He rose, too, moving stiffly and that gave Lessa a pang of concern for her valued friend. He'd never been quite as vigorous - though he protested constantly that he was well since the heart attack he'd suffered at Ista Weyr. All this fuss with Aivas and the discoveries at Landing were not at all the sort of stimulation he needed. And yet . "There're several very engaging fellows out in the Cove,' Robinton said, gesturing toward the beautifully colored waters of his bay.

She made a disgruntled noise, dismissing the notion. "I've more than enough to do as it is. And far more "visitors" to meet and sort out than I can comfortably deal with." She saw the disappointment on the Master Harper's face and laid a kind hand on his arm. "Once we've finished Aivas' grand scheme, I promise you I'll make time to meet these doll dolphins of yours.

"Grand! You'll love the games they play.."

"Games?" Once more Lessa's frown returned.

"Games can be as necessary as work, Lessa,' Robinton said gently. "You don't take enough time for yourself."

"I don't have enough time for what I have to do, much less myself,' she said, but she gave him an encouraging smile and left the cool, shady comfort of Cove Hold for the midday heat.

Ramoth waded out of the water to meet her. The sea creatures know where to scratch my belly just where it itches, she told her rider.

"They do?" Lessa looked out at the Cove waters where these dolphins were leaping and diving about her dragon as easily as tumblers did at a gather. They did have smiles on their faces.

"They were born that way,' she told herself. "C'mon, Ramoth, we've to see if another holding is feasible below the others on the Jordan River,' she said as she stepped up to Ramoth's neck. The dragon had not completely immersed herself, since she knew they'd have to go between and Lessa would not like sitting on damp hide.

She'd been trying to find time to make this inspection for some weeks but something more urgent always came up. Not that allocating lands to properly trained northerners from overcrowded holds wasn't also urgent. It was a matter of priorities. Since the Jordan River was so close to Landing, they had been able to explore it sufficiently - the ruins of the Ancients' Stakeholds were fascinating - to release holdings: none as large as the original but respectable properties. Sometimes one had to wait until there were sufficient representatives of each of the Craft Halls to provide self-sufficiency within each new holding.

And at least one journeyman or woman healer who could tend the needs of several holds. People had also to be trained to recognize the dangers in this wilderness.

Back in Cove Hold, Alemi was berating himself for not mentioning the newest job which Jayge had suggested for the dolphins.

The Paradise River Holder had been furious over the recent invasion of his Holding. He was not the least bit mollified to know that he wasn't the only one of the dozen confirmed holds along the coast to suffer such depredations. He didn't want any more! So he asked Alemi to find out if the dolphins could patrol the waters off his Holding and warn of any more unauthorized landings.

"For a pail of fish, they'd be delighted to, Alemi had reported to the Holder after he had explained this new work to the pod.

"Good ships and bad ships,' Afo had told him.

"The bad ships never have fish for dolphins?" Alemi asked grinning.

"You right! Bad ships smell, leak "n' leave badness in our water. Not nice." She squirted from her blow hole to emphasize her distaste.

Alemi decided that was a fair enough measure of identification since invariably those masters willing to transport unauthorized passengers were men who would do anything for a few marks.

Well, a good heavy sack of marks, Alemi amended. The men who had tried to land on Paradise Holding had paid a substantial amount to the captain to sail them south. The ship had not been in very seaworthy condition, its holds wet and dank, sails and hull patched, its bilges spewing wastes into the sea.

"As bad as the Igen caves,' one man had said in disgust.

"With all this land down here, why can't we have some?" he had demanded bitterly.

"You can if you do it in the proper fashion,' Jayge had told him.

"Ha! Dragonriders're keeping the best parts for themselves,' but there was a wistful envy in his eyes as he looked over the fine situation of Paradise River.

"I'm no dragonrider and I hold this proper, with neighbors further down the river who've proved up their lands.

"And paid a great sack of marks to get it, like as not."

"No, they did not,' Jayge snapped back. "They applied and with the required number of Craft Halls among "em. That's what's required and, if you lived here, you'd know that this Southern Continent's not easy just because it's warm."

Jayge had walked off then, scowling deeply, Alemi following him. Although Alemi knew that Jayge and Aramina had been shipwrecked, they had proved the Hold long before they had been found by Piemur. He also knew that he'd been very lucky to be asked to start a Fishman's Hold at Paradise River and he certainly knew the dreadful conditions of the Holdless, crammed into the caves at Igen and other even less salubrious places in the north. He was also now aware that settlements were being established where ruins indicated that the Ancients had had holdings.

Lord Toric had accepted quite a large number of those wishing to immigrate south - even before the Council of Lords Holder and the Benden Weyrleaders had formalized the ways such settlements could be allowed. Toric had been choosy, preferring men and women who were proven hard workers and preferably at least of journeyman status in their Craft. The iron-handed Lord of Southern did not suffer fools and had one incident with renegades trying to settle the big island that happened to be part of his Holding. He had tried to get dragonriders to help him flush the squatters out but had had no luck there. That was when the policy of non-interference from the Weyrs had been reinforced a few Turns back by the Benden Weyrleaders.

Alemi had approved. The dragonriders must be above partisan leanings, no matter what hold or hall they had been born in.

But, even as he helped Jayge flush the intruders out, he had thought how much easier it would have been with dragons a-loft to "encourage' the men to surrender without bloodshed.

Among the few people to know it, Alemi was aware that the dragonriders intended that they would have first choice of the lands in the Southern Continent. A stray remark by Master Idarolan had set his thinking in that direction and nothing had happened to disabuse him of the notion. It stood to reason that, once Thread no longer fell on Pern the dragonriders ought to have some reward for their long service to Hall and Hold and what better one than their own holds where they wanted to live.

As a Craft Master, Alemi undoubtedly entertained a slightly different opinion to that held by the Lords Holder who could well feel that they should have the disposition of land, no matter where it was. Master Idarolan had remarked that there was far too much open land to bring folks to blows over who had what and how much. As he'd circumnavigated the Southern Continent, the Master Fishman certainly had a good idea of what vast expanses of land were available.

On the other hand, fishmen needed only enough land to tie up their ships in a safe harbor and sell their catches. More would be greedy. Alemi did not approve of being greedy.

"Well,' murmured the Master Harper, bringing Alemi back to the present, "that went off better than I expected. I adore Lessa of Benden Weyr but she tends to be say, a bit too obsessed with draconic prestige.

"Shouldn't she be?" Alemi asked, startled.

"Yes, of course, she should,' Master Robinton said quickly.

"And she behaves as she should as Weyrwoman. But occasionally, she does not consider other matters in quite the light you and I would. Now, tell me about this dolphin sea watch you wanted to set up to guard against more intruders?"

"I should have told the Weyrwoman about that

"Oh, no, I don't think that was necessary or even a sound idea,' Robinton said, smiling slyly. "Let her get accustomed to the idea of dolphin intelligence first. Then spring this further evidence of their ingenuity on her. Don't you think?"

"If you say so,' Alemi replied, not totally convinced.

"The Paradise River pod is organized now to repel intruders?"

"Yes, and I believe that T'gellan at Eastern Weyr has had young T'lion initiate a similar watch along that coastline.

Although, and now Alemi grinned, "I think the Weyr Healer is doing as much work with the dolphins as T'lion."

"Yes, tell me about that,' Robinton said, pouring wine for both of them and gesturing Alemi to sit beside him in the cool shade of the wide porch that surrounded Cove Hold. "They actually come to be treated by a human?"

Inside other residents were preparing a light midday meal.

Cove Hold had a changing population among the archivists and harpers who were organizing the vast amount of information which Aivas was constantly producing. It was unusual for there to be so few people demanding Master Robinton's attention.

D'ram and Lytol who were his companions in the lovely Hold were busy at Landing.

"Yes, they do,' Alemi said. "A bell can summon humans as well as dolphins." He had put a good long sturdy chain on the bell at Paradise Head so that it hung well down into the water by the float for the dolphins to pull to summon him.

Though it was usually one of the children who ran to answer the dolphins' peal. He was as often approached while he was at sea by "his' pod members.

"And they ring the bell in this report sequence you mentioned?" Robinton was clearly fascinated.

"And keep ringing until someone comes, Alemi said, with a twisty grin since he'd been roused out of his bed a time or two. Still, the occasions have been emergencies. Once, wouldbe settlers from the North being overturned in their totally inadequate skiff, and the other time a dolphin displayed a nasty gash. Temma had sewn it up as neatly as a healer could have. The dolphins had been very grateful. Aivas very kindly printed out medical information for any healers who encounter dolphins.

He paused. "I remember once finding six dolphins dead in a cove up Nerat way. We never did know what had affected them because there weren't any visible marks. Dolphins can get just as sick as humans and with the same sorts of problems, with digestion and lungs and hearts and kidneys and livers.

"Really?" The Harper regarded Alemi with surprise. "One never thinks of fish excuse me, and he corrected himself before Alemi dared to, "mammals . as being subject to the frailties that beset human flesh. What on earth would cause a heart attack in a dolphin?"

Alemi shrugged. "Stress, physical exertion, even birth defect, according to the report." Then Alemi remembered that stress and physical exertion had retired Master Robinton well before the man had been ready to step down. He stole a nervous look at the Harper who was apparently considering the information he'd been given.

"Six heart attacks at the same time?" he asked, surprised.

"No, that incident had to be caused by something else. Aivas' report mentioned "beachings" were not uncommon on old Earth and were thought to have been caused by polluted waters that poisoned the dolphins. But our waters are clean and clear."

"And they will stay that way!" Master Robinton said with unexpected vigor. "With Aivas to guide us we shall not repeat the mistakes our forebears made on their world." He paused a beat and then went on with a wry grin. "At least not the same ones and for the same reason. We can - perhaps - be grateful that what the Ancients had, Pern's resources will not provide. That will be our saving."

"Oh?" Alemi wasn't above a little prompting.

Master Robinton's mobile face lit with a knowing smile.

"Despite all we have endured since the Dawn Sisters took their orbit above us, this world has stayed remarkably well in the parameters set out by the colony founders. Of course, we couldn't know that we were abiding by those precepts,' and he grinned roguishly at Alemi, "but the fact of the matter is that we did keep to just the technology needed to survive. Once the threat of Thread is abolished, we can improve the quality of our lives and still remain within those precepts: a world that does not require as much of the sophisticated doodads and technology that so obsessed our ancestors. We'll be the better for it., "And the Weyrs?" Alemi was burning to ask that.

Robinton's smile abated but his expression was more pensive than anxious. "They will, of course, find a new level for themselves but I sincerely doubt that dragons will disappear because Thread does."

His smile returned, slightly mysterious as if he had information he would not impart to Alemi, which was fair enough, the Master Fishman thought. It was comforting enough to be reassured by the Master Harper, however circumspectly.

Alemi was loath to leave the porch and the easy companionship which emanated from Master Robinton but he was also aware that he couldn't justify monopolizing the man's attention for much longer that morning. There were so many other demands on the Harper's time and his reserves of energy. Alemi felt much pride at being awarded as much of an interview as he had.

T'lion was, perhaps, a little indignant about being constantly warned by H'mar as Weyrling Master not to neglect his dragon for his new enthusiasm, the dolphins. But he kept his tongue in his mouth, especially when Gadareth protested vehemently to him, and more importantly to bronze Janereth, that he was not for a moment being neglected and the dolphins were even helping keep him clean. Most evenings, he was the rider assigned to collect the Paradise River Harper, Boskoney, and bring him to his work at Admin.

He liked Boskoney so the task was no sinecure. It also meant he could arrive a little early and spend a few moments getting to know the Paradise River pod, Kib, Afo, and exchange greetings from Natua, Tana and Boojie. Sometimes he encountered Alemi, thanking the pod for good fishing or warnings on weather.

"The pod's also sweep-swimming,' Alemi said, grinning for altering the Weyr term, "along the Paradise Holding to prevent any more intrusions. That way we won't compromise you, T'lion, though I assure you we were very grateful to you for your help two months back."

T'lion shrugged and grinned. "Just so long as my Weyrleaders don't hear about it."

"Of course not."

Then T'lion frowned a bit. "But that only protects you,' and he waved to the east. "There's an awful lot of unpatrolled coast from here to Southern Hold."

