ar heard himself saying; felt his lips stretch
into a smile he was far from feelHineg.kept to the crouch, the belt pressing against his waist, but the torn fabric dangled, jerking as he breathed.
T'ron threw him a half-puzzled look, his eyes raking him, pausing at the hanging rag, flicking to the
knife blade in his hanIdt. was clean, unstainedA.
second realization crossed T'ron's face, even as he
lunged again; F'lar knew that T'ron was shaken by the apparent failure of an attack he had counted on to injure badly.
F'lar pulled to one side, almost contemptuously avoiding the flashing blade, and then charged in with a series of lightning feints of his own, to test the Oldtimer's reflexes andThaegrielityw. as no doubt T'ron
needed to finish him off quickly, and F'lar hadn't much time either, he knew, as he ignored the hot agony in his midriff.
"Yes, Oldtimer," he said, forcing himself to breathe easily, keeping his words light, m"oBceknindgen. Weyr concerns itself with Ista and IgAenn.d the Holds of Nabol, and Crom, and Telgar, because Benden dragonmen have not forgotten that Thread burns anything and anyone it touches, Weyr and commoner alike.And if Benden Weyr has to stand alone against the fall of Thread, it will."
He flung himself at T'ron, stabbing at the horny leather tunic, praying the knife was sharp enough to pierce it.He spun aside barely in time, the effort causing him to gasp iYnetpahien. made himself dance
outside T'ron's reach, made himself grin at the other's sweaty, exertion-reddened face.
"Not fast enough, are you, T'roTno?
kill BendenO. r muster for a Fall."
T'ron's breathing was ragged, a hoarse raspiHnge. came on, his knife arm lowFe'lra. r backed, keeping to a wary crouch, wondering if it was sweat he felt trickling down his bellyIforTb'rloonod. noticed ...
"What's wrong, T'ron?All that rich food and easy living beginning toOtrelli?s it ageT. 'ron? Age creeping up on youY. ou're four hundred and forty-five Turns old, you knYoowu. can't move fast enough any more, with the times, or against me."
T'ron closed in, a guttural roar bursting from Hhiem.sprang, with a semblance of his old vitality,
aiming for the throaFt.'lar's knife hand flashed up, struck the attacking wrist aside, slashed downward at the other's neck, where the wher-hide tunic had paArtedd.ragon screamedT. 'ron's right fist caught him below the beltA. gony lashed through himH. e doubled over the man's arSmo.meone screamed a
warning. With an unexpected reserve of energy, F'lar somehow managed to pull himself sharply up from that vulnerable positionH. is head rocked from the impact against T'ron's descending knife, but it was miraculously deflected.Both hands on the hilt of his decorative blade, F'lar rammed it through wher-hide until it grated against the man's ribs.
He staggered free, saw T'ron waver, his eyes bulging with shock, saw him step back, the jeweled hilt standing out beneath his ribTs.'ron's mouth worked soundlesslyH. e fell heavily to his knees, then sagged
slowly sideways to the stones.
The tableau held for what seemed hours to F'lar, desperately sucking breath into his bruised body, forcing himself to keep to his feet for he could not, could not collapse.
"Benden's young, FortI.t's our TurnN.
ow!" he managed to say".And there's Thread falling at Igen."
He swung himself around, facing the staring mass of eyes and m"oTuhtehrse.'s Thread falling at Igen!"
He pivoted back, aware that he couldn't fight in a torn dressT'truonnich. ad on wher-hideH. e let
himself down heavily on one knee and began to tug at T'ron's belt, ignoring the blood that oozed out around the knife.
Someone screamed and beat at his hanIdts.was Mardra. "You've killed himI.sn't that enough?Leave him alone!" F'lar stared up at her, frowning.
"He's not deadF. idranth hasn't gone between.I"t made him feel stronger somehow to know he hadn't killed the man".Get wine, someoneC. all the physician!"
He got the belt loose and was pulling at the right sleeve when other hands began to help.
"I need it to fight in," he mutteAredc.lean cloth was waved in his directHioen. grabbed it and, holding his breath, jerked loose the knHife looked at it a second and then cast it fromIt hsikmit.tered across the stone, everyone jumping from its pSaothm. eone handed him the tuniHc.e got up, struggling
into it.T'ron was a heavier man; the tunic was tooHbeigw. as belting it tightly to him when he became aware again of the hushed, awed audienHcee. looked at the blur of expectant faces.
"Well? Do you support Benden?" he cried.
There was a further moment of stunned silenTchee. Lord Holders stood.
crowd's multihead turned to the stairs where the
"Those who don't had better hide deep in their Hoclrdise!d" Lord Larad of Telgar, stepping down on a level with Lord Groghe and Lord Sangel, his hand on his knife belt, his manner challenging.
"The Smiths support Benden WeyrF!"andarel boomed out.
"The Harpers do!"Robinton's baritone was answered by Chad's tenor from the sentry walk.
"The Miners!" "The Weavers!" "The Tanners!"
The Lord Holders began to call out their names, loudly, as if by volume they could redeem themselves. A cheer rose from the guests to fall almost instantly to a hush as F'lar turned slowly to the other Weyrleaders.
"Ista!" D'ram's cry was a fierce, almost defiant hiss, over-taken by G'narish's exultant "Igen" and
T'bor's enthusiastic "Southern!"
"What can we do?" cried Lord Asgenar, striding to "FC'lanr. Lemos runners and groundmen help
Igen Hold now?"
F'lar lost his immobility, tightened the belt one further notch, hoping the stricture would dull the pain.
"It's your wedding day, maEn.njoy what you can of it. D'ram, we'll follow Ryaomu.oth's already
called up the Benden wingTs.'bor, bring up the Southern fighteErsv.ery man and woman who can fit on the dragons!"
He was asking for more than complete mobilization of the fighters and T'bor hesitated.
"Lessa," for she had her arms around him nHoew.pushed them gently to one si"dAe.ssist Mardra. Robinton, I need your helLp.et it be known," and he raised his voice, harsh and steely enough to be heard throughout the listening Cour"tL. et it be known," and he stared down at Mardra, "that any of Fort Weyr who do not care to follow Benden's lead must go to SouHtheerlno.o"ked away before she could protest. "And that applies to any craftsman, Lord Holder or commoner, as well as dragTohnefroelki.sn't
much Thread in Southern to worry yAoun.d your indifference to a common menace will not endanger others."
Lessa was trying to undo his bHelet. caught her hands tightly, ignoring her gasp as his grip hurt.
"Where was Thread seen?" he yelled up to the Igen rider still perched atop the Gate Wall.
"South!" The man's response was an anguished appe"aAl.cross the bay from Keroon HoAldc. ross the water."
"How long ago?"
"I'll take you there and then!"
The ripple of cheering grew as it spread back, as people were reminded that the Weyrs would go between time itself and catch Thread, erasing the interval of time lost in the duel.
Dragonriders were moving toward beasts who were impatiently keening outside the Wwhaellrs-.hide tunics were being thrust at riders in dress cloFthieres.stone sacks appeared and flame throwers were issued. Dragons ducked to accept riders, hopping awkwardly out of the way, to launch themselves skyward. The Igen green hovered aloft, joined by D'ram and his Weyrwoman Farma, waiting for Mnementh.
"You can't come, love," F'lar told Lessa, confused that she was following him out to MSnehme enth.
could handle MardraS. he'd have toH.
e couldn't be everywhere at once.
"Not till you've had this numbweedS.h"e glared up at him as fiercely as Mardra had an fumbled at his belt again."You won't last if you donA'tn. d Mnementh won't take you up until I do."
F'lar stared at her, saw Mnementh's great eye gleaming at him and knew she meant it.
"But, he wouldn't, " he stammered.
"Oh, wouldn't he?" flashed Lessa, but she had the belt loose, and he gasped as he felt the cold of the salve on the burning lips of the wou"nI dc.an't keep you from goinYgo. u've got to, I knowB.ut I can
keep you from killing yourself with such heroiHcse."heard something rip, saw her tearing a sleeve from her new gown into bandage-length strip"Ws. ell, I guess they're right when they say green is an unlucky color. You certainly don't get to wear it long."
She quickly pressed the material against him, his wound already numDbeifntgly.
overlapping the
outsized tunic, she tightened the wide belt to hold the bandage securely in place.
"Now, go.It's shallow but longG. et the Threadfall under control and get baI'cllk.do my part here."
She gave his hand a final grip and, picking up her skirts, half-ran up the ramp, as if she were too busy to watch him leave.
"She's worried.She's proud.Let's go."
As Mnementh wheeled smartly upward, F'lar heard the sound of music, gitars accompanying a ragged chorus.How like the Harper to have the appropriate music for this occasion, he thought.
Drummer, beat, and piper, blow.
Harper, strike, and soldier, go.
Free the flame and sear the grasses
Till the dawning Red Star passes.
Odd, thought F'lar, four hours later, as he and Mnementh returned to Telgar with the wings from
Igen, it was over Telgar, seven Turns ago, that the massed Weyrs flew against the second Fall of Thread.
He stifled keen regret at the recollection of that triumphant day when the six Weyrs had been solidly in accord.And yet, the duel at Telgar Hold today had been as inevitable as Lessa's flight backward in time to bring up the OldtimeTrsh.ere was a subtle symmetry, a balance of good and bad, a fateful
compensation. (His side achedH.
e suppressed pain and fatiguMe. nementh would catch it and then he'd
catch it from LessaF.ine thing when a man's dragon acted nuBrsuyt. the effects of that half-kettle of
numbweed Lessa'd slathered on him were wearing off.) He watched as the wings circledAtlol tlhaend. riders had been bidden back to Telgar.
So many things were coming back to their starting pfrooinmt: fire lizards to dragons, a circle encompassing who knows how many thousands of Turns, to the inner circle of the Old Weyrs and Benden's resurgence.
He hoped T'ron would live; he'd enough on his consciTenhcoeu.gh it might be better if T'ronHe... refused to consider that, in spite of the fact that he knew it would avoid another Apnrodbyleemt,. if Thread could fall in Southern to be eaten by those grubs ...
He wanted very much to see that distance-viewer T'ron had discovHeeredg.roaned with a mental distress. Fandarel! How could he face himT?hat distance-writer had workedI.t had relayed a very
crucial message, faster than dragon wingNso!
fault of the Smith's that his finely extruded wire could be
severed by hot ThreadU. ndoubtedly he would overcome that flaw in an efficient way, unless he'd thrown up his hands at the idea, what with being presented with a powerful, fully operative distance-viewer to compound the day's insultsO. f all the problems undoubtedly awaiting him, he dreaded Fandarel's
reproach the most.
Below, Dragonriders streamed into the Court illumined by hundreds of glow baskets, to be met and absorbed into the throng of guesTtsh.e aroma of roasted meats and succulent vegetables drifted to him
on the night air, reminding him that hunger depresses any man's Hspeirictso.uld hear laughter, shouts, music. Lord Asgenar's wedding day would never be forgotten!
That Asgenar!Allied to Larad, a fosterling of Corman's, he'd be of enormous assistance in executing what F'lar saw must be done among the Holder Lords.
Then he spotted the tiny figure in the gatewLeasys.a! He told Mnementh to land.
"About time," the bronze grumbled.
F'lar slapped his neck affectionatelTy.he beast had known perfectly well why they'd been hovering.
A man needed a few minutes to digest chaos and restore order to his thinking before he plunged into more confusions.
Mnementh agreed as he landed smoothHlye. affectionately at his rider.
craned his neck around, his great eyes gleaming
"Don't worry about me, MnementhF!"'lar murmured in gratitude and love, stroking the soft muzzle. There was a faint odor of firestone and smoke though they'd done little f"lAamreinygo. u hungry?"
"Not yet.Telgar feeds enough tonight.M" nementh launched himself toward the fire ridge above the Hold, where the perching dragons made black, regular crags against the darkening sky, their jeweled eyes gleaming down on the festal activities.
F'lar laughed aloud at Mnementh's consideratioItn.was true that Lord Larad was stinting nothing, though his guest list had multiplied four-foSludp. plies had been flown in but Telgar Hold bore the brunt of it.
Lessa approached him with such slow steps that he wondered if something else had haHpepened. couldn't see her face in the shadow but as she slipped into step beside him, he realized that she'd been
respecting his moodH.
er hand reached up to caress his cheek, lingering on the healing ThreadShsecore.
wouldn't let him bend to kiss her.
"Come, love, I've fresh clothes and bandages for you."
"Mnementh's been telling on me?"
She nodded, still unusually subdued for Lessa.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she assured him hastily, smilin"gR.amoth said you were thinking hard."
He squeezed her and the gesture pulled the muscles, making him wince.
"You're a trial to me," she said with mock exasperation and led him into the tower room.
"Kylara came back, didn't she?"
"Oh, yes," and there was an edge to Lessa's voice as she added, "she and Meron are as inseparable as their lizards."
She'd had a standing tub brought in, the water steaming invitSinhgelyi.nsisted on bathing him while she reported what had happened while he'd fought ThrHeaed.didn't argue, it was too pleasant to relax under her ministrations, though her gentle hands sometimes reminded him of other occasions and ...
T'ron had been taken directly to Southern, swathed in heavyMfaerldt.ra had contested F'lar's authority to exile them but her protests fell on the deaf and determined front of Robinton, Larad, Fandarel, Lords Sangel and GroghTe.hey'd all accompanied Lessa and Kylara when Mardra was escorted back to FortM. ardra had been certain she'd only to appeal to her weyrfolk to ensure her
position as WeyrwomanW.
hen she discovered that her arrogance and shrewishness had robbed her of
all but a few adherents, she'd retired meekly to Southern with them.
"We nearly had a fight between Kylara and Mardra but Robinton interKveynleadra. herself Fort Weyrwoman."
F'lar groaned.
was proclaiming
"Don't worry," Lessa assured him, briskly kneading the tight muscles across his sho"uSlhdeers.
changed her mind directly she learned that T'kul and his riders were leaving the High ReachIet'ss Weyr.
more logical for T'bor and the Southerners to take over that Weyr than Fort since most of the Fort riders are staying."
"That puts Kylara too near Nabol for my peace of mind."
"Yes, but that leaves the way clear for P'zar, Roth's rider, to take over as Fort WeHyer'lseandoetr.
strong but he's well-liked and it won't upset the Fort people asTmheuyc'hre. T'ron and Mardra but we oughtn't to press our luck too far."
"N'ton'd be a good Wing-second there."
"I thought of him so I asked P'zar if he'd object and he didn't."
relieved to be free of both
F'lar shook his head at her tactics, then hissed, because she was loosening the old, dried numbweed.
"I'm not so sure but what I'd prefer the physician, " she began.
"No!"
"He'd be discreet but I'll warn you, all the dragons know."
He stared at her in surpris"eI. thought it odd there were so many dragons shadowing me and
Mnementh. I don't think we went between more than twice."
"The dragons appreciate you, bronze rider," Lessa said tartly, encircling him with clean, soft bandages.
"The Oldtimers, too?"
"Most of themA. nd more of their riders than I'd estimaOtendl.y twenty riders and women followed Mardra, you know, from ForOt.f course," and she grimaced, "most of T'kul's people wTheent.fourteen who stayed are young riders, Impressed since the Weyr came forSwoartdh.ere'll be enough at Southern
..."
"Southern is no longer our concern."
She was in the act of handing him the fresh tunic and hesitated, the fabric gathered up in her hands. He took it from her, pulling on the sleeves, ducking his head into the opening, giving her time to absorb his dictum.
She sat slowly down on the bench, her forehead creased with a slight, worried frown.
He took her hands and kissed theWmh. en she still did not speak, he stroked the hair which had escaped the braids.
"We have to make the break clean, LeTsshae.y can do no harm there to any but themseSlvoemse. may decide to come back."
"But they can perpetuate their grievances ..."
"Lessa. how many queens went?"
"Loranth, the Weyr queen at High Reaches and the other tOwho!"...
"Yes. All old queens, well past their primI ed.oubt Loranth will rise more than onTchee.
clutches at
High Reaches have produced only one queen since they came forAwnadrd.the young queen, Segrith, stayed, didn't she, with Pilgra?"
Lessa nodded and suddenly her face clearSehde. would think you've been planning this for Turns."
eyed him with growing exasperatio"nA.nyone
"Then anyone could call me a triple fool for underestimating T'ron, closing my mind to the facts in front of me and defying fortunWe.hat's the mood among Holders and crafters?"
"Relief," she said, rolling her ey"eIs. admit the laughter has a slightly hysterical tinge, but Lytol and
Robinton were rightP. ern will follow Benden ..."
"Yes, until my first mistake!"
She grinned mischievously at him, waggling a finger under his "nAohs-eh.a, but you're not allowed to
make mistakes BendenN.
ot while ..."
He caught her hand, pulling her into the crook of his arm, disregarding the stabbing pain at his waist for the triumph of her instant response, the surrender in her slender"Nbotdyw. hile I have youT."he
words came out in a whisper, and because he couldn't express his gratitude to her, his pride in her, his joy of her any other way, he sought her lips, held them in a long, passionate kiss.
She gave a languorous sigh when he finally releasedHheerl.aughed down at her closed eyes, kissing them, too.She struggled to a sitting position and, with another reluctant sigh, rose determinedly to her feet.
"Yes, Pern will follow you, and your loyal advisers will keep you from making mistakes, but I do hope you've an answer for pop-eyed old Lord Groghe!"
"Answer for Groghe?"
"Yes," and she gave him a stern look, "though I'm not surprised you've foHrgeotwteans.
going to
demand that the dragonmen of Pern go directly to the Red Star and put an end to Thread forever."
F'lar got slowly to his feet.
"I've always said that you solve one problem and five more appear from between."
"Well, I think we've contrived to keep Groghe away from you tonight, but we promised to have a joint meeting of Hold and Craft at Benden Weyr tomorrow morning."
"That's a blessing."
In the act of opening the door, he hesitated and groaned again.
"Isn't the numbweed helping?"
"Not me.It's Fandarel.Between fire lizards, Threads and T'ron, I can't face him."
"Oh, him!"Lessa pulled the door open, grinning up at her Weyrm"Haete's.
already deep in plans to
bury, coat or thicken those ungrateful wirHese.'s planning installations with every Lord Holder and Craft. Wansor's dancing like a sun-crazed wherry to get his hands on the distance-viewer, all the time wailing that he needn't've dismantled the first apparatuSsh."e tucked her arm in his, lengthening her stride to
match his."The man who's really put out is Robinton."
"Robinton?"
"Yes. He'd composed the most marvelous ballad and teaching songs and now there's no reason to play them."
Whether Lessa had deliberately saved that until now, F'lar didn't know, but they crossed the courtyard, laughing, though it hurt his side.
Their passage would have been noted anyhow, but their smiling faces subtly reassured the diners
seated at the make-shift tables about the yAarndd. celebrate.
suddenly F'lar felt there was indeed something to
CHAPTER XI
Early Morning at Benden Weyr
"I WISH you'd give me fair warning the next time you rearrange the social and political structure of this planet," F'nor told his half-brother when he strode into the queen's weyr at Benden the next morning.
There wasn't, of course, a trace of resentment on his tanned, grinnin"gWfahcoe's.
where now?"
"T'bor is Weyrleader at the High Reaches with Kylara as Weyrwoman."
"Kylara at High Reaches?F"'nor looked dubious but F'lar waved aside his half-born protest.
"Yes, there are disadvantages to that, of couArslel. but fourteen of the folk at High Reaches Weyr went with T'kul and MerikMa. ost of the Fort Weyr people wanted to stay."
F'nor chuckled nastily". Bet that was hard for Mardra to swalloHwe." looked expectantly at Lessa, knowing how often his Weyrwoman had mastered resentment and indignation at Mardra's Lheasnsdas. returned his gaze with polite unconcern.
"So P'zar is acting Weyrleader until a queen rises."
"Any chance of making that an open flight for any bronze?"
"That is my intention," F'lar replie"dH.owever, I think the biggest of the modern bronzes had better be conspicuous by their absence."
"Then why have you assigned N'ton there as Wing-second?" demanded Lessa in surprise.
F'lar grinned at his Weyrmat"eB. ecause by the time a Fort queen rises in flight, N'ton will be known and well-liked by the Fort Weyrfolk and they won't mHien'ldl. be considered a Fort rider, not a Benden replacement."
Lessa wrinkled her nose".He doesn't have much choice at Fort Weyr."
"He is quite capable of taking care of himself," F'lar replied with a wicked grin.
"Well, you seem to have arranged everything to your satisfaction," F'nor rem"aIr,khedo.wever,
resent having been yanked out of SoutheIr'dn. spotted a very promising clutch of fire-lizard eggs in a certain Southern coveN. ot quite hard enough to move with impunIfityy.ou had held off a few more days, I'd, " He broke off, sliding into the chair Lessa motioned "hSimay,toF.'lar, what's the matter with you? You been time betweening or something?"
"No, he's been knifed between his top and bottom," Lessa answered with a sour glance at her
Weyrmate. "And it is with exceptional difficulty that I can keep him in Ha echbaeilro. ngs in a bed."
F'lar waved her recriminations aside good-humoredly.
"If you're, " F'nor half-rose, his face concerned.
"If you're, " mocked F'lar, his look indicating a growing irritation with his disability and their protectiveness.
F'nor laughed, reseating himself".And Brekke said I was a cantankerous patiHenat!. How bad is it? I heard various tales about that duel, well embroidered already, but not that you'd beenMculisptpeitd. always be belt knives, for our BlooAdn?d the other man armed with a wherry-skewer?"
"And dressed in wher-hide," Lessa added.
"Look, F'lar, Brekke has pronounced me fit to fly between," and F'nor flexed his arm, fully but carefully. "I can appreciate your wanting to keep quiet about your injury, so I'll do all your popping about."
F'lar chuckled at his half-brother's eagerne"sBs.ack a-neck and ready to go, huWh?ell, resume your responsibilities then.They've changed."
"Noticeably, o exalted one."
F'lar frowned at that and brushed his forelock back irritably.
"Not that muchD. id you see T'kul when he arrived from High Reaches at Southern?"
"No, nor did I want
Itoh. eard him."F'nor's right hand clenchedT.he fighting wings had already gone
to join you at Igen for the ThreadTfa'kllu. l ordered everyone, including the wounded, out of Southern in
an hour's timeW.
hat they couldn't pack and take, he confiscaHteed. made it clear that the southern
continent was his to have and hoTldh.at his Sweepriders were challenging any dragon and would flame them down like Thread if they didn't get the proper respSoonmsee. of those Oldtimer dragons are stupid enough to do it, tooF."'nor paused."You know, I've been noticing lately ..."
"Did the Fort Weyr people arrive?"
"Yes, and Brekke checked T'ron to be sure he'd survived theF'tnriopr."scowled.
"He'll live?"
"Yes, but ..."
"Good. Now, I rather suspected that T'kul would react in that fashion To be sure we've all of Igen, Ista and Southern Boll as breeding ground for fire lizards, but I want you to get Manora to rig you something for those other lizard eggs you found and bring them backWehernee.ed every one we can
find. Where's your little queenT?hey go back to their first feeding place, you know ..."
"Grall? She's with Canth, of coursSehe heard Ramoth grumbling on the Hatching Ground."
"Hmm, yes.Fortunately, those eggs'll hatch soon."
"Going to invite all Pern's notables as you did before the Oldtimers got stuffy?"
"Yes," F'lar replied so emphatically that F'nor pretended al"aTrmha. t courtesy did more good than harm. It'll be standard procedure at all the Weyrs now."
"And you've talked the Leaders into assigning riders to Hold and Hall?" F'nor's eyes gleamed when
F'lar nodded.
Can you slip through whatever patrol T'kul has mounted in SouthFe'rlanr?"asked.
"No problem.There isn't a bronze there that Canth can't ouWt fhlyic.h reminds me ..."
"Good. I've two errands for yoPu.ick up those fire-lizard eggs and, do you remember the coordinates for the Threadfall in the western swamp?"
"Of course, but I wanted to ask you ..." "You saw the grub life in the soil there?" "Yes ..."
"Ask Manora for a tightly covered pIotw. ant you to bring me back as many of those grubs as you can. Not a pleasant job, I know, but I can't go myself and I don't want this, ah, project discussed."
"Grubs? A project?"
Mnementh bellowed a welcome.
"I'll explain later," F'lar said, gesturing toward the weyr entrance.
F'nor shrugged as he ros"eI.'ll fly the hazard, O inscrutable onTe!h"en he laughed as F'lar glared at him in angry reproach".Sorry. Like the rest of Pern, the north, that is, I trustHyeoug.a"ve them both a jaunty salute and left.
"The day F'nor doesn't tease you I'll start to worry," Lessa said, encircling his neck with her arms. She laid her cheek against his for an ins"tIatn'st. T'bor," she added, moving away just as the new High Reaches Weyrleader strode in.
The man looked as if he hadn't slept enough but he carried his shoulders back and his head high which made the Benden Weyrleader more aware of the worried and wary expression on his face.
"Kylara's, " F'lar began, remembering that she and Meron had been gabbling together all the last night.
"Not Kylara.It's that T'kul who thought himself such a great Weyrleader," T'bor said with utter
disgust. "As soon as we brought our people up from Southern, I had the wings do a sweep check, really more to familiarize themselves with the coordinates than anything Beylset.he first Egg, I don't like seeing
anyone run from dragonmenR. un. And hide!"T'bor sat down, automatically taking the cup of klah Lessa handed him."There wasn't a watch fire or a watchmBaunt. plenty of burn sign I don't see how that much Thread could have got througNh.ot even if smokeless weyrlings were riding the swSeoep.I dropped
down to Tillek Hold and asked to see Lord OteTr'eblo."r gave a low whistl"eT. hat was some greeting I
got, I want to tell yoIu.nearly had an arrow through my belly before I convinced the guard captain that I
wasn't T'kul.That I was T'bor and there'd been a change of Leaders at the Weyr."
T'bor took a deep breat"hI.t took time to calm Lord Holder Oterel down to the point where I could tell him what had happeneAd.nd it seemed to me " and the Southerner looked nervously first at Lessa and then at F'lar, "that the only way to restore his confidence was to leave him Sao,drIagleofnt . him a
bronze and stationed two greens in those minor Holds along theI Balasoy. left weyrlings at vantage
heights along the Tillek Hold rangTeh.en I asked Lord Oterel to accompany me to Lord Bargen's Hold at High ReachesI.'d a good idea I might not get past his guardNaotwa,ll.we'd six eggs left over from
that clutch Toric of the Seahold unearthed and so, I gave two each to the Lords and two to the Masterfisherman. It seemed the only thing to Tdoh.ey'd heard Lord Meron had one, at Nabol Hold." T'bor straightened his shoulders as if to endure F'lar's opprobrium.
"You did the right thing, T'bor," F'lar told him hea"rYtiolyu. have done better!"
"To assign riders to a Hold and a Craft?"
did exactly the right thinYgo. u couldn't
"There'll be riders in all Holds and Crafts before the morning's over," F'lar grinned at him.
"And D'ram and G'narish haven't objectedT?'"bor glanced at Lessa, incredulous.
"Well," Lessa began, and was saved from answering by the arrival of the other Weyrleaders.
D'ram, G'narish and the Wing-second from Telgar Weyr entered first, with P'zar, the acting
Weyrleader from Fort, very close behind theTmh.e Telgar Weyr Wing-second introduced himself as
M'rek, Zigeth's riderH.
e was a lanky, mournful-looking man, with sandy hair, about F'lar'As sagthee. y
settled themselves at the big table, F'lar tried to read D'ram's Hmeoowd.as the crucial one still, the
oldest of the remaining Oldtimers and, if he'd cooled down from the stimulus of yesterday's tumultuous events and had changed his mind after sleeping, the proposal F'lar was about to suggest might die
a-hatching. F'lar stretched his long legs under the table trying to make himself comfortable.
"I asked you here early because we had little chance to talk lasMt n'riegkh,t.how's R'mart?"
"He rests easily at Telgar Hold, thanks to the riders from Ista andMI'greekn."nodded gravely to
D'ram and K'dor.
"How many at Telgar Weyr wish to go south?"
"About ten, but they're old rideDrso.
more harm than good, feeding nonsense to the weyrlings.
Speaking of nonsense, Bedella came back from Telgar Hold with some mighty confusingAsbtooruiets. us going to the Red Star and fire lizards and talking Iwtiorelds. her to keep quiTete.lgar Weyr's in no shape to listen to that kind of rumor."
D'ram snorted and F'lar looked at him quickly, but the Istan leader's head was turned toward M'rek. F'lar caught Lessa's eye and nodded imperceptibly.
"There was talk about an expedition to the Red Star," F'lar replied in a casAuaplprtoehnen. sion
made the Telgar Weyrman's face more mournful than e"vBeurt.
there're more immediate undertakings."
F'lar straightened cautiouslyH. e couldn't get comfortable".And the Lord Holders and other craftsmen will be here soon to discuss theDm'r.am, tell me frankly, do you object to placing riders in Holds and Crafthalls while we can't pattern Thread, that is, until we can find another reliable form of quick communication?"
"No, F'lar, I've no objections," the Istan Weyrleader replied, slowly, not looking at
"aAnyftoenre.
yesterday, " He stopped and, turning his head, looked at F'lar with trouble"dYesyteesr.day, I think I
finally realized just how big Pern is and how narrow a man can get, worrying so much about what he
ought to have, forgetting what he's gAont.d what he's got to dToi.mes have changedI.
can't say I like it.
Pern had got so big, and we Oldtimers kept trying to make it small again because, I guess, we were a little scared at all that had happenRede.member it took us just four days to come forward four hundred Turns. That's too much time, too much to sink into a man's thinDk'irnagm." was nodding his head in
unconscious emphasis."I think we've clung to the old ways because everything we saw, from those great, huge hour-long sweeps of forests to hundreds and hundreds of new Holds and Crafthalls was familiar
and yet, so differenTt.'ron was a good man, F'lIar.don't say I knew him wNelol.ne of us ever really got to know each other, you know, keeping to our Weyrs mostly and resting between ThrBeaudt falls.
dragonmen are, are dragonmenF.or a dragonman to go to kill another oDne'r,am"
shook his head
slowly from side to sid"eY. ou could've killed him.D" 'ram looked F'lar straight in the e"yYe.ou didn't. You fought Thread over Igen HoAldn. d don't think I didn't know T'ron's knife got you."
F'lar began to relax.
"Nearly made two of me, in fact."
"D'ram gave another one of his snorts but the slight smile on his face as he leaned back in his chair indicated his approval of F'lar.
Mnementh remarked to his rider that everyone was arriving at Aonbceig. ger ledge was needed. F'lar swore softly to himselHf.e'd counted on more timHe.e couldn't jeopardize the fragile new accord with D'ram by springing distasteful innovations on the man.
"I don't believe the Weyrs can remain autonomous these days," F'lar said, discarding all the ringing,
smooth words he'd been rehearsin"gW.
e nearly lost Pern seven Turns ago because dragonmen lost
touch with the rest of the world; we've seen what happens when dragonman loses touch with dragonman. We need open mating flights, the exchange of bronzes and queens between Weyrs to strengthen Blood and improve the breedW. e need to rotate the wings so riders get to know each other's Weyrs and territories. A man grows stale, careless, riding over ground he knows tooWweelnl.eed public
Impressions ..."
They could all hear the rumble of greetings and the scuffling of heavy boots in the corridor.
"Ista Weyr followed Benden Weyr yesterday," D'ram interrupted him, his slow smile reaching his dark eyes."But have a care which traditions you overSsoemt. e cannot be discarded with impunity."
They rose then as Lord Holders and Craftmasters strode into the Lwoerdyr.Asgenar, Mastersmith
Fandarel and his wood Craftmaster, Bendarek, were first; Lord Oterel of Tillek Hold and Meron, Lord Holder of Nabol, his fire lizard squawking on his arm, arrived together, but Lord Oterel immediately sought Fandarel.A restless, eager atmosphere began to build, palpable with questions unanswered the previous evening.As soon as most were assembled, F'lar led the way into the CouncilNRooosmoo.ner
had the Weyrleaders arranged themselves behind him, facing the gathering of Lords and Craftsmen, than
Larad, Lord of Telgar Hold, rose.
"Weyrleader, have you established where the next Thread is likely to fall?"
"Where you've evidently placed it, Lord Larad, on the western plains of Telgar Hold and Ruatha
Hold." F'lar nodded toward Lord Warder Lytol of Rua"thParo. bably later todayI.t's early hours now in that part of the country and we don't intend to hold you here long."
"And how long will we have riders assigned us?" asked Lord Corman of Keroon, staring pointedly at
D'ram on F'lar's left.