Now it was Alemi's turn to shrug. "Well, that's not my problem. Not that I won't mention - where it will matter - if in my sailing I happen to see other incursions.

"There's such a lot of land here,' T'lion said, shaking his head slowly at the immensity.

Lad, you can't worry about everything, though it's a credit to you that you take additional responsibility. Now, help me feed these fish faces."

"Sssh,' and T'lion made an exaggerated gesture of dismay at the word. "They don't like being called and he mouthed the terrible word.

Alemi laughed. "I have dispensation. I'm a Fishman." And he formally introduced T'lion.

"No need,' Kib told him, raising his head up out of the water.

"Tana "n' Natua tell. Good man, dragonrider."

"Thanks,' T'lion said, rather pleased to be acknowledged so warmly.

"Stitch Boojie,' and Kib ducked his nose in the water and flicked it at T'lion.

"I'll get my death of a cold talking to dolphins,' T'lion said, wringing the front of his sopping shirt. "Oh, well, I've learned to carry a spare and he didn't get my jacket."

"I've learned to not wear a thing,' Alemi remarked with an understanding grin, his tanned body bare to the folded clout so many wore in the hot season. "So where's tomorrow's fish, Afo?"

Afo gave the information, which included sonar "readings'.

"They know where the school is but the only way they can express that to me is to give me the return time of their sonar responses,' Alemi said, "I'm getting good at figuring distances that way."

"That's that's amazing,' T'lion said, awed.

"Not as much as you getting Boojie stitched. Oh,' and Alemi grinned at T'lion's surprise, "we heard all about it.

They can pass quite a bit of information around - if they feel like it."

"Dragons are still the most responsible." T'lion said, proudly glancing up at his splendid bronze.

"Don't deny that for a moment, lad. Each to his own purpose on Pern."

"Which reminds me, I'll be late collecting Harper Boskoney, and T'lion clambered back up the ladder to the pier, tugging free his wet shirt as he made his way to his dragon. He finished changing to the dry one from his pack as Gadareth flew the short distance.

When he and Gadareth glided in to land in front of Boskoney's cothold, the harper peered around the door at them.

"Be a moment,' he called.

T'lion knew these harper "moments' and laid his shirt out on the nearby bush to dry, hunkering down to lean back against Gadareth's haunch to wait.

A darkly tanned youngster came out and, grinning to see a dragon there, came confidently up to him.

"You must be T'lion and this is Gadareth." The boy reached a hand up to the dragon's muzzle. Gadareth touched it in polite greeting. "Boskoney said you'd come to collect him so I could run along now."

"And you are?" T'lion asked, amused at the boy's poise. He couldn't be more than seven Turns.

"I'm Readis, son of Holders Jayge and Aramina. I wash Ruth, Lord Jaxom's dragon whenever he comes to visit. Can I wash Gadareth sometime too?" Then he eyed the bulk of the bronze who had not yet reached his full stature. "There's a lot more of him than Ruth but I could help.

T'lion laughed. "You can, if we ever have a chance to stay long enough. Generally, though, the dolphins help me wash Gadareth."

The boy's ogle-eyed reaction made T'lion laugh.

"You're speaking to dolphins'?"

It was T'lion's turn to be surprised: the boy not only knew that the dolphins spoke but he pronounced their name correctly.

Have you spoken to dolphins'?" T'lion asked. Maybe the boy answered the Dolphin Bell for Alemi. It would be a good task for a young lad and a holder 5 son.

"Only the day they saved my life. But Unclemi said they ask him how I'm doing."

"They saved your life'? Tell me how." Sometimes T'lion missed the youngest of his brothers, Tikini, who had much the same ingenuousness about him as this holder's son. He and Tikini had been very close.

Just then Boskony came out of his cothold, sweat breaking out on his forehead from the heavy flying jacket he was wearing.

You scoot on home now, Readis,' he said to the boy, "and let's get above this heat, can we, T'lion?"

"I'll see you around, Readis,' T'lion called as he speedily mounted Gadareth and then helped Boskony aboard. Circling upwards away from the sultry air of the steaming hold, T'lion saw the boy waving as long as he could be seen.

Over the next several weeks, in the course of collecting the harper, T'lion and Readis met again. Readis invariably asked what was new with his pod, and who was sick, and who had been cured, and T'lion was only tOO glad to talk to someone who avidly soaked up his tales. He hadn't realized how he had bottled up his interest in the dolphins until he began to talk to Readis who responded so enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling, his whole body almost vibrating he was so intense.

"Look, you can speak to the dolphins again, if you want to,' T'lion told Readis one day.

"I'm not "sposed to be near water alone,' Readis said. "I promised."

"Well, if you're with me and Gadareth, you're scarcely alone.

Readis considered this, thoughtfully and wistfully, digging at the sand with his bare toe. "Yes, a dragonrider and a dragon would keep me my promise." He gave T'lion a radiant grin.

"But where?" and his arm swept to the wide expanse of the river mouth.

"Oh, that's the easy part and very safe,' T'lion said. "D'you know where Master Alemi anchors? Are you allowed to go that far?"

Readis nodded vigorously, bouncing the dark curls on his head, his eyes solemn and his expression so eager it was hungry.

"You meet me there tomorrow afternoon, say, at the fourth hour, so we'd have a whole one before I'm due to collect Master Boskoney.

"Oh, I will, I will, I will. Thank you!' Begun innocently enough, the afternoon sessions with the dolphins became a happy routine for them both. If his mother asked Readis "where have you been?" "who was with you?", he could honestly reply that he was with T'lion and Gadareth. The fact that he was also swimming with the dolphins off Alemi's float simply was not mentioned.

T'lion was delighted not only with the boy's fearlessness in the water and with the dolphins, but in how quickly Readis seemed to understand their odd speech. They, in turn, liked his high pitched young voice and, having been warned by T'lion that the "calf' was young and must be carefully handled, never swamped or roughed him up, even when Readis dove under the water to swim with them.

"You've got lungs like a dragon to stay under so long, T'lion said, one afternoon when he had almost feared the boy had gone too deep, only to have him and Afo's latest calf, Vina, burst out a good two dragon lengths from the float. "Don't do that to me again, Ready,' he shouted. "Now come on in. Take a breather!'

Laughing, Readis allowed Vina to tow him into the float. He climbed up, grinning and thoroughly pleased with himself. "We got way far down but not to the bottom. Vina clicked it too far for us. So we surfaced. She's great to swim with."

"I can see why your folks want someone with you when you do swim." T'lion said, still recovering from that long moment of fright. "You can promise me that you won't stay under so long again."

"Sure. I promise. But it was great fun. You try it. You can get ever so much deeper with a dolphin!'

"I'm sure. but next time, we'll do it together! Promise?" Then Readis looked irritably down at Afo who was pushing her nose at his foot.

"T'orn. Bad t'orn,' she said and squeed urgently up at T'lion.

"Your foot hurting you'?"

Readis looked blankly at his friend, then down at the fi)ot.

Oh, now and then. I stepped on somethin' but it doesn't hurt when I swim.

"Lemme see.

Readis swirled on the float so he could obey and, while T'lion prodded the strong, callused foot, he didn't strike a sore spot.

"Bad t'orn,' Afo insisted.

"Nothin's there, Afo,' Readis insisted and twisted so his face was on a level with hers. He reached out one hand and scratched her chin just where she liked it. "Nothin' hurts."

Afo ducked her head vigorously, scooping water at them with her nose.

"Maybe, Readis, you better show your fi)ot to your mother, or your Aunt Temma. She's Hold Healer, isn't she'?"

"Ah, it's nothin'. Let's swim again

"No,' T'lion said so firmly that Readis knew better than to coax him. "I've got to collect Boskoney."

"He's always late,' Readis said with good-humored scorn.

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't be on time. C'mon now."

It so happened that that day either they were later than they should have been or Boskoney was actually on time. T'lion deposited Readis on the ground and helped Boskoney up so he had no time to remind the boy to get the foot seen to. Dolphins had always proved right in such matters.

The next day he had to attend the Fall, delivering firestone sacks to the fighting wings far out over the huge inland lake.

Then he was sent to collect Master Smiths attending one of the endless discussions now held daily at Admin, so it was three days before he resumed conveying Boskoney. He arrived at Alemi's float, eager to see Readis but the boy didn't come.

When T'lion and Gadareth landed to collect Boskoney, he asked the harper if he'd seen the boy.

"No, he's ill. Quite ill, I understand.

T'lion experienced a pang of fear. Shard it! Readis had promised to see his Aunt Temma.

"Got one of those swift high fevers that kids his age so often have,' Boskoney added, settling himself between the bronze's neck ridges. "He'll be fine in a day or two. Bright child."

"Yes, he is,' T'lion replied, his anxiety only partially abated.

A sister had died of one of those swift high fevers but she'd been younger than Readis and not nearly as sturdy as the holder boy.

"Maybe a dolphin should look at him. They're good at diagnosing."

Boskoney laughed, giving the young rider's shoulder a comforting pat. "Oh, I don't think it's anywhere near critical enough for your friends, T'lion, but it's nice of you to be concerned.

"I am. He's like a brother to me."

"I'll tell him you were asking for him.

"Do. Please."

The next day, T'lion went to the float and rang the bell, asking for Afo when the first dolphin reported in.

"What kind of thorn was it in Ready's foot, Afo?" he asked urgently.

"Swim w'us,' Afo squeed, clicking in excitement. "You not ring bell three suns now.

"No, Readis is sick."

"Bad t'orn. Told him.

"A thorn could cause him to have a fever?"

"Bad t'orn. Sea t'orn, not land. Badder.

"I'd better tell his mother, then,' T'lion said and promptly had Gadareth fly him to the Holder's cottage.

There, he found not only the boy's parents, Aunt Temma, but the Master Healer from Landing as well. All looked anxious and the mother drawn and haggard from sleeplessness. Even Jayge showed the strain of anxiety.

"I heard Readis was ill,' T'lion began. nervously clutching his flying cap. "Anything I can do'? The dolphins are good at telling what's wrong with people, you know."

"Dolphins!" Aramina spat the word out. "He's delirious about dolphins." She turned her face up to Jayge. "He can't possibly be reliving that rescue, can he?"

She) afraid of dolphins, T'hon, Gadareth said.

Why shoulil she be?

She's just afraid of them for Readis.

That was when T'lion had his first inkling that he had perhaps done wrong in taking the boy to Alemi's float. But he'd been very careful with him and the boy hadn't broken the promise he must obviously have made his fearful mother.

The Master Healer gave T'lion a keen glance. "You're the bronze rider who's helped Persellan at Eastern Weyr?"

"Yes, master, T'lion, Gadareth's rider.

"You're kind to offer, dragonrider, but this is a child's fever.

More tenacious than they usually are, it's true, but nothing within the problems which the dolphins can solve."

T'lion hesitated. "Isn't he always running about the place, bare-footed'? I don't mean that as a criticism, Holder Aramina,' he added hastily when he saw that she was bridling at his comment. "I wish I could,' and he gestured to his heavy boots in which his feet were perspiring, "but I know how nasty thorns are and it would be so easy "His limbs are swollen,' the Healer said slowly.

"Both legs, Aramina said with such an irritated glance in T'lion's direction that he shrugged as if he regretted making the suggestion.

"But the right foot is unusually swollen " The Healer spoke on his way down the wide corridor that led to the sleeping rooms and Aramina and Temma hurried after him.

"I'd better go,' T'lion said to Jayge now that he'd done what he could. "I'll come in again. I collect Boskoney every day,' and he gestured over his shoulder toward the cothold, looking anxiously at Temma and Jayge.

"You're good to be concerned, dragonrider, Jayge said kindly though it was obvious to T'lion that his ears were pricked toward the sickroom.

"Not at all. Not at all, he's such a friendly lad, like my brother . " T'lion made a hasty retreat, more concerned than ever. We didn't do anything bad, did we, Gadareth? He wanted to speak to the dolphins. He already had spoken to the dolphins.

But his mother was sure upset.

She hears dragons too much. We are careful not to speak too loud. it upsets her. Maybe dolphins upset her, too.

T'lion walked quickly across to Boskoney's cothold. If he asked just the right questions, maybe he'd find out what he needed to know. But if he had done wrong, then he'd have to admit it. Or he'd be in real trouble with T'gellan. Being a dragonrider didn't save him from making stupid mistakes some times. But how could he have known?

"Yes, there was no way you would have known,' Boskoney said with a heavy sigh when T'lion stumbled through his recital of events. "And I don't think you've done wrong exactly. It's just unfortunate it's turned out so badly. You say, one of the dolphins "saw" a sea thorn in his foot four days ago?" He sighed for they were both aware, being raised in the tropics, how treacherous thorns could be in human flesh. The harper laid a reassuring hand on the young rider's shoulder. "I'll do what I can, lad. And I've cancelled tonight's meeting. They need me here right now. You go on. Speak to your Weyrleader. That's the best thing to do now. I'll find Alemi and tell him what you've told me."

The upshot of the matter was that T'lion and Gadareth were assigned other duties and a blue weyrling and his rider conveyed Harper Boskoney to and from Paradise River Hold.

A sevenday later Boskoney appeared at Eastern Weyr on his way to Landing to tell the guilt-tormented bronze rider that Readis' fever had broken and he would recover. Out of respect for T'lion's feelings, the harper did not mention that the poison had affected the boy's right leg, knotting the tendons and he might never have full use of the limb.

"Alemi managed to insist that they take the boy to the dolphins and Afo accurately identified the site of the thorn and the poison which had travelled up to the knee by then. it could have travelled all the way to his heart, I'm told, and killed him."

T'lion sank to the hammock on his porch, head in hands. "I should have told them then!'

"Now, lad, don't take it so to heart. You told me and I told them.

"Could . . . I go see him?"

Kindly the harper shook his head. "He's too weak to see anyone though he asked Alemi to tell you why he hadn't been arnund.

T'lion groaned again. "I I . . . should have taken him right then to the Hold Healer, right when Afo told us there was a bad thorn but I was late to collect you

"And I was annoyed and rushed you off that day. It's by no means all your fault, T'lion, and you mustn't take it so hard.

And,' now the harper's tone lightened and T'lion saw he was smiling wryly, "all the healers insist that Readis must swim every day to regain tone in the leg muscles."

"They did?" Some of the heavy pressure in T'lion's chest lightened.

"it's the best chance he has to recover.

"What does his mother say to that?"

Boskoney's grin was even more ironic. "She has had to agree to the treatment. It is the only way he'll walk again."

"Ohhhh!" T'lion buried his head in his hands again, shaking it from side to side. "He was like my brother

"Now, T'lion, enough of this guilt. It was an unfortunate concatenation of circumstances. However, I may say unreservedly that Readis is delighted. He finds it no chore to have to associate with dolphins daily. I heard him tell his mother that he walks in water better than he can on land!'

T'lion gave a rueful laugh. "He would, wouldn't he? He's such a brave lad."

"He'll be fine. You will be, too."

Chapter Nine

ver the next four Turns, while Readis earnestly exer cised his legs in the warm waters of Paradise Head, entous events unfolded at Landing, Benden Weyr, Cove Hold and Fort Hold. With advice and counsel from Aivas, Weyrs, Halls and Holds combined their efforts with the technology available from Aivas and altered the orbit of the Red Star so that it would never again come close enough to Pern to threaten the planet with Threadfall. On the day that the explosion of the anti-matter engines of the three colony ships was viewed through distance lenses, everyone on Pern celebrated the end of Thread tyranny. Only Thread did not stop falling, a demonstrable fact which confused many, including Readis.

"Then why did you celebrate?" he asked his father, four days later when Thread fell across Paradise River Hold.

"Because Thread will end - this is the last Pass.

"It is? Harper says that we've had it for centuries and every time we think it's going to stop - in a long Interval - it comes back anyhow."

Jayge grinned at his son, tall for his eleven Turns, and tried not to glance down at the wasted right leg which cocked on tiptoe beside the uninjured left foot. He ruffled Readis' curly hair and thought instead that it was unfair for the boys in the family to have the curls while the two girls had straight hair.

"The dragonriders have gone to the Red Star and steered it away from getting close enough to bring Thread to Pern ever again."

"How could they move a star?" Readis demanded. "It's too big, even for dragons.

"They used the engines from the Dawn Sisters. They pulled the Star out of an orbit that brings it too close to Pern Do you understand what I mean?"

"Sure. Harper's told us all about our star system. He put a coconut down for the sun and then walked all the way to the edge of the river to put down a tiny pebble for Pern." Readis giggled. "He said that's the re-la-tive distances involved." Patently Readis could only repeat what he had been told and did not quite comprehend the subtleties of the explanation. "Pern isn't as small as that pebble. I know that!'

"You'll understand better as you grow up.

"Everyone's always saying that,' Readis replied disgustedly.

"You'll find it's true,' Jayge said, hearing an echo of his own boyish voice. "However, Boskoney has advised us to enrol you in the Landing school."

"Huh? And leave Paradise?" Readis was appalled at the very thought.

"Daytimes, six of a sevenday, with a break during the hot season.

"Daaad!'

"You, Kami, and Pardure are enrolled. At that, Paradise River is exceedingly lucky to gain three places out the twenty-five available to special students

"You mean, because of my leg I have to go away?"

"There's not a thing wrong with Kami and Pardure, my young lad!" his father said sternly.

Readis was not completely mollified. He hated anyone making concessions for him. He only rode the small runner Lord Jaxom had trained and sent especially for his use in getting about on land because Ruth had said that he, the white dragon, had selected the beast for Readis who had been so good about scrubbing his hide all these Turns. The little creature had made it possible for Readis to go wherever the other youngsters of the Hold roamed: the boy was as good a rider as he was a swimmer.

Aramina preferred him to use Delky, the runner: anything to keep him out of the water and away from the dolphins. She could not be convinced that the dolphins were not responsible for his illness and subsequent crippling. It was Aramina who heard about the proposed special classes to be held in the Admin building. using the information machines which were the legacy of Aivas. Menolly had told Alemi who had not only requested the concession for his eldest daughter but for Readis as well.

"How'll I get there?" Readis demanded of his father, sticking his chin out almost impertinently.

"A-dragonback. I trust you won't mind that. Jayge knew that the transport might be the final persuader.

"Every day?" Readis brightened considerably. "We'd have to ride a dragon every morning and every evening?" He hoped that T'lion and Gadareth would do the conveying. He'd never been able to convince his mother that T'lion wasn't in some way responsible for his illness. He'd told her time and again that T'Iion had told him, twice, to go see Temma for the thorn and he'd forgotten. So his illness, and his bad leg, were not T'lion's fault, but his. He heard what his father was saying then.

"This is a special dispensation for the three of you, until a dormitory can be set up for the pupils."

"A-dragonback twice a day?" Readis did not hear that qualifier, his eyes shining with the prospect of riding dragons on a regular basis.

"Only as long as you study hard enough to deserve the honour,' his father said sternly.

Boskoney's report listed Readis as his top student over Kami and the studious Pardure, Journeyman Weaver Parren's eldest.

While Pardure studied hard for his knowledge, everything seemed to come easily to Readis who would benefit from the challenge of a more structured learning climate. Competition for the few places available had been intense but Master Robinton, whose scheme this was, had insisted that the students be harper-recommended and they had to be proportionately drawn from Weyr, Hall and Hold.

Master Robinton wanted to be sure this current generation of young people grew up, trained from an early age to absorb and utilize the vast amount of knowledge available through Aivas.

He had started special classes with just a few suitable pupils from the Landing residents and each Turn had increased the size of the classes. Aivas had agreed, remarking that it would be easier to train youngsters up - since they would have no mis-information to be corrected - than to retrain men and women who would have to alter life-long habits of thinking and learning. Now that the main push of everyone's efforts - the Red Star project - was accomplished, the Halls could concentrate on spreading new devices that would raise living standards all across Pern. Once power could be generated in Holds, Halls and Weyrs, the special equipment Aivas had taught people how to use could be extended throughout the planet, instead of centralized at Landing.

Wind and tide generators were being studied by Jayge and his Craft Hall residents to see which would suit their needs best.

Journeyman Parren could produce quantities on a powered loom of the coveted fabrics he made from the local fibre plants. Better lights would be a tremendous help in every household, and the fans which would stir air during the hot season would make life more bearable. Other applications of power generation were being studied, especially the manufacture of ice so the fish catches would remain fresher longer. Alemi was very keen for that amenity.

Jayge found some of the concepts difficult to understand so he was delighted that Readis would have the opportunity to start off, absorbing the new wonders at a better "learning' age.

Such training would also make the boy more acceptable to the Council of Holders when it came time for him to be confirmed in his Holding. In the meantime, Jayge was determined to improve the Hold and its resources. The basics of figuring, reading and scripting taught by harpers along with traditional ballads and songs was well enough for those who would be apprenticed to a craft but a holder needed a broader, overall view. Jayge had learned how to hold through trial and error, to survive when he and Aramina had been shipwrecked on this coast, but he wanted more for his sons and daughters.

Readis was all set for his session at school the following morning, his knapsack packed and he had a flying jacket and cap to protect him between when a fire-lizard came screaming in to land on the porch. He heard its distressed cry at the same time as his family and reached the porch just as his father was unfastening the message tube the fire-lizard wore.

As soon as he released it, the little creature, still desperately keening, flitted out and was gone, followed by the resident fair who picked up its tormented cry.

"No, no, nonono, Jayge said, shaking his head in denial as he scanned the message. "No. He can't be!'

"What's the matter, Dad?" Readis asked. He'd never seen such a look of anguish on his father's face.

Jayge bowed his head to his chest and slumped against the railing, covering his eyes with one hand while the other held the message; a narrow strip of paper.

"Dad?" Readis felt the first twinge of panic. Something terrible had happened. "Dad?" Readis needed to be reassured.

"Readis, go tell Boskoney to come. Take Delky,' and he gestured toward the little runner, standing hipshotten in the shade at the corner of the house.

As Readis vaulted to her back, he looked over his shoulder and saw his father, sagging and motionless. He dug his heels into the willing little beast's ribs and she was away in a flash.

Readis really liked having Delky to ride on land but it wasn't a patch on swimming with Kib or Afo. For all she was patient and willing, Delky couldn't talk to him, not as the dolphins and the dragons did so he found her distinctly lacking. Even fire-lizards gave you some sort of reaction. Delky only did what she was asked to do. Still, she was useful. He sat back on her rump and, as she'd been trained, she came to a complete halt, showering sand into the harper's open doorway.

"What's the rush now, m'lad?" Boskoney asked, coming to the door.

"Dad wants you. Urgent. Fire-lizard brought a message and it's upset him."

"It has?"

Readis gestured for Boskoney to mount behind him, though the harper's legs would catch any bushes on the way back.

Obedient and uncomplaining, Delky swivelled neatly on her hindquarters and cantered back as easily with her double burden as she had with only Readis' light body.

"What sort of message?" Boskoney demanded, reaching through Readis' arms to clutch Delky's mane.

"He didn't say. Just told me to get you.

"He hasn't moved a muscle since I left,' Readis muttered to Boskoney as the harper dismounted at the porch steps. Readis was really worried now. Bad news didn't often trouble Paradise River. When something did go wrong, his father was more apt to curse and pace and wave his arms about, but he was never silent and all drawn in on himself like now.

Hearing the harper's step, Jayge reached the message strip in his direction. In the act of stepping up, the harper halted, foot held midair a long moment before he sort of turned and sank to the top step, head in his hands and his shoulders shaking. That was too much for Readis. He kneed Delky around the house to the kitchen door where his mother was preparing their supper.

"Mother,' Readis said, edging into the house and touching her arm, "I think you better go see what's wrong with Father."

"What could be wrong with your father, dear?" she asked in a voice that suddenly seemed too loud to Readis.

"He got some bad news and sent me for Boskoney. Now he's sitting on the porch and . . . What would make a harper cry, mother?"

Aramina shot her son a startled look before she took the heavy pan off the fire and half ran to the front of the house. Readis moved after her in the touch-toe/step gait he had adopted to get him places almost as quickly as anyone else on two good feet.

Before he could reach the porch, he heard his mother crying.

not loudly as she had when she learned of Granddad's death but softly as if the pain inside her was unbearable. She had her arms about Jayge and was comforting him even as she wept.

The scene was too much for Readis and he retraced his steps, vaulted up on Delky's back again and raced her toward the cluster of cotholds down the river bank.