"Until every Hold and Craft has an efficient communications system."
"I'll need men," Mastersmith Fandarel rumbled from his cramped position in the far"Dcoornyeor.u all really want those flame throwers you've been plaguing me for?"
"Not if the dragonmen come when we caItll.w" as Lord Sangel of Boll Hold who answered, his face grim, his voice bitter.
"Is Telgar Weyr prepared to ride todayL?o"rd Larad went on, still holding the floor.
M'rek, the Telgar Weyr Wing-second, rose, glanced hesitantly at F'lar, cleared his throat and then nodded.
"High Reaches Weyr will fly with Telgar rideTrs'b!"or said.
"And Istal" D'ram added.
The unexpected unanimity sent a murmurous ripple through the meeting, as Lord Larad sat down.
"Will we have to burn the forestLs?o"rd Asgenar of Lemos rose to his fTehete. the plea of a proud man.
quiet question was
"Dragonriders burn Thread, not wood," F'lar replied calmly but there was a ring in h"iTs hveoreice.
are enough Dragonriders," and he gestured to the Weyrleaders on either side of him, "to protect Pern's forests."
"That's not what's needed most, Benden, and you know it," Lord Groghe of Fort shouted as he rose
to his feet, his eyes bulgin"gI . say, go after Thread on the Red Star iEtsneolfu.gh time's been wasted. You keep saying your dragons'll go anywhere, anywhen you tell 'em to."
"A dragon's got to know where he's going first, man," G'narish, the Igen Leader, protested, jumping up excitedly.
"Don't put me off, young maYno! u can see the Red Star, plain as my fist," and Lord Groghe thrust out his closed hand like a weapon, "in that distance-vieGwoert!o the sourceG. o to the source!"
D'ram was on his feet beside G'narish now, adding his angry arguments to the coAnfudsriaogno.n roared so loudly that all were deafened for a moment.
"If that is the desire of the Lords and Craftsmen," F'lar said, "then we shall mount an expedition to fly on the morrow."He knew D'ram and G'narish had turned to stare at him, dumbfouHnedesda.w Lord
Groghe bristle suspiciously, but he had the attention of the entire Hroeomsp.oke quickly, clearly. "You've seen the Red Star, Lord GroghCeo?uld you describe the land masses to mWeo?uld you estimate that we had to clear as large an area as, say, the northern coDnt'rianmen,t?would you agree that it takes about thirty-six hours to fly straight acMrososr?e? Hmmm. Tip-to-tip sweeps would be
most effective since we couldn't count on ground-crew supTpohratt.
would mean dragonweights of
firestone. Masterminer, I'll need to know exactly what supplies you have processed fBorenudseen.
Weyr keeps about five dragonweights on hand at all times, the other Weyrs about the same, so we'd probably need all you've goAt.nd every flame thrower on the contineNnot.w, dragonmen, I admit we
don't know if we can traverse such a distance without harm to ourselves and the Idraasgsuomnse. since Thread survives on this planet, we can exist on thaHt oownever ..."
that
"Enough!" Groghe of Fort Hold bellowed, his face flushed, his eyes protruding from their sockets.
F'lar met Groghe's eyes steadily so that the choleric Lord Holder would realize that he was not being mocked; that F'lar was in earnest.
"To be at all effective, Lord Groghe, such an undertaking would leave Pern totally unpIrotected. could not in conscience order such an expedition now that I see how much is iInvhopveedy.ou will agree that it is far more important, at this time, to secure what weBehttaevre.t"o risk Groghe's pride if
necessary to defeat that premature ambitioHne.
couldn't afford to evade an issue that could become a
convenient rallying cry for the disaffecte"dI'.d want to get a good look at the Red Star before I took such a leap, Lord GroghAe.nd the other Leaders would toIo.can promise you that once we are able to distinguish some jumping coordinates acceptable to the dragons, we can send a volunteer group to
explore. I've often wondered why no one has gone before Onor,wi.f they have, what happenedH."e
had dropped his voice on those last words and there wasn't a sound in the Chamber for a long moment.
The fire lizard on Lord Meron's arm squawked nervously, causing an instant, violent reaction from every man.
"Probably that Record deteriorated, too," F'lar said, raising his voice to a level audible above the restless scraping and throat-clearing".Lord Groghe, Fort is the oldest of the HoIsldsth. ere a chance that your back corridors, too, hide treasures we can use?"
Groghe's reply was a curt nod of his hHeaed.seated himself abruptly, staring straight aheFa'dla. r wondered if he had alienated the man beyond reconciliation.
"I don't think I'd ever fully appreciated the enormity of such a venture," Corman of Keroon Hold remarked in a thoughtful drawl.
"One jump ahead of us, again, Benden?" asked Larad of Telgar Hold with a rueful grin.
"I shouldn't say that, Lord Larad," F'lar repl"ieTdh.e destruction of all Thread at its source has been a favorite preoccupation of dragonmen Turn after TIurknn. ow how much territory one Weyr can cover, for instance, how much firestone is used by a Weyr in a FallN's astupraanl.ly we," and he gestured to the
other Leaders, "would have information unavailable to you just as you could tell us how many guests you can feed at a banquetT."hat elicited a chuckle from many.
"Seven Turns ago, I called you together to prepare to defend Pern against its ancient scourge. Desperate measures were in order if we were to surWvivee.are in nowhere as difficult a condition as
we were seven Turns ago but we have all been guilty of misunderstandings which have deflected us from
the important concernW.
e have no time to waste in assigning guilt or awarding compenWsateiona.re
still at the mercy of Thread though we are better equipped to deal with it.
"Once before we found answers in old Records, in the helpful recollections of Master Weaver Zurg, Masterfarmer Andemon, Masterharper Robinton, and the efficiencies of Mastersmith FandYaoreul.
know what we've found in abandoned rooms at Benden and Fort Weyrs, objects made long Turns ago when we had not lost certain skills and techniques.
"Frankly," and F'lar grinned suddenly, "I'd rather rely on skills and techniques we, in our Turn, right now, can develop."
There was an unexpected ripple of assent to that.
"I speak of the skill of working together, the technique of crossing the arbitrary lines of land, craft and status, because we must learn more from each other than the simple fact that none of us can stand alone and survive!"
He couldn't go on because half the men were on their feet, suddenly chDe'rearmingw. as pulling at his sleeve.G'narish was arguing with the Telgar Weyr Second, whose expression was grievously undecided. F'lar got a glimpse of Groghe's face before someone stood in thFe owrta'sy.Lord, too, was plainly anxious but that was better than overt antagonRisomb.inton caught his eye and smiled broad encouragement. So F'lar had no choice but to let them unwTihnedy. might as well infect each other with enthusiasm, probably with more effect than his best, chosen argumHenetsl.ooked around for Lessa and saw her slipping toward the hallway where she stopped, evidently warned of a late arrival.
It was F'nor who appeared in the entrance.
"I've fire-lizard eggs," he shoute"dF. ire-lizard eggs," and he pushed into the room, an aisle opening for him straight to the Council Table.
There was silence as he carefully placed his cumbersome felt-wrapped burden down and glanced triumphantly around the room.
"Stolen from under T'kul's nosTe.hirty-two of them!"
"Well, Benden," Sangel of Southern Boll demanded in the taut hush, "who gets preference here?"
F'lar affected surprise". Why, Lord Sangel, that is for you," and his gesture swept the room impartially, "to decide."
Clearly that had not been expected.
"We will, of course, teach you what we know of them, guide you in theirTthraeiyninagre.
more than
pets or ornaments," and he nodded toward Meron who bristled, so suspicious of attention that his bronze hissed and restlessly fanned his wing"Ls.ord Asgenar, you've two lizard eggs alreaIdyc.an trust you to
be impartial.That is, if the Lords share my opinion."
As soon as they fell to arguing, F'lar left the Council RThooerme. was so much more to do this morning but he'd do it the better for a little bArneadk.the eggs would occupy the Lords and Craftsmen. They wouldn't notice his absence.
CHAPTER XII
Morning at Benden Weyr
Predawn at High Reaches Weyr
As soon as he could, F'nor left the Council Room in search oHfeFr'leatrr.ieved the pot of revolting grubs which he'd left in a shadowed recess of the weyr corridor.
"He's in his quarters," Canth told his rider.
"What does Mnementh say of F'lar?"
There was a pause and F'nor found himself wondering if dragons spoke among themselves as men spoke to them.
"Mnementh is not worried about him."
F'nor caught the faintest emphasis on the pronoun and was about to question Canth further when little
Grall swooped, on whirring wings, to his shoulSdhere. wrapped her tail around his neck and rubbed against his cheek adoringly.
"Getting braver, little one?F"'nor added approving thoughts to the humor of his voice.
There was a suggestion of smug satisfaction about Grall as she flipped her wings tightly to her back and sunk her talons into the heavy padding Brekke had attached to the left tunic shoulder for that purpose. The lizards preferred a shoulder to a forearm perch.
F'lar emerged from the sleeping room, his face lighting with eagerness as he realized F'nor was alone and awaiting him.
"You've the grubs?Good. Come."
"Now, wait a minute," F'nor protested, catching F'lar by the shoulder as the Weyrleader began to move toward the outer ledge.
"Come! Before we're seen."They got down the stairs without being intercepted and F'lar directed
F'nor toward the newly opened entrance by the Hatching Gro"uTnhde. lizards were parceled out fairly?"
he asked, grinning as Grall tucked herself as close to F'nor's ear as she could when they passed the
Ground entrance.
F'nor chuckled."Groghe took over, as you probably guessed he woTuhlde. Lord Holders of Ista
and Igen, Warbret and Laudey, magnanimously disqualified themselves on the grounds that their Holds were more likely to have eggs, but Lord Sangel of Boll tookLaytoplaidr.idn't!"
F'lar sighed, shaking his head regretfully.
..."
"I didn't think he would but I'd hoped he'dNotrty.a substitute for Larth, his dead brown, but, well
They were in the brightly lit, newly cleaned corridor now, which F'nor hadnI'nt vsoeluentarily he
glanced to the right, grinning as he saw that any access to the old peephole on the Grounds had been blocked off.
"That's mean."
"Huh?" F'lar looked startled". Oh, that.Yes. Lessa said it upset Ramoth too muAchn.d Mnementh agreed." He gave his half brother a bemused grin, half for Lessa's quirk, half for the mutual nostalgic memory of their own terror-ridden exploration of that passage, and a clandestine glimpse of Nemorth's eggs. "There's a chamber back here that suits my purpose."
"Which is?"
F'lar hesitated, giving F'nor a long, thoughtful look.
"Since when have you found me a reluctant conspirator?" asked F'nor.
"It's asking more than ..."
"Ask first!"
They had reached the first room of the complex discovered by Jaxom and FBeluetsstahne.
bronze
rider did not give F'nor time to examine the fascinating design on the wall or the finely made cabinets and tables. He hurried him past the second room to the biggest chamber where a series of graduated, rectangular open stone troughs were set around the fOlotohre.r equipment had obviously been removed
at some ancient time, leaving puzzling holes and grooves in the walls, but F'nor was startled to see that
the tubs were planted with shrubs, grasses, common field and crop seedAlinfgews. trees were evident in the largest troughs.
small hardwood
F'lar gestured for the grub pot which F'nor willingly handed over.
"Now, I'm going to put some of these grubs in all but this container, F'lar said, indicating the medium-sized one.Then he started to distribute the squirming grubs.
"Proving what?"
F'lar gave him a long deep look so reminiscent of the days when they had dared each other as weyrlings that F'nor couldn't help grinning.
"Proving what?" he insisted.
"Proving first, that these southern grubs will prosper in northern soil among northern plants."
"And ..."
"That they will eliminate Thread here as they did in the western swamp."
They both watched, in a sort of revolted fascination, as the wriggling gray mass of grubs broke apart and separately burrowed into the loose dark soil of the biggest tub.
"What?"
F'nor experienced a devastating disorientatioHn.e saw F'lar as a weyrling, challenging him to explore and find the legendary peekhole to the GrouHned. saw F'lar again, older, in the Records Room, surrounded by moldering skins, suggesting that they jump between time itself to stop Thread at Nerat. And he imagined himself suggesting to F'lar to support him when he let Canth fly Brekke's Wirenth.
"But we didn't see Thread do anything," he said, getting a grip on perspective and time.
"What else could have happened to Thread in those swamYopus? know as surely as we're standing here that it was a four-hour FAalnl.d we fought only twYo.ou saw the scoringY. ou saw the activity of
the grubs.And I'll bet you had a hard time finding enough to fill that pot because they only rise to the surface when Thread fallsI.n fact, you can go back in time and see it happen."
F'nor grimaced, remembering that it had taken a long time to find enoughIt'gdrubbese.n a strain,
too, with every nerve of man, dragon and lizard alert for a sign of T'kul's"Ipsahtrooullsd. of that myselfB. ut, Thread's not going to fall over Benden."
have thought
"You'll be at Telgar and Ruatha Holds this afternoon when the FallThstiasrttsi.me, you'll catch some
Thread."
If there had not been an ironical, humorous gleam in his half-brother's eyes, F'nor would have thought him delirious.
"Doubtless," F'nor said acidly, "you've figured out exactly how I'm to achieve this."
F'lar brushed the hair back from his forehead.
"Well, I am open to suggestion ..."
"That's considerate, since it's my hand that's to be scored."
"You've got Canth, and Grall to help."
"If they're mad enough."
"Mnementh explained it all to Canth."
"That's helpful."
"I wouldn't ask you to do it if I could myAsenldf!"F'lar's patience snapped.
"I know!" F'nor replied with equal force, and then grinned because he knew he'd do it.
"All right."F'lar grinned in acknowledgmen"t.Fly low altitude near the queenWs.atch for a good
thick patch.Follow it downC. anth's skillful enough to let you get close with one of those long-handled hearthpans. And Grall can wipe out any Thread which burrIowcsa.n't think of any other way to get some. Unless, of course, we were flying over one of the stone plateaus, but even then ..."
"All right, let us assume I can catch some live, viable Thread," and the brown rider could not suppress the tremor that shook him, "and let us assume that the grubs do, dispose Wofhatthethme.n?"
With a ghost of a smile on his lips, F'lar spread his arm"sWwhiydet.hen, son of my father, we breed us hungry grub by the tankful and spread them over Pern."
F'nor jammed both fists into his bTelht.e man was feverish.
"No, I'm not feverish, F'nor!" the bronze rider replied, settling himself on the edge of the nearest tank. "But if we could have this kind of protection," and he picked up the now empty pot, turning it back and forth in his hand as if it held the sum of his theory, "Thread could fall when and where it wanted to withou creating the kind of havoc and revolution we're going through.
"Mind you, there's nothing remotely hinting at such events in any of the Harper RYeectoIr'dvse. been asking myself why it has taken us so long to spread out across this cIonnttihneentth. ousands of
Turns, given the rate of increase in population over the last four hundred, why aren't there more people? And why, F'nor, has no one tried to reach that Red Star before, if it is only just another kind of jump for a dragon?"
"Lessa told me about Lord Groghe's demand," F'nor said, to give himself time to absorb his brother's remarkable and logical questions.
"It isn't just that we couldn't see the Star to find coordinates," F'lar went on "uTrghenAtlyn.cients had the equipmentT. hey preserved it carefully, though not even Fandarel can guessThhoewy. preserved it for us, perhapsF?or a time when we'd know how to overcome the last obstacle?"
"Which is the last obstacle?F"'nor demanded, sarcastically, thinking of nine or ten off hand.
"There're enough, I know.A" nd F'lar ticked them off on his fing"ePrrso. tection of Pern while all the
Weyrs are away, which might well mean the grubs on the land and a well organized ground crew to take care of homes and peoplDe.ragons big enough, intelligent enough to aidYuosu. 've noticed yourself that
our dragons are both bigger and smarter than those four hundred TurnsIfoltdhe .dragons were bred
for this purpose from creatures like Grall, they didn't grow to present size in the course of just a few Hatchings. Any more than the Masterherdsman could breed those long-staying long-legged runners he's finally developed, it's a project that I understand started about four hundred Turns ago G'narish says they didn't have them in the Oldtime."
There was an undercurrent to F'lar's voice, F'nor suddenly realTizheed.man was not as certain of this outrageous notion as he soundeAdn. d yet, wasn't the recognized goal of dragonmen the complete extermination of all Thread from the skies of POerrn?was it?There wasn't a line of the Teaching Ballads
and Sagas that even suggested more than that the dragonmen prepare and guard Pern when the Red Star passed. Nothing hinted at a time when there would be no Thread to fight.
"Isn't it just possible that we, now, are the culmination of thousands of Turns of careful planning and development?" F'lar was suggesting urgently".Look, don't all the facts corroboratTe?he large population
in support, the ingenuity of Fandarel, the discovery of those rooms and the devices, the grubs, everything
..."
"Except one," F'nor said slowly, hating himself.
"Which?" All the warmth and fervor drained out of F'lar and that single word came in a cold, harsh voice.
"Son of my father," began F'nor, taking a deep breath, "if dragonmen clear the Star of Thread, what further purpose is there for them?"
F'lar, his face white and set with disappointment, drew himself to his feet.
"Well, I assume you've an answer to that, too," F'nor went on, unable to bear the disillusion in his half-brother's scornful regard". Now where's that long-handled hearthpan I'm supposed to catch Thread in?"
When they had thoroughly discussed and rejected every other possible method of securing Thread, and how they were to keep this project a secret, only Lessa and Ramoth knew of it, they parted, both assuring the other that he'd eat and rBeostt.h certain that the other could not.
If F'nor appreciated the audacity of F'lar's project, he also counted up the flaws and the possible disasters. And then he realized that he still hadn't had a chance to broach the innovation he himself
desired to makeY.
et, for a brown dragon to fly a queen was far less revolutionary than F'lar wanting to
terminate the Weyrs' dutiesA. nd, reinforced by one of F'lar's own theories, if the dragons were now big enough for their ultimate breeding purpose, then no harm was done the species if a brown, smaller than a bronze, was mated to a queen, just this oSnucree.ly F'nor deserved that compensatioCn.omforted that
it would be merely an exchange of favors, rather than the gross crime it might once have been considered, F'nor went to borrow the long-handled hearthpan from one of Manora's helpers.
Someone, probably Manora, had cleaned his weyr during his absence at SouFt'hneorrn.was
grateful for the fresh, supple skins on the bed, the clean, mended clothes in his chest, the waxed wood of table and chairsC. anth grumbled that someone had swept the sandy accumulation from his weyr-couch
and he had nothing to scour his belly hide with now.
F'nor dutifully sympathized as he lay back on the silky furs of hTihs ebesdca. r on his arm itched a little and he rubbed it.
"Oil is for itching skin," said Can"tIhm. perfect hide cracks in between."
"Be quiet, youI.'ve got skin, not hide."
Grall appeared in his room, hovering over his chest, her wings wafting cool air acrossShhies face. was curious, a curiosity with slight overtones of alarm.
He smiled, generating reassurance and affectioTnh.e gyrations of her lovely jewel-faceted eyes
slowed and she made a graceful survey of his quarters, humming when she discovered the bathing room. He could hear her splashing about in the wHateer.closed his eyesH. e would need to resHt.e did not
look forward to the afternoon's endeavor.
If the grubs did live to eat Thread, and if F'lar could maneuver the scared Lords and Craftsmen into accepting this solution, what thenT?hey weren't fools, those meTn.hey'd see that Pern would no longer
be dependent on DragonridersO. f course, that's what they wanteAdn. d what under the sun did
out-of-work Dragonriders do?The Lords Holders Groghe, Sangel, Nessel, Meron and Vincet would immediately dispense with tithesF.'nor wouldn't object to learning another trade, but F'lar had
relinquished their tentative hold on the southern continent to the Oldtimers, so where would dragonmen farm? What commodity would they barter for the products of the Crafthalls?
F'lar couldn't be under the impression that he could mend that breach with T'kul, cOourld he?
maybe, well, they didn't know how large the southern continentPawsats.the deserts to the west or the
unexplored sea to the east, maybe there were other, hospitable
DlainddsF. 'lar know more than he said?
Grall chirruped piteously in his eSarh.e was clinging to the fur rug by his shoulder, her supple hide gleaming golden from her batHh.e stroked her, wondering if she needed Sohiel. was growing, but not at the tremendous rate dragons did in the first few weeks after Hatching.
Well, his thoughts were disturbing her as well as him"Csealnf.th?"
The dragon was asleepT.he fact was oddly consoling.
F'nor found a comfortable position and closed his eyes, determined toGrraells'ts. soft stirrings
ended and he felt her body resting against his neck, in the curve of his
Hsheouwldoenr.dered how
Brekke was doing at the High ReachAesn.d if her small bronze was as unsettled by Weyrlife in a cliff as
Grall. A memory of Brekke's face crossed his mNinodt.
as he had last seen her, anxious, worried,
rapidly mobilizing her wits to cope with moving so precipitously after T'kul had swooped down on the
unsuspecting settlement.But as loving had made her, soft, gentHleed'd.
have her soon to himself all to
himself, for he'd see that she didn't over extend herself fighting everyone's battles except hSehre'down. be asleep now, he realized, for it was still night at High Reaches.
Brekke was not asleepS.he had awakened suddenly, as she was accustomed to doing in the
morning, except that the dark stillness around her was not simply that of an inner room in the weyr cliff, but was full of the soft solitude of nTighhet. fire lizard, Berd, roused too, his brilliant eyes the only light in
the room.He crooned apprehensivelyB. rekke stroked him, listening for Wirenth, but the queen was sound asleep in her stony couch.
Brekke tried to compose herself back into sleep, but even as she made her body relax, she realized it was a useless attempIt.t might be late watch here at High Reaches, but it was dawn in Southern, and
that's the rhythm her body was still tunedWtioth.
a sigh, she rose, reassuring Berd who rustled around
anxiously. But he joined her in the pool, bath, splashing with small vehemence in the warm water, utilizing the superfluous suds from her cleansing sands to bathe himHseelfp.reened on the bench, uttering those
soft voluptuous croons that amused hIenr. a way, it was good to be up and about with no one to
interrupt her for there was so much to be done to settle the weyrfolk in their new
Shahbei'dtathioanv.e
to plan around some of the most obvious probleTmhesr.e was little fresh fooTd.'kul had gratuitously left behind the oldest, scrawniest bucks, the worst furnishings, had made off with most of the supplies of cloth, cured woods, leathers, all the wine, and managed to prevent the Southern folk from taking enough from their stores to make up the deficOiths,. if she'd had even two hours, or any warning.
She sighed.Obviously Merika had been a worse Weyrwoman than Kylara, for High Reaches was in a bad state of disrepaiTr.hose Holds which tithed to High Reaches Weyr would be in no mood to make up the differences nowM. aybe a discreet word to F'nor would remedy the worst of theNloa,cktsh.at
would suggest incompetencyF. irst, she'd inventory what they did have, discover the most pressing needs, see what they could manufacture themselvBerse. kke stopped.She'd have to adjust her thinking to an entirely new way of life, a life dependent on the generosity of thIen HSoudtsh.ern, you had so
much to work withI.n her father's Crafthall, you always made what you could from things to hand, but there were always raw materials, or you grew it, or did without.
"One thing certain, Kylara will not do withoButr!e"kke muttered.She had dressed in riding gear which was warmer and less hampering if she was to delve into storage caves.
She didn't like the pinched-faced Meron Lord of Nabol HTo db.e indebted to him would be abhorrent. There must be an alternative.
Wirenth was twitching as Brekke passed her and the dragon's hide gleamed in the dSahrkenewsas.s so deeply asleep that Brekke did not even stroke her muzzle in pTashseindgr.agon had worked hard yesterday. Could it really have been only yesterday?
Berd chirped so smugly as he glided past the queen that Brekke
Hsmeilweda.s a dear nuisance, as
transparent as pool water, and she must check and see if Rannelly was right about the WTehyer lake.
old woman had complained bitterly last evening that the water was fouled, deliberately; maliciously fouled by T'kul.
It was startling to come out into crisply cold air with the pinch of late frost in the early hour chill. Brekke glanced up at the watchrider by the Star stones and then hurried down the short flight of steps to the Lower CavernsT. he fires had been banked but the water kettle was comfortinglSyhehomt. ade
klah, found bread and fruit for herself and some meat forHBeerwda. s beginning to eat with less of the barbarous voracity, and no longer gorged himself into somnolence.
Taking a fresh basket of glows, Brekke went into the storage section to begin her investigations. Berd cheerfully accompanied her, perching where he could watch her industry.
By the time the Weyr began to stir, four hours later, Brekke was full of contempt for past domestic management and considerably relieved about the resources on hIanndf.act, she suspected that the best
fabrics and leathers, not to mention wines, had not gone south with the dissenters.
But the lake water was indisputably fouled by household garbage and would have to be Idt redged.
wouldn't be usable for several days at leAasntd.
there was nothing in which water could be transported
in any quantity from the nearby mountain streaImt ss.eemed silly to send a dragon out for a couple of bucketsful, she reported to T'bor and Kylara.
"I'll get kegs from Nabol," Kylara announced, once she had recovered from ranting about T'kul's pettiness.
While it was obvious to Brekke that T'bor was not pleased to hear her solution, he had too much else to occupy his time to proteAstt. least, Brekke thought, Kylara was taking an interest in the Weyr
and some of the responsibility.
So Kylara circled out of the Bowl, Prideth shining golden in the early mornAinngdsuTn'b. or took
off with several wings for low-altitude sweeps, to get familiar with the terrain and set up appropriate watch fires and patrol check poinBtsr.ekke and Vanira, with the help of Pilgra, the only High Reaches Weyrwoman to stay behind, settled who would supervise which necessary dTuhtieeys. set the weyrlings
to dragging the lake, sent others for immediate supplies of fresh water.
Deeply occupied in counting sacks of flour, Brekke did not hear Wirenth's fiIrtstwcarsy.Berd who responded with a startled squawk, flying round Brekke's head to attract her attention.
As Brekke felt for Wirenth's mind, she was astonished at the incoherence, at the rough, wild emotions. Wondering what could have happened to a queen who'd been so peacefully asleep, Brekke raced through the corridors, to be met in the Lower Cavern by Pilgra, wide-eyed with excitement.
"Wirenth's ready to rise, BrekkIe'v. e called back the riderSs!he's on her way to the Feeding
Ground. You know what to do, don't you?"
Brekke stared at the girl, stunneIdn. a daze she let Pilgra pull her toward the BWoiwreln. th was
screaming, as she glided into the Feeding GrouTnhde. distress, adding to the frightening tension in the air.
terrified herdbeasts stampeded, keening their
"Go on, Brekke," Pilgra cried, pushing h"eDr.on't let her gorgeS.he won't fly well!"
"Help me!"Brekke pleaded.
Pilgra embraced her reassuringly, with an odd sm"iDleo.n't be scaredI.t's wonderful."
"I, I can't."
Pilgra gave Brekke a shak"eO. f course you canY. ou must.I've got to scoot with SegriVtha. nira's already taken her queen away."
"Taken her away?"
"Of course.Don't be stupidY.
ou can't have other queens around right nJouwst.
be thankful Kylara's
at Nabol Hold with PridetTh.hat one's too close to rising herself."
And Pilgra, with one last push at Brekke, ran toward her own queen.
Rannelly was at Brekke's elbow suddenly, batting at the excited fire lizard who darted above their heads.
"Get away!Get away!You, girl, get to your queen or you're no WeyrwoDmoan'!t let her gorge!"
Suddenly the air was again full of dragon wings, the bronzes had reAtunrdnedth.e urgency of mating, the necessity of protecting Wirenth roused BrekSkhee. began to run toward the Feeding
Ground, aware of the rising hum of the bronzes, the expectant sensuality of the browns and blues and greens who now perched on their ledges to watch the eWveytr.folk crowded the Bowl.
"F'nor! F'nor! What shall I do?B" rekke moaned.And then she was aware that Wirenth had come
down on a buck, shrieking her defiance; an altered, unrecognizable Wirenth, voracious with more than a blood urge.
"She mustn't gorge!" someone shouted at BrekSkoem. "Don't let her gorge, Brekke!"
eone gripped her arms to her sides, tightly.
But Brekke was with Wirenth now, was feeling the insatiable desire for raw, hot meat, for the taste of
blood in her mouth, the warmth of it in her Bbreellkyk.e was unaware of extraneous matteOrsf.
anything
but the fact that Wirenth was rising to mate and that she, Brekke, would be captive to those emotions, a victim of her dragon's lust, and that this was contrary to all she had been conditioned to believe and honor.
Wirenth had gutted the first buck by now and Brekke fought to keep her from eating the steaming entrails. Fought and won, controlling herself and her beast for the bond, love she had with the golden queen. When Wirenth rose from the blooded carcass, Brekke became momentarily aware of the heavy, hot, musty bodies crowding around hFerantic, she glanced up at the circle of bronze riders, their faces intent on the scene on the Feeding Ground, intent and sensual, their expressions changing them from well-known features into strange parodies.
"Brekke! Control her!"Someone shouted hoarsely in her ear and her elbow was seized in a painful vise.
This was wrong!All wrong!Evil, she moaned, desperately crying with all her spirit for HF'enohr.ad
said he'd comeH.
e had promised that only Canth would fly WirenCthan.t..h! Canth!
Wirenth was going for the throat of the buck, not to blood it, but to rend and eat the flesh.
Two disciplines warred with each othCero. nfused, distraught, torn as violently as the flesh of the dead buck, Brekke nevertheless forced Wirenth to obey Ahnedr. yet, which force would finally win? Weyr or Crafthall?Brekke clung to the hope that F'nor would come, the third alternate.
After the fourth buck, Wirenth seemed to glWowit.h an astonishing leap, she was suddenly aloft. Trumpeting roar reverberated painfully back and forth from the sides of the Weyr as the bronzes leaped after her, the wind from their wings sweeping dust and sand into the faces of the watching weyrfolk.
And Brekke was conscious of nothing but WireFnothr. she was suddenly Wirenth, contemptuous of
the bronzes trying to catch her as she sped upward, eastward, high above the mountains, until the land below was hollow black and sand, the flash of blue lake in the sun bAlibnodvineg.the clouds, up where
the air was thin but speed enhanced.
And then, out of the clouds below her, another draAgoqnu. een, as glowingly golden as hersAelf. queen? To lure her dragons from her?
Screaming in protest, Wirenth dove at the intruder, her talons extended, her body no longer exulting in flight but tensed for combat.
She dove and the intruder veered effortlessly, turning so swiftly to rake her talons down Wirenth's exposed flank that the young queen could not evade the sIntrjiukree.d, Wirenth fell, recovering valiantly
and swooping into cloud coveTr.he bronzes had caught up and bugled their distTrehsesy.
wanted to
mate. They wanted to interfereT.he other queen, it was Prideth, believing her rival vanquished, called enticingly to the bronzes.
Fury was added to the pain of Wirenth's humiliaStihoen. exploded from the clouds, bellowing her challenge, her summons to the bronzes.
And her opponent was therBe!eneath Wirenth.The young queen folded her wings and dove, her golden body dropping at a fearsome raAten.d her dive was too unexpected, too fParsitd.eth could not
avoid the mid-air collisionW. irenth's claws sank into her back and Prideth writhed, her wings fouled by the talons which she could not disengaBgeo.th queens fell like Thread, toward the mountains, escorted
by the distraughtly bugling bronzes.
With the desperation born of frenzy, Prideth wrenched herself free, Wirenth's talons leaving gouges to the bone along her shouldeBrsu. t as she twisted free, beating for altitude, she slashed at Wirenth's unprotected head, across one gleaming eye.
Wirenth's tortured scream pierced the heavens just as other queens broke into the air around them;
queens who instantly divided, one group flying for Prideth, the other for Wirenth.
Implacably they circled Wirenth, forcing her back, away from Prideth, their circles ever decreasing, a living net around the infuriated, pain-racked queSeenn. sing only that she was being deprived of revenge
on her foe, Wirenth saw the one escape route and folding her wings, dropped out the bottom of the net and darted toward the other group of queens.
Prideth's tail protruded, and on this Wirenth fastened her teeth, dragging the other from protective custody. No sooner were they clear than Wirenth bestrode the older queen's back, talons digging deeply into her wing muscles, her jaws sinking into the unprotected neck.
They fell, Wirenth making no attempt to stop their dangerous deSscheentc.ould see nothing from her damaged eyeS. he paid no attention to the screams of the other queens, the circling bTrhoennzes. something seized her body roughly from above, giving her a tremendous jerk.
Unable to see on the right, Wirenth was forced to relinquish her hold to contend with this new menace. But as she turned, she caught a glimpse of a great golden body directly belowAPbroidve h.
her, Canth!Canth? Hissing at such treachery, she was unable to realize that he was actually trying to rescue her from sure death on the dangerously close mountain pReaamkso.th, too, was attempting to
stop their plunge, supporting Prideth with her body, her great wings straining with effort.
Suddenly teeth closed on Wirenth's neck, close to the major artery at the junction of the shoulder. Wirenth's mortal scream was cut off as she now struggled for breathWiotsuenlfd. ed by foe, hampered
by friends, Wirenth desperately transferred between, taking Prideth with her, jaws death-locked on her life's blood.
The bronze fire lizard, Berd, found F'nor preparing to join the wings at the western meadows of Telgar Hold.The brown rider was so astonished at first to see the little bronze in Benden so far from his mistress that he didn't immediately grasp the frenzied creature's thoughts.
But Canth did.
"Wirenth has risen!"
All other considerations forgotten, F'nor ran with Canth to the lGedraglel. grabbed at her perch on his shoulder, wrapping her tail so tightly around F'nor's neck that he had to loosen itTfhoerncibBlyer.d
could not be brought to roost and precious moments were lost while Canth managed to calm the little bronze sufficiently to accept instructioAn.s Berd finally settled, Canth let out so mighty a bugle that Mnementh challenged from the ledge and Ramoth roared back from the Hatching Ground.
With no thought of the effect of their precipitous exit or Canth's exceptional behavior, F'nor urged his dragon upward.The small pulse of reason that remained untouched by emotion was trying to estimate
how long it had taken the little bronze to reach him, how long Wirenth would blood before rising, which bronzes were at High ReacheHs.e was thankful that F'lar had not had time to throw mating flights open. There were some beasts against whom Canth stood no chance.
When they broke into the air again over High Reaches Weyr, F'nor's worst fears were Trheaelized. Feeding Ground was a bloody sight and no queen fed Nthoerrew. as there a bronze among the dragons who ringed the Weyr heights.
Without order, Canth wheeled sharply down at dizzying speed.
"Berd knows where Wirenth iHs.e takes me."
The little bronze hopped down to Canth's neck, his little talons gripping the ridgeF'tnigohr tlsyli.d
from Canth's shoulder to the ground, staggering out of the way so the brown could spring back aloft.
"Prideth also rises!"The thought and the brown's scream of fear were simultanFeoroums. the other dragons answered, extending their wings in alarm.
the heights
"Rouse Ramoth!"F'nor shouted, mind and voice, his body paralyzed with sh"Rocoku.se Ramoth! Bronze riders!Prideth also rises!"
Weyrfolk rushed from the Lower Cavern, riders appeared on their ledges around the Weyr face.
"Kylara! T'bor! Where's Pilgra?Kylara! Varena!" Shouting with a panic that threatened to choke him. F'nor raced for Brekke's weyr, shoving aside the people who crowded him, demanding explanations.
Prideth rising!How could that happenE? ven the stupidest Weyrwoman knew you didn't keep a queen near her weyr during a mating flight, unless they were bHrooowdy.could Kylara.
"T'bor!"
F'nor raced up the short flight of steps, pounded down the corridor in strides that jolted his
half-healed arm.But the a pain cleared his head of paJunsict. as he burst into the weyr cavern, Brekke's angry cry halted himT.he bronze riders grouped around her were beginning to show the effects of the interrupted mating flight.
"What's she doing hereH? ow dare she?"Brekke was shrieking in a voice shrill with lust as well as fury. "These are my dragonsH! ow dare she!I'll kill her!"The litany broke into a piercing scream of agony as Brekke doubled up, right shoulder hunching as if to protect her head.
"My eye!My eye!My eye!"Brekke was covering her right eye, her body writhing in an uncontrollable, unconscious mimicry of the aerial battle to which she was tuned.
"Kill! I'll kill her!No! No! She cannot escapeG. her whole body writhed sensuously.
o away!"Suddenly Brekke's face turned crafty and
The bronze riders were changing now, no longer completely in the thrall of the strange mental rapport with their beastsF. ear, doubt, indecision, hopelessness registered on their faSceosm. e portion of the
human awareness was returning, fighting with the dragon responsiveness and the interrupted mating flight. When T'bor reached for Brekke, human fear was reflected in his eyes.
But she was still totally committed to Wirenth, and the incredible triumph on her face registered
Wirenth's success in evading capture, in dragging Prideth from the encircling queens.
"Prideth has risen, T'borT!he queens are fighting,F"'nor shouted.
One rider began to scream and the sound broke the link of two others who stared, dazed, at
Brekke's contorting body.
"Don't touch her!"F'nor cried, moving to fend off T'bor and another Hmeanm. oved as close to her as possible but her ranging eyes did not see him or anything in the weyr.
Then she seemed to spring, her left eye widening with an unholy joy, her lips bared as her teeth fastened on an imaginary target, her body arching with the empathic effort.
Suddenly she hissed, craning her head sideways, over her right shoulder, while her face reflected incredulity, horror, hatredA. s suddenly, her body was seized with a massive convulSshioen.screamed
again, this time a mortal shriek of unbelievable terror and anOguniesh.hand went to her throat the other batted at some unseen attackeHr.er body, poised on her toes, strained in an agonized stWreticthh. a cry that was more gasp than scream, she whirIlnedh. er eyes was Brekke's soul again, tortured, terrified.
Then her eyes closed, her body sagged in such an alarming collapse that F'nor barely caught her in time.
The stones of the weyr itself seemed to reverberate with the mourning dirge of the dragons.
"T'bor, send someone for Manora," F'nor cried in a hoarse voice as he bore Brekke to her couch. Her body was so light in his arms, as if all substance had been drainedHefrohmeldit.her tightly to his
chest with one arm, fumbling to find the pulse in her neck with the frIetebheatn,df.aintly.
What had happened?How could Kylara have allowed Prideth near Wirenth?
"They're both gone," T'bor was saying as he stumbled into the sleeping room and sagged down on the clothes chest, trembling violently.
"Where's Kylara?Where is she?"
"Don't know.I left this morning to fly patroTls'.b"or scrubbed at his face, shock bleaching the ruddy color from his skin".The lake was polluted."
F'nor piled furs around Brekke's motionless boHdye. held his hand against her chest, feeling its barely perceptible rise and fall.
"F'nor?"
It was Canth, his call so faint, so piteous that the man closed his eyes against the pain in his dragon's tone.
He felt someone grip his shouldHere.
opened his eyes to see the pity, the understanding in T'bor's.
"There's nothing more you can do for her right now, F'nor."
"She'll want to dieD. on't let her!"he said."Don't let Brekke die!"
Canth was on the ledge, his eyes glowing dHulely.was swaying with exhaustioFn'.nor encircled the bowed head with his arms, their mutual grief so intense they seemed afire with pain.
"It was too lateP.rideth had risenT. oo close to WirenthN. ot even the queens could heIlp.tried,
F'nor. I tried.She, she fell so fasAt.nd she turned on mTe.hen went betweenI. between."
They stood together, immobile.
could not find her
Lessa and Manora saw them as Ramoth circled into High Reaches AWt eCyra.nth's bellow,
Ramoth had come out of the Hatching Ground, loudly calling for her rider, demanding an explanation of such behavior.
But F'lar, believing he knew Canth's errand, had reassured her, until Ramoth had informed them that Wirenth was risingA. nd Ramoth knew instantly when Prideth rose, too, and had gone between to Nabol to stop the mortal combat if she could.
Once Wirenth had dragged Prideth between, Ramoth had returned to Benden Weyr forThLeessa. Benden dragons set up their keen so that the entire Weyr soon knew of theBduitsaLsteesrs.a waited
only long enough for Manora to gather her medicines.
As she and the headwoman reached the ledge of Brekke's weyr and the motionless mourners, Lessa looked anxiously to ManoraT.here was something dangerous in such stillness.
"They will work this out togethTerh.ey are together, more now than ever before," Manora said in a voice that was no more than a rough whisSpheer. passed them quietly, her head bent and her shoulders drooping as she hurried down the corridor to Brekke.
"Ramoth?" asked Lessa, looking down to where her queen had settled on the Itsawndas not that she doubted Manora's wisdom, but to see F'nor so, so reduced, upsHete hwera.s much like F'lar.
Ramoth gave a soft croon and folded her wiOngns.the ledges around the Bowl, the other dragons began to settle in uneasy vigil.
As Lessa entered the Cavern of the Weyr, she glanced away from the empty dragon couch and then halted mid-step.The tragedy was only minutes past so the nine bronze riders were still in severe shock.
As well they might be, Lessa realized with deep sympTaothyb.e roused to performance intensity and then be, not only disappointed, but disastrously deprived of two queens aWt ohnetchee!r a bronze
won the queen or not, there was a subtle deep attachment between a queen and the bronzes of her
Weyr.
However, Lessa concluded briskly, someone in this benighted Weyr ought to have sense enough to be constructive.Lessa broke this train of thought off abrupBtlrye.kke had been the responsible member.
She turned, about to go in search of some stimulant for the dazed riders when she heard the uneven
steps and stentorous breathing of someone in a huTrwryo.
green fire lizards darted into the weyr,
hovering, chirping excitedly as a young girl came in at a haSlfh-erunc.ould barely manage the heavy tray she carried and she was weeping, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Oh!" she cried, seeing LessaS.he stifled her sobs, tried to bob a curtsey and blot her nose on her shoulder at one and the same time.
"Well, you're a child with wits about you," Lessa said briskly, but not without sySmhpeatthoyo.k one end of the tray and helped the girl deposit it on th"eYtoaubleb.rought strong spirits?" she asked, gesturing to the anonymous earthenware bottles.
"All I could find.A" nd the consonant ended in a sob.
"Here," and Lessa held out a half-filled cup, nodding toward the nearesBt uritdethr.e child was motionless, staring at the curtain, her face twisted with grief, the tears flowing unnoticed down her cheeks. She was washing her hands together with such violent motions that the skin stretched white across her knuckles.
"You're Mirrim?"
The child nodded, her eyes not leaving the closed entrAanbcoev. e her the greens whirred, echoing her distress.
"Manora is with Brekke, Mirrim."
"But, but she'll dieS.he'll die.They say the rider dies, too, when the dragon is kTihlleyd. say ..."
"They say entirely too much," Lessa began and then Manora stood in the doorway.
"She lives.Sleep is the kindest blessing nowS.h"e flipped the curtain shut and glanced at the men. "These could do with sleeHp.ave their dragons returnedW? ho's this?"Manora touched Mirrim's cheek, gently. "Mirrim? I'd heard you had green lizards."
"Mirrim had the sense to bring the tray," Lessa said, catching Manora's eye.
"Brekke, Brekke would expect, " and the girl could go no further.
"Brekke is a sensible person," Manora said briskly and folded Mirrim's fingers around a cup, giving her a shove toward a rid"eHr.elp us nowT. hese men need our help."
In a daze, Mirrim moved, rousing herself to help actively when the bronze rider could not seem to get his fingers to the cup.
"My lady," murmured Manora, "we need the WeyrleaIdsetar. and Telgar Weyrs would be fighting
Thread by now and ..."
"I'm here," F'lar said from the weyr entran"Acen.d I'll take a shot of that, bones."
Ctoool.d between is in my
"We've more fools than we need right now," Lessa exclaimed, but her face brightened to see him there.
"Where's T'bor?"
Manora indicated Brekke's room.
"All right.Then where's Kylara?"
And the cold of between was in his voice.
By evening some order had been restored to the badly demoralized High ReachesThWe ebyro. nze
dragons had all returned, been fed, and the bronze riders weyred with their beasts, sufficiently drugged to sleep.
Kylara had been foundO. r, rather, returned, by the green rider assigned to Nabol Hold. "Someone's got to be quartered there," the man said, his face grim, "but not me or my green." "Please report, S'goral."F'lar nodded his appreciation of the rider's feelings.
"She arrived at the Hold this morning, with some tale about the lake here being fouled and no kegs to hold any supply of wateIr.remember thinking that Prideth looked too gold to beShoeu'st. been off
cycle, you knowB. ut she settled down all right on the ridge with my green so I went about teaching those
Holders how to manage their fire lizardSs'.g"oral evidently did not have much use for his pu"Sphiles. went in with the Nabolese HoldLera.ter I saw their lizards sunning on the ledge outside the Lord's sleeping room."He paused, glancing at his audience and looking grimmer"Wstilel. were taking a breather when my green cried oSutu.re enough, there were dragons, high Iupk.new it was a mating flight. You can't mistake iTt.hen Prideth started to buglNe.ext thing I knew, she was down among
Nabol's prize breeding stockI. waited a bit, sure that she'd be aware of what was happening, but when there wasn't a sign of her, I went lookNinagb.ol's bodyguards were at the dooTrh.e Lord didn't want to
be disturbed.Well, I disturbed himI. stopped him doing what he was doAinngd.
that's what was doing
it! Setting Prideth offT. hat and being so close to rising herself, and seeing a mating flight right over her, so to speak.You don't abuse your dragon that waHy.e" shook his head the"nT. here wasn't anything me
and my green could do theSreo.
we took off for Fort Weyr, for their quBeeunt,s." and he held out his
hands, indicating his helplessness.
"You did as you should, S'goral," F'lar told him.
"There wasn't anything else I could do," the man insisted, as if he could not rid himself of some lingering feeling of guilt.
"We were lucky you were there at all," Lessa "sWaied. might never have known where Kylara was."
"What I want to know is what's going to happen to her, Anohwa?rd" half-shame, half-guilt in the rider's face.
"Isn't loss of a dragon enoughT?'"bor roused himself to ask.
vindictiveness replaced the
"Brekke lost her dragon, too," S'goral retorted angrily, "and she was doing what she should!"
"Nothing can be decided in heat or hatred, S'goral," F'lar said, rising to "hWis ef'veet.no precedents, " He broke off, turning to D'ram and G'na"rNisoht. in our time, at least."
"Nothing should be decided in heat or hatred," D'ram echoed, "but there were such incidents in our time." Unaccountably he flushed". We'd better assign some bronzes here, F'Tlahr.e High Reaches men
and beasts may not be fit tomorroAwn.d with Thread falling every day, no Weyr can be allowed to relax its vigilance.For anything."
CHAPTER XIII
Night at Fort Weyr: Six Days Later
ROBINTON was weary, with fatigue of the heart and mind that did not lift to the thrill the
Masterharper usually experienced on dragonbacIkn.
fact, he almost wished he'd not had to come to
Fort Weyr tonightT. hese past six days, with everyone reacting in varying ways to the tragedy at High
Reaches, had been very difficu(ltM. ust the High Reaches always push the knottiest problems on Pern?)
In a way, Robinton wished that they could have put off this Red Star viewing until minds and eyes had cleared and were ready for this challenAgen.d yet, perhaps the best solution was to press this proposed expedition to the Red Star as far and as fast as possible, as an anodyne to the depression that had followed the death of the two queeRnos.binton knew that F'lar wanted to prove to the Lord Holders
that the dragonmen were in earnest in their desire to clear the air of Thread, but for once, the Masterharper found himself without a private opiniHone. did not know if F'lar was wise in pushing the issue, particularly nowP. articularly when the Benden Weyrleader wasn't recovered from T'ron's slash.
When no one was sure how T'kul was managing in Southern Weyr or if the man intended to stay there. When all Pern was staggered by the battle and deaths of the two queens The people had enough to rationalize, had enough to do with the vagaries of Threadfall complicating the seasonal mechanics of plowing and seedingL. eave the attack of the Red Star until another time.
Other dragons were arriving at Fort Weyr and the brown on which Robinton rode took his place in the circling patternT. hey'd be landing on the Star Stones where Wansor, Fandarel's glassman, had set up the distance-viewer.
"Have you had a chance to look through this devRicoeb?i"nton asked the brown's rider.
"Me? Hardly, Masterharper.Everyone else wants toI.t'll stay there until I've had my turn, I daresay."
"Has Wansor mounted it permanently at Fort Weyr?"
"It was discovered at Fort Weyr," the rider replied, a little defen"sFivoerlty's.
the oldest Weyr, you
know. P'zar feels it should stay at FoArnt.d the Mastersmith, he agreeHs.is man Wansor keeps saying
that there may be good reasoSno.mething to do with elevation and angles and the altitude of Fort Weyr mountains. I didn't understand."
No more do I, Robinton thougBhtu. t he intended toH. e was in agreement with Fandarel and Terry that there should be an interchange of knowledge between CIrnadftiss.putably, Pern had lost many of
the bemoaned techniques due to Craft jealouLsyo.se a Craftmaster early, before he had transmitted all the Craft secrets, and a vital piece of information was lost foNreovt etrh. at Robinton, nor his
predecessor, had ever espoused that ridiculous prerogatiTvhe.ere were five senior harpers who knew
everything that Robinton did and three promising journeymen studying diligently to increase the safety factor.
It was one matter to keep dangerous secrets privy, quite another to guard craft skills to extinction.
The brown dragon landed on the ridge height of Fort Weyr and Robinton slid down the soft shoulder. He thanked the beasTt.he brown rose a half-length from the landing and then seemed to drop off the side of the cliff, down into the Bowl, making room for someone else to land.
Glows had been set on the narrow crown of the height, leading toward the massive Star Stones, their black bulk silhouetted against the lighter night sAkmy.ong those gathered there, Robinton could
distinguish the Mastersmith's huge figure, Wansor's pear-shaped and Lessa's slender one.
On the largest and flattest rock of the Star Stones, Robinton saw the tripod arrangement on which the long barrel of the distance-viewer had been mounAtet df.irst glance he was disappointed by its simplicity, a fat, round cylinder, with a smaller pipe attached to itTshesindei.t amused himT.he Smith
must be tortured with the yearning to dismantle the instrument and examine the principles of its simple efficiency.
"Robinton, how are you this evening?" Lessa asked, coming toward him, one hand outstretched.
He gripped it, her soft skin smooth under the calluses of his fingers.
"Pondering the elements of efficiency," he countered, keeping his voice Bliugthth.e couldn't keep from asking after Brekke and he felt Lessa's fingers tremble in his.
"She does as well as can be expecFte'ndo. r insisted that we bring her to his wTehyer. man's emotionally attached to her, far more than gratitude for any nuBrseitnwge. en him, Manora and Mirrim, she is never alone."
"And, Kylara?"
Lessa pulled her hand from h"iSs.he lives!"
Robinton said nothing and, after a moment, Lessa went on.
"We don't like losing Brekke as a Weyrwoman, " She paused and added, her voice a little harsher, "And since it is now obvious that a person can Impress more than once, and more than one Dragonkind,
Brekke will be presented as a candidate when the Benden eggs HWahtcichh.
should be soon."
"I perceive," Robinton said, cautiously choosing his words "that not everyone favors this departure from custom."
Although he couldn't see her face in the darkness, he felt her eyes on him.
"This time it's not the OldtimeIrs.suppose they're so sure she can't re-Impress, they're indifferent."
"Who then?"
"F'nor and Manora oppose it violently."
"And Brekke?"
Lessa gave an impatient snor"tB. rekke says nothingS. he will not even open her eySehs.e can't be sleeping all the timeT.he lizards and the dragons tell us she's awYakoeu. see," and Lessa's exasperation showed through her tight control for she was more worried about Brekke than she'd admit even to herself, "Brekke can hear any dragoLni.ke me.She's the only other Weyrwoman who cAann.d all the dragons listen to her.L"essa moved restlessly and Robinton could see her slender white hands rubbing against her thighs in unconscious agitation.
"Surely that's an advantage if she's suicidal?"
"Brekke is not, not actively suicidSahl.e's craftbred, you know," Lessa said in a flat, disapproving tone of voice.
"No, I didn't know," Robinton murmured encouragingly after a pHauesew. as thinking that Lessa
wouldn't ever contemplate suicide in a similar circumstance and wondered what Brekke's 'breeding' had to do with a suicidal aptitude.
"That's her troubleS. he can't actively seek death so she just lies tIhehraev. e this incredible urge,"
and Lessa bunched her fists, "to beat or pinch or slap her, anything to get some response from the girl. It's not the end of the world, afterShalel. can hear other dragonSs.he's not bereft of all contact with Dragonkind, like Lytol."
"She must have time to recover from the shock."
"I know, I know," Lessa said irritably, "but we don't haveWtiemcea. n't get her to realize that it's better to do things."
"Lessa ..."
"Don't you 'Lessa' me too, RobintonIn." the reflection of the glow lights, the Weyrwoman's eyes gleamed angrily."F'nor's as daft as a weyrling, Manora's beside herself with worry for them both, Mirrim spends more of her time weeping which upsets the trio of lizards she's got and that sets off all the babes and the weyrlingsA. nd, on top of everything else, F'lar ..."
"F'lar?" Robinton had bent close to her so that no one else might hear her reply.
"He is feverishH. e ought never to have come to High Reaches with that open wYoundk.now what cold between does to wounds!"
"I'd hoped he'd be here tonight."
Lessa's laugh was sour".I dosed his klah when he wasn't looking." Robinton chuckled."And stuffed him with mosstea, I'll bet." "Packed the wound with it, too."
"He's a strong man, LessHa.e'll be all right."
"He'd better beI.f only F'nor, " and Lessa broke "oIffs.ound like a wherry, don't SI?h"e gave a sigh and smiled up at Robinton.
"Not a bit, my dear Lessa, I assure Hyoouw. ever, it's not as if Benden were inadequately
represented," and he executed a little bow which, if she shrugged it off, at least made
"hienr flaacut,g"h.
he went on, "I'm a trifle relieved that F'lar isn't here, railing at anything that keeps him from blotting out any Thread he happens to see in that contraption."
"True enough."And Robinton caught the edge to her vo"iIc'me.
not sure ..."
She didn't finish her sentence and turned so swiftly to mark the landing of another dragon that
Robinton was certain she was at odds with F'lar's wishing to push a move against the Red Star.
Suddenly she stiffened, drawing in her breath shar"pMlye. ron! What does he think he's doing here?"
"Easy, Lessa.I don't like him around any better than you, but I'd rather keep him in sight, if you know what I mean."
"But he's got no influence on the other Lords."
Robinton gave a harsh laug"hM.
y dear Weyrwoman, considering the influence he's been exerting in
other areas, he doesn't need the Lords' support."
Robinton did wonder at the gall of the man, appearing in public anywhere a scant six days after he'd been involved in the deaths of two queen dragons.
The Lord Holder of Nabol strode insolently to the focal point of the gathering, his bronze fire lizard perched on his forearm, its wings extended as it fought to maintain its bTahleanlciett.le creature began to
hiss as it became aware of the antagonism directed at Meron.
"And this, this innocuous tube is the incredible instrument that will show us the ReMd eSrotanr?o"f
Nabol asked scathingly.
"Don't touch it, I beg of yoWu."ansor jumped forward, intercepting Nabol's hand.
"What did you say?T"he lizard's hiss was no less sibilantly menacing than Meron'sTthoeneL. ord's thin features, contorted with indignation, took on an added malevolence from the glow lights.
Fandarel stepped out of the darkness to his craftsman's "sTidhe instrument is positioned for the viewing. To move it would destroy the careful work of some hours."
"If it is positioned for viewing, then let us viNewab!o"l said and, after staring belligerently around the circle, stepped past Wansor".Well? What do you do with this thing?"
Wansor glanced questioningly at the big Smith, who made a slight movement of his head, excusing him. Wansor gratefully stepped back and let Fandarel presWideit.h two gnarled fingers, the Smith
delicately held the small round protuberance at the top of the smaller cylinder.
"This is the eyepieceP.ut your best seeing eye to it," he told Meron.
The lack of any courteous title was not lost on the NabPolaleinsely.
he wanted to reprimand the
Smith. Had Wansor spoken so, he would not have hesitated a second, Robinton thought.
Meron's lips slid into a sneer and, with a bit of a swagger, he took the final step to the distance-viewer. Bending forward slightly, he laid his eye to the proper Aplnadce.jerked his body back hastily, his face wearing a fleeting expression of shock and tHererolra.ughed uneasily and then took a second, longer lookF. ar too long a look to Robinton's mind.
"If there is any lack of definition in the image, Lord Meron, " Wansor began tentatively.
"Shut up!"Gesturing him away impatiently, Meron continued his deliberate monopoly of the instrument.
"That will be enough, Meron," Groghe, Lord of Fort said as the others began to stir restlessly. "You've had more than your fair turn this roMunodv.e away.Let others see."
Meron stared insolently at Groghe for a moment and then looked back into the eyepiece.
"Very interesting. Very interesting," he said, his tone oily with amusement.
"That is quite enough, Meron," Lessa said, striding to the instruTmheentm. any privilege.
He regarded her as he might a body insect, coldly and mockingly.
an could not be allowed
"Enough of what, Weyrwoman?A" nd his tone made the title a vulgar epiItnheft.act, his pose exuded such a lewd familiarity that Robinton found he was clenching hisHefishtsa.d an insane desire to wipe that look from Meron's face and change the arrangement of the features in the process.
The Mastersmith, however, reacted more quickHlyi.s two great hands secured Meron's arms to his sides and, in a fluid movement, Fandarel picked the Nabolese Lord up, the man's feet dangling a full
dragonfoot above the rock, and carried him as far away from the Star Stones as the ledge permitted. Fandarel then set Meron down so hard that the man gave a startled exclamation of pain and staggered before he gained his balancTe.he little lizard screeched around his head.
"My lady," the Mastersmith inclined his upper body toward Lessa and gestured with great courtesy for her to take her place.
Lessa had to stand on tiptoe to reach the eyepiece, silently wishing someone had taken into account that not all the viewers this evening wereTthalel. instant the image of the Red Star reached her brain,
such trivial annoyance evaporatedT.here was the Red Star, seemingly no farther away than her arm could reach.It swam, a many-hued globe, like a child's miggsy, in a lush black backOgrdodund.
whitish-pink masses must be cloudSs.tartling to think that the Red Star could possess clouds, like Pern. Where the cover was pierced, she could see grayish masses, a lively gray with glints andTshpearkles.
ends of the slightly ovoid planet were completely white, but devoid of the clouLd ikceovtehre. icecaps of northern regions of PerDna. rker masses punctuated the grayLs.and? Or seas?
great
Involuntarily Lessa moved her head, to glance up at the round marks of redness in the night sky that was this child's toy through the magic of the distance-vieTwhenr., before anyone might think she'd
relinquished the instrument she looked back through the eyepIiencre. dible. Unsettling. If the gray was land, how could they possibly rid it of ThrIefadt?he darker masses were landD.i.s.turbed, and
suddenly all too willing that someone else be exposed to their ancient enemy at such close range, she stepped back.
Lord Groghe stepped forward importantl"yS. angel, if you please?"
How like the Fort Lord, Lessa thought, to play host when P'zar who was after all, acting Weyrleader at Fort Weyr, did not act quickly enough to exert his Lriegshstas. wished fervently that F'lar had been
able to attend this viewinWg. ell, perhaps P'zar was merely being diplomatic with the Fort Lord Holder. Still, Lord Groghe would need to be kept ...
She retreated and knew it for a retreat, to RobiTnthoen.Harper's presence was always reassuring. He was eager to have his turn but resigned to waGitriongh. e naturally would give the other Lord Holders precedence over a Harper, even the Masterharper of Pern.
"I wish he'd go," Lessa said, glancing sideways at MTerhoen.Nabolese had made no attempt to re-enter the group from which he had been so precipitously expTehlledo. ffensive stubbornness of the man in remaining where he clearly was not welcome provided a counter irritant to worry and her
renewed fear of the Red Star.
Why must it appear so, so innoceWnt?hy did it have to have cloudIts?ought to be differenHt.ow it ought to differ, Lessa couldn't guess, but it ought to look, to look Asindisteitr.didn'tT. hat made it more fearful than ever.
"I don't see anything," Sangel of Boll was complaining.
"A moment, sir."Wansor came forward and began adjusting a small k"nToebl.l me when the view clarifies for you."
"What am I supposed to be seeingS?a"ngel demanded irritably". Nothing there but a bright, aOhh! !" Sangel backed away from the eyepiece as if Thread had burnedBuhtimh.e was again in position before Groghe could call another Lord to his place.
Lessa felt somewhat relieved, and a little smug, at Sangel's reaIcftiothne. taste of honest dread, perhaps ...
fearless Lords also got a
"Why does it glowW? here does it get lighItt?'s dark here," the Lord Holder of Boll babbled.
"It is the light of the sun, my Lord," Fandarel replied, his deep, matter-of-fact voice reducing that miracle to common knowledge.
"How can that be?"Sangel protested". The sun's on the other side of us nAonwy. child knows that, "
"Of course, but we are not obstructing the Star from thatWlieghatr.e below it in the skies, if you will, so that the sun's light reaches it directly."
Sangel seemed likely to monopolize the viewer, too.
"That's enough, Sangel," Groghe said testi"lyL.et Oterel have a chance."
"But I've barely looked, and there was trouble adjusting the mechanism," Sangel complained. Between Oterel's glare and Groghe trying to shoulder him out of the way, Sangel reluctantly stepped aside.
"Let me adjust the focus for you, Lord Oterel," Wansor murmured politely.
"Yes, do.I'm not half blind like Sangol there, the Lord of Tillek said.
"Now, see here, Oterel ..."
"Fascinating, isn't it, Lord Sangel?sa"id Lessa, wondering what reaction the man's blathering had concealed.
He harumphed irritably, but his eyes were restless and he frowned. "Wouldn't call it fascinating, but then I had barely a moment's look." "We've an entire night, Lord Sangel."
The man shivered, pulling his cloak around him though the night air was not more than mildly cool for spring.
"It's nothing more than a child's miggsy," exclaimed the Lord of "TFiullzezky.. Or is it supposed to be?" He glanced away from the eyepiece at Lessa.
"No, my Lord," Wansor sai"dI.t should be bright and clear, so you can see cloud formations."
"How would you know?" Sangel asked testily.
"Wansor set the instrument up for this evening's viewing," Fandarel pointed out. "Clouds?" Tillek asked."Yes, I see themB. ut what's the landT?he dark stuff or the gray?" "We don't know yet," Fandarel told him.
, "Land masses don't look that way as high as dragons can fly a man," said P'zar the Fort Weyrleader, speaking for the first time.
"And objects seen at a far greater distance change even more," Wansor said in the dry tone of someone who does know what he's talking ab"oFuot.r example, the very mountains of Fort which surround us change drastically if seen from Ruatha Heights or the plains of Crom."
"Then all that dark stuff is lanLd?o"rd Oterel had difficulty not being impressAedn.d discouraged,
Lessa thought.Tillek's Lord Holder must have been hoping to press the extermination of Thread on the
Red Star.
"Of that we are not sure," replied Wansor with no lessening of the authority in hisLemssaanner.
approved more and more of WansoAr. man ought not be afraid to say he didn't kNnoorwa.
woman.
The Lord of Tillek did not want to leave the instruAmlemnot.st as if he hoped, Lessa thought, that if he looked long enough, he'd discover a good argument for mounting an expedition.
Tillek finally responded to Nessel of Crom's acid remarks and stepped aside.
"What do you think is the land, SangOerl?did you really see anything?"
"Of course I diSd.aw the clouds plain as I see you right now."
Oterel of Tillek snorted contemptuousl"yW.
hich doesn't say much, considering the darkness."
"I saw as much as you did, OteGreral.y masses, and black masses and those clouAdss.tar having clouds! Doesn't make senseP. ern has clouds!"
Hastily Lessa changed her laugh at the man's indignation to a cough, but she caught the Harper's amused look and wondered what his reaction to the Red Star wouWldoubled. he be for, or against this expedition? And which attitude did she want him to express?
"Yes, Pern has clouds," Oterel was saying, somewhat surprised at that observ"Aatniodn.if Pern has clouds, and more water surface than land, then so does the Red Star."
"You can't be sure of that," Sangel protested.
"And there'll be a way of distinguishing land from water too," Oterel went on, ignoring the Boll Lord. "Let me have another look, there, Nessel," he said, pushing the Crom Lord out of the way.
"Now, wait a minute there, TillekA."nd Nessel put a proprietary hand on the instrumAesntT. illek jostled him, the tripod tottered and the distance-viewer, on its hastily rigged swivel, assumed a new direction.
"Now you've done it," Oterel crie"dI . only wanted to see if you could distinguish the land from the water."
Wansor tried to get between the two Lords so that he could adjust his precious instrument.
"I didn't get my full turn," Nessel complained, trying to keep physical possession of the
distance-viewer.
"You'll not see anything, Lord Nessel, if Wansor cannot have a chance to sight back on the Star," Fandarel said, politely gesturing the Crom Lord out of the way.