"I think you better get up to the hold, Aunt Temma, Uncle Nazer. You, too, Uncle Swacky,' he added when the burly figure of the grizzled old soldier appeared in the doorway. "I don't know what's happened but it's made Dad, Mother and Boskoney cry." He didn't wait to see if they followed but turned Delky around again and had her galloping past the tableau on his porch and on to Alemi's hold. He brought Alemi back with him on Delky, leaving Kitrin and the other fishmen to follow on foot.

When Alemi arrived, Temma, Nazer, Swacky, Parren and his wife and oldest daughter were standing about, weeping, too. The strip of paper was passed to Alemi who began to breathe deeply and swallow while tears crept down his cheeks.

Seeing his chance, Readis turned Unclemi's hand toward him so he could read this awful message.

"Master Robinton and Zair have died. Aivas, too." The stark words did not immediately make sense to him. Master Robinton couldn't die. Everyone needed him. Readis knew that. And how could a machine die? He knew that Aivas was a machine, a very intelligent machine, who knew a great deal but still a machine.

Machines didn't die, they just . . . just ran down? Wore out?

Suddenly the air was full of fire-lizards, all of them uttering the most incredible keening noise, sort of edgy and hurting the ears: sounds he'd never heard them make ever before in his life. They went diving about the air, swooping down to the roof of the hold, and then up again, unable to settle, all the time making that dreadful noise.

"What's the matter? My fire-lizard is terribly upset, cried Lur, one of the landsmen, who came running up to the main hold.

Behind him on the path, Readis could see other holders and crafters making their way here, attracted by the fire-lizards' unusual behavior. Alemi had slipped off Delky and joined those mourning on the porch so Readis kneed his runner to meet Lur, showing him the message. Lur's face went very pale under his tan and he collapsed against the nearest tree, bawling in great sobs. So Readis pointed Delky on down the path, showing everyone the message as he reached them. Soon everyone had congregated around the porch, weeping and immersed in this grief. Their children, not quite understanding the terrible loss, assembled a little away from the adults, confused by the atmosphere and the sight of their grieving parents.

It was the strangest evening Readis ever lived through. He watched as his father took a long time to coax Tork, his firelizard, to come to him so he could send off a message. Some of the women followed his mother into the house and they came back with wine. Another group went back to their houses and brought food, not that anyone other than the hungriest of the little kids ate much.

When the sun set, no-one seemed inclined to go home. The harper was still on the steps, turning a half-empty wine glass in his hands . . . Aramina or Jayge kept filling it. Readis noticed that tears kept dropping off his jaw and Boskoney made no move to dry them. Well, he was a harper and he would have been taught by Master Robinton so you could understand his grieving for the death of his Master. Readis thought it even sadder that the Master Harper's fire-lizard had died at the same time. That sort of loyalty brought a lump to his throat - even thinking that Delky, Kib or Afo might die along with him, should he die soon.

He nearly had the time he'd been so sick with the thorn poison in his foot. He knew that dragons died when their riders did but no-one who had a fire-lizard had died in Paradise River so he wasn't sure about their reaction. Then he realized that the grown-ups on the lawn were talking softly among themselves.

Kami thought they should get some glowbaskets. So Readis led her and Pardure who offered to help to where they kept them and set enough out so that this remarkable scene was lit.

Many Turns later, Readis remembered that night and the shadows cast on familiar faces all saddened by their loss. He remembered that, although there had been many skins of wine opened, and everyone was drinking, no-one got merry from the wine. There was no singing which was most unusual for any group with a harper in the center of it. Readis wondered as the night got later and later why no-one was chasing him and the other youngsters off to their beds. The littlest ones fell asleep where they were, on a parent's lap or on the ground beside them. Eventually he got up and collected covers for Aranya, Kami and her sisters and himself and Pardure and Anskono: his baby brother was sleeping in the hammock on the porch with their mother.

He tried to stay awake, to see what staying up all night was like, but the soft murmur of sad voices lulled him to sleep.

When he woke the next morning, he was in his own bed.

Checking outside, he saw that a fair number of people had slept the night on the grass. Boskoney occupied the hammock, Aramina's prized rug covering him. This was the day Readis was supposed to start school but he knew it wouldn't start today. The school had been Master Robinton's idea. Maybe it wouldn't happen now he was dead. Somehow Readis didn't like being deprived of that opportunity, especially when it mean he'd be going journeying to school a-dragonback.

His stomach was rumbling, since he hadn't eaten much last night out of deference to the occasion, so Readis went to the larder to see what he could find to eat. Evidently alerted by the small noises he was making, Aranya entered the kitchen, Almie tagging beside her.

"Hungry,' Almie said clearly, pouting. Although Aranya was in a clean coverall, Almie was still in the rumpled things she'd worn yesterday. "I'm empty in my middle."

"I'll feed you so be quiet,' Readis said in a low voice. He sort of figured his parents wouldn't want to be awakened. His baby brother would always sleep until someone, or some loud noise, woke him. Readis didn't want the loud noise to be Almie.

He set out bowls, filled them with the fruit which was always sliced and ready in the cooler and toasted bread for his sisters so they'd keep quiet. He spread Almie's bread with the sweetener she loved because he knew if he didn't, she'd demand it and loudly, too. Aranya was much easier to deal with than Almie.

Then he got the grain for the poultry and took care of them, and Delky who patiently waited out the back door for her morning handful of corn. The canines were just getting restless when he deposited their bowls in the run. They could howl loud enough to wake the dead, as his mother often said. Back in the kitchen, he heated water and ground more klah bark because the jar was empty. One thing for sure he knew would be needed was plenty of klah.

He got Aranya to take Almie into their room and wash her and dress her. Aranya loved playing "mother' to their sister.

He was just sitting down to his own toast when Kami slipped in the back door, her blue eyes wide with the tidings and her expression solemn.

"It's awful, isn't it?" she whispered at him.

"They're still asleep,' Readis said, speaking low but not in a whisper. He gestured with the toasting fork and she shook her head. She did however look wistfully at the pitcher of fruit juice on the table so he filled her a glass of it.

"Father got messages this morning. We're all to sail to Monaco to escort the Harper to sea.

Readis felt his throat close over. Boskoney had sung a very moving song about an honorable sea burial, for another old harper, Aunt Menolly's master. It would be like that.

"All of us?" Readis asked after swallowing the lump. All of us in Paradise?" He meant children as well as grown-ups.

Kami nodded. "Father says we'll use all three ships so just about everyone can be there to honour our Master Harper.

Father said we should never forget what we owe Master Robinton."

"Then we will be able to go to school?" Readis asked.

"Oh, how can you think of something like school when the whole world mourns?" Kami's voice rose in her disgust of his innocent query.

"It's a fair question,'said Jayge from the doorway. "Ah, klah!

That was thoughtful of someone,' he added and cocked his head toward Readis. "Good lad. Your sisters are fed and occupied?

Thank you." He poured three cups, adding sweetener in two and placed them on a tray. "I'll be back. Toast me some bread, would you, Readis. I don't think any of us ate anything last night.

"A moment, please, Holder Readis,' Kami began formally and she took a deep breath. "My father says that a message has come requesting the Hold to come to Monaco Bay tomorrow morning.

My father says the ships will have to be loaded and casting off at the top of the night to reach Monaco by the appointed time.

"All three ships? Hmm, that'll be room enough for everyone?"

Kami nodded, the picture of solemnity, "Yes, sir. Everyone who can come, should, he said. The message said so."

"Very well. Can you take the message round the Hold? Good, thank you, Kami.

Kami slipped out the back door and, through the window, Readis could see her running down the path toward the cotholds.

"The bread, please, Readis, and enough for your mother and Boskoney, too."

It was an odd day. People did what they usually did but everyone was solemn-faced. Some people were red-eyed and sniffed a lot.

Especially when Readis played messenger and gave out the ship assignments which Unclemi sent for him to deliver. He wondered if Unclemi had told the dolphins. He must have, for when they boarded the Fair Winds in the middle of the night, he could see the dorsals crowding the water and the sleek silvery bodies in the starlight, and hear the dolphin song.

He couldn't stay awake as long as he wanted to: last night had been tiring and the day had been, too, in the oddest possible way. The dolphins were singing a sad song, too. He curled up in his cover in the prow of the Fair Winds and fell asleep to the hiss of water and the gentle motion of the ship on a calm sea.

When they arrived in Monaco Bay, there was a great array of ships and small craft and hundreds and hundreds of dolphins in the water. In the air, in great fairs, thicker even than those that had swept across the Hold yesterday, the fire-lizards raced back and forth, blotting the sun at times. He was so busy with that display he didn't at first notice the ship, all wreathed in black, that was anchored at the pier. The Fair Winds was standing far enough out in the bay so that his father had to call his attention to the procession, a small column heading to the dock. Readis was given a chance to use Unclemi's far-viewer.

"I want you to remember this, Readis,' his father said, passing him the cylinder. "A great man has died!'

So they watched as the ship unfurled its sails, black, and slowly they bellied with the light wind.

it moved from the pier. Unclemi made sail, too, them by, and followed in its wake, Readis all the that maybe a dolphin would be hurt, there were them, as they leaped in escort.

trimmed in Majestically as it passed time fearful so many of What Readis remembered most that day, besides the awful solemnity of that ship and the covered body on its prow, was the dragons in the sky, wing after wing of them in close formation, hanging motionless as the ceremony was conducted.

He remembered the terrible keening of the dragons as the Master Harper's body slipped into the water. The hairs on his neck stood up and he could feel the sound down to the heels of both feet.

It was far worse than the noise the fire-lizards had made: the dolphins squeeing and clicking only added to the uncanny noise.

Had the dolphins known the Master Harper, too? Then all the pods gave one final leap and seemed to disappear. Readis could hold his breath pretty well now and he had unconsciously held it just as they submerged. But they just didn't come back up and then he had to take a breath as spots were forming in his eyes. Shielding his eyes, he looked far out to sea and couldn't see a single dorsal fin.

Then he realized that there was only one dragon left in the sky: Ruth! His white hide unmistakable against the blue of sky!

He was motionless for so long Readis began to wonder what had happened to him. He remained, in that vigil, when Unclemi, himself at the wheel of his ship, turned to port and they began their journey homeward. The figure of Ruth dwindled finally or maybe the white dragon had ended his sky-borne post. Readis thought that was the most sad of all he had witnessed today.

The dolphins didn't return until the Fair Winds had reached her home waters.

Three days after that funeral, T'lion arrived to take the students to Landing. They weren't taken to the Admin building as Readis had half expected. He was sort of disappointed to find that the students had their own building, three over from Admin, where a large crowd of young people had gathered. At the appointed hour, a Master appeared at the main door and, in a clear, carrying voice, announced which rooms were assigned to which class. When the older students had entered the building, he motioned for those remaining outside to approach him.

"Well, now, so you're the ones starting with us this term,' he said, letting his gaze range over them. "I am Master Samvel, head of this school and you will be known as Class 21, since this is the twenty-first year of the Present Pass. Not very original, I fear, but that designation will identify you to us and you will listen for any messages addressed to the class in general. I shall learn to identify you each by name over the next few days.

Meanwhile, I bid you welcome and if you'll all file into room D, we can begin orientation.

Thus began what Readis later found was called the Transition Phase. He was an integral part of it.

Chapter Ten

hree Turns later, four hundred students were living in dormitories at Landing and pursuing their courses, of h a variety were now offered. When generators were established in other major Holds, additional schools were set up, ranging from primary lessons to retraining. At Harper Hall, Master Harper Sebell inaugurated a totally new course for training apprentices, and musicianship was no longer the dominant concern of the Hall. He was only able to implement the new form because Master Robinton had proposed it to the Masters of the Hall before his death. It had not been acceptable at its initial airing but, afterwards, Sebell and Menolly watched, bemused, while the obdurate older Masters insisted on adopting the program. If Menolly's reception of that reversal was bitter, Sebell held on to the advantage and pressed forward, working all the hours of the day to get every phase of Master Robinton's educational plan into operation.