"You re a damned wherry fool, Nessel," Lord Groghe said, pulling him to one side and waving
Wansor in.
"Tillek's the fool."
"I saw enough to know there's not as much dark as there is that gray," Oterel said, defensively. "Pern's more water than lanSd.o's the Red Star."
"From one look you can tell so much, OterMele?r"on's malicious drawl from the shadows distracted everyone.
Lessa moved pointedly aside as he strolled forward, stroking his bronze lizard possesIst ively. affronted Lessa that the little creature was humming with pleasure.
"It will take many observations, by many eyes," Fandarel said in his bass rumble, "before we will be able to say what the Red Star looks like with any cerOtitnuedep.oint of similarity is not enouNgho.t at
all."
"Oh, indeed.Indeed." Wansor seconded his Craftmaster, his eyes glued to the piece as he slowly swung it across the night sky.
"What's taking you so long?N"essel of Crom demanded irritabl"yT. here's the StarW. with our naked eyes."
e can all see it
"And it is so easy to pick out the green pebble you drop on the sands of Igen at high noon?" asked
Robinton.
"Ah. I've got it," Wansor crieNd.essel jumped forward, reaching for the tuHbee. jerked his hand back, remembering what an unwise movement could Wdoit.h both hands conspicuously behind him, he looked again at the Red Star.
Nessel, however, did not remain long at the distance-vieWwehre.n Oterel stepped forward, the
Masterharper moved quicker.
"My turn now, I believe, since all the Lord Holders have had one sighting."
"Only fair," Sangel said loudly, glaring at Oterel.
Lessa watched the Masterharper closely, saw the tightening of his broad shoulders as he, too, felt the impact of that first sight of their ancient eneHmey.did not remain long, or perhaps she was deceived, but
he straightened slowly from the eyepiece and looked thoughtfully toward the Red Star in the dark heavens above them.
"Well, Harper?" asked Meron superciliousl"yY. ou've a glib word for every occasion."
Robinton regarded the Nabolese for a longer moment than he had the Star.
"I think it wiser that we keep this distance between us."
"Ha! I thought as much.M" eron was grinning with odious triumph.
"I wasn't aware you thought," Robinton remarked quietly.
"What do you mean, Meron?L"essa asked in a dangerously edged voice, "you thought as much?"
"Why, it should be obvious," and the Lord of Nabol had not tempered his attitude toward her much since his first insult.
"The Harper does as Benden Weyr decreAesn.d since Benden Weyr does not care to exterminate
Thread at source.
"And how do you know thatL?e"ssa demanded coldly.
"And, Lord Nabol, on what grounds do you base your allegation that the Harper of Pern does as Benden Weyr decrees?For I most urgently suggest that you either prove such an accusation instantly or retract it."Robinton's hand was on his belt knife.
The bronze lizard on Meron's arm began to hiss and extend his fragile wings iTnhealaLrmor.d of
Nabol contented himself with a knowing smirk as he made a show of soothing his lizard.
"Speak up, Meron," Oterel demanded.
"But it's so obviousS.urely you can all see that," Meron replied with malicious affability and a feigned surprise at the obtuseness of the othe"rHs.e has a hopeless passion for, the Benden Weyrwoman."
For a moment Lessa could only stare at the man in a stunneIdt
dwaazse.true that she admired and
respected Robinton.She was fond of him, she supposAedlw. ays glad to see him and never bothering to disguise it but, Meron was maTdr.ying to undermine the country's faith in dragonmen with absurd,
vicious rumors.First Kylara and now
A...nd yet Kylara's weakness, her promiscuity, the general attitude
of the Hold and Craft toward the customs of the Weyrs made his accusation so plausible.
Robinton's hearty guffaw startled heAr.nd wiped the smile from Nabol's face.
"Benden's Weyrwoman has not half the attraction for me that Benden's wine has!"
There was such intense relief in the faces around her that Lessa knew, in a sinking, sick way, that the
Lord Holders had been halfway to believing Meron's invidious accusaIftioRno. binton had not responded just as he had, if she had started to protest the accusaSthioeng.r.i.nned, too, managed to chuckle because the Masterharper's fondness for wine, for the Benden wines in particular, was such common knowledge, it was more plausible than Meron's slanRdiedri.cule was a better defense than
truth.
"Furthermore," the Harper went on, "the Masterharper of Pern has no opinion, one way or another, about the Red Star, not even a veBrseec.ause that, that, child's miggsy scares him juiceless and makes
him yearn for some of that Benden wine, right now, in limitless quRanotbitiyn.t"on had not the slightest
trace of laughter in his voice no"wI'm.
too steeped in the history and lore of our beloved Pern, I've sung
too many ballads about the evil of the Red Star to want to get any clEosveern tothait, " and he pointed to the distance-viewer, "brings it far too near Bmuet .the men who have to fight Thread day after day, Turn after Turn, can look upon it with less fearfulness than the poor AHnadrp, eMr. eron, Lord Holder
of Nabol, you can wager every field and cot and hall upon your lands that the dragonmen of every Weyr would like to be quit of any obligation to keep your hide Threadfree even if it means wiping Thread from every squared length of that StaTr.h"e vehemence in the Harper's voice caused Meron to take a
backward step, to clap a hand on the violently agitated fire "lHizaorwd. can a you, any of you," and the Harper's opprobrium fell equally now on the other four Lords, "doubt that the Dragonriders wouldn't be as relieved as you to see the end of their centuries of dedication to youTrhseayfedtyo.n't have to defend
you from ThreadY.
ou, Groghe, Sangel, Nessel, Oterel, you all ought to realize that byYonuo'vwe.
had
T'kul to deal with, and T'ron.
"You all know what Thread does to a mAannd. you know what happens when a dragon
Odires.
must I remind you of that, toDoo? you honestly believe that the Dragonriders wish to prolong such conditions, such occurrences?What do they get out of Nito?t much!Not much!Are the scores they
suffer worth a few bags of grain, or a blade from the SIms itah'sd?ragon's death truly recompensed by a length of goods or a scrawny herdbeast?
"And if there have been instruments for man with his puny eyes to view that bauble in the sky, why do we still have ThreadI?f it's just a question of finding coordinates and taking that Cjuomulpd? it be that it
has been tried by Dragonriders beforAe?nd they failed because those gray masses we see so clearly are not water, or land, but uncountable Threads, seething and writhing, until the topmost can, by some
mysterious agency, win free to plague
Cuso?uld it be because, although there are clouds, they do not
consist of water vapor as Pern's clouds, but something deadly, far more inimical to us thanHTowhread?
do we know we will not find the bones of long-lost dragons and riders in the dark blots of the planet?
There is so much we do not know that, yes, I think it wiser that we keep this distance
BbeuttwIeen us.
think the time for wisdom is now past and we must rely on the folly of the brave and hope that it will suffice them and usF.or I do believe," and the Harper turned slowly toward Lessa, "though my heart is heavy and I am scared soulless, that the dragonmen of Pern will go to the Red Star."
"That is F'lar's intention," Lessa said in a strong, ringing voice, her head high, her shoulders straight.
Unlike the Harper, she could not admit her fear, even to herself.
"Aye," rumbled Fandarel, nodding his great head slowly up and down, "for he has enjoined me and Wansor to make many observations on the Red Star so that an expedition can be sent as soon as possible."
"And how long must we wait until this expedition takes plMaceer?o"n asked, as if the Harper's words had never been spoken.
"Come now, man, how can you expect any one to give a date, a time?" asked Groghe.
"Ah, but Benden Weyr is so adept at giving times and dates and patterns, isMietronnot?re"plied so unctuously that Lessa wanted to scratch his face.
"And they saved your profit, Nabol," Oterel put in.
"Have you any idea, Weyrwoman?S"angel asked Lessa in an anxious tone.
"I must complete the observations," Wansor put in, nervously dithe"rIitngw.ould be folly, madness,
until we have seen the entire Red Star, and plot in the distinctive features of the various colSoer emasses. how often the clouds cover Oith. , there is much preliminary investigation to be done.
And then, some kind of protective ..."
"I see," Meron broke in.
Would the man never cease smilinAg?nd yet, Lessa thought, his irony might work in their favor.
"It could be a lifelong project," he went on.
"Not if I know F'lar," the Harper said d"ryI'lvye.
recently entertained the notion that Benden's
Weyrleader takes these latest vagaries of our ancient scourge as a personal insult since we had rather thought we'd got them neatly slotted in time and place."
There was such good-humored raillery in the Harper's tone that Oterel of Tillek gaveLaordsnort. Groghe looked more thoughtful, probably not quite recovered from F'lar's rebuttal the other day.
"An insult to Benden?" asked Sangel, baffl"eBdu. t his time tables were accurate for TuUrnsse.d them myself and never found them wrong until just recently."
Meron stamped his foot, his affected pose gone.
"You're all foolsL. etting the Harper sweet-talk you into complacenWcye. 'll never see the end of
Thread. Not in his lifetime or ouArsn. d we'll be paying tithes to shiftless Weyrs deferring to Dragonriders and their women as long as this planet circles theAnsudn.there's not one of you great Lords, not one,
with the courage to force this issWuee. which eat Thread."
don't need DragonridersW. e don't need 'emW. e've fire lizards
"Then shall I inform T'bor of the High Reaches Weyr that his wings need no longer patrIo'ml Nabol?
certain he would be relieved," Lessa asked in her lightest, sweetest voice.
The Nabolese Lord gave her a look of pure haTtrheed.fire lizard gathered itself into a hissing launch position. A single clear note from Ramoth all but deafened those on the hTehigehftsir.e lizard
disappeared with a shriekS.trangling on his curses, Meron stamped down the lighted path to the landing, calling harshly for his dragoTn.he green appeared with such alacrity that Lessa was certain Ramoth had summoned him, even as she had warned the little lizard against attacking Lessa.
"You wouldn't order T'bor to stop patrolling Nabol, would you, Weyrwoman?" asked Nessel, Lord of Crom."After all, my lands march with his."
"Lord Nessel," Lessa began, intending to reassure him that she had no such authority in the first place
and in the second
"..L. ord Nessel," she repeated instead, smiling at him, "you notice that the Lord of
Nabol did not request it, after Talhl.ough," and she sighed with dramatic dedication, "we have been sorely tempted to penalize him for his part in the death of the two dragon Sqhueeegnasv."e Nessel a
wan, brave smile". But there are hundreds of innocent people on his lands, and many more about him, who cannot be permitted to suffer because of his, his, how shall I phrase it, his irrational behavior."
"Which leads me to ask," Groghe said, hastily clearing his throat, "what is being done with that, that
Kylara woman?"
"Nothing," Lessa said in a flat hard voice, trusting that would end the matter.
"Nothing?" Groghe was incensed".She caused the deaths of two queens and you're doing nothing?"
"Are the Lord Holders doing anything about Meron?" she asked, glancing sternly at the four present. There was a long silenc"eI. must return to Benden WeyTrh.e dawn and another day's watch come all
too soon thereW.
e're keeping Wansor and Fandarel from the observations that will make it possible for
us to go to that Star."
"Before they monopolize the thing, I'd like another look," Oterel of Tillek said"Mlouydleyy.es are keen."
Lessa was tired as she called Ramoth to Shheer. wanted to go back to Benden Weyr, not so much to sleep as to reassure herself about FM'lanr.ementh was with him, true, and he'd have reported any change in his rider's condition.
"And I'd've told you," Ramoth said, sounding a little hurt.
"Lessa," the Harper's low voice reached her, "are you in favor of that expedition?"
She looked up at him, his face lighted by the path
Hglioswesx. pression was neutral and she
wondered if he'd really meant what he'd said back at the Star HReocdkiss.sembled so easily, and so often against his own inclination, that she sometimes wondered what his candid thoughts were.
"It scares meI.t scares me because it seems so likely that someone must haveSotmrieedti.me. It just doesn't seem logical ..."
"Is there any record that anyone, besides yourself, ever jumped so far between times?"
"No." She had to admit
"itN. ot so farB. ut then, there hadn't been such need."
"And there's no need now to take this other kind of a jump?"
"Don't unsettle me more.L"essa was unsure of what she felt or thought, or what anyone felt or thought, should or shouldn't dTo.hen she saw the kind, worried expression of the Harper's eyes and impulsively gripped his arm".How can we knowH? ow can we be sure?"
"How were you sure that the Question Song could be answered, by you?"
"And you've a new Question Song for me?"
"Questions, yes."He gave her a smile as he covered her hand gently with h"isAnoswwne.r?" He shook his head and then stepped back as Ramoth alighted.
But his questions were as difficult to forget as the Question Song which had led her between times. When she returned to Benden, she found that F'lar's skin was hot to the touch; he slept Sroestlessly.
much so that, although Lessa willed herself to sleep beside him on the wide couch, she couldn't succeed. Desperate for some surcease from her fears, for F'lar, of the intangible unknown ahead, she crept from
their couch and into the weyRra.moth roused sleepily and arranged her front legs in a cLraudllleed. by the warm, musty comfort of her dragon, Lessa finally did sleep.
By the morning, F'lar was no better, querulous with his fever and worried about her report on the viewing.
"I can't imagine what you expected me to see," she said with some exasperation after she had patiently described for the fourth time what she had seen through the distance-viewer
"I expected," and he paused significantly, "to find some, some characteristic for which the dragons could fly between."He plucked at the bed fur, then pulled the recalcitrant forelock back from his eyes. "We have got to keep that promise to the Lord Holders."
"Why? To prove Meron wrong?"
"No. To prove it is or is not possible to get rid of Thread permaHneentslyco."wled at her as if she should have known the answer.
"I think someone else must have tried to discover that before," she said w"Aenardilyw. e still have
Thread."
"That doesn't mean anything," he countered in such a savage tone that he began to cough, an exercise which painfully contracted the injured muscles across his waist.
Instantly Lessa was at his side, offering him distilled wine, sweetened and laced with fellis fruit juice.
"I want F'nor," he said petulantly.
Lessa looked down at him for the coughing spasm had left him limp.
"If we can pry him away from Brekke."
F'lar's lips set in a thin line.
"You mean, only you, F'lar, Benden Weyrleader, can flout tradition?" she asked.
"That isn't ..."
"If it's your pet project you're worrying about, I had N'ton secure Thread."
"N'ton?" F'lar's eyes flew open in surprise.
"Yes. He's a good lad and, from what I heard at Fort Weyr last night, very deft in being exactly where he is needed, unobtrusively."
"And ...?"
"And? Well, when the next queen at Fort Weyr rises, he'll undoubtedly take the LeaWderhsihchip.is what you intended, isn't it?"
"I don't mean thaIt. mean, the Thread."
Lessa felt her guts turn over at the mem"oArys . you thought, the grubs rose to the surface the instant we put the Thread iVn.ery shortly there was no more Thread."
F'lar's eyes shone and he parted his lips in a triumphant smile.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
At that, Lessa jammed both fists against her waist and awarded him one of her sternest looks. "Because there have been a few other things to occupy my mind anTdhitsimise. not something we can discuss in open session, after aWll.hy, if even such loyal riders as ..."
"What did N'ton sayD? oes he fully understand what I'm trying to do?"
Lessa eyed her Weyrmate thoughtfull"yY. es, he does, which is why I chose him to substitute for
F'nor."
That seemed to relieve F'lar, for he leaned back against the pillows with a deep sigh and closed his eyes. "He's a good choiceF.or more than Fort WeyrleadershiHp.e'd carry onT. hat's what we need the
most, Lessa.Men who think, who can carry Tonh.at's what happened before.H" is eyes flew open, shadowed with a vague fear and a definite wo"Wrryh.at time is it at Fort Weyr now?"
Lessa made a rapid calculatio"nD. awn's about four hours away."
"Oh. I want N'ton here as soon as possible."
"No wait a minute, F'lar, he's a Fort rider ..."
F'lar grabbed for her hand, pulling her down to "hDimon.'t you see," he demanded, his voice hoarse, his urgency frightening, "he's got to knoKwn.ow everything I planT.hen, if something happens ..."
Lessa stared at him, not comprehendinTgh.en she was both furious with him for frightening her, irritated with his self-pity, and terrified that he might indeed be fatally ill.
"F'lar, get a grip on yourself, man," she said, half-angry, half-teasing; he felt so hot.
He flung himself back down on the bed, tossing his head from side to side.
"This is what happened beforIe.know itI.
don't care what he says, get F'nor here."
"Lioth is coming and a green from Telgar," Mnementh announced.
Lessa took consolation from the fact that Mnementh didn't seem the least bit distressed by F'lar's ravings.
F'lar gave a startled cry, glaring accusingly at Lessa.
"Don't look at meI. didn't send for N'toInt. isn't even dawn there yet."
"The green is a messenger and the man he bears is very excited," Mnementh reported, and he sounded mildly curious.
Ramoth, who had taken herself to the Hatching Ground after Lessa awakened, rumbled a challenge
to bronze LiothN.
'ton came striding down the passageway, accompanied by Wansor, certainly the last
person Lessa expected to seTe.he rotund little man's face was flushed with excitement, his eyes sparkling despite red rims and bloodshot whites.
"Oh, Weyrlady, this is the most exciting news imaginRabelael.ly exciting!"Wansor babbled, shaking the large leaf under her nosSeh.e had an impression of circleTsh.en Wansor saw F'larA. ll the
excitement drained out of his face as he realized that the Weyrleader was a very s"iScikr, mI ahna. d no idea, I wouldn't have presumed ..."
"Nonsense, man," F'lar said irritabl"yW. found a coordinate for the dragons?"
hat brings you?What have you thereL? et me seeY.
ou've
Wansor seemed so uncertain about proceeding that Lessa took charge, guiding the man to the bed.
"What's this leaf meanA? h, this is Pern, and that is the Red Star, but what are these other circles you're marked?"
"I'm not certain I know, my lady, but I discovered them while scanning the heavens last night, or this
morning. The Red Star is not the only globe abovTe huesre. toward morning, didn't it, N'ton?"
is this one, too, which became visible
The young bronze rider nodded solemnly but there was a gleam of amusement in his blue eyes for the glassman's manner of exposition".And very faintly, but still visible as a sphere, is this third heavenly
neighbor, to our northeast, low on the horizTohne.n, directly south, it was N'ton's notion to look all around, we found this larger globe with the most unusual cluster of objects moving with visible speed about it.Why, the skies around Pern are crowdeWd!"ansor's dismay was so ludicrous that Lessa had to stifle her giggle.
F'lar took the leaf from the glassman and began to study it while Lessa pushed Wansor onto the stool by the sick man.
F'lar tapped the circles thoughtfully as though this tactile contact made them more real.
"And there are four stars in the skies?"
"Indeed there are many more, Weyrleader," Wansor repl"iBedu.t only these," and his stained forefinger pointed to the three newly discovered neighbors, "appear so far as globes in the distance-viewer. The others are merely bright points of light as stars have alwaysOnbeemn.ust assume
then, that these three are also controlled by our sun, and pass around it, even aFsorwIe ddoo. not see
how they could escape the force that tethers us and the Red Star to the sun, a force we know to be tremendous."
F'lar looked up from the rude sketches, a terrible expression on his face.
"If these are so near, then does Thread really come from the Red Star?"
"Oh dear, oh dear," moaned Wansor softly and began caressing his fingertips with his thumbs in little fluttery gestures.
"Nonsense," said Lessa so confidently that the three men glanced at her in s"uLrpetr'issen. ot make
more complications than we already havTeh.e ancients who knew enough to make that distance-viewer
definitely stipulate the Red Star as the origin of ThIrfeaidt . were one of these others, they'd have said so. It is when the Red Star approaches Pern that we have Thread."
"In that drawing in the Council Room at Fort Weyr there is a diagram of globes on circular routes," N'ton said thoughtfully". Only there are six circles and," his eyes widened suddenly; he glanced quickly
down at the sheet in Wansor's hand, "one of them, the next to the last, has clusters of smaller satellites."
"Well, then, except that we've seen it with our own eyes, what's all the worry?" demanded Lessa, grabbing up the klah pitcher and mugs to serve the newco"mWeers'v. e only just discovered for
ourselves what the ancients knew and inscribed on that wall."
"Only now," N'ton said softly, "we know what that design means." Lessa shot him a long look and nearly flooded Wansor's cup. "Indeed. The actual experience is the knowing, N'ton."
"I gather you have both spent the night at that distance-viewer?" askedWFh'elanr.they nodded, he asked, "What of the Red StaDr?id you see anything that could guide us in?"
"As to thats. ir," N'ton answered after a questioning glance at Wansor, "there is an odd-shaped protuberance which puts me in mind of the tip of Nerat, only pointed east instead of west, " His voice trailed off and he gave a diffident shrug of his shoulders.
F'lar sighed and leaned back again, all the eagerness gone from his face.
"Insufficient detail, huh?"
"Last night," N'ton added in hurried qualificati"oIn.doubt the following nights will alter the view."
"On the contrary, Weyrleader," said Wansor, his eyes wide, "the Red Star turns on its own axis much as Pern does."
"But it is still too far away to make out any details," Lessa said firmly.
F'lar shot her an annoyed loo"kIf.
I could only see for myself ..."
Wansor looked up brightly".Well, now, you know, I had about figured out how to utilize the lenses from the magnifierO. f course, there'd be no such maneuverability as one can achieve with the ancient device, but the advantage is that I could set up those lenses on your own StaIrt'sStroantheesr.
interesting too, because if I put one lens in the Eye Rock and set the other on the Finger Rock, you will see, or, but then you won't see, will you?" And the little man seemed to debate.
"Won't see what?"
"Well, those rocks are situated to catch the Red Star only at winter solstice, so of course the angles are wrong for any other time of yBeaurt. then, I could, no," Wansor's face was puckered with his intense frown. Only his eyes moved, restlessly, as the myriad thoughts he was undoubtedly sifting were reflected briefly. "I will think about Bit.ut I am sure that I can devise a means of your seeing the Red Star, Weyrleader, without moving from Benden."
"You must be exhausted, Wansor," Lessa said, before F'lar could ask another question.
"Oh, not to mention," Wansor replied, blinking hard to focus on her.
"Enough to mention," Lessa said firmly and took the cup from hishahlfa-nlidft.ing him from the stool. "I think Master Wansor, that you had better sleep here at Benden a little while."
"Oh, could I?I'd the most fearful notion that I might fall off the dragon beBtwuteetnh.at couldn't happen, could it?Oh, I can't stayI. have the Craft's dragoRn.eally, perhaps I'd just better ..."
His voice trailed off as Lessa led him down the corridor.
"He was up all last night too," N'ton said, grinning affectionately after Wansor.
"There is no way to go between to the Red Star?"
N'ton shook his head slowl"yN. ot that we could see tonight, last niTghe.
same features of dark,
reddish masses were turned toward us most of the time we waJtucshtedb.efore we decided you should know about the other planets, I took a final look and that Nerat-like promontory had disappeared, leaving only the dullish gray-red coloration."
"There must be some way to get to the Red Star."
"I'm sure you'll find it, sir, when you're feeling better."
F'lar grimaced, thinking that 'unobtrusive' was an apt description of this youngHemhaand.
deftly
expressed confidence in his superior, that only ill-health prevented immediate action, and that the ill-health was a passing thing.
"Since that's the way matters stand in that direction, let us proceed in aLneostshaers.aid that you procured Thread for usD. id you see how those swamp grubs dealt with Thread?"
N'ton nodded slowly, his eyes glittering.
"If we hadn't had to cede the dissidents the continent, I'd've had a straight-flown Search discover the boundaries of the southern landWs. e still don't know its exteEntx.ploration was stopped on the west by
the deserts, and on the east by the Bsueat . it can't be just the swampy area that is infested with these grubs." F'lar shook his headH. e sounded querulous to himselHf.e took a breath, forcing himself to
speak more slowly and therefore less emotiona"llTyh. ere's been Threadfall in the Southern Weyr for seven Turns and not a single burroTwh.e ground crews have never had to flame out anytNhionwg.,
even with the most careful, most experienced, sharpest-eyed riders, some Thread gets to the ground. T'bor insists there were never any burrows to be found anywhere after a ThreFa'ldafralgl,r"imaced."His
wings are efficient and Threadfall is light in the south, but I wished I'd known."
"And what would you have thought?" asked Lessa with her usual asperity as she rejoined them. "Nothing. Because until Thread started falling out of phase, and you had been at the swampfall, you'd never have correlated the information."
She was right, of course, but N'ton didn't have to look so torn between agreement with her and sympathy for himS. ilently F'lar railed at this infuriating debilHitye. ought to be up and around, not forced to rely on the observations of others at a critical time like this.
"Sir, in the Turns I've been a dragonrider," said N'ton, considering his words even as he spoke, "I've learned that nothing is done without purpoIseu.sed to call my sire foolish to insist that one tanned leather
in just one way, or stretched hide only a little at a time, well-soaked, but I've realized recently that there is
an order, a reason, a rhyme for Hite." paused, but F'lar urged him to go"Io'vne.
been most interested in
the methods of the MastersmitTh.hat man thinks constantly.T"he young man's eyes shone with such
intense admiration that F'lar grinneId'm.
afraid I may be making a nuisance of myself but I learned so
much from himE. nough to realize that there're gaps in the knowledge that's been transmitted down to us. Enough to understand that perhaps the southern continent was abandoned to let the grubs grow in strength there ..."
"You mean, that if the ancients knew they couldn't get to the Red Star," Lessa exclaimed, "they developed the grubs to protect growing fields?"
"They developed the dragons from fire lizards, didn't thWeyh?y not grubs as ground crewsA?"nd
N'ton grinned at the whimsy of his thesis.
"That makes sense," Lessa said, looking hopefully at F"C'laerr.tainly that explains why the dragons haven't jumped between to the Red STtahr.ey didn't need toP.rotection was being provided."
"Then why don't we have grubs here in the north?" asked F'lar contentiously.
"Ha! Someone didn't live long enough to transmit the news, or sow the grubs, or cultivate them, or something. Who can tell?"Lessa threw wide her armIst. was obvious to F'lar that she preferred this
theory, subtle as she may have been in trying to block his desire to go to the Red Star.
He was willing to believe that the grubs were the answer, but the Red Star had to Ibfeonvliysited. to reassure the Lord Holders that the dragonmen were trustworthy.
"We still don't know if the grubs exist beyond the swamps," F'lar reminded her.
"I don't mind sneaking in and finding out," N'ton "sIaikdn.ow Southern very well, sPirobably as
well as anyone even F'noIr'd.
like permission to go south and cheWck.h"en N'ton saw F'lar hesitate and
Lessa frown, he went on hurried"lyI. can evade T'kuTl.hat man's so obvious, he's pathetic."
"All right, all righNt. 'ton. Go. It's the truth I've no one else to send," and F'lar tried not to feel bitter that F'nor was involved with a woman; he was a dragonrider first, wasTnh'tenheF?'lar suppressed such uncharitable thoughts.Brekke had been a Weyrwoman; through no fault of hers (and F'lar still berated himself that he had not thought of keeping a closer check on Kylara's activities, he'd been warned), Brekke was deprived of her dragoInf . she found some comfort in F'nor's presence, it was unforgivable
to deprive her of his compan"yG. o, N'ton.Spot-check. And bring back samples of those grubs from every location.I wish Wansor had not dismantled that other contrapWtioen.could look closely at the grubs. That Masterherder was a fooTl.he grubs might not be the same in every spot."
"Grubs are grubs," Lessa mumbled.
"Landbeasts raised in the mountains are different from landbeasts raised on the plains," N'ton said. "Fellis trees grown south are larger with better fruit than Nerat's best."
"You know too much," Lessa replied, grinning to take the sting from her words.
N'ton grinned."I'm a bronze rider, Weyrwoman."
"You'd best be offN. o, wait.Are you sure Fort is not going to need you and Lioth for TFh'rleaard?" asked, wanting to be rid of this very healthy youngster who only emphasized his illness.
"Not for a while, siIrt's full night there still."
That underscored his youthfulness and F'lar waved him out, trying to suppress jealousy with gratitude. The moment he'd gone, F'lar let out a sudden exasperated oath that brought Lessa, all consideration, to his side.
"I'll get well, I'll get well," he fumHeed.held her hand against his cheek, grateful, too, for the cool of her fingers as they curved to fit against his face.
"Of course you'll get weYll.ou're never sick," she murmured softly, stroking his forehead with her
free hand.Then her voice took on a teasing n"oYteo.u're just stupidO. between, let cold into a wound, and developed fever."
therwise you wouldn't have gone
F'lar, reassured as much by her caustic jibe as her cool and loving caresses, lay back and willed himself to sleep, to health.
CHAPTER XIV
Early Morning at Ruatha Hold
Midday at Benden Weyr
WHEN WORD CAME that the Hatching was likely to occur that bright spring day, Jaxom didn't know whether he was glad or nEovt.er since the two queens had killed each other ten days before, Lytol had been sunk in such a deep gloom that Jaxom had tiptoed around thHeisHgoulda.rdian had always
been a somber man, never given to joking or teasing, but this new silence unnerved the enEtivrenHold. the new baby didn't cry.
It was bad, very bad, to lose one queen, Jaxom knew, but to lose two, in such a hoIrtribwleasway!
almost as if things were pointing toward even direr evJeanxtosm.
was scared, a deep voiceless feeling in
his bones.He almost dreaded seeing FelessaHn.e had never shaken off his sense of blasphemy for invading the Hatching Ground, and wondered if this were his punishBmuetnth.e was a logical boy and
the death of the two queens had not occurred at Ruatha, not over Fort Weyr to which Ruatha Hold was
bound. He'd never met Kylara or BrekkHee.
did know F'nor and felt sorry for him if half what he'd
heard was true, that F'nor had taken Brekke into his weyr and had abandoned his duties as a Wing-second to care for heSr.he was very sickF.unny, everyone was sorry for Brekke but no one mentioned Kylara, and she'd lost a queen, too.
Jaxom wondered about that but knew he couldn't Jausskt. as he couldn't ask if he and Lytol were really going to the HatchinWg. hy else would the Weyrleader send them woArdn?d wasn't Talina a Ruathan candidate for the queen egRg?uatha ought to be represented at the HatchBinegn.den Weyr always had open Impressions, even when the other Weyrs dAidnnd't. he hadn't seen Felessan in ages. Not that anyone had done much more than Thread-watch since the wedding at Telgar.
Jaxom sighed.That had been some daHy.e shivered, remembered how sick, cold and, yes, how
scared he'd been (Lytol said a man wasn't afraid to admit toAlfleathr.e)
time he'd watched F'lar fighting
T'ron, he'd been scaredH. e shuddered again, his spine rippling with reaction to that meEmvoerryy.thing
was going wrong on PerDn.ragon queens killing each other, Weyrleaders dueling in public, Thread falling here and there, with no rhyme or reasOornd.er had slipped away from life; the constants that made his routine were dissolving, and he was powerless to stop the inexorableItslwidaes.n't fairE. verything had
been going so welEl.veryone had been saying how Ruatha Hold had improNveodw. , this past six days,
they'd lost that northeastern farmhold and, if things kept up, there wouldn't be much left of all Lytol's hard work. Maybe that's why he was acting so, so Bodudt .it wasn't fair.Lytol had worked so harAdn. d
now, it looked as though Jaxom was going to miss the Hatching and see who Impressed that littlest egg. It wasn't at all fair.
"Lord Jaxom," gasped a breathless drudge from the doorway, "Lord Lytol said for you to change to your best.The Hatching's to starOt. h, sir, do you think Talina has a chance?"
"More than a chance," Jaxom said, rude with excitement, "She's Ruathan-bred afNteorwallg. et
out." His fingers were clumsy with the fastenings of his trousers and the tunic which had been new for the Telgar wedding.He hadn't spilled on the fine fabric, but you could still see the greasy fingerprints on the right shoulder where an excited guest had pulled him away from his vantage point on the Telgar Hold
steps during the fight.
He shrugged into the cloak, found the second glove under the bed and raced down into the Great
Court where the blue dragon waited.
Sight of the blue, however, inevitably reminded Jaxom that Groghe's eldest son had been given one of the fire-lizard eggs, Lytol had deliberately refused the pair to which Ruatha Hold wasTehnatti,tled.
too, was a rankling injusticJea.xom should have had a fire-lizard egg, even if Lytol couldn't bear to
Impress one.Jaxom was Lord of Ruatha and an egg had been hiLs ydtoule.had no right to refuse him that perquisite.
"Be a good day for Ruatha if your Talina Impresses, won't it?" D'wer, the blue's rider, greeted him.
"Yes," Jaxom replied, and he sounded sullen even to himself.
"Cheer up, lad," D'wer sai"dT. hings could be worse."
"How?"
D'wer chuckled and, while it offended Jaxom, he couldn't very well call a dragonman to task.
"Good morning, Trebith," Jaxom said to the blue, who turned his head, the large eye whirling with color.
They both heard Lytol's voice, dull-toned but clear as he gave instructions for the day's work to the stewards.
"For every field that gets scored, we plant two more as long as we can get seed in the ground. There's plenty of fallow land in the northeMasot.ve the Holders."
"But, Lord Lytol ... "
"Don't give me the old wail about temporary dwelliTnhgesr.e'll be temporary eating if we aren't farsighted, and that's harder to endure than a draught or two."
Lytol gave Jaxom a cursory inspection and an absent good moTrnhiengt.ic started in the Lord
Holder's face the moment he climbed up Trebith's shoulder to take his seat against the necHke ridges.
motioned curtly to his ward to get in front of him and then nodded to D'wer.
The blue dragonman gave a slight smile of response, as if he expected no more notice from Lytol, and suddenly they were alofAt.loft, with Ruatha's fire height dwindling beloAwn.d between with Jaxom holding his breath against the frightening coTldh.en above Benden's Star Stones, so close to other
dragons also wincing into the Weyr that Jaxom feared collision at any moment.
"How, how do they know where they are?" he asked D'wer.
The rider grinned at him"T. hey know.Dragons never collide, "And a shadow of memory crossed
D'wer's usually cheerful face.
Jaxom groaned.How stupid of him to make any reference to the queens' battle.
"Lad, everything reminds us of that," the blue rider "sEavide.n the dragons are off coloBru. t," he continued more briskly, "the Impression will help."
Jaxom hoped so but, pessimistically, he was sure something would go wrong todaTyh,entooh.e
clutched wildly at D'wer's riding tunic for it seemed as if they were flying straight into the rock face of the
Weyr Bowl.Or worse, despite D'wer's reassurance, right into the green dragon also veering in that direction.
But suddenly they were inside the wide mouth of the upper entrance, a dark core that led into the immense Hatching GroundT. he whir of wings, a concentration of the musty scent of dragons, and then
they were poised above the slightly steaming sands, in the great circle theatre with its tiers of perches for men and beasts.
Jaxom had a dizzying view of the eggs on the Hatching Ground, of the colored robes of those already assembled, and the array of dragon bodies, gleaming eyes and furled wings, the great, graceful, blue,
green and brown hides.
"Where were the bronzes?"
"They'll bring in the candidates, Lord JaxoAmh., there's the young scampD."'wer said, and suddenly
Jaxom's neck was jerked as Trebith backwinged to land neatly on a"Olefdfgye.ou go."
"Jaxom! You did come!"
And Felessan was thumping him, his clothes so new they smelled of dye and were harsh against
Jaxom's hands as he pounded his friend's back.
"Thanks so much for bringing him, D'wGeor.od day to you, Lord Warder LyTtohl.e Weyrleader
and the Weyrwoman said to give you their greetings and to ask you to stay to eat after Impression, if you would give them a moment of your time."
It all came out in such a rush that the blue rider gLriyntnoeldb. owed in such solemn acknowledgment that Jaxom felt a surge of irritation for his stuffy guardian.
Felessan was impervious to such nuances and pulled Jaxom eagerly away from theHaadvuinltgs. achieved a certain physical distance, the boy chattered away in so loud a whisper that everyone two ledges up could hear him distinctly.
"I was sure you wouldn't be allowed to coEmver.ything's been so sour and horrible since the, you know, happened."
"Don't you know anything, Felessan?Ja"xom said in a rebuking hiss that startled his friend into wide-eyed silence.
"Huh? What'd I do wrong?" he demanded, this time in a more circumspect tone, glancing around him apprehensively. "Don't tell me something's gone wrong at Ruatha Hold?"
Jaxom pulled his friend as far from Lytol as they could go on that row of seats and then sat the younger boy down so hard that Felessan let out a yip of protest which he instantly muffled behind both hands. Jaxom glanced surreptitiously back at Lytol but the man was responding to the greetings of those
in the level aboveP.eople were still arriving, both by dragonwing and by a climb up the flight of stairs from the hot sandsF.elessan giggled suddenly, pointing toward a portly man and woman now crossing the Hatching GroundT. hey obviously wore thin-soled shoes for they kept picking their feet up and putting them down in a curious mincing motion, totally at variance with their physical appearance.
"Didn't think so many people would come what with all that's been happening," Felessan murmured excitedly, his eyes dancing".Look at them!"and he pointed out three boys, all with the Nerat device on
their chests."They look as if they smelled something unpleasYanotu.
don't think dragons smell, do you?"
"No, of course noOt. nly a little and it's pleasaTnth.ey aren't candidates, are they?" Jaxom asked, disgusted.
"Nooo. Candidates wear white."Felessan made a grimace for Jaxom's ignoran"cTeh. ey don't come
in till laterO.
oops! And later may he sooneDr.idja see that egg rock?"
The motion had been observed, for the dragons began to Thhuemre.
were excited cries from late
arrivals who now scurried for placeAsn. d Jaxom could scarcely see the rest of the eggs for the sudden flutter of dragon wings in the Jauirs.t as suddenly, there were no more impediments to vision and all the eggs seemed to be rockinAg.lmost as if they finally found the hot sands underneath too Omnulch.one
egg was motionlessT. he little one, still off by itself against the far wall.
"What's wrong with that one?" Jaxom asked, pointing.
"That smallest one?"Felessan swallowed, keeping his face averted.
"We didn't do anything to it."
I didn't," Felessan said firmly, glaring at Jax"oYmo.u touched it "
"I may have touched it but that doesn't mean I hurt it," the young Lord Holder begged for reassurance.
"No, touching 'em doesn't hurt 'eTmh.e candidates've been touching 'em for weeks and they're rocking."
"Why isn't that one then?"
Jaxom had difficulty making Felessan understand him for the humming had increased until it was a constant, exciting thrum reverberating back and forth across the Hatching Ground.
"I dunno," Felessan shrugged diffidentl"yI.t may not even HatcTh.hat's what they say, at any rate."
"But I didn't do anything," Jaxom insisted, mostly for his own comfort.
"I told you thatL!ook, here come the candidatesT."hen Felessan leaned over, his lips right at
Jaxom's ear, whispering something so unintelligible that he had to repeat it three times before Jaxom did hear him.
"Re-Impress Brekke?"Jaxom exclaimed, far louder than he meant to, glancing toward Lytol.
"Deafwit!" Felessan hissed at him, jerking him back in his "sYeoatu.
don't know what's been going
on here.Let me tell you, it's been somethinFge!"lessan's eyes were wide with suppressed knowledge.
"What? Tell me!"
Felessan glanced toward Lytol but the man seemed oblivious of them; his attention was on the young boys marching toward the rocking eggs, their faces white and purposeful, their bodies in the white tunics taut with excitement and anticipation.
"What do you mean about Brekke re-ImpressinWg?hy? How?" Jaxom demanded, his mind
assaulted by simultaneous conflictsL.ytol astride a dragon all his own, Brekke re-Impressing, Talina left out and crying because she was Ruathan-bred and should be dragonwoman.
"Just that.She Impressed a dragon once, she's youTngh.ey said she was a far better Weyrwoman than that Kylara."Felessan's tone echoed the universally bad opinion of the Southern ex-Weyrwoman. "That way Brekke'd get weYll.ou see," and Felessan lowered his voice again, "F'nor lovesAnhder!I
heard, " he paused dramatically and looked around (as if anyone could overhear them), "I heard that
F'nor was going to let Canth fly her queen."
Jaxom stared at his friend, shocke"dY.ou're crazy!Brown dragons don't fly queens."
"Well, F'nor was going to try it."
"But, but ... "
"Yes, it is!"Felessan agreed sagely". You should've heard F'lar and F'noHr."is eyes widened to double their normal size".It was Lessa, my mother, who said what they ought Mtoakdoe. Brekke
re-Impress. She was too good, Lessa said, to live half-dead."
Both boys glanced guiltily toward Lytol.
"Do they, do they think she can re-Impress?" asked Jaxom, staring at the stern profile of his guardian and wondering.
Felessan shrugged."We'll know soonH.
ere they come."
And sure enough, out of the black maw of the upper tunnel, flew bronze dragons in such rapid succession that they seemed nose to tail.
"There's Talina!"Jaxom exclaimed, jumping to his fe"eTt.here's Talina, Lytol," and he crossed to pull at his guardian's armL.ytol wouldn't have noticed either Jaxom's importunities or Talina's entrTanhcee.
man had eyes only for the girl entering from the GroundTlwevoelf.igures, a man and a woman, stood by the wide opening, as if they could accompany her this far, no further.
"That's Brekke all right," Felessan said in a hushed tone as he slid beside Jaxom.
She stumbled slightly, halted, seeming impervious to the uncomfortably hot sSahnedss.traightened her shoulders and slowly walked across to join the five girls who wailed near the goSldheen egg.
stopped by Talina, who turned and gestured for the newcomer to take a place in the loose semi-circle about the queen egg.
The humming stoppedI.n the sudden, unquiet silence, the faint crack of a shell was clearly audible, followed by the pop and shatter of others.
The dragonets, glistening, awkward, ugly young things, began to flop from their casings, squawking, crooning, their wedge-shaped heads too big for the thin, sinuous nTehceksy. oung boys stood very still,
their bodies tense with the mental efforts of attracting the dragonets to them.
The first was free of its encumbrance, staggering beyond the nearest boy who jumped adroitly out of its way.It fell, nose first at the feet of a tall black-haireTdheladb.oy knelt, helped the dragonet balance
on his shaky feet, looked into the rainbow eJyaexso.m saw Lytol close his, and saw the fact of Lytol's
terrible loss engraved on the man's gray face, as much of a torture now as the day his Larth had died of phosphine burns.
"Look," Jaxom cried, "the queen egIgt's.
rocking.Oh, how I wish ..."
Then he couldn't go on without compromising himself in his friend's good oFpoinriomn.uch as he wanted Talina to Impress which would mean three living Ruathan-bred Weyrwomen, he knew that Felessan was betting on Brekke.
Felessan was so intensely involved in the scene below that he hadn't been aware of Jaxom's unfinished phrase.
The golden shell cracked suddenly, right down the center, and its inmate, with a raucous protest, fell to the sand on her bacTka.lina and two others moved forward quickly, trying to help the little creature
right herself.The queen was no sooner on all four legs than the girls stepped back, almost as if they could
not press their claim, by mutual consent leaving the first opportunity to Brekke.
She was obliviousT. o Jaxom, it seemed she didn't caSrhee.
seemed limp, broken, pathetic, listing to
one side.A dragon crooned softly and she shook her head as if only then aware of her surroundings.
The queen's head turned to Brekke, the glistening eyes enormous in the outsizeTdhsekuqlul.een lurched forward a step.
At that moment a small blur of bronze streaked across the hatching GWroiuthndd.efiant screams, a fire lizard hung just above the queen's heSaod.close, in fact, that the little queen reared back with a startled shriek and bit at the air, instinctively spreading her wings as protection for her vulnerable eyes.
Dragons protested from their ledgeTs.alina interposed her body between the queen and her small attacker.
"Berd! Don't!" Brekke moved forward, arm extended to capture the irate broTnhzee.little queen cried out in protest, hiding her face in Talina's sTkhirets.two women faced one another, their bodies tense, wary.
Then Talina stretched her hand out to Brekke, smiHlinegr . pose lasted only a moment for the queen butted her legs peremptorilyT.alina knelt, arms reassuringly about the dragonBerte. kke turned, no
longer a statue immobilized by grief, and retraced her steps to the figures waiting at the Aelnl trtahnece.
time, the little bronze fire lizard whirred around her head, emitting sounds that ranged from scolding to entreaty. The racket sounded so like the cook at Ruatha Hold at dinnertime that Jaxom grinned.
"She didn't want the queen," Felessan said, stunn"Sedh.e didn't try!"
"That fire lizard wouldn't let her," Jaxom said, wondering why he was defending Brekke.
"It would be wrong, terribly wrong for her to succeed," Lytol said in a deaHde vsoeiecme.ed to shrink in on himself, his shoulders sagging, his hands dangling limply between his knees.
Some of the newly Impressed boys were beginning to lead their beasts from the JGaxrooumnd.
turned back, afraid to miss anythinItg.was all happening much too quickItl'yd. be over in a few minutes.
"Didja see, Jaxom?"Felessan was saying, pulling at his slee"vDe.idja see?Birto got a bronze and Pellomar only Impressed a greeDn.ragons don't like bullies and Pellomar's been the biggest bully in the Weyr. Good for you, Birto!F"elessan cheered his friend.
"The littlest egg hasn't cracked yet," Jaxom said, nudging Felessan and po"iSnthinogu.ldn't it be hatching?"
Lytol frowned, roused by the anxiety in his ward's voice.
"They were saying it probably wouldn't hatch," Felessan reminded Jaxom, far more interested in seeing what dragons his friends had Impressed.
"But what if it doesn't hatcCh?an't someone break it and help the poor dragon Tohuet?way a birthing woman does when the baby won't come?"
Lytol whirled on Jaxom, his face suffused with anger.
"What would a boy your age know of birthing?"
"I know about mine,J"axom replied stoutly, jerking his chin "uIp.nearly diedL. essa told me so and she was thereC. an a dragonet die?"
"Yes," Lytol admitted heavily because he never lied to the"Tbhoeyy. embryo is misformed."
can die and better so if the
Jaxom looked at his body quickly although he knew perfectly well he was as he should be; in fact, more developed than some of the other Hold boys.
"I've seen eggs that never hatcheWd.ho needs to live, crippled?"
"Well, that egg's alive," Jaxom sa"idL.ook at it rocking right now "
"You're right.It's moving.But it isn't cracking," Felessan said.
"Then why is everyone leaving?Ja"xom demanded suddenly, jumping to his feFeotr. one anywhere near the wobbling small egg.
there was no
The Ground was busy with riders urging their beasts down to help the weyrlings, or to escort guests of the Weyr back to their HolMdso. st of the bronzes, of course, had gone with the new qVuaesetna. s
the Hatching Ground was, its volume shrank with so many huge beasts aYroetunndo.t even the disappointed candidates spared any interest for that one small remaining egg.
"There's F'lar.He ought to be told, LytPolease!"
"He knows," Lytol said, for F'lar had beckoned several of the brown riders to him and they were looking toward the little egg.
"Go, Lytol.Make them help it!"
"Small eggs can occur in any queen's laying life," Lytol said "This is not my Ncorncyeornu.rs."
He turned and began to make his way toward the steps, plainly certain that the boys would follow.
"But they're not doing anything," Jaxom muttered, rebelliously,
Felessan gave him a helpless shru"gC.'mon. We'll be eating soon at this raAten.d there's all kinds of special things tonight."He trotted after Lytol.
Jaxom looked back at the egg, now wildly rock"iInt gj.ust isn't fairT!hey don't care what happens to you. They care about that Brekke, but not yCooum. e on, eggC. rack your shell!Show 'em.One good crack and I'll bet they'll do something!"
Jaxom had edged along the tier until he was just over the litItlteweagsg.rocking in time with his
urgings now, but there was no one within a dragonleTnhgethre.
was something frenzied about the way it
rocked, too, that made Jaxom think the dragonet was desperate for help.
Without thinking, Jaxom swung over the wall and let himself drop to theHesancdosu.ld now see the minute striations on the shell, he could hear the frantic tapping within, observe the fissures sAprseading. he touched the shell, it seemed like rock to him, it was sNoohalordn.ger leathery as it had been the day of their escapade.
"No one else'll help yoIu.will!" he cried and kicked the shell.
A crack appearedT. wo more stout blows and the crack widenAedp. iteous cry inside was followed by the bright tip of the dragonet's nose, which battered at the tough shell.
"You want to get borJnu.st like meA. ll you need is a little help, same as me," Jaxom was crying, pounding at the crack with his fiTsths.ick pieces fell off, far heavier than the discarded shells of the other hatchlings.
"Jaxom, what are you doing?" someone yelled at him but it was too late.
The thick inner membrane was visible now and this was what had been impeding the dragonet's emergence. Jaxom ripped the slippery stuff open with his belt knife and, from the sac, fell a tiny white body, not much larger than Jaxom's torIsnos.tinctively Jaxom reached out, helping the back-stranded creature to its feet.
Before F'lar or anyone could intervene, the white dragon had raised adoring eyes to the Lord of
Ruatha Hold and Impression had been made.
Completely oblivious to the dilemma he had just originated, the incredulous Jaxom turned to the stunned observers.
"He says his name is Ruth!"
CHAPTER XV
Evening at Benden WeyIrm: pression Banquet
IT HAD been like coming up out of the very bowels of the deepest hold, thoughAt nBdreBkkeerd. had shown her the waSy.he shuddered again at the horror of memIofrys.he slipped back down ...
Instantly she felt F'nor's hand tighten on her arm, felt the touch of Canth's thoughts and heard the chitter of the two fire lizards.
Berd had led her out of the Ground to F'nor and MSahneo'rda.been surprised at how tired and sad
they both lookedS. he'd tried to talk but they'd hushed
Fh'enro. r had carried her up to his wSeyhre.
smiled now, opening her eyes, to see him bending oveBr rheekrk. e put her hand up to the dear, worried face of her lover; she could say that now, her lover, her Weyrmate, for he wasDteheapt, ltionoe.s from
the high-bridged nose pulled F'nor's mouth down at the corHneisrs.eyes were darkly smudged and bloodshot, his hair, usually combed in crisp clean waves back from his high forehead, was stringy, oily.
"You need cozening, love," she said in a low voice which cracked and didn't seem to be hers at all.
With a groan that was close to a sob, F'nor embraceAd t hfeirst as if he were afraid of hurting her. Then, when he felt her arms tightening around him, for it was good to feel his strong back under her
seeking hands, he almost crushed her until she cried out gladly for him to be careful.
He buried his lips in her hair, against her throat, in a surfeit of loving relief.
"We thought we'd lost you, too, Brekke," he said over and over while Canth crooned an exuberant descant.
"It was in my mind," Brekke admitted in a tremulous voice, burrowing against his chest, as if she must get even closer to him"I. was trapped in my mind and didn't own my Ibothdiyn.k that's what was wrong
with me.Oh, F'nor," and all the grief that she'd not been able to express before came bursting out of her, "I even hated Canth!"
The tears poured down her cheeks and shuddering sobs shook a body already weakened by fasting. F'nor held her to him, patting her shoulders, stroking her until he began to fear that the convulsions would
tear her apartH.
e beckoned urgently to Manora.
"She's got to cry, F'noIrt.'ll be an easing for her."
Manora's anxious expression, the way she folded and unfolded her hands, was strangely reassuring to F'nor.She, too, cared about Brekke, cared enough to let concern pierce that imperturbable serenity. He'd been so grateful to Manora for opposing a re-Impression, though he doubted his blood mother
knew why he'd be against Oitr. evasions.
perhaps she didM. anora in her calm detachment missed few nuances or
Brekke's frail body was trembling violently now, torn apart by the paroxysm of hTerhegrfiieref. lizards took to fluttering anxiously and Canth's croon held on a distressedBrneoktkee.'s hands opened and closed pathetically on his shoulders but the tearing sobs did not permit her to speak.
"She can't stop, ManoraS.he can't."
"Slap her."
"Slap her?"
"Yes, slap her," and Manora suited actions to words, fetching Brekke several sharp blows before F'nor could shield her fac"eN. ow into the bathing pool with hTehr.e water's warm enough to relax those muscles."
"You didn't have to slap her," F'nor said, angrily.
"She did, she did," said Brekke in a ragged gasp, shuddering as they bundled her into the warm pool water. Then she felt the heat penetrate and relax muscles knotted by rackingAssosboso. n as she felt
Brekke's body easing, Manora dried her with warmed towels and gestured for F'nor to tuck her back under the furs.
"She needs feeding up now, F'noArn. d so do you," she said, looking sternly at "hAimnd. kindly remember that you've duties to others toniIgt'hst.Impression Day."
F'nor snorted at Manora's reminder and saw Brekke smiling wanly up at him.
"I don't think you've left me at all since ..."
you are to
"Canth and I needed to be with you, Brekke," he cut in when she Hfaeltesrmedo.othed her hair back from her forehead as if such an action were the most important occupation in thSehewcoaruldg.ht his hand and he looked into her eyes.
"I felt you there, both of you, even when I wanted most
Ttohednie.s"he felt anger in her gu"Btsu. t
how could you force me onto the Hatching Ground, to face another queen?"
Canth grumbled a protesSt.he could see the dragon through the uncurtained archway, his head turned toward her, his eyes flashing a liStthlee. was startled by the unhealthy green tinge to his color.
"We didn't want toT. hat was F'lar's ideaA. nd Lessa's.They thought it might work and they were afraid we'd lose you."
The empty ache she tried not to remember threatened to become a hole down which she must go if only to end that tearing, burning pain of loss.
"No," cried Canth.
Two warm lizard bodies pressed urgently against her neck and face, affection and worry so palpable in their thoughts it was like a physical touch.
"Brekke!" The terror, the yearning, the desperation in F'nor's cry were louder than the inner roaring and pushed it back, dispersed its threat.
"Never leave me!Never leave me aloneI. can't stand being alone even for a second," Brekke cried.
"I am here," said Canth, as F'nor's arms folded hard arounTdhheertw. o lizards echoed the brown's words, the sound of their thoughts strengthening as their resolve Bgrewkk.e clung to the surprise of their maturity as a weapon against that other terrible pain.
"Why, Grall and Berd care," she said.
"Of course they care.F"'nor seemed almost angry that she'd doubt it.
"No, I mean, they say they care."
F'nor looked into her eyes, his embrace less fiercely posses"sYivees., they're learning because they love."
"Oh, F'nor, if I hadn't Impressed Berd that day, what would have happened to me?"
F'nor didn't answerH. e held her against him in loving silence until Mirrim, her lizards flying in joyous circles around her, came briskly into the weyr, carrying a well-laden tray.
"Manora had to attend to the seasoning, Brekke," the girl said in a didact"iYc otuonken. ow how fussy she isB. ut you are to eat every bit of this broth, and you've a potion to drink forAslgeoepoidng. night's rest and you'll be feeling more yourself."
Brekke stared at the young girl, watching in a sort of bemusement while Mirrim deftly pushed F'nor out of her way, settled pillows behind her patient, a napkin at her throat, and began to spoon the rich wherry broth to Brekke's unprotesting lips.
"You can stop staring at me, F'nor of Benden," Mirrim said, "and start eating the food I brought you before it gets coldI. carved you a portion of spiced wherry from the breast, so don't waste prime servings."
F'nor rose obediently, a smile on his face, recognizing the child's mannerisms as a blend of Manora and Brekke.
To her own surprise, Brekke found the broth delicious, warming her aching stomach and somehow satisfying a craving she hadn't recognized until nOowbe.diently she drank the sleeping potion, though the fellis juice did not entirely mask the bitter after taste.
"Now, F'nor, are you going to let poor Canth waste away to a watch-wher?" Mirrim asked as she began to settle Brekke for the nig"hHt.e's a sorry shade for a brown."
"He did eat, " F'nor began contritely.
"Ha!" Mirrim sounded like Lessa now.
I'll have to take that child in hand, Brekke thought idly, but an enervating lassitude had spread throughout her body and movement was impossible.
"You get that lazy lump of brown bones out of his couch and down to the Feeding Ground, F'nor. Hurry it upT. hey'll be out to feast soon and you know what a feeding dragon does to commoner appetites. C'mon now.You, Canth, get out of your weyr."
The last thing Brekke saw as F'nor obediently followed Mirrim out of the sleeping room was Canth's surprised look as she bore down on him, reached for his ear and began to tug.
They were leaving her, Brekke thought with sudden teLrreoarv. ing her alone ...
"I am with you," was Canth's instant reassurance.
The two lizards, one on each side of her head, pressed lovingly against her.
"And I," said Ramoth".I, too," said Mnementh and, mingled with those strong voices, were others, soft but present.
"There," said Mirrim with great satisfaction as she reentered the sleeping "rTohoemy.'ll eat and come
right back."She moved quietly around the room, turning the shields on the glow baskets so that the room was dark enough for sleepin"gF. 'nor says you don't like to be left alone so I'll wait until he comes back."
But I'm not alone, Brekke wanted to tell Inhsetre. ad, her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep.
As Lessa looked around the Bowl, at the tables of celebrants lingering long past the end of the banquet, she experienced a wistful yearning to be as uninhibited asThtheeyla. ughter of the hold and
craftbred parents of the new riders, the weyrlings themselves fondling their hatchlings, even the weyrfolk, was untinged by bitterness or sorroYwe. t she was aware of a nagging sadness, which she couldn't
shake, and had no reason to feel.
Brekke was herself, weak but no longer lost to reason; F'nor had actually left the girl long enough to eat with the guests; F'lar was recovering his strength and had come to realize that he must delegate some of his new responsibilitiesA. nd Lytol, the most distressing problem since Jaxom had Impressed that little white dragon, how could that have happened?, had managed to get roaring drunk, thanks to the tender offices of Robinton who had matched him drink for drink.
The two were singing some utterly reprehensible song that only a Harper couldThkenoLwo.rd
Warder of Ruatha Hold kept falling out of tune, though the man had a surprisingly pleasant tenor voice. Somehow, she'd have thought him a bass; he had a gloomy nature and bass voices are dark.
She toyed with the remains of the sweet cake on her pMlaattneorr.a's women had outdone
themselves. The fowls had been stuffed with fermented fruits and breads, and the result was a remission of the 'gamy' taste that wherry often hRaidv.er grains had been steamed so that each individual morsel
was separate and tenderT. he fresh herbs must have come from SouthLerens.sa made a mental note to speak to Manora about sneaking down theIrtesimply wouldn't do to have an incident with T'kul. Maybe N'ton had gathered them when he went on his 'grubbing' expedSithioe'nds.always liked the
young bronze riderN.
ow that she'd got to know him better.
She wondered what he and F'lar were doTinhge.y'd left the table and gone to the RooTmhesy.
were always there these days, she thought irritaTblhye.y must be cleaning the grubs' orificCeos.uld she, too, slip away?No, she'd better stay herIet. wasn't courteous for both Weyrleaders to absent themselves on such an auspicious occasioAnn. d people ought to be leaving soon.
What were they going to do about young JaxSohme? looked around, locating Jaxom easily by the white hide of his dragon in the group of weyrlings watering their beasts by the Tlahkeesbideea.st had charm, true, but had he a futuAren?d why Jaxom?She was glad that Lytol could get drunk tonight, but that wouldn't make tomorrow easier for the ex-dragonrider to enMduaryeb. e they ought to keep that
pair here, until the beast dieTdh.e consensus was that Ruth would not mature.
At the other end of the long 'high' table were Larad, Lord of Telgar, Sifer of Bitra, Raid of Benden
Hold, and Asgenar of Lemos with Lady Famira (she really did blush all thTehetimLee)m.
os Hold pair
had brought their fire lizards, fortunately a brown and a green, which had been the object of much overt interest by Lord Larad, who had a pair hardening on his hearth, and covert inspection by old Raid and Sifer of Bitra, who also had eggs from F'nor's lastNfeinitdh.er older Lord Holder was entirely sure of
the experiment with fire lizards but they had watched the Lemos pair all eSviefenrinhga.d finally
unfrosted enough to ask how to care for Wonoeu. ld this influence their minds in the matter of Jaxom and his Ruth?
By the Egg, they couldn't want to disrupt the territorial balance because Jaxom had Impressed a
sport dragon that hadn't a chance in Threadfall of surviHvionwg! could you make an honorific out of Jaxom? J'om, J'xom?Most Weyrwomen chose names for their sons that could be contracted decently. Then Lessa was amused to be worrying over how to shorten a name, a trivial detail in thisNdoilemma. Jaxom must remain at Ruatha HoSldh.e'd relinquished her Bloodright on Ruatha Hold to him, Gemma's son, because he was Gemma's son and had at least some minute quantity of RuathaSnhBe lood.
certainly would contest the Hold going to any other BloodTloinoe.bad Lytol had no sonNso. , Jaxom
must remain as Lord Holder at RuatJhuas.t like men to make a piece of work over something so simple.
The little beast would not survivHee.
was too small, his color, who ever heard of a white dragon?
indicated other abnormalitiesM.
anora'd mentioned that white-skinned, pink-eyed child from Nerat Hold
who hadn't been able to endure daylight.
A nocturnal dragon?
Obviously Ruth would never grow to full size; new-hatched, he was more like a large fire lizard.
Ramoth rumbled from the heights, disturbed by her rider's thoughts, and Lessa sent a hundred apologies to her.
"It's no reflection on you, my darling," Lessa told her. Why, you've spawned more queens than any other three.And the largest of their broods is no better than the smallest of yours, love."
"Ruth will prosper," Ramoth said.
Mnementh crooned from the ledge and Lessa stared up at them, their eyes glowing in the shadows over the glow-lit Bowl.
Did the dragons know something she didnT'th?ey often seemed to these days, and yet, how could they? They never cared about tomorrow, or yesterday, living for the moWmehnict.h was not a bad way to live, Lessa reflected, a trifle enviousHlye.r roving eyes fastened on the white blur of RWuhthy. had
those two Impressed?Didn't she have troubles enough?
"Why should I mindW? hy should I?"demanded Lytol suddenly in a loud, belligerent voice.
The Harper beamed up at him in an idiotish "wTahya.'s what I sayW. hy should you?"
"I love the boyI. love him more than if he were flesh and blood of me, of me, Lytol of Ruatha Hold. Proved I love him, toPo.roved I care for himR.uatha's rich.Rich as when the Ruathan Bloodline ruled it.
Undid all Fax's harmA. nd did it all, not for mMey.
life's spentI.'ve been everythingB. een a
dragonrider. Oh, Larth, my beautiful LartBh.een a weaver so I know the CraKftnso. w the Holds now,
too. Know everything.Know how to take care of a white rWunhty.
shouldn't the boy keep his dragon?
By the First Shell, no one else wanted Nhiom.one else wanted to Impress hHime.'s special.I tell you. Special!
"Now, just a moment, Lord Lytol," Raid of Benden said, rising from his end of the table and stalking down to confront Lyto"l.Boy's Impressed a dragonT.hat means he must stay in the Weyr."
"Ruth's not a proper dragon," Lytol said, neither speaking nor acting as drunk as he must be.
"Not a proper dragon?" Raid's expression showed his shock at such blasphemy.
"Never been a white dragon ever," Lytol said pontifically, drawing himself up to his fuHll eheight. wasn't much taller than the Lord Holder of Benden but he gave the impression of greater stature. "Never!" He appeared to feel that required a toast but found his cup Heme pmtya.naged to pour wine with creditable deftness for a man swaying on hisTfheet.Harper motioned wildly for his own glass to be filled but had trouble keeping it steady under the flow of wine.
"Never a whi' dragon," the Harper intoned and touched cups with Lytol.
"May not live," Lytol added, taking a long gulp.
"May not!"
"Therefore," and Lytol took a deep breath, "the boy must remain in hiRs uHatohlad. Hold."
"Absolutely must!"Robinton held his cup high, more or less daring Raid to contradicRtaihdim. favored him with a long inscrutable look.
"He must remain in the Weyr," he said finally, though he didn't sound as definite.
"No, he must come back to Ruatha Hold," said Lytol steadying himself with a firm grip on the table edge. "When the dragon dies, the boy must be where obligations and responsibilities give him a hold on life. I know!"
To that Raid could give no answer, but he glowered in disapproval Lessa held her breath and began to 'lean' a little on the old Lord Holder.
"I know how to help the boy," Lytol went on, sinking slowly back into h"iIs kcnhoawir. what is best for him.I know what it is to lose a draTgohne. difference in this case is that we know Ruth's days are numbered."
"Days are numbered," echoed the Harper and put his head down on the table suLdydtoelnlbye. nt
toward the man, curiously, almost paternalHlye. gently.
drew back, startled when the Harper began to snore
"Hey, don't go to sleeWp. e haven't finished this bottleW." hen Robinton made no response, Lytol shrugged and drained his own cuTph.en he seemed to collapse slowly until his head was on the table, too, his snores filling the pause between Robinton's.
Raid regarded the pair with sour disguTsht.en he turned on his heel and walked back to his end of the head table.
"I don't know but what there isn't truth in the wine," Larad of Telgar Hold commented as Raid reseated himself.