With Fandarel and Oldive insisting, the Smith and Healer Crafts made it compulsory for Masters to attend courses which improved their skills and explained new craft applications of Aivas' knowledge. After the success of the Red Star mission, Master Fandarel had less trouble getting his Masters to embrace the technology. He was also attempting to produce the radio instrument which Aivas had suggested as a reliable means of communication between distant places. Materials to construct the transistors required were obtainable in quantity on Pern Master Oldive was not as fortunate, facing such rebellion from older healers that he concentrated on imparting the Aivas' techniques and methods to new and unprejudiced apprentice minds. Although he could prove the healers could now save many from desperate suffering and improve the quality of life for other patients by the discreet use of surgical remedies, Masters in his craft balked at using such methods, to the detriment of patient health and longevity. To Oldive, that was a craft failure that could not be allowed to continue. Where he could, and, oddly enough, his intrusion worked best with those who had the least training and were desperate to relieve the suffering of their patients, he introduced new procedures.

The transition in the Healer Hall was sporadic.

After the initial experiment with the dolphins and a reciprocal service in removing any bloodfish, Oldive had asked for volunteers to work more closely with the discerning mammals.

Curran had been only too happy to permit the building of a small Healer cothold at Fort Sea Hold. A float was rigged at the end of the pier so that patients could be lowered into the water for the dolphins to use their sonar capability on them. There were similar facilities at three other seaside locations: Ista, Igen Nerat and Monaco Bay, or rather, the Eastern Weyr.

Aivas had spent much time with Master Oldive and his more receptive masters and journeymen. Though he had made it clear that Pern did not have certain requisites to bring medicine up to the level the Ancients had practised, many innovations would improve the Hall. The dolphins were an effective alternative for the Ancients' X-ray machine and other scanning devices, an invaluable exploratory device for healers.

There was one major drawback to the dolphins' ability to perceive abnormalities in the humans they examined: they could not tell the healers exactly what the growth or lump was, nor how to treat it: only that it was inside a body and shouldn't be there.

Nevertheless, their sonar readings gave healers more knowledge of the irregularities that could not be seen or palpated.

Master Oldive often had the notion that there had been a great many such devices which Aivas did not even mention to him and he sighed over those omissions and then went on, as healers had for centuries, making do with what was to hand and had proved helpful.

Aivas had been most complimentary in general about the Healer Craft which had pleased even the hide-bound members.

Aivas made special mention of the medicines that were in common use as efficacious, especially the numbweed derivatives which apparently had no side-effects as artificial compounds were apt to produce.

Once the wind machines had been installed on Fort Hold fire-heights, a terminal unit was installed in Oldive's rooms at the Harper Hall and two more dominated classrooms. Lord Holder Groghe had tried his not insignificant best to get one for Fort Hold but until the Smith Craft, or the new Computer Craft could duplicate the components, distribution was restricted to those disseminating information.

The Landing students did not study all the day long as Master Samvel was well aware that youngsters required physical exercise as well as mental. Many old games were annotated in the Aivas files and some of those Samvel revived: baseball, soccer, and polo, a sport in which Readis was to become quite proficient: as he was in the water sports when they started using the pond below the landing field. Readis suspected that Master Samvel emphasized the water sports in deference to his infirmity but he thought it made sense that people should learn how to swim when so many long journeys were made on the seas.

Master Samvel also gained permission from Benden Weyr, and a half wing of weyrling dragons, to take Class 21 to Honshu, to see the incredible artefacts left by the Ancients in the mountain eyrie, not the least of which were the incredible murals that decorated the walls. They could see and touch the machines that the Ancients had left behind them. Kami was awestruck by the paintings while Pardure found the old sled they had all seen the devices in action from tapes of that period of Pernese history - the big looms, the finely crafted tools to be of more interest. Readis found the view from the Hall to be fascinating - the vista of endless mountains and valleys, a sense of the breadth of the land mass of this Southern Continent which was scarcely explored.

F'lessan, rider of bronze Golanth and only son of F'lar and Lessa, made this place what he called his "Weyrhold'. As he explained to the students, this unique historical spot should be available to any who wished to visit it - to see the magnificent murals that decorated the main hall walls. He had appointed himself the caretaker and spent more of his free time here than at Benden Weyr. The Weyrhold had a complement of holders, herding and experimenting with grain crops and vegetables in areas which had once, clearly, been fields, walled by stones set in place centuries before.

"You're Readis, aren't you?" F'lessan said, joining Readis on the bench placed on the upper terrace where the best view of valley could be had. The other students were clambering about the terraces below which Readis didn't care to do. "I asked Master Samvel to point you out. I knew your mother." He leaned back against the cliff wall. "She was at Benden Weyr for a while, you know, before hearing dragons got too much for her. K'van, who's now Weryleader at Southern, was one of the weyrlings in my wing and they were very close before Lessa sent her down to Benden Hold." He gazed out over the view for a few moments. "So, have you decided what to study at Landing?"

"Oh, we're just getting general stuff right now,' Readis said, "what Master Samvel calls "preparatory" courses. There's so much to learn." Sometimes the sheer volume and complexity of the knowledge available at Landing overwhelmed Readis.

it was daunting to know how much he didn't know. "Master Samvel says he's learning more all the time himself.

F'lessan grinned down at him. "Samvel's the type of person who'll never stop learning."

"My head aches sometimes,' Readis admitted shyly.

"Mine would, too,' F'lessan agreed. "I was never a good student. Even Master Robinton gave up on me."

Readis gave him a quick glance of surprise.

"You had Master Robinton as a teacher?"

F'lessan's snort was self-deprecating. "I was in the room all right but I didn't pay much attention." He grinned. "I was too enamored with being Golanth's rider at the time, I think.

Jaxom, Menolly, and Benelek were the real students."

"Master Benelek of the Smith Craft? The one who's keeping the Aivas machinery running?"

"The very one." Then F'lessan cast a look at the awed expression of the boy. "Who knows where some of your study mates may end up? Where you yourself will."

"Oh, I know where I'll end up,' Readis said. "I'm to be Paradise River Holder." He flicked a finger at his right leg.

"I'm to learn so much that even this won't keep me from being confirmed. "Your father's a strong, healthy man. You might have to wait a long time to accede. What're you going to do with all that time in between?"

Readis had thought about that. During his initial Turns at Landing, he realized that he had absorbed a great deal of Hold management from following his father about and hearing him give orders. Managing the Hold would be easy.

"I'd like to be a dolphineer."

"A what? Oh, yes, you've been talking to the creatures, haven't you?"

"There aren't any dolphineers, not like the Ancients had and the dolphins are very helpful, you know. To the Fish Craft Hall and the healers. But we just sort of call them when we want them. We don't do much for them apart from pry off a bloodfish now and then . . Readis paused, not wanting to appear to belittle the delphinic accomplishment but he had to be truthful to the dragonrider, "but nothing at all like the great work they did exploring the oceans and coastlines."

As I understand it, the coastline's always changing. Charts will need to be updated, won't they? Are you studying cartography?"

"Not as much as I'd like. I'm good at the maths but you also need special instruments to do a proper job."

"I understand that Master Fandarel is making those instruments since everyone seems to want a chunk of the Southern Continent." F'lessan chuckled.

"Don't you dragonriders get the first choice?"

"Where'd you hear that'?" F'lessan shot the lad an appraising look.

"Oh, and Readis shrugged, "you hear lots of things at Landing."

"I'll just bet you do,' and F'lessan snorted. "Have you accessed the tapes on dolphins in the Library?"

"I did that the first term I was here,' Readis said, grinning.

Then he went through some of the hand signals that dolphineers had used and F'lessan's eyes widened respectfully. "That's how dolphineers gave directions to the dolphins underwater. They still know them. The dolphins, I mean.

"And with you living right on Paradise River and the sea, you must make good use of them." Readis mumbled a noncommittal answer. This was not the time, nor the person, to confide home problems too. Oblivious to the boy's hesitation, F'lessan went on, "You might even start up your own Craft Hall. That's what Benelek did, you know, by learning all he could about Aivas' terminals."

"He did?"

"He did!" Then F'lessan gave Readis a mischievous grin.

"Right now, you and all the other students at Landing have a brilliant chance to make sure that Pern becomes what the Ancients wanted it to be before Thread interrupted their progress." F'lessan gestured behind him, to the murals. "The sum total of their knowledge and their overview of this planet is available to us. It's up to us, and you, as the next generation, to be sure we pick up the plan where they left off and see that Pern becomes the planet they envisioned. That's what must be done if Pern is to be what it could be. D'you see that? That's what Master Robinton wanted. It's what my parents want. But not all the Holders or Master Craftsmen. They're still hanging back with what's comfortable and familiar." He narrowed his eyes slightly to assess the impact of his words on his audience.

"It's going to be difficult, the next twenty-odd Turns, to set in place what Pern will be now that Thread has stopped."

"But it hasn't, has it?"

F'lessan gave him a quick look and grinned. "But it will."

"Were you . . . " Readis began tentatively, "one of the dragonriders who took the engines to the Red Star?"

F'lessan nodded. "Golanth and I."

Readis' jaw dropped in awe.

"All in a day's work for a dragonrider,' F'lessan said, dismissing the feat in his usual light manner.

On the top of the weyrhold, Golanth lifted his head and uttered a welcoming bugle.

"Ah, your conveyancers arrive,' F'lessan said, standing up, though Readis could see nothing but empty sky in front of them. "Think about what I said, Readis, about the dolphins and about what Pern could be."

Readis nodded, eyes front. Of course, Golanth, being a bronze, would know when dragons were arriving, so Readis kept staring and was rewarded by the thrilling sight that always made his heart pound faster: the abrupt emergence of a half wing of dragons. They were so beautiful. But not for everyone. Dolphins now, they weren't so restricted. Anyone could get to know a dolphin. He could be a dolphineer and a Holder. Form a new Craft Hall? That did appeal to Readis and he turned over that possibility. Of course, his mother would have an attack if he even whispered of his interest in the dolphins around her. She persisted in believing that it was the dolphins who had put his life at risk when it was the other way round. His father might understand, especially now that the dolphins had been shown to be useful in so many ways, guarding the coastline and warning them of bad squalls and good fishing. Certainly mastering another Craft would only show the Lord Holders that Readis, son of Jayge and Aramina, was that much more capable of managing an important Southern Hold like Paradise.

"Thank you, F'lessan,' he said.

"For what?" the bronze rider asked, smiling down at the boy.

Suddenly Readis went shy and covered it by waving his arm about to indicate the weyrhold. "For what you just said."

F'lessan grinned and placed his finger beside his nose, indicating secrecy. "Think about it, lad. We dragonriders are, I assure you.

Before Readis could ask him what that cryptic comment meant, F'lessan had walked off to find Master Samvel.

Back at school, when he had some free time to use one of the keyboards, Readis tried to find out exactly what the Ancients had meant Pern to be, before Thread ruined their plans. Eventually, he found the Charter in LAWS and that gave him a good deal to mull over. He wished he could talk to F'lessan again. By deft questioning, he learned that the son of F'lar and Lessa was considered a competent and much trusted wing leader but, until he had discovered Honshu Weyrhold, had not been given to much serious thinking or behavior. That made Readis give more weight to what the bronze rider had said that day.

Of course, the dragons were not mentioned in the Charter since they hadn't been created. Nor in any other file on LAWS or GOVERNMENT or VETERINARY or FARMING. They were listed in BIOGENETICS, though Readis couldn't understand half the words and gave up trying to figure out what the cryptic words in the lab notes meant.

Nevertheless, in twenty Turns or so, Thread would stop falling on Pern and would never come back to rain on the planet. What would dragonriders do then? Surely there had to be something special. Readis gave a shudder. Pern without its dragons would be unthinkable. He was awed by the ingenuity which had resulted in dragons. He'd had enough biology to understand the concept of biogenesis even if no-one on Pern now could possibly perform it. So what would dragons do when Thread was gone? He fretted over that question for quite a few weeks of that school term. Dragons did so many things that didn't have to do with fighting Thread. They conveyed people, and often these days, materials that would take days to be transferred by cart or ship. Well, the blues and greens did, and occasionally the browns and the younger bronzes before they started flying Thread. For adult dragons to do so was somewhat demeaning. He couldn't imagine a queen lugging things from one Hold or Hall to another.

Dolphins could do quite a few things only they could do, being water creatures. Dragons were of the air. There had to be something that only dragons could do.

Readis' distraction had not gone unnoticed. Master Samvel found him staring at a screen displaying the earliest flight of dragons: dragons as small as large runner beans.