Lessa 'leaned' quickly against LaraHd.e was nowhere near as insensitive as RWaidh.en he shook his head, she desisted and turned her attentions to SIfifesrh.e could get two of them to agree ...
"Dragon and his rider both belong in the Weyr," Raid"Ysaoiud. don't change what's natural for man and beast."
"Well now, take these fire lizards," Sifer began, nodding toward the two across the table from him, in the arms of the Lord and Lady of Lemos H"Tohlde.y're dragons of a sort, after all."
Raid snorted."We saw today what happens when you go against natural coTurhseesg. irl, whatever
her name isl,ost her queenW.
ell, even the fire lizard warned her off Impressing a newThoenec.reatures
know more than we think they Ldook at all the years people've tried to catch 'em."
"Catch 'em now, in nestsful," Sifer interrupted h"iPmre. tty things they areM. ust say I look forward to mine hatching."
Somehow their quarreling reminded Lessa of old R'gul and S'lel, her first 'teachers' in the Weyr, contradicting themselves endlessly as they purportedly taught her 'all she'd need to know to become a Weyrwoman.' It was F'lar who had done that.
"Boy has to stay here with that dragon."
"The boy in question is a Lord Holder, Raid," Larad of Telgar reminde"dAnhdimth. e one thing we don't need is a contested HoldI.t might be different if Lytol had male issue, or if he'd fostered long enough to have a promising candidaNteo. , Jaxom must remain Lord at Ruatha Hold," and the Telgar Lord scanned the Bowl in search of the Hboisy.eyes met Lessa's and he smiled in absent courtesy.
"I don't agree, I don't agree," Raid said, shaking his head emphat"iIctalglyo.es against all custom."
"Some customs need changing badly," said Larad, frowning.
"I wonder what the boy wants to do," interjected Asgenar, in his bland way, catching Larad's eye.
The Telgar Lord threw back his head with a hearty l"aDuoghn.'t complicate matters, brotherW. e've just decided his fate, will, he, won't, he."
"The boy should be asked," Asgenar said, no longer mild-spoHkiesng. lance slid from Larad to the two older Lord Holders".I saw his face when he came out of the Hatching GHroeunrde.alized what
he'd done.He was as white as the little dragoTnh.e"n Asgenar nodded in Lytol's directio"nY.es, Jaxom's all too aware of what he's done."
Raid harumphed irritably". You don't ask youngsters anythinYg.ou tell 'em!"
Asgenar turned to his lady, touching her shoulder lightly, but there was no mistaking the warmth of his expression as he asked her to request young Jaxom's presMenicned.ful of her sleepy green lizard, she
rose and went on her errand.
"I've discovered recently that you find out a great deal by asking people," Asgenar said, looking after his wife with an odd smile on his face.
"People, yes, but not childrenR!"aid managed to get a lot of anger into that phrase.
Lessa 'leaned' against himH. e'd be more susceptible in this state of mind.
"Why doesn't he just pick the beast up?" the Benden Lord Holder demanded irritably as he watched the stately progress of the Lady of Lemos Hold, the young Lord of Ruatha and the newly hatched white dragon, Ruth.
"I'd say he was establishing the proper relationship," Asgenar rema"rIktedw. ould be easier and
faster to carry the little beast, but not wEisveern.
a dragon that small has dignity."
Raid of Benden Hold grunted, whether in acknowledgment or disagreement Lessa couldHn'te tell. began to fidget, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, so she stopped her 'pushing.'
The whir of dragon wings back-beating to land caught her atteSnhtieont.urned and saw the gleam of a bronze hide in the darkness by the new entrance to the Rooms.
"Lioth brings the Masterfarmer," Ramoth told her rider.
Lessa couldn't imagine why Andemon would be required, nor why N'ton would be bringiTnhge him. Masterfarmerhall had its own beast noSwh.e started to rise.
"D'you realize the trouble you've caused, young man?" Raid was asking in a stiff voice.
Lessa swung round, torn between two curiositiIet sw.
asn't as if Jaxom were without champions in
Asgenar and LaradB. ut she did wonder how the boy would answer Raid.
Jaxom stood straight, his chin up, his eyes brRiguhtth.'s head was pressed to his thigh as if the dragonet were aware that they stood on trial.
"Yes, my good Lord Raid, I am fully aware of the consequences of my actions and there may now be a grave problem facing the other Lord HoldWersi.t"hout a hint of apology or contrition, Jaxom
obliquely reminded Raid that, for all his lack of years, he was a Lord Holder, too.
Old Raid sat straighter, pulling his shoulders back, as if ...
Lessa stepped past her chair.
"Don't ..."
The whisper was so soft that at first Lessa thought she was miTsthaeknens.he saw the Harper looking at her, his eyes as keen as if he were coldAsnodbehr.e, the dissembler, probably was, for all that act he'd pulled earlier.
"Fully aware, are you?R" aid echoed, and suddenly launched himself to his Tfeheet. old Lord Holder
had lost inches as he gained Turns, his shoulders now rounding slightly, his belly no longer flat and his legs stringy in the tight hide of his trousHeres.looked a caricature confronting the slim proud "bDo'yy.ou
know you've got to stay at Benden Weyr now you've Impressed a dDra'ygoun?realize that Ruatha's lordless?"
"With all due respect, sir, you and the other Lords present do not constitute a Conclave since you are not two-thirds of the resident Holders of Pern," replied Ja"xIofmn.ecessary, I should be glad to come
before a duly constituted Conclave and plead my cIta'se.obvious, I think, that Ruth is not a proper dragon. I am given to understand that his chances of maturing are Tshliegrhetf.ore he is of no use to the Weyr which has no space for the uselEesvse.n old dragons no longer able to chew firestone are retired to Southern Weyr or wereH."is slight slip disconcerted Jaxom only until he saw Asgenar's approving
grin. "It's wiser to consider Ruth more of an overgrown fire lizard than an undersized
Jdarxaogmon."
smiled with loving apology down at Ruth and caressed the upturnedIthewaads.
an action so adult, so
beautiful that Lessa felt her throat tighteni"nMg.y first obligation is to my Blood, to the Hold which cared
for me.Ruth and I would be an embarrassment here in Benden the other fire lizards do."
Weyrc.an help Ruatha Hold just as
"Well said, young Lord of Ruatha, well said," cried Asgenar of Lemos, and his applause started his lizard shrieking.
Larad of Telgar Hold nodded solemnly in accord.
"Humph. Shade too flip an answer for me," Raid grumb"Aledll. you youngsters act before you think these days."
"I'm certainly guilty of that, Lord Raid," Jaxom said cand"iBdulyt. I had to act fast today, to save the life of a dragonW. e're taught to honor Dragonkind, I more than mJoasxt.o"m gestured toward Lytol.
His hand remained poised and a look of profound sorrow came over his face.
Whether Jaxom's voice had roused him or the position of his head was too uncomfortable was debatable, but the Lord Warder of Ruatha Hold was no longer aHsleeerpo.se gripping the table, then pushing himself away from its suppoWrt.ith slow steps, as if he were forced to concentrate on each movement, Lytol walked the length of the table until he reached hisLywtoalrdp. laced an arm lightly
across Jaxom's shouldersA.
s though he drew strength from that contact, he straightened and turned to
Raid of Benden HoldH. is expression was proud and his manner more haughty than Lord Groghe at his worst.
"Lord Jaxom of Ruatha Hold is not to blame for today's eAvsenhtsis.
guardian, I am responsible, if
it is an offense to save a IlfifeI. chose to stress reverence for Dragonkind in his education, I had good reason!"
Lord Raid looked uneasily away from Lytol's direct gaze.
"If," and Lytol stressed the word as though he felt the possibility was remote, "the Lords decide to act in Conclave I shall strongly urge that no man fault Lord Jaxom's conducHt etoadcatye.d in honor
and at the promptings of his trainiHnge. best serves Pern, however, by returning to his HAot ldR.uatha, young Ruth will be cared for and honored, for as long as he is with us."
There was no doubt that Larad and Asgenar were of Lytol's OmldindS.ifer sat pulling at his lip, unwilling to look toward Raid.
"I still think dragonfolk belong in WeyrRs!a"id muttered, glum and resentful.
That problem apparently settled, Lessa turned to leave and nearly fell into F'nor's arms.
He steadied her". A weyr is where a dragon is," he said in a low voice rippling with amTuhse
ent.
strain of the past week still showed in his face but his eyes were clear and his lips no longer thin with tension. Brekke's resolution was evidently all in his favor.
"She's asleep," he said".I told you she wouldn't Impress."
Lessa made an impatient gestur"eA. t least the experience snapped her out of that shock."
"Yes," and there was a wealth of relief in the man's soft affirmative.
"So, you'd better come with me to the RooI mwsa. nt to find out why Masterfarmer Andemon has just flown inA. nd it's about time you got back to work!"
F'nor chuckled."It is, if someone else has been doing my wDoidrk.anyone bring F'lar his Threads?" There was a note in his voice that told Lessa he was concerned.
F'ton did!"
"I thought he was riding Wing-second to F'lar at Fort Weyr!"
"As you remarked the other morning, whenever you're not here to keep him under control, F'lar rearranges matters."She saw his stricken look and caught his arm, smiling up at him reassuringly; he wasn't up to teasing ye"tN. o one could take your place with F'lar, orCmanet.h and Brekke needed you more for a while.S"he gave his hand a squeez"eB.ut that doesn't mean things haven't been happening
and you'd better catch uNp.'ton's been included in our affairs because F'lar had a sudden glimpse of his mortality when he was sick and decided to stop being secrOetriviet. might be another four hundred
Turns or so before we control Thread."
She gathered her skirt so she could move more rapidly over the sandy floor.
"Can I come, too?" asked the Harper.
"You? Sober enough to walk that far?"
Robinton chuckled, smoothing his rumpled hair back into place at his"Lnyectokl. couldn't drink me drunk, my dear Lady LessOa.nly the Smith has the, ah, capacity."
There was no doubt that he was steady on his feet as the three walked toward the glow-marked entrance to the RoomsT.he stars were brilliant in the soft black spring sky, and the glows on the lower levels threw bright circles of light on the saAnbdos.ve, on weyr ledges, dragons watched with gleaming opalescent eyes, occasionally humming with pleasuHrei.gh up, Lessa saw three dragon silhouettes by the Star Stones:Ramoth and Mnementh were perched to the right of the watch-dragon, their wings
overlapping. They were both smug tonight; she'd heard Ramoth's tenor often that evIetnwinags.
such a
relief to have her in an agreeable mood for a wLehsilsea. rather hoped there'd be a long interval before the queen felt the urge to mate again.
When they entered the Rooms, the spare figure of the Masterfarmer was bending over the largest of the tubs, turning the leaves of the fellis sapFli'nlagr. watched him with a wary expression while N'ton was grinning, unable to observe the solemnity of the moment.
As soon as F'lar caught sight of F'nor, he smiled broadly and quickly crossed the room to clasp his half-brother's arm.
"Manora said Brekke had snapped out of shoItc'sk.twice a relief, believe mI'ed. still if she'd brought herself to re-Impress."
have been happier
"That would have served no purpose," F'nor said, so flatly contradictory that F'lar's grin faded a little.
He recovered and drew F'nor to the tubs.
"N'ton was able to get Thread and we infected three of the big tubs," F'lar told him, speaking in a low undertone as if he didn't wish to disturb the Masterfarmer's investiga"tTiohnes.grubs devoured every
filament. And where the Thread pierced the leaves of that fellis tree, the char marks are already healing. I'm hoping Master Andemon can tell us how or why."
Andemon straightened his body but his lantern jaw remained sunk to his chest as he frowned at the tub. He blinked rapidly and pursed his thin lips, his heavy, thick-knuckled hands twitching slightly in the folds of a dirt-stained tuniHc.e had come as he was when the Weyr messenger summoned him from the fields.
"I don't know how or why, Good WeyrleaAdenrd. finally raising his eyes to F'lar, "I am scared."
if what you have told me is the truth," he paused,
"Why, man?"And F'lar spoke on the end of a surprised la"uDgohn.'t you realize what this meanIsf?
the grubs can adapt to northern soil and climate, and perform as we, all of us here," his gesture took in the Harper and his Wing-second as well as Lessa, "have seen them, Pern does not need to fear Thread
ever again."
Andemon took a deep breath, throwing his shoulders back, but whether resisting the revolutionary concept or preparing to espouse it was not appaHreent.looked toward the Harper as if he could trust this man's opinion above the others.
"You saw the Thread devoured by these grubs?"
The Harper nodded.
"And that was five days ago?"
The Harper confirmed this.
A shudder rippled the cloth of the Masterfarmers tuHneic.looked down at the tub with the reluctance of fearS. tepping forward resolutely, he peered again at the young fellisInthrealei.ng and
holding that deep breath, he poised one gnarled hand for a moment before plunging it intoHitshe dirt.
eyes were closedH.
e brought up a moist handful of earth and, opening his eyes, turned the glob over,
exposing a cluster of wriggling grubHsi.s eyes widened and, with an exclamation of disgust, he flung the
dirt from him as if he'd been burnTehde.
grubs writhed impotently against the stone floor.
"What's the matter?There can't be Thread!"
"Those are parasites!"Andemon replied, glaring at F'lar, badly disillusioned and an"gWrye.'ve been trying to rid the southern parts of this peninsula of these larvae for cenHtuerigesri.m" aced with distaste as he watched F'lar carefully pick up the grubs and deposit them back into the ne"aTrehsetyt'rueb.as
pernicious and indestructible as Igen sandworms and not half as useful Why, let them get into a field and every plant begins to droop and die."
"There's not an unhealthy plant here," F'lar protested, gesturing at the burgeoning growths all around.
Andemon stared at himF.'lar moved, grabbing a handful of soil from each tub as he circled, showing the grubs as proof.
"It's impossible," Andemon insisted, the shadow of his earlier fear returning.
"Don't you recall, F'lar," Lessa said, "when we first brought the grubs here, the plants did seem to droop?"
"They recovered.All they needed was water!"
"They couldn't."Andemon forgot his revulsion enough to dig into another tub as if to prove to himself that F'lar was wrong".There're no grubs in this oneh!e" said in triumph.
"That's never had anyI. used it to check the otheArsn.d I must say, the plants don't look as green or healthy as the other tubs."
Andemon stared around". Those grubs are pestsW. e've been trying to rid ourselves of them for hundreds of Turns."
"Then I suspect, good Master Andemon," F'lar said with a gentle, rueful smile, "that farmers have been working against Pern's best interests."
The Masterfarmer exploded into indignant denials of that chaItrgteo.ok all Robinton's diplomacy to calm him down long enough for F'lar to explain.
"And you mean to tell me that those larvae, those grubs, were developed and spread on purpose?" Andemon demanded of the Harper who was the only one in the room he seemed inclined to trust now. "They were meant to spread, bred by the same ancestors who bred the dragons?"
"That's what we believe," Robinton sa"idO.h, I can appreciate your increduliIty.had to sleep on the notion for several nightsH. owever, if we check the Records, we find that, while there is no mention that
dragonmen will attack the Red Star and clear it of Thread, there is the strong, recurring belief that Thread will one day not be the menace it is Fn'olawr . is reasonably ..."
"Not reasonably, Robinton; completely sure," F'lar interrupt"eNd.'ton's been going back to
Southern, jumping between time, as far back as seven Turns, to check on Threadfalls in the southern continent. Wherever he's probed, there're grubs in the soil which rise when Thread falls and devour it.
That's why there have never been any burrows in SouTthheernl.and itself is inimical to Thread."
In the silence, Andemon stared at the tips of his muddy boots.
"In the Farmer Crafthall Records, they mention specifically that we are to watch for theseHegrubs." lifted troubled eyes to the othe"rWs. e always haveI.t was our plain dutPylants wither wherever grub
appears." He shrugged in helpless confusio"nW.
e've always rooted them out, destroyed the larval sacks
with, " and he sighed, "flame and angenothTrehea.t's the only way to stop the infestations.
"Watch for the grubs, the Records say," Andemon repeated and then suddenly his shoulders began to shake, his whole torso became involvLedes. sa caught F'lar's eyes, concerned, for the mBaunt. he
was laughing, if only at the cruel iro"nWy.atch for the grubs, the Records sTayh.ey do not, they do not
say destroy the grubsT.hey say most emphatically 'watch for the gruSbos.'we watchedA. watched."
The Harper extended the wine bottle to Andemon.
ye, we have
"That's a help, HarperM. y thanks," Andemon said, wiping his lips with the back of one hand after a long pull at the bottle.
"So someone forgot to mention why you were to watch the grubs, Andemon," F'lar said, his eyes compassionate for the man's distres"sI.f only Sograny'd been as reasonabOlen. ce, so many men must
have known why you were to watch for the grubs, they didn't see a need for further implicit instructions. Then the Holds started to grow and people drifted aRpeacrot.rds got lost or destroyed, men died before
they'd passed on the vital knowledge they possesseHde." looked around at the tub"Ms. aybe they
developed those grubs right here in Benden WMeyarybe that's the meaning of the diagram on the wall. There's so much that has been lost."
"Which will never be lost again if the Harpercraft has any influence," said Ro"Ibfinatlolnm.
en, Hold,
Craft, Weyr have full access to every skin, " he held up his hand as Andemon started to protest, "well, we've better than skin to keep Records Boenn.darek now has a reliable, tough sheet of his wood pulp
that holds ink, stacks neatly and is impervious to anything excepWt efircea. n combine knowledge and disseminate it."
Andemon looked at the Harper, his eyes puzz"leMda. ster Robinton, there are some matters within a
Craft that must remain secret or ..."
"Or we lose a world to the Thread, is that it, AndeMmaonn, ?if the truth about those grubs hadn't been treated like a Craft secret, we'd have been hundreds of Turns free of Thread by now."
Andemon gasped suddenly, staring at F'l"aAr.nd dragonmen, we wouldn't need dragonmen?"
"Well, if men kept to their Holds during Threadfall, and grubs devoured what fell to the ground, no, you wouldn't need dragonmen," F'lar replied with complete composure.
"But dragonmen are su, supposed to fight Thread, " the Farmer was stuttering with dismay.
"Oh, we'll be fighting Thread for a while yet, I assureWye'oreu. not in any immediate danger of unemployment. There's a lot to be donFeo.r instance, how long before an entire continent can be seeded with grubs?"
Andemon opened and closed his mouth futileRlyo.binton indicated the bottle in his hand,
pantomimed a long swigD. azedly the Farmer complied".I don't knowI.
just don't knowW. hy, for Turn
upon Turn, we've watched for those grubs, exterminating them, razing an entire field if it got infected. Spring's when the larval sacks break and we'd bHe e...s"at down suddenly, shaking his head from side
to side.
"Get a grip on yourself, man," F'lar said, but it was his attitude which caused Andemon the most distress.
"What, what will dragonmen do?"
"Get rid of Thread, of coursGee. t rid of Thread."
Had F'lar been a feather less confident, F'nor would have had trouble maintaining his comBpuot sure.
his half-brother must have some plan in mAinndd.
Lessa looked as serene as, as Manora could.
Fortunately Andemon was not only an intelligent man, he was tenaHcieouhs.ad been confronted with a series of disclosures that both confused and disturbed basic preHcepmts.ust reverse a
long-standing Craft practiceH. e must rid himself of an inborn, carefully instilled prejudice, and he must accept the eventual abdication of an authority which he had good reason to respect and more reason to wish to perpetuate.
He was determined to resolve these matters before he left the HWeeyqru.estioned F'lar, F'nor, the
Harper, N'ton and Manora when he learned she'd been involved in the pArondjeecmt.on examined all
the tubs, particularly the one which had been left aHloenec.onquered his revulsion and even examined the grubs carefully, patiently uncoiling a large specimen as if it were a new speciesInenatirceleyr.tain respect, it was.
Andemon was very thoughtful as he watched the unharmed larva burrow quickly back into the tub dirt from which he'd extracted it.
"One wishes fervently," he said, "to find a release from our long domination byItThisrejauds.t, just that the agency which frees us is ..."
"Revolting?" the Harper suggested obligingly.
Andemon regarded Robinton a momen"tA. ye, you're the man with words, Master RobinIttonis. rather leveling to think that one will have to be grateful to such a, such a lowlyI'dcrreaatthuerer. be grateful to dragons."He gave F'lar a rather abashed grin.
"You're not a Lord Holders!a"id Lessa, wryly, drawing a chuckle from everyone.
"And yet," Andemon went on, letting a handful of soil dribble from his fist, we have taken the bounties of this rich earth too much for granWteed.are from it, part of it, sustained bIysuitp. pose it is only mete that we are protected byIf ita.ll goes well."
He brushed his hand off on the wher-hide trousers and with an air of decision turned"I'dto liFk'elar. to run a few experiments of my own, WeyrleaWdeer'v. e tubs and all at the Farmer Crafthall ..."
"By all means," F'lar grinned with rel"ieWf.e'll cooperate in every way Grubs, Threads on request. But you've solved the one big problem I'd foreseen."
Andemon raised his eyebrows in polite query.
"Whether or not the grubs were adaptable to northern conditions."
"They are, Weyrleader, they areT."he Farmer was grimly sardonic.
"I shouldn't think that would be the major problem, F'lar," F'nor said.
"Oh?" The quiet syllable was almost a challenge to the brown Fr'indoerr. hesitated, wondering if
F'lar had lost confidence in him, despite what Lessa had said earlier.
"I've been watching Master Andemon, and I remember my own reaction to theIt'gs ruobnse. thing
to say, to know, that these are the answer to ThArenaodth. er, quite another to get the average man to accept it.And the average dragonrider."
Andemon nodded agreement and, judging by the expression on the Harper's face, F'nor knew he was not the only one who anticipated resistance.
But F'lar began to grin as he settled himself on the edge of the nearest tub.
"That's why I brought Andemon here and explained the proWjeect.need help which only he can
give us, once he himself is sure of matHteorws.
long, Masterfarmer, does it take grubs to infest a field?"
Andemon dropped his chin to his chest in thouHgeht.shook his head and admitted he couldn't estimate. Once a field showed signs of infestation, the area was seared to prevent spreading.
"So, we must find out how long first!"
"You'll have to wait for next spring," the Farmer reminded him.
"Why? We can import grubs from Southern."
"And put them where?" the Harper asked, sardonically.
F'lar chuckled."Lemos Hold."
"Lemos!"
"Where else?" and F'lar looked smu"gT.he forests are the hardest areas to protAecstg.enar and
Bendarek are determined to preserve theAms.genar and Bendarek are both flexible enough to accept
such an innovation and carry it throuYgho.u, Masterfarmer, have the hardest tasTko. crafters to leave off killing ..."
Andemon raised a hand".I have my own observations to make first."
convince your
"By all means, Master Andemon," and F'lar's grin broadened, "I'm confident of the ouI tcome. remind you of your first journey to the Southern WYeoyur. commented on the luxuriant growths, the
unusual size of the trees and bushes common to both continents, the spectacular crops, the sweetness of
the fruits.That is not due to the temperate weatWheer. have similar zones here in the noIrtthis.
due,"
and F'lar pointed his finger first at Andemon and then toward the tubs, "to the stimulation, the protection of the grubs."
Andemon was not totally convinced but F'lar did not press the point.
"Now, Master Andemon, the Harper will assist you all heYocaun.know your people better than we, you'll know whom you can tIellu.rge you to discuss it with your trusted MaTstheers.more the better. We can't lose this opportunity for lack of disciWplees.might be forced to wait until your Oldtimers die off."F'lar laughed wryly". I guess the Weyrs are not the only ones to contend with Old-timers; we've all got re-education to do."
"Yes, there will be problemsT."he magnitude of the undertaking had suddenly burst on the
Masterfarmer.
"Many," F'lar assured him blithel"yB. ut the end result is freedom from Thread."
"It could take Turns and Turns," Andemon said, catching F'lar's glance and, as if that consoled him somehow, straightened his shouldersH. e was committed to the project.
"And well may take TurnFsi.rst," and F'lar grinned with pure mischief in his eyes, "we've got to stop you farmers from exterminating our saviors."
An expression of pure shock and indignation passed across Andemon's weather-linedIt fawcaes. swiftly replaced by a tentative smile as the man realized that F'lar was ribbiEnvgidheinmtl.y an unusual experience for the Masterfarmer.
"Think of all the rewriting I have to do," complained the Harper "I'm dry just considHeering it." looked mournfully at the now empty wine bottle.
"This certainly calls for a drink," Lessa remarked with a sidelong glance at RoSbhientotono. k
Andemon's arm to guide him out.
"I'm honored, my lady, but I've work to oversee, and the investigations I ought to cHoenduct." pulled away from her.
"Surely one drink?"Lessa pleaded, smiling in her most winning way.
The Masterfarmer ran his hand through his hair, clearly reluctant to refuse.
"One drink then."
"To seal the bargain of Pern's fate," said the Harper, dropping his voice to a sepulchral bass and looking solemnly portentous and amazingly like Lord Groghe of Fort.
As they all trooped out of the Rooms, Andemon looked down at Lessa.
"If it isn't presumptuous of me, the young woman, Brekke, who lost her queen, how is she?"
Lessa hesitated only a secon"dF. 'nor here can answer you better than I They're Weyrmates."
F'nor was forced to step u"pS.he's been illL. osing one's dragon is a tremendous shoSchke. made the adjustmentS. he won't suicide now."
The Masterfarmer halted, staring at F'no"Tr.hat would be unthinkable."
Lessa caught F'nor's eye and he remembered he was talking to a commoner.
"Yes, of course, but the loss is unsettling."
has
"Certainly. Ah, does she have any position at all noTwh?e" words came slowly from the Farmer, then he added in a rush, "she is from my Crafthall you see, and we ..."
"She is well loved and respected by all Weyrs," Lessa broke in when Andemon "fBalrtekrekde. is
one of those rare people who can hear any draSghoen.will always enjoy a unique and high position with dragonfolk. She may, if she chooses, return to her home ..."
"No!" The Masterfarmer was definite about that.
"Brekke is weyrfolk now," F'nor said on the heels of that denial.
Lessa was a little surprised at such vehemence from bothSmhee'nd. had the notion from Andemon's attitude that perhaps her Craft wanted her back.
"My apologies for being so brusque! my laItdyw. ould be hard for her to live simply agHaisn." voice turned hard and lost all hesitan"cWy.hat of that adulterous transgressor?"
"She, lives," and there was an uncompromising echo of the Farmer's coldness in Lessa's voice.
"She lives?"The Masterfarmer stopped again, dropping Lessa's arm and staring at her with anger. "She lives?Her throat should be cut, her body ..."
"She lives, Masterfarmer, with no more mind or wit than aSbhaebexists in the prison of her guilt! Dragonfolk take no lives!"
The Farmer stared hard at Lessa for a moment longer, then nodded offered Lessa his arm when she indicated they should continue.
Wsloiwthlyg. reat courtesy he
F'nor did not follow for the events of the day were taking a revenge of fatigue on him.
He watched as Andemon and Lessa joined the others at the main table, saw the Lemos and Telgar
Lords come overL. ytol and young Jaxom with his white Ruth were nowhere to beF'nsoeernh. oped
Lytol had taken Jaxom back to RuatHhae. was more grateful to his discovery of fire lizards than at any other single time since Grall had first winked at hHime .walked quickly toward the steep flight to his weyr, wanting to be with his owCna.nth was in his weyr, all but one lid closed over hiWs ehyeens.F'nor entered, the final lids sagged shFu'tn. or leaned his body against the dragon's neck, his hands seeking the pulsespots in the soft throat, warm and steadyHineg.could 'hear' the soft loving thoughts of the two lizards curled by Brekke's head.
How long he stood there he couldn't gauge, his mind rehearsing the Impression, Brekke's release, Jaxom's performance, the dinner, everything that had jammed into one eventful afternoon.
There was much to be done, certainly, but he felt unable to move from the presence MofosCt anth. vividly he recalled Andemon's shock when the man realized that F'lar had proposed the end of
dragonmen. Yet, F'lar hadn'tH.
e certainly had some alternate in mind.
Those grubs, yes, they devoured Thread before it could burrow and proliBfeurtatteh.ey were
repulsive to look at and commanded neither respect nor gratiTtuhdeey.
weren't obvious, or awesome,
like dragons.People wouldn't see grubs devouring ThreaTdh.ey wouldn't have the satisfaction of watching dragons flame, sear, char, destroy Thread mid-air before the vicious stuff got tSoureealyrth. F'lar realized this, knew that men must have the visible proof of Thread'sWdoeufeldat.dragonmen become tokens?No! That would make dragonfolk more parasitic than ThreSaudc.h an expedient would be repugnant, insupportable to a man of F'lar's integBriutyt .what had he in mind?
The grubs might be the ultimate answer but not, particularly after thousands of Turns of conditioning, not an answer acceptable to Pernese, Holder, Crafter, commoner and dragonman.
CHAPTER XVI
Evening at Benden Weyr
Later Evening at Fort Weyr
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, F'nor was too busy to wBorrerkyk.e was recovering her strength and insisted that he return to his dutSiehse. prevailed on Manora to permit her to come down to the Lower Caverns and be of some uSsoe. Manora put her to tying off the woof ends of some finished wall hangings where Brekke could also be part of the busy Cavern actTivhiteiefsi.re lizards rarely left her
side. Grall twittered with conflicting wishes when F'nor went off on errands, so he would order her to stay with Brekke.
F'lar estimated correctly that Asgenar and Bendarek would accept any solution that might preserve the forests.But the incredulity and initial resistance he encountered showed him what a monumental task he had undertaken. Both Lord Holder and Craftmaster were frankly contemptuous of his claims until
N'ton came in with a panful of live Thread, it could be heard hissing and steaming, and dumped it over a tub of verdant growthsW. ithin a matter of moments, the tangle of Thread which they had seen poured
over the fellis saplings had been completely consumed by gDruabzse.d, they even accepted F'lar's assertion that the pierced and smoking leaves would heal in a matter of days.
There were many things about grubs that the dragonmen did not know, as F'lar was careful to explain. How long it would take them to proliferate so that a given area could be considered
'Threadproof'; the length of the grub life cycle, what density of grub life would be necessary to ensure the chain of protection.
But they did decide where to start in Lemos Hamolodn: g the precious softwoods so in demand for furniture, so vulnerable to Thread incursion.
Since the former residents of the Southern Weyr had not been farmcraft trained they had been
oblivious to the significance of the larval sacks in the southern wItoowdass.
fall now in the southern
hemisphere but F'nor, N'ton and another rider had agreed to jump between to the previous spring.
Brekke helped, too, knowing as she did so many facets of the Southern management that she was able to tell them where they would not collide with others in theThpoausgt.h farmcraftbred, Brekke had been
occupied with nursing during her tenure at Southern, and had deliberately stayed away from the farming aspects of the Weyr to sever connections with her past life.
Although F'lar did not press Masterfarmer Andemon, he proceeded with his plans as if he had Farmcraft cooperation.Several times, Andemon requested Thread and grubs which would be rushed to him, but he issued no progress reports.
Mastersmith Fandarel and Terry had been informed of the project and a special demonstration
arranged for themO.
nce he'd conquered the initial revulsion over the grubs and horror at being so close
to live Thread, Terry had been as enthusiastic as anyone couldTwheishp.erformance of the grubs
elicited only a deep grunt from the MastersmHiteh.had limited his comments to a scornful criticism of the
long-handled hearthpan in which the Thread was captured.
"Inefficient. Inefficient. You can only open it once to catch the things," and he had taken the pan, stalking off toward his waiting dragon-messenger.
Terry had been profuse in his assurances that the Mastersmith was undoubtedly impressed and would cooperate in every waTy.his was indeed a momentous daHyi.s words were cut off by Fandarel's impatient bellow and he'd bowed his way out, still reassuring the somewhat disconcerted Dragonriders.
"I'd've thought Fandarel would at least have found the grubs efficient," F'lar had remarked.
"He was struck dumb with amazement?" F'nor suggested.
"No," and Lessa grimaced, "he was infuriated by inefficiency!"
They'd laughed and gone on to the next Tjohabt.
evening a messenger arrived from the Smith
Crafthall with the purloined hearthpan and a truly remarkable contrivIatncwea. s bulbous in shape,
secured to a long handle from the end of which its lid could be opened, operated by a trigger inside the tubular handle.The lid was the truly ingenious part for it fanned open upward and outward so that Thread would be guided down into the vessel and could not escape if the lid was reopened.
The messenger also confided to F'lar that the Mastersmith was having difficulties with his
distance-writer. All wire must be covered with a protective tubing or Thread cut right through the thinly extruded metal.The Smith had experimented with ceramic and metal casings but he could turn neither out in great or quick enough quantiWty.ith Threadfall coming so frequently now, his halls were besieged with demands to fix flame throwers which clogged or burnedGorouut.nd crews panicked when equipment
failed them mid-Fall and it was impossible not to accede to every urgent request foTrherepLaoird
Holders, promised the distance-writers, as links between help and isolated Holds, began to press for solutions. And for the ultimate, to them, solutitohne: proposed expedition to the Red Star.
F'lar had begun to call a council of his intimate advisors and Wing-seconds daily so that no facet of the over-all plan could be loTsth.ey also decided which Lords and Mastercraftsmen could accept the
radical knowledge, but had moved cautiously.
Asgenar told them that Larad of Telgar Hold was far more conservative in his thinking than they'd supposed and that the limited demonstration in the Rooms would not be as powerful a persuader as a protected field under full attack by Thread.
Unfortunately, Asgenar's young bride, Famira, on a visit to her home, inadvertently made a reference
to the projectS. he'd had the good sense to send her lizard for her Lord who had bodily forced his blood
relative to Benden Weyr for a full explanation and demonstraLtaiornad.
had been unconvinced and
furious with what he called 'a cruel deception and treacherous breach of faith' by dragWonhemnen.
Asgenar then insisted Larad come to the softwood tract that was being protected and had live Thread poured over a sapling, uprooting the young tree to prove that it had been adequately protected, the Telgar Lord Holder's rage began to subside.
Telgar's broad valleys had been hard hit by the almost constant ThreaTdefalgllasr.'s ground crews were disheartened by the prospect of ceaseless vigilance.
"Time is what we haven't got," Larad of Telgar had cried when he heard that grub protection would be a long-term projec"t.We lose fields of grain and root every otherTdhaey.men are already weary of
fighting Thread interminably, they've little energy for anythAintg.best we've only the prospect of a lean winter, and I fear for the worst if these past months are any indication."
"Yes, it's hard to see help so close, and as far away as the life cycle of an insect no larger than the ti of your finger," said Robinton, an integral part of any such confron"tHateionw. as stroking the little
bronze fire lizard which he had Impressed a few days earlier.
"Or the length of that distance-viewer," Larad said, his lips tight, his face lined wit"hHwasorry. nothing been done about going to the Red Star?"
"Yes," F'lar replied, holding firmly to an attitude of patient reasonabl"eInte'sssb. een viewed every
clear night.Wansor has trained a wing of watchers and borrowed the most accurate draftsmen from
Masterweaver Zurg and the HarpeTr.hey've made endless sketches of the masses on the plWaneet. know its faces now ..."
"And ..."Larad was adamant.
"We can see no feature distinct enough to guide the dragons."
The Lord of Telgar sighed with resignation.
"We do believe," and F'lar caught N'ton's eyes since the young bronze rider did as much of the investigating as Wansor, "that these frequent Falls will taper off in a few more months."
"Taper off?How can you tell that?H"ope conflicted with suspicion in the Telgar Lord's face.
"Wansor is of the opinion that the other planets in our sky have been affecting the Red Star's motion;
slowing it, pulling it from several directioWnse.
have near neighbors, you see; one is now slightly below
the middle of our planet, two above and beyond the Red Star, a rare conjOuncteiotnh.e planets move away, Wansor believes the old routine of Threadfall will be established."
"In a few monthsB? ut that won't do us any goAodn.d can you be sure?"
"No, we can't be sure, which is why we have not announced Wansor's Bthuet owrye.'ll be certain in a few more weeks.F"'lar held up his hand to interrupt Larad's prot"eYstos.u've surely noticed the brightest stars, which are our sister planets, move from west to east during tLheooykeator.night, you'll see the blue one slightly above the green one, and very brAillniadntt.he Red Star below theNmo. w,
remember the diagram in the Fort Weyr Council RoWome?'re positive that that is the diagram of skies around our sunA. nd you've watched your fosterlings play stringbYalol.u've played it yourselfS.ubstitute
the planets for the balls, the sun for the swinger, and you get the geneSroaml iedebaa.lls swing more rapidly than others, depending on the speed of the swing, the length and tension of Bthaesiccaollryd,. the principle of the stars around the sun is the same."
Robinton had been sketching on a leaf and passed the diagram over to Larad.
"I must see this in the skies for myself," the Telgar Lord replied, not giving an inch.
"It's a sight, I assure you," Asgenar s"aIi'dv.e become fascinated with the study and if," he grinned,
his thin face suddenly all creases and teeth, "Wansor ever has time to duplicate that distance-viewer, I
want one on Lemos' fire heigWht.e're at a good altitude to see the northern heaIv'densli.ke to see those
showering stars we get every summer through a distance-viewer!"
Larad snorted at the notion.
"No, it's fascinating," Asgenar protested, his eyes dancing with enthusTiahsmen.
he added in a
different tone, "Nor am I the only one beguiled by such sEtuvdeireys. time I go to Fort I'm contending with Meron of Nabol for a chance to use the viewer."
"Nabol?"
Asgenar was a little surprised at the impact of his casual remark.
"Yes, Nabol's forever at the viewAerp. parently he's more determined than any dragonrider to find coordinates." No one else shared his amusement.
F'lar looked inquiringly at N'ton.
"Yes, he's there all righItf. he weren't a Lord Holder, " and N'ton shrugged
"Why? Does he say why?"
N'ton shrugged again "He says he's looking for coordinBatuets. so are weT. here aren't any features distinct enough.Just shapeless masses of gray and dark gray-greTenhse.y don't change and while it's obvious they're stable, are they lanOd?r sea?" N'ton began to feel the accusatory tension in the room and shifted his fee"t.So often the face is obscured by those heavy cloDuisdcso. uraging."
"Is Meron discouraged?" asked F'lar pointedly.
"I'm not sure I like your attitude, Benden," Larad said, his expression"Yhoaurd.don't appear eager
to discover any coordinates."
"F'lar looked Larad full in the ey"eIs.thought we'd explained the problem involvWede.
have to
know where we're going before we can send the dragHones.p"ointed to the green lizard perched on
Larad's shoulder."You've been trying to train your fire lizYarodu.
can appreciate the difficultyL."arad
stiffened defensively and his lizard hissed, its eyes rolFli'nlagr. was not put of'Tf.he fact that no Records exist of any previous attempt to go there strongly indicates that the ancients, who built the
distance-viewer, who knew enough to plot the neighbors in our sky, did Tnhoet ygom. ust have had a reason, a valid reasonW. hat would you have Me do, LaradF?'l"ar demanded, pacing in his agitation.
"Ask for volunteers?You, you and you," F'lar whirled, jabbing a finger at an imaginary line of riders, "you go, jump between to the Red SCtaor.ordinates? Sorry, men, I have nonTe.ell your dragons to take a
long look halfway thereI.f you don't come back, we'll keen to the Red Star for your Bduetatmhse.n, you'll die knowing you've solved our probleMme.n can't go to the Red StaLra."rad flushed under F'lar's sarcasm.
"If the ancients didn't record any intimate knowledge of the Red Star," said Robinton quietly into the charged silence, "they did provide domestic solutioTnhs.e dragons, and the grubs."
"Neither proves to be effective protection right now, when we need it," Larad replied in a bitter, discouraged voice."Pern needs something more conclusive than promises, and inseHctes!"abruptly left
the Rooms.
Asgenar, a protest on his lips, started to follow but F'lar stopped him.
"He's in no mood to be reasonable, Asgenar," F'lar said, his face strained with "aIfnxhie yw. on't be reassured by today's demonstrations, I don't know what more we can do or say."
"It's the loss of the summer crops which bothers him," Asgena"rTsealigda.r Hold has been spreading
out, you knowL. arad's attracted many of the small Holders who've been dissatisfied in Nerat, Crom and Nabol and switched their allegianceIsf. the crops fail, he's going to have more hungry people, and more trouble, than he can handle in the winter."
"But what more can we do?" demanded F'lar, a desperate note in hisHevotiicred so easilyT.he fever had left him little reserve strength, a state he found more frustrating than any otherLparroabdl'esm. obduracy had been an unexpected disappointmeTnth.ey'd been so lucky with every other man approached.
"I know you can't send men on a blind jump to the Red Star," Asgenar said, distressed by F'lar's anxiety. "I've tried to tell my Rial where I want him Htoe ggoe.ts frantic at times because he can't see it
clearly enough.Just wait until Larad starts sending his lizard abHoeu'ltl.
understand.You see, what
bothers him most is the realization that you can't plan an attack on the Red Star."
"Your initial mistake, my dear F'lar," and the Harper's voice was at its drollest, "was in providing salvation from the last imminent disaster in a scant three days by bringing up the Five LoTsht eWeyrs. Lord Holders really expect you to provide a second miracle in similar short order."
The remark was so preposterous that F'nor laughed out loud before he could stop Bhuimt stehlef. tension and anxiety dissolved and the worried men regained some needed perspective.
"Time is all we need," F'lar insisted.
"Time is what we don't have," Asgenar said wearily.
"Then let's use what time we have to the best possible advantage," F'lar said decisively, his moment of doubt and disillusion behind hi"mL.et's work on TelgarF.'nor, how many riders can T'bor spare us to hunt larval sacks between time at SoutheYrno?u and N'ton can work out coordinates with them."
"Won't that weaken Southern's protection?" asked Robinton.
"No, because N'ton keeps his eyes opHene. noticed that a lot of sacks started in the fall get blown down or devoured during the winter montShos. we've altered our methodWs. e check an area in spring
to place the sacks that survive, go back to the fall and take some of those which Tdhidenre't few wherries who missed a meal but I don't think we disturbed the balance much."
wlasetr.e a
F'lar began to pace, one hand absently scratching his ribs where the scar tissues itched.
"I need someone to keep an eye on Nabol, too."
Robinton let out a snort of amuseme"nWt.e do seem beholden to the oddest agencGiersu.b life. Meron. Oh yes," and he chuckled at their irritation, "He may yet prove to be Lanet ahsismet.strain his
eyes and crick his neck nightly watching the Red ASstarl.ong as he is occupied that way, we'll know we have time.The eyes of a vengeful man miss few details he can turn to advantage."
"Good point, RobintonN.
'ton," and F'lar turned to the young bronze r"idI ewr. ant to know every
remark that man makes, which aspects of the Red Star he views, what he could possibly see, what his reactions are.We've ignored that man too often to our reWgre .might even be grateful to him."
"I'd rather be grateful to grubs," N'ton replied with some f"eFrvraonr.kly, sir," he added, hesitant for
the first time about any assignment since he'd been included in the council, ' I'd rather hunt grubs or catch
Thread."
F'lar eyed the young rider thoughtfully for a moment.
"Think of this assignment then, N'ton, as the ultimate Thread catch."
Brekke had insisted on taking over the care of the plants in the Rooms once she wasShsetronger. argued that she was farmcraftbred and capable of such duSthie .preferred not to be present during the demonstrations. In fact she went out of her way to avoid seeing anyone but wSeyhrefoclko.uld abide
their sympathy but the pity of outsiders was repugnant to her.
This did not affect her curiosity and she would get F'nor to tell her every detail of what she termed the best-known Craft secret on PerWn.hen F'nor narrated the Telgar Lord's bitter repudiation of what
the Weyrs were trying to accomplish, she was visibly disturbed.
"Larad's wrong," she said in the slow deliberate way she'd adopted "lTatheely.grubs are the
solution, the right oneB. ut it's true that the best solution is not always easy to Aacncdepatn.
expedition
to the Red Star is not a solution, even if it's the one Pernese instinctiveIlyt's corabvveio. us.Just as two thousand dragons over Telgar Hold was rather obvious seven Turns Sahgeo."surprised F'nor with a little smile, the first since Wirenth's dea"tIh.myself, like Robinton, would prefer to rely on gTruhbeys. present fewer problemsB. ut then I'm craftbred."
"You use that phrase a lot lately," F'nor remarked, turning her face toward him, searching her green eyes. They were serious, as always, and clear in the candid gaze was the shadow of a sorrow that would never lift.
She locked her fingers in his and smiled gently, a smile which did not disperse th"eI sworarsow. craftbred," she corrected herself".I'm weyrfolk now."Berd crooned approvingly and Grall added a trill of her own.
"We could lose a few Holds this Turn around," F'nor said bitterly.
"That would solve nothing," she sa"idI'.m relieved that F'lar is going to watch that NaboHleeseh.as a warped mind."
Suddenly she gasped, gripping F'nor's fingers so tight that her fingernails broke the skin.
"What's the matter?"He put both arms around her protectively.
"He has a warped mind," Brekke said, staring at him with frightened"Aenydesh. e also has a fire lizard, a bronze, as old as Grall and BDeorde.s anyone know if he's been trainingTrita?ining it to go between?"
"All the Lords have been shown how, " F'nor broke off as he realized the trend of heBrertdhought.
and Grall reacted to Brekke's fright with nervous squeals and fanning
"wNinog, s.no, BrekkeH.
e can't,"
F'nor reassured her". Asgenar has one a week or so younger and he was saying how difficult he found it to send his Rial about in his own hold."
"But Meron's had his longeIrt. could be further along ..."
"Nabol?" F'nor was skeptical". That man has no conception of how to handle a fire lizard."
"Then why is he so fascinated with the Red SWtarh?at else could he have in mind but to send his
bronze lizard there?"
"But he knows that dragonmen won't attempt to send dragHoonws. can he imagine that a fire lizard could go?"
"He doesn't trust dragonmen," Brekke pointed out, obviously obsessed with the"Widheya. should he trust that statementY? ou've got to tell F'lar!"
He agreed to because it was the only way to reassurSehehewr.as still so pathetically thHine. r eyelids looked transparent though there was soft flush of color in her lips and cheeks.
"Promise you'll tell F'lar."
"I'll tell himI.'ll tell him, but not in the middle of the night."
With a wing of riders to direct between time for larval sacks the next day, his promise slipped F'nor's mind until late that eveninRg.ather than distress her with his forgetfulness, he asked Canth to bespeak
N'ton's Lioth to pass the theory on to NI'tfonth.e Fort Weyr bronze rider saw anything that gave
Brekke's premise substance, then they'd tell F'lar.
He had a chance to speak to N'ton the following day as they met in the isolated valley field which
Larad of Telgar Hold had picked to be seeded by gTrhuebsf.ield, F'nor noticed with some jaundice,
was planted with a new hybrid vegetable, much in demand as a table luxury and grown successfully only in some upland areas of Telgar and the High Reaches Hold.
"Brekke may have something, F'nor," N'ton admitt"eTdh. e watchriders have mentioned that Nabol
will stare for a long time into the distance-viewer and then suddenly stare into his fire lizard's eyes until the creature becomes frantic and tries to riIsne.fact, last night the poor thing went between screaming.
Nabol stalked off in a bad mood, cursing all Dragonkind."
"Did you check what he'd been looking at?"
N'ton shrugged."Wasn't too clear last nighLt.ots of cloudsO. nly thing visible was that one gray tail, the place that resembles Nerat but points east instead of Iwt ewsat.s visible only briefly."
F'nor remembered that feature weAll. mass of grayness formed like a thick dragon tail, pointing in the opposite direction from the planet's rotation.
"Sometimes," N'ton chuckled, "the clouds above the star are clearer than anything we can see below. The other night, for instance, there was a cloud drift that looked like a girl," N'ton made passes with his hands to describe a head, and a few to one side of the air-drawn circle, "braidingI hceorulhdaisre. e her
head, tilted to the left, the half-finished braid and then the stream of frFeaeschinaairti.ng."
F'nor did not dismiss that conversation entirely for he'd noticed the variety of recognizable patterns in the clouds around the Red Star and often had been more absorbed in that show than in what he was supposed to be watching for.
N'ton's report of the fire lizard's behavior was very interesTtihneg.little creatures were not as
dependent on their handlers as dragonTsh.ey were quite apt to disappear between when bored or asked to do something they didn't feel like doTinhge.y reappeared after an interlude, usually near dinnertime, evidently assuming people forgot quickly.
Grall and Berd had apparently matured beyond such behaCveiortra.inly they had a nice sense of
responsibility toward BrekkeO.
ne was always near heFr.'nor was willing to wager that Grall and Berd
were the most reliable pair of fire lizards on Pern.
Nevertheless, Meron would be watched closeIlyt .was just possible that he could dominate his fire lizard. His mind, as Brekke said, was warped.
As F'nor entered the passageway to his weyr that evening, he heard a spirited conversation going on although he couldn't distinguish the words.
"Lessa is worried," Canth told him, shaking his wings flat against his back as he followed his rider.
"When you've lived with a man for seven Turns, you know what's on his mind," Lessa was saying urgently as F'nor enteredS.he turned, an almost guilty expression on her face replaced by relief when she
recognized F'nor.
He looked past her to Brekke whose expression was suspiciously bSlhaenkd. idn't summon even a welcoming smile for him.
"Know what's on whose mind, LessFa'?nor asked, unbelting his riding tunHice. the table and accepted the wine which Brekke poured him.
tossed his gloves to
Lessa sank awkwardly into the chair beside her, her eyes darting everywhere but toward him.
"Lessa is afraid that F'lar may attempt to go to the Red Star himself," Brekke said, watching him.
F'nor considered that as he drank his w"inFe'l.ar's not a fool, my dear giArls.dragon has to know
where he's goingA.
nd we don't know what to tell thMemn.ementh's no fool either.B" ut as F'nor passed
his cup to Brekke to be refilled, he had a sudden flash of N'ton's hair-braiding cloud lady.
"He can't go," Lessa said, her voice ha"rHshe.'s what holds Pern togetheHr.e's the only one who can consolidate the Lord Holders, the Craftmasters and the DragonriEdveersn. the Oldtimers trust him now. Him. No one else!"
Lessa was unusually upset, F nor realizGedra. ll and Berd came gliding in to perch on the posts of
Brekke's chair, chirping softly and preening their wings.
Lessa ignored their antics, leaning across the table, one hand on F'nor's to hold his what the Harper said about miracleSsa.lvation in three days!H" er eyes were bitter.
"Going to the Red Star is salvation for no one, Lessa!"
"aIttehnetaiordn.
"Yes, but we don't know that for certWaine.'ve only assumed that we can't because the ancients didn't. And until we prove to the Lords what the actual conditions there are, they will not accept the alternative!"
"More trouble from Larad?" F'nor asked sympathetically, rubbing the back of hisHinsecmku. scles felt unaccountably tight.
"Larad is bad enough," she said bitterly, "but I'd rather him than Raid anTdheSyi'fveer. somehow got hold of rumors and they're demanding instant action."
"Show 'em the grubs!"
Lessa abruptly released F'nor's hand, pursing her lips with exaspera"tIifong.rubs didn't reassure Larad of Telgar, they'll have less effect on those old blow-hNaord, st!hey," and in emphasizing the pronoun she underscored her contempt for the old Lord Holders, "are of the opinion that Meron of
Nabol has found coordinates after nights of watching and is maliciously withholding them from the rest of
Pern."
F'nor grinned and shook his hea"dN.'ton is watching Meron of NabTolh.e man has found nothing.
He couldn't do anything without our knowledAgen.d he certainly isn't having any luck with his fire lizard."
Lessa blinked, looking at him without comprehension.
"With his fire lizard?"
"Brekke thinks Meron might attempt to send his fire lizard to the Red Star."
As if a string in her back had been pulled, Lessa jerked up in her chair, her eyes huge and black as she stared first at him, then at Brekke.
"Yes, that would be like hiHme.
wouldn't mind sacrificing his fire lizard for that, woulAd nhde?it's
as old as yours.H" er hand flew to her mou"thIf.
he ..."
F'nor laughed with an assurance he suddenly didn't honestlyLfeesesla.
had reacted far too positively
to a notion he privately considered unlikeOlyf. course, she didn't have a fire lizard and might not appreciate their limitations". He may be trying," he felt obliged to "sNay'to. n's been watching himB. ut
he's not succeedingI.
don't think Meron caHn.e doesn't have the temperament to handle fire lizards.
You simply can't order them about the way you do drudges."
Lessa clenched her fists in an excess of frustration.
"There's got to be something we can Idtoe.ll you, F'nor, I know what F'lar has on his Imkinodw.
he's trying to find some way to get to the Red Star if only to prove to the Lord Holders that there is no other alternative but the grubs!"
"He may be willing to risk his neck, my dear Lessa, but is Mnementh willing?"
Lessa flashed F'nor a look of pure disl"ikAen.d put the notion in the poor beast's head that this is what F'lar wants?I could throttle RobintonH. im and his three-day salvationF!'lar can't stop thinking
about that.But F'lar is not the one to go," and she broke off, biting her lip, her eyes sliding toward
Brekke.
"I understand, Lessa,"Brekke said very slowly, her eyes unwinking as she held Le"sYseas's,. I
understand you.
F'nor began to massage his right shouldHeer. must have been between too much lately.
"Never mind," Lessa said suddenly, with unusual fo"rIc'me.
just overwrought with all this uncertainty.
Forget what I saidI.'m only imagining thingsI.'m as tired as, as we all are "
"You're right there, Lessa," F'nor agree"dW. e're all seeing problems which don't exAisftt.er all, no
Lord Holder has come to Benden Weyr and thrown down any ultimWathuamt .could they doF?'lar
certainly has been forthright, explained the project of grub protection so often I'll be ill if I have to listen to it once moreC. ertainly he's been open with the other Weyrleaders, the Craftmasters, being sure that
everyone knows exactly what the over-all planNiost.hing will go wrong this timTeh.is is one Craft secret that won't get lost because someone can't read a Record skin!"
Lessa rose, her body tauSt.he licked her lips".I think," she said in a low voice, "that's what scares me most.He's taking such precautions to be sure everyone knoJuwsst. in case ..."
She broke off and rushed out of the Weyr.
F'nor stared after herT. hat interpretation of F'lar's overtness began to assume frightening significance. Disturbed, he turned to Brekke, surprised to see tears in the girl'sHeeyteoso.k her in his arms.
"Look, I'll get some rest, we'll eat, and then I'll go to FortSeWe eMyre. ron myselfB. etter still," and
he hugged her reassuringly, "I'll bring Grall aloSnhge.'s the oldest we've goIt'l.l see if she'd take the trip. If any of the fire lizards would go, she'd be thTe hoenre. now!How's that for a good ideaS?h"e clung
to him, kissing him so urgently that he forgot Lessa's disturbing idea, forgot he was hungry and tired, and responded with eager surprise to her ardent demands.
Grall hadn't wanted to leave Berd where the bronze fire lizard was cuddled on the cushion by Brekke's head.But then, F'nor didn't much want to leave BreSkhkee'.d reminded him, after they'd loved each other deeply, that they had obligatioInfs.Lessa had been worried enough about F'lar to confide in Brekke and F'nor, she was more deeply concerned than she'd aBdrmekitk. e and F'nor must assume
such responsibility as they could.
Brekke was a great one for assuming responsibility, F'nor thought with affectionate tolerance as he roused Canth.Well, it wouldn't take long to check on MeOrornt.o see if Grall would consider going to the Red StarT. hat certainly was a better alternative than F'lar making theIf trthipe. little queen lizard
would consider it.
Canth was in high good humor as they wheeled first above Benden Weyr, then burst out of between above Fort Weyr's Star StoneTs.here were glows along the crown of the Weyr rim and, beyond the
Star Stones, the silhouettes of several dragons.
"Canth and F'nor of Benden Weyr," the brown dragon announced in answer to the watchrider's
query. "Lioth is here and the green dragon who must stay at Nabol," Canth added as he backwinged to a light landing.Grall swooped above F'nor's head, waiting until Canth had taken off to join the other beasts before she took her shoulder perch.
N'ton stepped out of the shadows, his welcoming grin distorted by the pathHgelojwersk.ed his head back, toward the distance-viewer.
"He's here and his lizard's in a fine sGtaltaed. Canth."
you cameI.
was about to ask Lioth to bespeak
The bronze Nabol lizard began to screech with a distress which Grall echoed nerHveoruswlyi.ngs extended. F'nor stroked them down to her back, emitting the human version of a lizard croon which usually calmed herS. he tightened her wings but started to hop from one foot to the other, he eyes whirling restlessly.
"Who's that?" demanded Meron of Nabol peremptorMilye.ron's shadow detached itself from the larger one of the rock on which the distance-viewer was mounted.
"F'nor, Wing-second of Benden Weyr," the brown rider answered coldly.
"You've no business in Fort Weyr," Meron said, his tone ras"pGientg.out of here!"
"Lord Meron," N'ton said, stepping in front of F"'nFo'nr.or of Benden has as much right in Fort
Weyr as you."
"How dare you speak to a Lord Holder in that fashion?"
"Can he have found something?F"'nor asked N'ton in a low voice.
N'ton shrugged and moved toward the NaboleTshe.e little lizard began to shrieGkr.all extended her wings again.Her thoughts were a combination of dislike and annoyance, tinged with fear.
"Lord Nabol, you have had the use of the distance-viewer since full dark."
"I'll have the use of the distance-viewer as long as I choose, dragoGnomaw.ay.Leave me!"
Far too accustomed to instant compliance with his orders, Nabol turned back to theFv'nieowr'ser.
eyes were used to the darkness by now and he could see the Lord Holder bend to place his eye to the viewer. He also saw that the man held tight to his fire lizard though the creature was twisting and writhing to escape.Its agitated screeching rose to a nerve-twitting pitch.
"The little one is terrified," Canth told his rider.
"Grall terrified?" F'nor asked the brown dragon, startHleed. could see that Grall was upset but he didn't read terror in her thoughts.
"Not Grall.The little brotherH. e is terrifiedT. he man is cruel."
F'nor had never heard such condemnation from his dragon.
Suddenly Canth let out an incredible belloItw.startled the riders, the other two dragons, and put Grall into flightB. efore half the dragons of Fort Weyr roused to bugle a query, Canth's tactic had achieved the effect he'd wanteMd. eron had lost his hold on the fire lizard and it had sprung free and gone between.
With a cry of rage for such interference, Meron sprang toward the Dragonriders, to find his way blocked by the menacing obstacle of Canth's head.
"Your assigned rider will take you back to your Hold, Lord Meron," N'ton informed the Lord
Holder. "Do not return to Fort Weyr."
"You've no right!You can't deny me access to that distance-viewYeoru. 're not the WeyrleaderI.'ll call a ConclaveI.'ll tell them what you're doinYgo. u'll be forced to acYt.ou can't fool meY! ou can't
deceive Nabol with your evasions and temporiziCngo.wards! You're cowards, the pack of yoAul!ways knew it.Anyone can get to the Red SAtanr.yone! I'll call your bluff, you neutered perverts!"
The green dragon, her eyes redly malevolent, dipped her shoulder to MWeirtohno.ut a break in his ranting denunciation, the Lord of Nabol climbed the riding straps and took his place on Shhere neck. had not cleared the Star Stones before F'nor was at the distance-viewer, peering at the Red Star.
What could Meron have seenO?r was he merely bellowing baseless accusations to unsettle them?
As often as he had seen the Red Star with its boiling cover of reddish-gray clouds, F'nor still experienced a primitive stab of feTaro.night the fear was like an extra-cold spine from his balls to his throat. The distance-viewer revealed the westward-pointing tail of the gray mass which resembled a featureless, backward NeratT. he jutting edge of the swirling clouds obscureCdloitu.ds that swirled to form a pattern, no lady braiding her hair tonRigahtth.er, a massive fist, thumb of darker gray curling
slowly, menacingly over the clenched fingers as if the clouds themselves were grabbing the tip of the gray mass. The fist closed and lost its definition, resembling now a single facet of a dragon's complete eye,
half-lidded for sleep.
"What could he have seen?N"'ton demanded urgently, tapping F'nor's shoulder to get his attention.
"Clouds," F'nor said, stepping back to let N'ton"Liink.e a fistW. Clouds, that's all he could have seen, over backward Nerat!"
N'ton looked up from the eyepiece, sighing with relief.
"Cloud formations won't get us anywhere!"
hich turned into a dragon's eye.
F'nor held his hand up for GrSalhle.
came down obediently and when she started to hop to his
shoulder, he forestalled her, gently stroking her head, smoothing her wingHseflhaet.ld her level with his
eyes and, without stopping the gentle caresses, began to project the image of that fist, lazily forming over
Nerat. He outlined color, grayish-red, and whitish where the top of the imagined fingers might be
sun-struck. He visualized the fingers closing above the Neratian peninTsuhlean.
he projected the image
of Grall taking the long step between, to the Red Star, into that cloud fist.
Terror, horror, a whirling many-faceted impression of heat, violent wind, burning breathlessness, sent him staggering against N'ton as Grall, with a fearful shriek, launched herself from his hand and disappeared.
"What happened to her?N" 'ton demanded, steadying the brown rider.
"I asked her," and F'nor had to take a deep breath because her reaction had been rather shattering, "to go to the Red Star."
"Well, that takes care of Brekke's idea!"
"But why did she over react that wCayan?th?"
"She was afraid!"Canth replied didactically, although he sounded as surprised as F"'Ynou. vivid coordinates."
"I gave vivid coordinates?"
"Yes."
gave
"What terrified Grall?You aren't reacting the way she did and you heard the coordinates."
"She is young and sillyC."anth paused, considering something".She remembered something that scared her."The brown dragon sounded puzzled by that memory.
"What does Canth say?" N'ton asked, unable to pick up the quick exchange.
"He doesn't know what frightened hSero.mething she remembers, he says."
"Remembers? She's only been hatched a few weeks."
"A moment, N'ton."F'nor put his hand on the bronze rider's shoulder to silence him for a thought had suddenly struck him". Canth," he said taking a deep breath, "You said the coordinates I gave her were vivid. Vivid enough, for you to take me to that fist I saw in the clouds?"
"Yes, I can see where you want me to go," Canth replied so confidently that F'nor was taken aback. But this wasn't a time to think things out.
He buckled his tunic tightly and jammed the gloves up under the wristbands.
"You going back now?" N'ton asked.
"Fun's over here for the night," F'nor replied with a nonchalance that astonishe"dWahnimt .to make
sure Grall got back safely to BrekOketh. erwise I'll have to sneak in to Southern to the cove where she hatched."
"Have a care then," N'ton advise"dA.t least we've solved one problem tonigMhte.ron can't make that fire lizard of his go to the Red Star ahead of us."
F'nor had mounted CanthH. e tightened the fighting straps until they threatened to cut off circulation. He waved to N'ton and the watchrider, suppressing his rising level of excitement until Canth had taken him high above the Weyr.
Then he stretched flat along Canth's neck and looped the hand straps double around his wrists. Wouldn't do to fall off during this jump between.
Canth beat steadily upward, directly toward the baleful Red Star, high in the dark heavens, almost as if the dragon proposed to fly there straight.
Clouds were formed by water vapors, F'nor knAewt .least they were on PerBnu. t it took air to support clouds.Air of some kindA. ir could contain various gaseOs.ver the plains of Igen where the
noxious vapors rose from the yellow mountains you could suffocate with the odor and the stuff in your lungs. Different gases issued from the young fire mountains that had risen in the shallow western seas to
spout flame and boiling rock into the waTtehre.
miners told of other gases, trapped in tunnel hollows.
But a dragon was fasAt.
second or two in the most deadly gas the Red Star possessed couldn't hurt.
Canth would jump them between to safety.
They had only to get to that fist, close enough for Canth's long eyes to see to the surface, under the cloud cover.One look to settle the matter forevOenr.e look that F'nor, not F'lar, would make.
He began to reconstruct that ethereal fist, its alien fingers closing over the westering tip of grayness on the Red Star's enigmatic surfac"eT. ell Ramoth.She'll broadcast what we see to everyone, dragon, rider,
fire lizard.We'll have to go slightly between time, too, to the moment on the Red Star when I saw that fist. Tell Brekke."And he suddenly realized that Brekke already knew, had known when she'd seduced him so unexpectedlyF. or that was why Lessa had confided in them, in BrHekekceo. uldn't be angry
with Lessa.She'd had the courage to take just such a risk seven Turns ago, when she'd seen a way back through time to bring up the five missing Weyrs.
"Fill your lungs," Canth advised him and F'nor felt the dragon sucking air down his throat.
He didn't have time to consider Lessa's tactics because the cold of between envelopeHdethfelt . nothing, not the soft hide of the dragon against his cheek, nor the straps scoring Ohinslyflethshe. cold. Black between had never existed so long.
Then they burst out of between into a heat that was suffocTahteinyg.dropped through the closing
tunnel of cloud fingers toward the gray mass which suddenly was as close to them as Nerat's tip on a high-level Thread pass.