"I've been meaning to have a word with you, Readis,' Samvel said, sitting down on the next chair. "You've not been paying as close attention in class as you usually do. Are you troubled about something?"

Readis took a deep breath. "Master Samvel, what's going to happen to the dragons?"

Samvel blinked in surprise and then he smiled and, in a rare gesture, patted Readis on the head. "You are not the only one pondering that question, young Readis."

"Yes, but what can they do when Thread is all gone?"

"This is a huge planet, Readis, and there is much work to be done to settle all the land available to us. Right now the dragonriders are carefully overflying this vast Southern Continent, making as detailed a map as possible. We know only a small part of it and much of it would be impassable to people on foot or uninhabitable until the Pass ends. Don't you worry about the dragons. Their riders will take care of them, as they've always done. But your concern does you credit. We must never, on Pern, forget what the dragons have done for us for twenty-five hundred Turns."

"How could we forget?" Readis asked, appalled at the very notion of such ingratitude.

Samvel's smile was sad. "We've done it often enough in long Intervals. You concentrate on your studies now, lad, and let the Weyrs worry about themselves. You have your future to worry about."

That put Readis in mind of F'lessan's advice to him: to learn more about the dolphins. So once again he accessed that information: most of which he knew by heart already, as well as being fluent in using the underwater hand signals.

"Underwater' was the relevant word. Though Readis had learned how to hold his breath so he could follow the dolphins on some of their shallower dives, the Ancients had had special breathing equipment which had allowed them to stay underwater for long periods of time. Tanks, smaller but similar in design to those used with flame-throwers, had been strapped to swimmers' backs. They'd had face masks to cover nose and mouth and had breathed proper air from a tube to the tank. The device seemed simple enough to Readis, although how he would acquire one was beyond him. He had a small hoard of marks since his father had paid him the last two seasons for helping with the harvesting but he doubted that would be sufficient since it would be new work. However, since the tremendous effort from all Craft Halls to implement Aivas' plan was a glorious page of history now, craftsmen might take such a commission.

They might even know how to construct one since they, too, had access to many, more specialized Aivas' files.

So Readis sought Uncle Alemi the next time he was back at Paradise River. He'd brought a diagram of the apparatus with him. In the evening, he turned Delky to the shortcut to the Head and, as he'd suspected, he found Alemi and his son, Kitral, on their way to the pier for their daily talk with the pod.

Readis got through the courtesies as fast as possible and then shoved the drawing at Alemi.

"If we had something like this, which the dolphineers used, we'd be able to function better in the dolphins' own environment.

Alemi gave him a startled look and then laughed outright.

"You have learned a lot in that school, haven't you, Readis.

Kami's nearly as bad with all the terms she throws out to confuse her poor parents. Now, let's see what you have here to perplex an old sailor."

"You're not old, Unclemi, and I don't think you'll be the least bit perplexed about an aqua lung."

"Hmmm. Is that what this contraption is called?"

"That's how I read it."

Alemi wasn't as condescending as many Masters were but he still liked to tease and Readis was not in a receptive mood. He was in deadly earnest about this project.

"I looked back over all the tapes showing dolphins and dolphineers. When the partners had to do underwater work, or long distance swimming, the humans always wore this sort of equipment. And special clothing called wet suits."

"One would need special gear to keep skin from softening too much during long immersions." Alemi examined the drawing closely. "The Ancients had special gear for just about everything, didn't they?"

"More than we'll ever have,' Readis replied. "More than we'd ever need. The Charter Preamble states that they formed the Pern Colony to avoid the intense specialization that had stratified Earth culture. They intended to achieve a good standard of living using the lowest possible form of technology needed to supply essential services and a good, rounded life-style."

Alemi grinned at Readis. "You're much worse than Kami.

Does the Charter really say that?"

Readis nodded, grinning back. At least Alemi wasn't peremptorily dismissing the notion.

"And since this equipment is not beyond our current capabilities - oh, yes, I see the similarities and I know we have this much technology,' Alemi added, tapping the mask and the tank with one finger. "It's only a matter of recreating the elements displayed here. And, since such an order would come better from a Master Fishman, you've come to me to make the request.

Readis nodded enthusiastically now, immensely relieved that Alemi grasped what Readis hesitated to voice. Alemi handed the sheet back and sighed deeply.

"You know your mother's opinion about dolphins and you, Readis. It wouldn't be right for me to deliberately assist you to further your association with them."

"Oh!" Readis sank into Delky's back and, as she'd been trained to do, she halted.

"But you know she's wrong

"She's your mother, Readis, and my Hold Lady. I'm well aware of the loyalty I owe her. I've not been all that easy in my mind about allowing you to swim with the pod here. Oh, I know you've been doing it and, as long as I didn't actually see you in the water with them, I could pretend I didn't know." Alemi gave a wry grin. "The dolphins don't at all understand your mother's attitude since Afo warned you about the thorn."

Readis groaned. "But it was my fault, not Afo's, or any of the dolphins."

"True. Look, lad, 1'm on your side in this even if I can't sail on a dangerous tack. You could,' and here Alemi paused, "see what your father says."

"He won't upset Mother.

Alemi lifted his hands in a gesture of impotence. "Try him, Readis. He's really easy to approach on matters that improve the Hold, you know. And he never accused the dolphins." Alemi shot the boy a glance. "He knew where the fault lay,' he added in a kindly voice. "Afo and Kib are always asking for you. Will you join us?"

Though he didn't really want to in his disappointment, Readis knew that certain courtesies were required of him as the Holder's heir. So he asked Aleki if he'd like to ride in front of him on Delky. The little boy was delighted and Alemi obviously approved of Readis' demeanor.

Seeing the pod improved Readis' spirits, especially after Kib and Afo did an enthusiastic tail walk when he gave them some of the hand signals he'd learned from the old tapes.

"Member! "Member!" Kib cried, squeeing and blowing with pleasure. "You do good. Very good. Better best. You come under soon?"

"Not today, Kib. But I will, someday, Readis assured the happy dolphin.

"Old times come back, Afo said, her jaw dropping low as she squeed and chirped.

Readis could not resist giving Alemi an accusing look for failing to fall in with his plan to obtain an underwater breathing device.

It was full dark before the three of them made their way back to the hold proper. When his mother asked him where he'd been so long, he could quite honestly reply that he'd gone to visit Alemi and stayed to play with young Aleki.

Sometime during the night another solution presented itself to Readis. He had experienced a keen sense of betrayal when Alemi refused to help him get an aqua lung. The device would only make his swimming with the dolphins that much safer.

He'd've thought that Alemi would see that, too. However, he had another, stauncher ally in T'lion. When he got back to Landing after this break, he'd leave word that he'd like to speak to T'lion. As well as his duties as a member of a fighting wing, the bronze rider was often in Landing. They hadn't seen that much of each other lately but theirs was a friendship that could be resumed at any point with no sense of time lapse.

T'lion sought him out one afternoon a sevenday later.

"Sorry to be so long getting to you, Readis, but what with Fall and all " and the bronze rider let his sentence dangle.

"That's all right,' Readis said, pawing through the sheets that littered the desk in his quarters to find the diagram. "I found this,' and he shoved it at his friend.

"OOOOh. This is great,' T'lion said, his eyes widening as he scanned the sheet. "An aqua lung? Hey, we could get one of these. No trouble at all. Are you?"

"I'm only a student, T'lion." Then in a rush, he added, "I tried to get Alemi to help but he wouldn't on account of my mother not liking me associating with dolphins and all."

T'lion made a sound in his throat and smiled wryly. "They just won't let you live that down, will they?"

"Evidently not!" Readis couldn't suppress the bitterness. "It'd cost a lot of marks, wouldn't it?"

"Hmmmm. Could. But we're not the only ones who're swimming with dolphins whenever we get the chance. Can I have this?" When Readis eagerly agreed, he folded it carefully and put it in his inside pocket. "D'you have time to come see my pod?"

"Your pod?" Readis said, raising his eyebrows in surprise at the possessive pronoun.

"Well, the pod that answers my Bell,' T'lion said with a grin.

"Coming?"

Readis' answer was to grab up the lined jacket and a swimming clout. He paused only long enough to scrawl a note on the message board at the entrance to his dormitory that he had gone with T'lion. He was old enough now that he didn't have to ask special permission for short absences.

Once on the strand near Eastern Weyr, Readis helped T'lion divest Gadareth of his riding harness. T'lion rang the Bell in a "come-in' sequence which was less urgent than the "report' and gave the dolphins the opportunity to ignore the summons if they chose. They rarely did but sometimes only one or two answered. By the time the boys had changed into the swimming clouts, the waters of the cove showed half a dozen dolphins leaping and speeding towards shore. Raising himself up on his hind legs, Gadareth opened his wings and threw back his head for a welcoming bugle. The air was immediately full of wild fire-lizards for they loved nothing better than to play with their large cousins in the water. Flattening his wings right to his back, he walked into the water and began to swim out to meet the dolphins with the fair display above him.

As one of the games dolphins liked best was scrubbing a dragon, they proceeded to "help' the humans wash Gadareth.

The boys nearly drowned half a dozen times trying to emulate dolphin acrobatics. The fire-lizards left halfway through the bath to go about their own business.

"We really do need that . . . breathing device, T'lion gasped out to Readis when they took a rest, hanging on to the wing Gadareth had extended for washing. "But you can sure hold your breath a long time when you want to."

"Can't . do it too often. Head starts to spin,' Readis said. "Other thing we need - - is a decent ball for them . . . to play with!'

"So they can steal it?" T'lion demanded. "That's what they've done with all the ones I get made for "em. "New game? New game?" Boojie asked, head high in the water so all of his smiling face was visible.

"Not today, Booj,' T'lion said. "You've worn us out. C'mon, Gadareth, let's go ashore."

Booj swam backwards, clapping his flippers and squeeing with delight. "Worn out! Worn out! We play more better."

T'lion and Readis let Gadareth tow them ashore by grasping his tail until they felt the slope of the beach under their feet.

Gadareth found himself a spot on the sand and fire-lizards returned to find resting places on him while they murmured sleepily to their living perch. T'lion carefully extracted the diagram from his inner pocket and looked at it.

"We've got glass,' he sad, tapping the face mask, "and we've got material for the straps, and the tanks shouldn't be a problem, nor the hose. Valves look the same as the ones Smith Craft put on flame-thrower tanks. It's the rest of the face mask that might be difficult. You got any free marks?"

Readis rolled over on his stomach, elbows propping his body up. He grimaced. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have spent so much at the last Landing Gather. But I've maybe three whole Smith Craft marks and some quarters. Now I'm over fifteen, Dad pays me for harvesting." He said that with a bit of pride: he'd sweated for those marks.

"Hmmm, well, yes. I've some, too, from a bit of trading I've done.

"Trading?" Readis perked up. He'd heard enough from Temma, Nazer and his father about trading over the Turns to be familiar with the Lilcamp family traditions. "What with?"

"Ohh,' and T'lion shrugged his reluctance to continue. Then, making a quick decision, he went on. "Well, it's like this. Most dragonriders are kind of looking about this continent to see where they'd like to live when the Pass is over. I mean, during Threadfall and all, the Holds and Craft Halls tithe to the Weyrs so we don't have to worry about that. Honestly, we'd rather not be beholden to anyone - "But Holds and Halls have always tithed to Weyrs Readis protested, being well versed in tradition.

T'lion grinned. "Not when there isn't going to be more Thread."

"Oh."

"Yes, so we're looking for our own places.

"What F'lessan calls a Weyrhold?"

T'lion nodded.

"And you've found one?" Readis asked, excited to learn that the dragonriders were looking so far ahead.

"Oh, I've found several sites I'd like but we have to put in a bid and then, when it's time, the Weyrleaders will decided who gets what. Right now, we're charting the land to make divisions easier. That's why I've been up at Landing so much, registering what Gaddie and I have overflown."

"Did you find any more ruins? Like F'lessan did?"

T'lion gave a snort. "Ruins, I found. But nothing half so well preserved as Honshu. That is really spectacular. In fact, that's the only place that was properly built. The others are all smack dab in wide open spaces.

Readis mirrored his consternation at such stupidity. The Ancients had known so much: why had they been so silly to build out in the open?

"Of course,' T'lion went on in a slightly patronizing tone, "the first few years they didn't have Thread so they didn't build proper. "Oh, yes, that's right,' Readis agreed. "So, where have you seen places?"

"Gaddie wants a lake and there are quite a few and also some wide rivers which are nearly better than lakes. That big inland sea, the one that Ancients called the Caspian has some lovely islands. They'd be perfect,' and he sighed. "But I'd be low on the list for a prime site like that. Another place I like a lot is not far from the old mines that Master Hamian is working now. Place the Ancients called Karachi. Pretty name, isn't it? They had lots of unusual names. And there's a cliff in the Southern Range which has a fairly decent-sized cave. View is fabulous and the ledge is wide enough for Gad to snooze on." T'lion shot a fond look at his sleeping dragon. "Trouble would be having a weyrmate and family. They'd have to wait on Gaddie to get up or down.

"That would be a disadvantage but couldn't you make stairs, the way they did at Honshu?"

"I suppose so . . . T'lion paused, deep in thought. "Rather high up so it'd take a lot of stone carving. Then, too, I'd have to find work somewhere else. At the mines, we could always convey At Readis' gasp of surprise, "Well, conveyancing isn't a bad way to make a living for a dragon and his rider.

Particularly a big strong bronze like Gaddie. It's a lot less dangerous to hide and health than Threadfighting.

"Yes, I suppose it is. But if you went that far inland, you'd be too far from the sea and the dolphins. They can't swim in fresh water, you know. They don't float well and they get sores."

"Hmmm,' and T'lion once again retreated into thought.

"Haven't you found any nice place along the shore?"

"Oh, there's coves left, right and center,' T'lion dismissed them. "But you're right. I'd miss Boojie and Natua and Tana.

It's a case of wanting what y6u get, I suppose. Then, too, other teams are searching east of here. I suppose I could ask but the land I've been overflying is magnificent. You wouldn't believe how much space there is!'

"Tell me,' Readis urged though T'lion didn't need much.

By the time darkness was falling, Readis was relieved to realize that Paradise River Hold had a great many advantages.

His parents had been very lucky to be granted hold of it. And it was rather nice to have neighbours further down the river.

There might even be some new ones along the coast, if they could find a decent supply of stone to build their cotholds.

"Why do the Weyrleaders decide who gets what land?" he asked as he changed into his clothes for the trip back to Landing.

"Not just the Weyrleaders, Readis,' T'lion said with a grin.

"The Lord Holders and the Craft Masters'll have a say, too.

But this time, the Weyrs get first choice."

"They do deserve it. If they can hold what they want. The pod warned us just last week of another group trying to land, west of the river."

"Really?"

"Dad sailed out with Alemi and they left. We outnumbered them,' Readis said with hold pride. "One day, we might not,' he added ruefully.

"There're a lot of decisions to be made, aren't there?" T'lion said with a sigh.

Gadareth and T'lion brought Readis back to Landing. Seeing the area from a height, buildings lit, and people walking up and down the paths, Readis felt a surge of pride to be part of this place which had had a glorious past and was now preparing for a future: the future that, in fact, had been planned a long time ago for this planet.

T'lion said he'd find time in the next sevenday to get to the Master Smith Hall in Telgar and he'd let Readis know the outcome.

"You may not have any marks to spend at a gather for some time to come,' he said. "But then, neither will I!' T'lion was back three days later, looking highly amused as he sauntered into Readis' quarters.

"We're not the only ones,' he announced.

"Only ones who what?" Readis asked, half of his mind still on the mathematics he was figuring.

"Who found the aqua lung and want the Master Smith to make "em. And I was right."

"About what?"

"The face mask. There isn't any sort of elastic material that will keep a mask comfortably tight and seal it against a face."

"Oh.

T'lion did not appear to be concerned about that lack. "Seems as if that sort of flexible material is needed for a lot of things the Ancients used. So Master Hamian and one or two of that Hall over in Southern Hold are experimenting."

"Who else wants the aqua lung?"

"Idarolan, for one. He's really quite an advocate of dolphins.

Master Fandarel told me

"You saw Master Fandarel himself?"

T'lion grinned. "I think I shall miss the courtesies accorded dragonriders." He sighed wistfully. "However, I did see him but only after I'd talked to half a dozen journeymen and Masters.

Evidently Idarolan is mad because he's too old to do too much with dolphins . . . too old and too busy as Master Fishman."

Readis was beset with conflicting emotions: that someone as prestigious as a Craft Master wanted to be with dolphins and would have more authority than he, Readis, ever could; that someone else might usurp his, albeit tenuous, connection with a pod; and fury with his mother's prejudice which kept him from openly associating with these marvellous creatures.

"Don't look so bereft, Readis,' T'lion said. "It's not the end of the wrld. Look how many pods we've already contacted. And how many more there are out there? Yours'll be yours. And you already share it with Alemi, don't you? Besides you're going to be Holder at Paradise River."

"Which is a Sea Hold, too, so the dolphins are important to us. And who knows when, or if,' and Readis slapped the knee of his withered leg, "I get to be Holder. My father's a healthy man . . . F'lessan's words at Honshu came back to him. "What are you going to do in the time between?" Then there was his younger brother, Anskono, with both legs in good working order and growing stronger and taller every year. Readis could be passed over in favour of his unimpaired younger brother.

"Paradise River's a big place, Readis,' T'lion went on. "Big enough for you to hold on your own, separate from your parents.

He's barely touched the heart of it even with all the folks he's taken in over the last Turns. With a lot of sea coast."

That prospect hadn't occurred to Readis; though it had been standard practice for most northern Lord Holders to establish smaller ones for their sons whenever possible. Which was another reason so many northerners looked enviously at all space available on the Southern Continent: every accessible and workable site in major northern holds was already long established. Readis knew from conversations at gathers that Lord Toric had let some younger sons run holds in Southern but not every candidate met the high standards that Lord Toric expected or wanted to work under that taskmaster's total authority.

"You could establish a dolphin base of your own and be a dolphineer. Wouldn't hurt."

"No, it wouldn't,' Readis agreed absently, thinking about his mother and cringing a bit at having deceived her, and his father.

They'd no idea that he'd spent so much time with the Paradise River pod - unless Alemi had told them.

"And Lord Toric's another one who wants aqua lungs, T'lion said. "That man!" And he shook his head. "He's not going to let a chance pass him by. He's ordered ten breathers."

"He's going to start a Dolphineer Hall?"

"No,' T'lion said with a wry grin. "That would require him to allow others to join." His grin faded. "Not that he'd have the chance with Master Idarolan on the dolphins' side."

Readis gave a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, Readis,' T'lion went on. "I've already put in a good word for you."

"You did?" Readis was torn between relief and the fear that now his mother would learn how he had disobeyed her.

"Never fear. Master Idarolan only asked me how many people were truly interested in dolphins. I said you were because you'd been rescued that time and had learned all the bell peals and hand signals out of gratitude."

Readis wasn't sure that was subtle enough.

"Don't worry now, Readis. It'll all come right. You'll see."

Readis' response was a noncommittal sound deep in his throat.

"Thanks anyway, T'lion. Did Master Fandarel have any idea when we might get an aqua lung?"

"Soon, he hoped, but he couldn't give a time. He's got a whole Hall doing nothing but assembling radios. Do your folks have one yet? No? Well, they should. Fandarel says they have to find the sealer material. If you don't have that, you get water inside the mask and that defeats the purpose. At that, we're lucky because the sea here is so clear. Gets pretty murky in the northern waters. I'll keep you informed, Readis."

"I'd appreciate that, T'lion, and thanks."

"Any time." With a cheerful wave, T'lion left.

Chapter Eleven

Master Fandarel comes with Master Nicat, Mnementh informed both Lessa and F'lar.

"I wonder what the Master Smith wants,' Lessa said, sharing the report of new arrivals with R'mart of Telgar Weyr, G'dened of Ista and Journeyman Harper Talmor who was the Benden Weyrleaders' main assistant with relocations.

Talmor indicated the council table, spread with maps and reports which the meeting was discussing. F'lar shrugged.

"Leave it. Not efficient to bundle it all up, after all,' the Weyrleader said and won smiles for the Master Smith's oftvoiced criterion. He and Aivas had had much in common on the score of "efficiency'. Perhaps, of them all, Master Fandarel missed the voice address intelligence the most, though his absence was still felt three Turns after the end of his presence.

"Maybe he has this "radio" he's been so eager to produce,' Lessa said, her smile partly for the many attempts the huge Smith had made to initiate some sort of instant communications system for those who had neither dragon nor fire-lizard. He'd been at it ever since that half-successful attempt at the beginning of the Pass.

"That would account for Master Nicat's appearance,' F'lar said. The Master Miner had collaborated with the Master Smith to find the raw elements, like metals, crystal and some of the plastics that Aivas had listed as necessary to the production of "electronic' devices.

As large as Benden's Council Room was, Master Fandarel seemed to dwarf its dimensions, as he did the other tall and well-built men in the room. Even the Harper was tall and while R'mart had put on some flesh over the past few Turns, he was certainly not as massively built as the Smith.

Fandarel stood in the doorway, noticed the table strewn with paper, the complement of the meeting and frowned.

"I dislike saying this but you are simply going to have to go more slowly settling people in the south,' he said.

"What?" Lessa exclaimed, staring at the Master Smith for it was the last thing she had expected him to say, and certainly he was not against the relocations. Her reaction was mirrored by everyone else in the room. Talmor left his hand suspended over the latest Smith Craft Hall reports which had recently been delivered.

"This is the first time we've been asked to slow down,' F'lar exclaimed. "And good day to you, Master Fandarel. D'you know how many people complain that we're dragging our heels over settlings?"

"I hear that, too,' Fandarel said, nodding his big head and looking as solemn as ever. He had visibly aged since he had helped remove the engines from the three colony ships and Lessa had noticed that the slow way in which he now moved was due more to the debilities of age than deliberated movements.

"But I know it is not the truth and say so. I also hear, and know, that journeymen and women as well as Masters are being offered heavy purses of marks to leave their positions and go south."

"I thought Master Nicat was with you,' Lessa said, looking around the big man's figure in the doorway to see if it hid the smaller, rotund figure of the Master Miner.

"Ah, and Master Fandarel's brows drew together as he held up an object, almost lost in his huge hand. "Master Nicat, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can. I'm only at the foot of the stairs." The unmistakable tones of the Miner sounded clearly, if reduced, from the instrument which Fandarel had turned to face the assembled.

"Ah! You've produced the radio!" Lessa cried.

I have produced an electronic device,' Fandarel corrected her. "An improvement on the ancient radios but, with relays, they can operate across much longer distances than those units.

"Oh, may I try?" Lessa said, slipping to Fandarel's side and holding out her hand for the device. "Oh, it's lightweight.

She hefted it, and turned to show the oblong balancing in her hand.

"Press the red button and hold it down to speak. Later you will need to key in the code number you wish to reach but as the only other unit is with Master Nicat, that step is not necessary.

Press and speak into this end."

"Master Nicat?" Lessa pressed so hard that her knuckle turned white and she spoke into the appropriate end in a loud voice.

"There is no need to shout,' Nicat said, with some asperity in the small clear manifestation of his voice.

"A whisper will be heard,' Fandarel said with an understandable degree of pride.

"Where are you now, Master Nicat?" Lessa asked in a conversational tone.

"Right where I was two minutes ago."

"Remarkable,' F'lar said, coming to the side of his weyrmate and taking the device from her. "May I?"

"Of course,' Lessa and Fandarel said in chorus.

"I can hear that, too,' Nicat said.

F'lar pressed the red button. "Then join us!'

"Only too happy to since it's raining, you know."

F'lar and Lessa exchanged amused glances. They had been at this meeting for well over an hour now and had had no idea the weather had altered from morning mists to precipitation.

"Master Fandarel, some klah?" Lessa said, getting a fresh mug from the tray and holding up the thermal jug. That had been one of the best homely additions to kitchen equipment.

"Please,' he said, striding forward and accepting the seat which F'lar suggested.

Nicat arrived, puffing slightly from the climb to the Weyr, holding out the damp coat he'd been wearing which Talmor took from him and hung on a spare chair to dry.

While he was being served a welcome cup and seated, the two devices were passed around the table for everyone to examine.

"Now what's all this about your people being bribed, Fandarel?" F'lar asked, setting aside the delights of the device for the more important consideration. "That's serious."