Canth started to open his wings and screamed in agony as they were wrencheTdhebascnka.pping
of his strong forelimbs went unheard in the incredible roar of the furnace-hot tornadic winds that seized them from the relative calm of the downdTrahfte.re was air enveloping the Red Star, a burning hot air, whipped to flame-heat by brutal turbulenceTsh.e helpless dragon and rider were like a feather, dropped
hundreds of lengths only to be slammed upward end over end, with hideouAs sfotrhceey.
tumbled, their
minds paralyzed by the holocaust they had entered, F'nor had a nightmare glimpse of the gray surfaces toward and away from which they were alternately thrown and remtohveedN, eratian tip was a wet,
slick gray that writhed and bubbled and oozTehde.n they were thrown into the reddish clouds that were shot with nauseating grays and whites, here and there torn by massive orange rivers of lAightning.
thousand hot points burned the unprotected skin of F'nor's face, pitted Canth's hide, penetrating each lid
over the dragon's eyesT.he overwhelming, multileveled sound of the cyclonic atmosphere battered their minds ruthlessly to unconsciousness.
Then they were hurled into the awesome calm of a funnel of burning, sand-filled heat and fell toward the surface, crippled and impotent.
Painridden, F'nor had only one thought as his senses failedThemW. warned!
eyr!The Weyr must be
Grall returned to Brekke, crying piteously, burrowing into Brekke's Sahrem.was trembling with fear
but her thoughts made such chaotic nonsense that Brekke was unable to isolate the cause of her terror.
She stroked and soothed the little queen, tempting her with morsels of meat to nToheeflfiettclte. lizard refused to be quieteTd.hen Berd caught Grall's anxiety and when Brekke scolded him, Grall's excitement and anguish intensified.
Suddenly Mirrim's two greens came swooping into the weyr, twittering and fluttering, also affected by the irrational behavior of the little queMeni.rrim came running in then, escorted by her bronze, bugling
and fanning his gossamer wings into a blur.
"Whatever is the matterA? re you all right, Brekke?"
"I'm perfectly all right," Brekke assured her, pushing away the hand Mirrim extended to her forehead.
"They're just excited that's aIllt.'s the middle of the nigGhto.
back to bed."
"Just excited?"Mirrim pursed her lips the way Lessa did when she knew someone was evading her. "Where's Canth?Why ever did they leave you alone?"
"Mirrim!" Brekke's tone brought the girl up shaSrhpe.
flushed, looking down at her feet, hunching
her shoulders in the self-effacing way Brekke deploBrerde.kke closed her eyes fighting to be calm although the distress of the five fire lizards was insid"iPoluesa.se get me some strong klah."
Brekke rose and began to dress in riding cloTthhees. five lizards started to keen now, flitting around the room, swooping in wild dives as if they wanted to escape some unseen danger.
"Get me some klah," she repeated, because Mirrim stood watching her like a numbwit.
Her trio of fire lizards had followed her out before Brekke realized heTr heeryr'odr.probably rouse the lower Caverns with their distreSssh.e called but Mirrim didn't hear hCeor.ld chills made her fingers awkward.
Canth wouldn't go if he felt it would endanger FC'naonrt.h has sense, Brekke told herself trying to convince herself.He knows what he can and can't Cdaon.th is the biggest, fastest, strongest brown
dragon on PernH.
e's almost as large as Mnementh and nearly as smart.
Brekke heard Ramoth's brassy bugle of alarm just as she received the incredible message from
Canth.
Going to the Red StaOr?n the coordinates of a clouSdh?e staggered against the table, her legs trembling. She managed to sit but her hands shook so, she couldn't pour thUe swinigneb. oth hands, she got the bottle to her lips and swallowed some thatItwhaeyl.ped.
She'd somehow not believed they'd see a way toWgaos. that what had frightened Grall so?
Ramoth kept up her alarm and Brekke now heard the other dragons bellowing with worry.
She fumbled with the last closing of her tunic and forced herself to her feet, to walk toThthee ledge.
fire lizards kept darting and diving around her, keening wildly; a steady, nerve-jangling double trill of pure terror.
She halted at the top of the stairs, stunned by the confusion in the crepuscular gloom of the Weyr
Bowl. There were dragons on ledges, fanning their wings with agitaOtitohne.r beasts were circling around at dangerous speedsS.ome had riders, most were flying frReea.moth and Mnementh were on
the Stones, their wings outstretched, their tongues flicking angrily, their eyes bright orange as they bugled
to their WeyrmatesR. iders and weyrfolk were running back and forth yelling, calling to their beasts, questioning each other for the source of this inexplicable demonstration.
Brekke futilely clapped her hands to her ears, searching the confusion for a sight of Lessa or F'lar. Suddenly they both appeared at the steps and came running up Fto'lahr ere. ached Brekke first, for
Lessa hung back, one hand steadying herself against the wall.
"Do you know what Canth and F'nor are doing?" the Weyrleader "Ecrviery.
beast in the Weyr is
shrieking at the top of voice and minHde!"covered his own ears, glaring furiously at her, expecting an answer.
Brekke looked toward Lessa, saw the fear and the guilt in the Weyrwoman's eyes.
"Canth and F'nor are on their way to the Red Star."
F'lar stiffened and his eyes turned as orange as MnemeHnteh'ss.tared at her with a compound of fear and loathing that sent Brekke reeling baAcsk.if her movement released him, F'lar looked toward the bronze dragon roaring stentoriously on the heights.
His shoulders jerked back and his hands clenched into fists so tight the bones showed yellow through the skin.
At that instant, every noise ceased in the Weyr as every mind felt the impact of the warning the fire lizards had been trying inchoately to project.
Turbulence, savage, ruthless, destructive; a pressure inexorable and deaCdhlyu.rning masses of slick, sickly gray surfaces that heaved and dippHeeda.t as massive as a tidal waFvea. r! Terror! An inarticulate longing!
A scream was torn from a single throat, a scream like a knife upon raw nerves!
"Don't leave me alone!T"he cry came from cords lacerated by the extreme of anguish; a command,
an entreaty that seemed echoed by the black mouths of the weyrs, by dragon minds and human hearts.
Ramoth sprang aloftM.
nementh was instantly beside heTr.hen every dragon in the Weyr was
a-wing, the fire lizards, too; the air groaned with the effort to support the migration.
Brekke could not seeH. er eyes were filled with blood from vessels burst by the force of Bhuert
cry.
she knew there was a speck in the sky, tumbling downward with a speed that increased with every length; a plunge as fatal as the one which Canth had tried to stop over the stony heights of the High Reaches range.
And there was no consciousness in that plummeting speck, no echo, however faint, to her despairing
inquiry. The arrow of dragons ascended, great wings pumpTinhge.
arrow thickened, once, twice, three
times as other dragons arrived, making a broad path in the sky, steadily striving for that falling mote.
It was as if the dragons became a ramp that received the unconscious body of their Weyrmate, received and braked its fatal momentum with their own bodies, until the last segment of overlapping wings eased the broken-winged ball of the bloody brown dragon to the floor of the Weyr.
Half-blinded as she was, Brekke was the first person to reach Canth's bleeding body, F'nor still strapped to his burned necHk.er hands found F'nor's throat, her fingers the tendon where his pulse should beat.His flesh was cold and sticky to the touch and ice would be less hard.
"He isn't breathing," someone crie"dH. is lips are blue!"
"He's alive, he's alive," Brekke chanteTdh.ere, one faint shallow flutter against her seeking fingers.
No, she didn't imagine
Ait.nother.
"There wasn't any air on the Red STtahre.
blueness.He suffocated."
Some half-forgotten memory prompted Brekke to wrench F'nor's jaws aSphaert.covered his mouth with hers and exhaled deeply into his thrSohaet. blew air into his lungs and sucked it out.
"That's right, Brekke," someone crieTd.hat may workS. low and steady!Breathe for yourself or you'll pass out."
Someone grabbed her painfully around the waSishte.
clung to F'nor's limp body until she realized
that they were both being lifted from the dragon's neck.
She heard someone talking urgently, encouragingly to Canth.
"Canth! Stay!"
The dragon's pain was like a cruel knot in Brekke's Sshkeullb. reathed in and ouOt.ut and inF. or
F'nor, for herself, for CantSh.he was conscious as never before of the simple mechanics of breathing; conscious of the muscles of her abdomen expanding and contracting around a column of air which she forced up and out, in and out.
"Brekke! Brekke!"
Hard hands pulled at heSr.he clutched the wher-hide tunic beneath her.
"Brekke! He's breathing for himself nowB.rekke!"
They forced her away from hiSmh.e tried to resist but everything was a bloody Sbhluer.staggered, her hand touching dragon hide.
"Brekke." The pain-soaked tone was faint, as if from an incalculable distance, but it was Canth. "Brekke?"
"I am not alone!A" nd Brekke fainted, mind and body overtaxed by an effort which had saved two lives.
Spun out by ceaseless violence, the spores fell from the turbulent raw atmosphere of the thawing planet toward Pern, pushed and pulled by the gravitic forces of a triple conjunction of the system's other planets.
The spores dropped through the atmospheric envelope of PAetrtne.nuated by the friction of entry, they fell in a rain of hot filaments on the surface of the planet.
Dragons rose, destroying them with flaming breaWthh. at Thread eluded the airborne beasts was efficiently seared into harmless motes by ground crews, or burrowed after by sand-worm and fire lizard.
Except on the eastern slope of a northern mountain plantation of hardwoodThtreere .men had
carefully drawn back from the leading edge of the TFhaelyl. watched, one with intent horror, as the silver rain scorched leaf and fell hissing into the Wsohile.n the leading Edge had passed over the crest of the mountain, the men approached the points of impact cautiously, the nozzles of the flames throwers they carried a half-turn away from spouting flame.
The still smoldering hole of the nearest Thread entry was prodded with a meAtalbrroowd.n fire lizard darted from the shoulder of one man and, chirping to himself, waddled over to Hthee phookled an inquisitive half-inch of nose into the grouTnhde.n he rose in a dizzying movement and resumed his perch on the specially padded shoulder of his handler and began to preen himself fastidiously.
His master grinned at the other men.
"No Thread, F'larN.
o Thread, Corman!"
The Benden Weyrleader returned Asgenar's smile, hooking his thumbs in his broad riding belt.
"And this is the fourth Fall with no burrows and no protection, Lord Asgenar?"
The Lord of Lemos Hold nodded, his eyes spark"liNngo. burrows on the entire slopeH."e turned in
triumph to the one man who seemed dubious and said, "Can you doubt the evidence of your eyes, Lord
Groghe?"
The ruddy-faced Lord of Fort Hold shook his head slowly.
"C'mon, man," said the white-haired man with the prominent, hooked "nWoshea.t more proof do you need?You've seen the same thing on lower Keroon, you've seen it in Telgar EVvaelnleyth. at idiot Vincent of Nerat Hold has capitulated."
Groghe of Fort Hold shrugged, indicating a low opinion of Vincent, Lord Holder of Nerat.
"I just can't put any trust in a handful of squirming iRnseelcytisn.g on dragons makes sense."
"But you've seen grubs devour ThreadF!'"lar persisted.His patience with the man was wearing thin.
"It isn't right for a man," and Groghe drew himself up, "to be grateful to grubs!"
"I don't recall your being over-grateful to Dragonkind either," Asgenar reminded him with pointed malice.
"I don't trust grubs!G" roghe repeated, jutting his chin out at a belligerent aTnhgele.golden fire lizard on his shoulder crooned softly and rubbed her down-soft head against his Tchheeemk.an's expression softened slightly.Then he recalled himself and glared at F"'lSapr.ent my whole life trusting Dragonkind.
I'm too old to changBe.ut you're running the planet noDwo.
as you wilYl. ou will anyhow!"
He stalked away, toward the waiting brown dragon who was Fort Hold's resident messenger.
Groghe's fire lizard extended her golden wings, crooning as she balanced herself against his jolting strides.
Lord Corman of Keroon fingered his large nose and blew it out bHreiskhlyad.
a disconcerting habit
of unblocking his ears that wa"yO.ld fool. He'll use grubsH. e'll use themJ. ust can't get used to the idea that it's no good wanting to go to the Red star and blasting Thread on its homGeroggrohuen'sd.a
fighter. Doesn't sit well with him to barricade his Hold, as it were, and wait out tHhe lsiikeegse.to charge into things, straighten them out his way."
"The Weyrs appreciate your help, Lord Corman," F'lar began.
Corman snorted, blew out his ears again before waving aside F'lar's gra"tCituodmem.
on sense.
Protect the groundO.
ur ancestors were a lot smarter than we are."
"I don't know about that," Asgenar said, grinning.
"I do, young fellow," Corman retorted decisiveTlyh.en added hesitantly, "How's F'noAr?nd what's his name, Canth."
The days when F'lar evaded a direct answer were nowHpeasstm. iled reassuringly". He's on his
feet. Not much the worse for wear," although F'nor would never lose the scars on the cheek where particles had been forced into the bo"nCea. nth's wings are healing, though new membrane grows slowly.
He looked like raw meat when they got back, you kTnhoewre.
wasn't a hand-span on his body, except
where F'nor had lain, that hadn't been scoured bHaere.has the entire Weyr hopping to when he itches and wants to be oileTd.hat's a lot of dragon to oFil'.l"ar chuckled as much to reassure Corman who
looked uncomfortable hearing a list of Canth's injuries as in recollection of the sight of Canth dominating a
Weyr's personnel.
"Then the beast will fly again."
"We believe soA. nd he'll fight Thread, toWo. ith more reason than any of us."
Corman regarded F'lar levelly".I can see it's going to take Turns and Turns to grub the continent thoroughly. This forest," and he gestured to the plantation of hardwood saplings, "my corner on Keroon plains, the one valley in Telgar, used all the grubs it's safe to take from Southern It'hllisbTe udrne.ad,
long since, before the job is finishHedo.wever, when the day comes that all land is protected, what do you dragonmen plan to do?"
F'lar looked steadily back at the Keroon Holder, then grinned at Asgenar who waited expectantly.
The Weyrleader began to laugh softly.
"Craft secret," he said, watching Asgenar's face fold into disappointm"Cehnet.er up, man," he
advised, giving the Lord of Lemos an affectionate clout on the sho"uTlhdienrk. know by now what dragons do best."
about itY. ou ought to
Mnementh was settling carefully in the small clearing in response to his sumFm'laorncs.losed his tunic, preparatory to flying.
"Dragons go places better than anything else on Pern, good Lord HoFladsetersr., farther.We've all the southern continent to explore when this Pass is over and men have time to relAaxndagtahienr.e're other planets in our skies to visit."
Shock and horror were mirrored in the faces of the two Lord HBooldthersh.ad had lizards when
F'nor and Canth had taken their jump between the planets; they'd known intimately what had happened.
"They can't all be as inhospitable as the Red Star," F'lar said.
"Dragons belong on Pern!C" orman said and honked his big nose for emphasis.
"Indeed they do, Lord CormaBn.e assured that there'll always be dragons in the Weyrs ofItPern. is, after all, their homeF."'lar raised his arm in greeting and farewell and bronze Mnementh lifted him skyward.
Dragondex
THE WEYRS IN ORDER OF FOUNDING
Fort Weyr Ista Weyr
Benden Weyr Telgar Weyr
High Reaches Weyr Southern Weyr
Igen Weyr
THE MAJOR HOLDS AS BOUND TO THE WEYRS
Fort Weyr
Fort Hold (oldest hold), Lord Holder Groghe
Ruatha Hold (next oldest), Lord Holder Jaxom, Lord Warder Lytol
Southern Boll Hold, Lord Holder Sangel
Benden Weyr
Benden Hold, Lords Holder Raid and Toronas Bitra Hold, Lords Holder Sifer and Sigomal Lemas Hold, Lord Holder Asgenar
High Reaches Weyr
High Reaches Hold, Lord Holder Bargen
Nabol Hold, Lords Holder Fax, Meron, Deckter
Tillek Hold, Lord Holder Oterel
Igen Weyr
Keroon Hold, Lord Holder Corman
Parts of Upper Igen
Southern Telgar Hold
Ista Weyr
Ista Hold, Lord Holder Warbret
Igen Hold, Lord Holder Laudey
Nerat Hold, Lords Holder Vincet and Begamon
Telgar Weyr
Telgar Hold, Lord Holder Larad
Crom Hold, Lord Holder Nessel
Southern Weyr
Southern Hold, Holder Toric
THE PRINCIPAL LORDS (AND THEIR HOLDS)
Asgenar (Lemos) Banger (Igen Plains) Bargen (High Reaches) Begamon (Nerat, 2) Corman (Keroon) Deckter (Nabol, 3)
Fax (Nabol, 1) Groghe (Fort) Jaxom (Ruatha) Larad (Telgar) Laudey (Igen)
Lytol (Ruatha Warder) Meron (Nabol, 2) Nessel (Crom)
Oterel (Tillek) Raid (Benden) Sangel (Boll) Sifer (Bitra, 1)
Sigomal (Bitra, 2) Toric (Southern) Toronas (Benden 2) Vincet (Nerat 1) Warbret (1st)
CRAFTMASTERS AND MASTERCRAFTSMEN
Crafter Rank/craft Location
Andemon Masterfarmer Nerat Hold
Arnor Craftmaster, scrivenor Harpercraft Hall
Fort Hold
Baldor Weyrharper Ista Weyr Belesdan Mastertanner Igen Hold Bendarek Craftmaster, woodsmith Lemos Hold Benelek Journeyman, machinesmith Smith Hall Briaret Masterherder Keroon Hold Brudegan Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Chad Harper Telgar Weyr
Domick Craftmaster, composer Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Elgin Harper Half-Circle Sea Hold Facenden Craftmaster, smith Smithcraft Hall, Fandarel Mastersmith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Idarolan Masterfisher Tillek Hold
Jerint Craftmaster, instruments Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Ligand Journeyman tanner Fort Hold
Menolly Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Morshall Craftmaster, theory Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Nicat Masterminer Crom Hold
Oharan Weyrharper Benden Weyr
Oldive Masterhealer Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Pailm Journeyman baker Smithhall
Petiron Harper Half-Circle Sea Hold
Piemur Apprentice/journeyman Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Robinton Masterharper Fort Hold
Sebell Journeyman/Masterharper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Sharra Journeyman healer Southern Hold
Shonegar Craftmaster, voice Harpercraft Hall,
l,
Fort Hold
Talmor Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Terry Craftmaster, smith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Timareen Craftmaster, weaver Telgar Hold
Wansor Craftmaster, glassmith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Yanis Craftmaster Half-Circle Sea Hold
Zurg Masterweaver Southern Boll Hold
OWNERS OF FIRE-LIZARDS
Owner Lizard (s) Asgenar brown Rial Baner ,
Bargen , Brand blue
Brekke bronze Berd
Corman , Deelan green Famira green F'nor gold Grall
Groghe queen Merga
G'sel bronze Kylara gold Larad green
Menolly queen Beauty;
bronzes Rocky, Diver, Poll;
browns Lazybones, Mimic, Brownie;
greens Auntie One, Auntie Two;
blue Uncle; Meron bronze
Mirrim greens Reppa, Lok;
brown Tolly; Nessel ,
Nicat ,
N'ton brown Tris; Oterel ,
Piemur queen Farlir; Robinton bronze Zair; Sangel ,
Sebell queen Kimi; Sharra bronze Meer;
brown Talla: Sifer ,
Toric queen;
two bronzes
Vincet ,
SOME TERMS OF INTEREST
Agenothree:a common chemical on Pern, HNO3.
Between:an area of nothingness and sensory deprivation between here and there. Black rock:analogous to coal.
Day Sisters:a trio of stars visible from Pern. Dawn Sisters:an alternate name for Day Sisters. Deadglow:a numbskull, stupidD. erived from glow.
Fellis:a flowering tree.
Fellis juicea:
juice made from the fruit of the fellis tree; a soporific.
Fire-stone:phosphine-bearing mineral which dragons chew to produce flame.
Glow:a light-source which can be carried in a hand-basket.
High Reachesm:
ountains on the northern continent of Pern.
Hold:a place where the common people live; originally they were cut into themountains and hillsides.
Impression:the joining of minds of a dragon and his rider-to-be at the moment of the dragon's hatching.
Interval:the period of time between passes, generally
Klah:a hot stimulating drink made of tree bark and tasting faintly of cinnamon. Looks to:is Impressed by.
Long Intervala:
period of time, generally twice the length of an interval, inwhich no Thread falls
and Dragonmen decrease in numbeTr.he last Long Interval is thought to herald the end of
Threads.
Month:four sevendays
Numbweed:a medicinal cream which, when smeared on wounds, kills allfeeling; used as an anesthetic.
Oldtimer:a member of one of the five Weyrs which Lessa brought forward four hundred Turns in time. Used as a derogative term to refer to one who has moved to Southern Weyr.
Pass:a period of time during which the Red Star is close enough to droTphread on Pern.
Pern:third of the star Rukbat's five planeItts.has two natural satellites. Red Star (sic)P:ern's stepsister planetI.t has an erratic orbit.
Rukbat:a yellow star in the Sagittarian Sector, Rukbat has five planets and two asteroid belts. Sevenday:the equivalent of a week on Pern.
Thread:(mycorrhizoid) spores from the Red Star, which descend on Pern andburrow into it, devouring all organic material they encounter.
Turn:a Pernese year.
Watch-wher:a nocturnal reptile distantly related to Dragonkind. Weyr:a home of dragons and their riders.
weyr:a dragon's den.
Weyrsinger:the Harper for the Dragonriders, usually himself a dragonrider.
Wherries:a type of fowl roughly resembling the domestic Turkey of Earth,but about the size of an
Ostrich.
Withies:water plants resembling the reeds of Earth.
PERNESE OATHS
By the Egg
By the shards of my dragon's egg
By the first Egg
By the Egg of Faranth
Shells
Through Fall, Fog, and Fire
Scorch it
Shards
THE PEOPLE OF PERN
Abuna:Kitchen head at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold Alemi:Third of Seaholder's six sons, at Half-Circle Sea Hold Andemon:Masterfarmer, Nerat Hold
Arnor:Craftmaster scrivenor, at Harpercraft Hold
Balder:Harper, at Ista Weyr
B'dor:at Ista Weyr
Bedella:Oldtimer Weyrwoman, at Telgar Weyr, dragon queen Solth
Belesdan:Mastertanner, Igen Hold
Bendarek:Craftmaster Woodsmith, at Lemos Hold
Benelek:Journeyman machinesmith, Smithhall
Benis:one of Lord Holder Groghe's 17 sons, at Fort Hold B'fol:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon green Gereth B'irto:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Cabenth B'naj:rider, at Fort Weyr; dragon green Beth
Brand:steward at Ruatha Hold; blue fire-lizard B'rant:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon brown Fanth B'refli:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon brown Joruth
Brekke:Weyrwoman, at Southern Weyr; dragon queen Wirenth;
fire-lizard bronze Berd
Briala:student at Harper Hall
Briaret:Masterherder (replaces Sograny), Keroon Hold Brudegen:Journeyman of chorus, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold Camo:a half-wit at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold Celina:queenrider, at Benden Weyr; dragon queen Lamanth C'gan:Weyrsinger at Benden Weyr, dragon blue Tegath Corana:sister of Fidello (holder at Plateau), Ruatha Hold Cosira:rider, at Ista Weyr; dragon queen Caylith Deelan:milkmother to Jaxom, at Ruatha Hold
Dorse:milkbrother to Jaxom, at Ruatha Hold D'nek:rider, at Fort Weyr; dragon bronze Zagenth D'nol:rider of dragon bronze Valenth, at Benden Weyr
Domick:Craftmaster composer, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold D'ram:Oldtimer Weyrleader, at Ista Weyr; dragon bronze Tiroth Dunca:cot-holder, girl's cottage, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold
D'wer:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon blue Trebeth Elgion:the new Harper at Half-Circle Sea Hold Fandarel:Mastersmith, Smithcraft Hall, Telgar Hold
Fanna:Oldtimer Weyrwoman, at Ista Weyr; dragon queen Miranth
Fax:Lord of Seven Holds, father of Jaxom
Felena:second to the Headwoman Manora, at Benden Weyr
Fidello:holder, at Plateau in Ruatha Hold
Finder:Harper, at Ruatha Hold
F'lar:Weyrleader at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Mnementh
F'lessan:rider, at Benden Weyr, son of F'lar and Lessa;
dragon bronze Golanth
F'lon:Weyrleader, at Benden Weyr, father of F'nor and F'lar
F'nor:wingsecond at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Canth,
fire-lizard gold Grall
F'rad:rider at Benden Weyr; dragon green Telorth
Gandidan:a child at Benden Weyr
Gemma, LadyF: irst Lady of Fax (Lord of the Seven Holds)
and mother of Jaxom
G'dened:Weyrleader-to-be, at Ista Weyr, son of Old-timer Weyrleader D'ram,
dragon bronze Baranth
G'nag:at Southern Weyr, dragon blue Nelanth
G'narish:Oldtimer Weyrleader at Igen Weyr; dragon bronze Gyamath G'sel:rider, at Southern Weyr; bronze fire-lizard, dragon green Roth Groghe:Lord Holder at Fort Hold; fire-lizard queen Merga H'ages:Wingsecond at Telgar Weyr; dragon bronze Kerth
Horon:son of Lord Groghe; Fort Hold
Idarolan:Masterfisher, Tillek Hold
Jaxom:Lord Holder (underage) at Ruatha Hold dragon white Ruth Jerint:Craftmaster for instruments, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold Jora:Weyrwoman preceding Lessa, at Benden Weyr; dragon queen Nemorth J'ralt:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon queen Palanth
Kayla:drudge, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold
K'der:rider, at Ista Weyr; dragon blue Warth
Kenelas:a woman of the lower caverns, at Benden Weyr Kern:eldest son of Lord Nessel (the Lord Holder of Crom) Kirnety:a boy, at Telgar Hold; Impresses dragon bronze Fidirth K'nebel:Weyrlingmaster, at Fort Weyr; dragon bronze Firth K'net:rider at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Pianth
K'van:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Heth
Kylara:a sister of Lord Holder Larad and a Weyrwoman at Southern Weyr who moved to High
Reaches Weyr when Oldtimers were banished; dragon queen Prideth Lessa:Weyrwoman at Benden Weyr; dragon queen Ramoth Lidith:Queen dragon before Nemorth, rider unknown Ligand:Journeyman tanner at Fort Hold
L'tol:rider, at Benden Weyr and, as Lytol, Warder of Ruatha Hold;
dragon brown Larth (dies)
L'trel:father of Mirrim, at Southern Weyr; dragon blue Falgrenth
Lytol:Lord Warder for the underage Lord Holder Jaxom at Ruatha Hold;
dragon brown Larth (dies) Manora:headwoman at Benden Weyr
Mardra:Oldtimer Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr, banished to Southern Weyr;
dragon queen Loranth
Margatta:senior Weyrwoman at Fort Weyr; dragon queen Ludeth Mavi:Seaholder's (Yanis) Lady at Half-Circle Sea Hold Menolly:Journeyman at Harpercraft Hold, Fort Hold, fire-lizards (10):
gold: Beauty; bronzes:Rocky, Diver, Poll;
browns: Lazybones, Mimic, Brownie,
greens: Auntie One and Auntie Two; bluUen: cle
Menolly:youngest child (daughter) of Seaholder (Yanis) of
Half Circle Sea Hold
Merelan:mother of Robinton (Masterharper of Harpercraft Hold) Merika:Oldtimer Weyrwoman, at High Reaches Weyr;
exiled to Southern Weyr; dragon queen
Mirrim:greenrider, fosterling of Brekke at Benden Weyr; dragon green Path
fire-lizards: green: Reppa, Lok; brown:Tolly
Moreta:ancient Weyrwoman at Benden Weyr; dragon queen Orlith Morshall:Craftmaster for theory, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold M'rek:wingsecond, at Telgar Weyr; dragon bronze Zigith M'tok:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Litorth Nadira:Weyrwoman, at Igen Weyr
Nanira:see Varena
Nicat:Masterminer, Crom Hold
N'ton:wingleader at Benden Weyr on dragon bronze Lioth;
then Weyrleader at Fort Weyr (after T'ron), fire-lizard brown Tris
Oharan:Journeyman Harper at Benden Weyr
Oldive:Masterhealer, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold
Old Uncleg: reat grandfather of Menolly, at Half-Circle Sea Hold
Palim:Journeyman baker at Fort Hold
Petiron:the old Harper at Half-Circle Sea Hold
Piemur:Apprentice/Journeyman, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold;
fire-lizard queen Farlir;unner-beast Stupid
Pilgra:Weyrwoman, at High Reaches Weyr; dragon queen Selgrith P'llomar:rider at Benden Weyrd:ragon green Ladrarth Pona:granddaughter to Lord Holder Sangel, Southern Boll Hold P'ratan:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon green Poranth Prilla:youngest Weyrwoman, at Fort Weyr; dragon queen Selianth Rannelly:nurse and servant of Kylara
R'gul:Weyrleader before F'lar, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Hath R'mart:Oldtimer Weyrleader, at Telgar Weyr; dragon bronze Branth R'mel:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon Sorenth
R'nor:rider at Benden Weyr; dragon brown Virianth
Robinton:Masterharper at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold; fire-lizard bronze Zair
Sanra:supervisor of children at Benden Weyr
Sebell:Journeyman/Masterharper, Robinton's second, Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold; fire-lizard queen Kimi
Sella:Menolly's next-oldest sister, at Half-Circle Sea Hold S'goral:rider, at Southern Weyr; dragon green Betunth Sharra:Journeyman healer, at Southern Hold; fire-lizardbsr:onze: Meer
and brown:Talla
Shonagar:Craftmaster for voice, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold
Silon:a child at Benden Weyr
Silvina:headwoman at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold S'lan:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Binth S'lel:rider, at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Tuenth Sograny:Masterherder, Keroon Hold
Soreel:wife of the First Holder at Half-Circle Sea Hold Tagetarl:Journeyman at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold Talina:Weyrwoman at Benden Weyr; queenrider Talmor:Journeyman teacher, at Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold
T'bor:Weyrleader at Southern Weyr, later moves to High Reaches
when the Oldtimers are exiled; dragon bronze Orth
Tegger:holder at Ruatha
Tela, Ladyo: ne of Fax's ladies
Terry:Craftmaster smith, Smithcraft Hall, Telgar Hold T'gran:dragonrider at Benden Weyr; dragon brown Branth T'gellan:wingleader at Benden Weyr; dragon bronze Monarth T'gor:rider at Benden Weyr; dragon blue Relth
T'kul:Oldtimer at High Reaches Weyr, exiled to Southern Weyr;
dragon bronze Salth
T'ledon:watchdragon rider at Fort Hold; dragon blue Serith Tordril:fosterling at Ruatha Hold, prospective Lord Holder at Igen Torene:ancient Weyrwoman at Benden Weyr
Toric:Lord Holder of Southern Hold
T'ran:rider, at Igen Weyr; dragon bronze Redreth
T'reb:rider, at Fort Weyr; dragon green Beth
T'ron:Oldtimer Weyrleader at Fort Weyr; banished to Southern Weyr;
dragon bronze Fidranth; also called T'ton
T'sel:dragonrider at Benden Weyr; dragon green Trenth,
fire-lizard bronze Rill
Vanira:see Varena
Varena (also called Vanirar)i:der, at Southern Weyr; dragon queen Ralenth
Viderian:fosterling (Seaholder's son) at Fort Hold
Wansor:Craftmaster glassmith, Smithcraft Hall, Telgar Hold;
also called Starsmith
Yanis:Craftmaster and Seaholder at Half-Circle Sea Hold
Zurg:Masterweaver, Southern Boll Hold
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born on April 1, Anne McCaffrey has tried to live up to such an auspicious nHaetarl fidrasty.novel
was created in Latin class and might have brought her instant fame, as well as an A, had she attempted to write in the languageM. uch chastened, she turned to the stage and became a character actress,
appearing in the first successful summer music circus at Lambertsville, New JSehreseyst.udied voice for
nine years and, during that time, became intensely interested in the stage direction of opera and operetta, ending this phase of her life with the stage direction of the American premiere of Carl Orff's Ludus De Nato Infante Mirificus, in which she also played a witch.
By the time the three children of her marriage were comfortably at school most of the day, she had already achieved enough success with short stories to devote full time to writing.
Between her frequent appearances in the United States and in England as a lecturer and guest of honor at SF conventions, Ms. McCaffrey lives at Dragonhold, in the hills of Wicklow County, Ireland, with two of her children, her gray horse Mr. Ed, four cats andOaf hdeorgs.elf, Ms. McCaffrey says, "I
have green eyes, silver hair, and freckles; the rest changes without notice."