"It distresses me, my Journeyfolk and Masters because it undermines the discipline of my Craft Hall and the honor and loyalty which has always governed us.

Nicat muttered a "here-here' to that sentiment.

"Who's doing the bribing?" R'mart wanted to know. "Toric?" The Telgar Weyrleader made no bones about his distrust of the southern Holder.

"Not always."

"Oh, then who?" R'mart demanded, surprised.

Fandarel shrugged. "Let them remain nameless, Weyrleader.

Our Craftsmen and women did not accept the offered bribes and informed me of each occurrence. But I worry about the apprentices who might not have such scruples."

G'dened snorted. "I've heard of bribery in Ista Hold. Lord Warbret's furious. He's also lost some young men and women who're knowledgeable enough about the sea but haven't formally been apprenticed yet. And there, it is Toric, or his agents, who're promising high marks because Istans would "understand" the hazards of the Southern Continent since they're already used to tropical conditions." G'dened snorted.

"Not the same at all,' F'lar said. "Ista's been settled a long, long time and has fewer of the hazards that the Southern Continent has in plenty."

"Exactly, and furthermore . . . G'dened began.

"We don't actually have many more sites available right now, Talmor said, looking through his papers. "And it's not just a matter of having trained craftspeople to staff them.

Master Fandarel. It's sites that are accessible. So far, we've concentrated on river and oceanside positions so there is at least one means of transportation and contact. Especially when the northern born have not had a chance to acquire fire-lizards. Of course that device of yours would be of enormous assistance in that respect,' and he nodded to the hand-held.

"That is the bad news I have for you,' Fandarel said with a heavy sigh. "We will need a workforce to make the transistors required and to assemble the components. They will have to be trained and we will need at least one knowledgeable person of Journey rank to oversee the work. Master Benelek needs all the young folk he can train for the terminals and cannot give the Hall more time. I have a long list of those who have requested this efficient and effective little device."

Lessa covered her smiling mouth at his use of his favorite words. "Effective' was now always paired with "efficient' in his lexicon. It was ironic that when he finally had achieved a device that satisfied his high standards, he hadn't the people to produce the units.

"As well as the demand for any one of the many projects people have applied for our Craft to fabricate,' he added, "I've had to assign Master Terry three assistants to deal with requests alone and we have given up trying to make efficient and effective deliveries." Fandarel's sigh was more regret than satisfaction at so much business on his books.

"I, too, am overwhelmed, Weyrleaders, put in Master Nicat.

"Every mine known to the Craft, and certainly all the new ones from the Ancients' records, are being worked and I've had to ask those older miners I asked to return to the Hall to answer the priorities required to do Aivas' work to remain on in supervisory capacities. I can't afford to lose one able-bodied man or those women we have in the Hall.

"Then,' and he threw up his hands, "people started applying to me for stoneworkers. There's not much call for stoneworkers as most holders enlarge their quarters over the winter months.

And masonry's not strictly a Miners Craft skill. But no-one else trains men to work stone. And all the dressed stone will have to be shipped south! I ask you, how will that be accomplished'?" If he saw R'mart's knowing look or the glances that F'lar and Lessa exchanged, he gave no notice. "One thing Aivas didn't seem to have in those exhaustive files of his was much about improvements in quarrying and masonry." Unexpectedly, a grin spread across Nicat's round face with its fringe of white hair.

"Really'? Well, it's almost a relief to find out he wasn't infallible,' F'lar remarked at his driest. "Do you have men trained for stonework?"

"Actually, we're training some right now, Nicat said, screwing his face up and sighing. "That sculptor fellow, Edwinrus, has a couple of young sons and has taken on a few more likely lads. He's put aside some artistic commissions to give me a hand. I could use half again as many apprentices in that trade and the same number in mining, what with Hamian wanting more and more trained miners down at Karachi. He'll have to take apprentices and train them up as he wants them. I even walked those Caves of Laudey's to see if there were any men able-bodied enough for that sort of work."

"Laudey still has people in the Caves?" Lessa asked in surprise. "I thought they all got put to work during the special projects.

"Some of those projects have ended, you know, - Nicat remarked. "So he got some of the holdless back but mainly it's the old and infirm who're in those Caves. However, Larad says he could free up some of those prisoners,' Nicat continued, "the ones who he feels have served sufficient time and could be more profitably used elsewhere. At least they're accustomed to stonework."

"In point of fact, it's the dearth of suitable stone that curtails settling in some of the open plains areas, Talmor said, shuffling around his various maps and reports.

"Those areas will just have to wait until after the Pass is over,' F'lar said, dismissing that consideration. "Sometimes I wonder why we let ourselves get talked into being responsible for the development of the Southern Continent

"Because Weyrleaders are the only ones who could be entrusted with such a responsibility . . . " Fandarel bellowed at the same moment that Master Nicat rose half out of his chair to say much the same thing. They regarded each other with their uncharacteristic vehemence.

G'dened and R'mart grinned.

"With the Harper Hall as your consciences,' Talmor added in a mild tone, "and the fervent agreement of all the Lords Holder and Master Craftsmen - "With the notable exception of Toric,' Lessa said, sardonically cocking one eyebrow.

"Be that as it may,' F'lar went on, with a nod of gratitude to the two Master Craftsmen, "dragonriders are stretched, too, between Threadfalls all over the world, mapping and conveying. Shortly, we'll have to open a Weyr in the Honshu area

"Surely not at Honshu Weyrhold,' Fandarel said, shocked out of his usual phlegmatisim to pounce on F'lar's words.

"Not likely,' Flar said with a laugh, glancing at Lessa to forestall a terse comment from her as well. "But we will need stone for a decent Weyrhall for that as we haven't been able to locate any suitable craters down south."

"You do remember, don't you. your promise to T'bor,' said R'mart, leaning toward F'lar and smiling lopsidedly.

"That he could turn over the Weyrleadership of High Reaches and go back south?" F'lar nodded his head. "When this Pass is over, he can do what he pleases."

"When this Pass is over Nicat said wistfully on a long sigh.

A respectful silence followed that as each member of the meeting let thought dwell on the time when.

"By the by, Master Fandarel,' R'mart said, snagging one of the maps out of the array on the table and sliding it to the Smith, we located that ridge for you, the one which is indicated as a source of iron on the Ancients' spatial map."

"Where?" Fandarel was instantly alert and reached his long arm across the table to retrieve the paper.

"There, in those foothills. We've staked and flagged it to be recognized. Good site, actually, a fine river nearby. You might consider setting up another Hall down there." R'mart was half-teasing, knowing how devoted Master Fandarel was to the main Craft Hall site in Telgar.

"We may indeed have to consider that in due course,' Fandarel said, his eyes scanning the map while one huge index finger followed the course of the river. "It wouldn't be fair to have all the Main Craft Halls in the north. Give some of my good Masters a chance to show their abilities."

"Make it easier to mine and process the ore at the same site, Master Nicat said, rising to peer over Fandarel's shoulder at the map. "See any blackstone?"

"Didn't look for it, Master Nicat, but we can,' R'mart replied.

"Nice stretch of trees nearby. And a sweet little valley where folks could farm."

"Ah, the possibilities are endless now, are they not?" Nicat said with great satisfaction.

"Did we but have the trained men and women,' Fandarel added wistfully.

"Well,' F'lar began, "it is obvious that we can proceed no faster than we are doing in the matter of southern settlements, no matter what accusations are made."

"We shall do our best to counter those,' Fandarel said, looking at Nicat, who nodded vigorous accord. "We shall also do our best to indicate that it is a lack of trained personnel that holds the whole process up. I shall so inform my Craft Masters, Journeyfolk and apprentices." He looked at Master Nicat who hastily added that he would do likewise.

"When will more of these be available?" F'lar asked, holding up one of the intercom devices.

"I was thinking of the most efficient way of doing that;' and now Fandarel turned to Master Nicat, "those elderly and infirm at Igen, do they have their wits about them and the use of their fingers?"

Nicat frowned down at his fingertips, splayed out on the stone table. "Aye, I believe they do."

"Good then. That is all that is really needed, sight and ten fingers. We've already put some of our elderlies to work and they are glad of the marks in their hands, I can tell you."

"Besides which, it's an efficient use of available personnel, isn't it,' Lessa said, managing to keep a straight face though Talmor took a fit of coughing and R'mart and G'dened looked everywhere except at her or the Smith.

"I shall leave this one with you, F'lar, Lessa,' Fandarel said, formally bowing to make the presentation. "It will reach me at the Smith Craft Hall should you need to speak with me."

"Quite useful, I assure you,' Nicat answered. "I don't know how I've managed without it..

F'lar escorted the two Master Craftsmen out of the Council Room. Then Lessa allowed herself the luxury of a chuckle while the others smiled broadly. When F'lar returned, he was grinning as well but he rubbed his hands together.

"We'll just wind this meeting up, shall we?"

"Not much more to say, is there?" Talmor said. "And we thought we were busy doing Aivas' bidding!'

"I wonder if he knew just how much he was altering our whole lives . . . " Lessa said, making a sweeping movement with one arm.

"Quite likely he did,' R'mart said sardonically, "which is why he quit on us before we could disconnect him, or whatever it is one does with a machine."

"He could at least have stayed around until we were well into the Transition,' Lessa said, slightly mutinous.

"And bear your reproaches, my dear?" asked F'lar, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at his weyrmate.

Lessa gave a sniff.

"He knew at least one person would make efficient and effective use of the Library,' Talmor said, grinning.

"Enough out of you, Harper,' Lessa said with mock astringency. "Did you find anywhere, R'mart, remotely resembling a weyr possibility?"

"Not a cave nor a crater we could use among any of those hills,' R'mart said with disgust.

"Plenty of stone for Master Nicat, though,' G'dened said.

Talmor continued making his notations on the borders of the charts and sighing occasionally.

"Now here 1 have no special comments,' he said, turning the edge of the map toward R'mart.

"That's because there is nothing special to comment on. More hills, valleys, rivers, rocks."

"Ah, but rocks can be useful,' Talmor said and made the appropriate notation.

"When the Pass is over It was an hour or more before the Weyrleaders had finished their discussions of the newly charted lands and the visitors left.

"I'll be so glad when we've got the entire continent mapped out,' Lessa said, sighing.

"I doubt we'll have discovered all we need to know about for the time being . . . until we have enough folks to distribute,' F'lar said, gathering her slight body to his with one arm as they made their way into Ramoth's weyr. She was asleep, her nostrils twitching a bit and her foreleg claws scrabbling against her stone bed as her dream caused her to open and close them. "Is she hungry?"

"Shouldn't be,' Lessa said. "She hunted well earlier this sevenday below Landing. The southern beasts really are better tasting."

"All the fuss is worth the trouble, Lessa,' F'lar reminded her. "We shan't disabuse the trust that's been placed in us to dispense the land impartially. And dragonriders will have their own stakes in the Southern Continent. We'll never be beholden to Halls or Holds again."

Lessa knew that he had never forgotten Benden's situation at the end of the Last Interval, when only three holds had tithed to the lone Weyr and dragonriders had been reduced to conditions no small holder would have endured. It was ironic that, in finding the solution to the recurring problem of Thread, they had also ended the reason for their privileges.

Aivas had reassured them on one point: the dragons would not just cease to mate because the orbit of the Red Star had been disrupted. They were as established a species on Pern as the dolphins and would continue to prosper, though perhaps not in the same large numbers. A shallow mating flight would keep the clutches small. It required more control of both queen and bronze but it was a feasible deterrent. Commonly in Intervals, the queens did not rise as often anyway.

"No,' Lessa said with a devious smile, her eyes sparkling, "they will be beholden to us for the peace and tranquillity after this Pass is over!" She liked that.

"We must still wait carefully for the appropriate moment, my heart,' he said but he, too, smiled in anticipation.

"I wager you that it's Toric who provides the excuse,' she said, a slight tinge of malice in her tone. "He's greedy and he's never forgiven us for deceiving him about the true size of the Southern Continent." Her grin was sweetly malicious as she recalled that victory.

"You say that every time the subject comes up, so you're probably right about him,' F'lar said equably. "Still he's done more to properly site new settlers than anyone else."

"Especially that group that tried to take over his island,' and Lessa gave a very girlish giggle of amusement. "He'll never let us forget that one. Still, we were right not to interfere.

"Then,' F'lar said in a significantly weighted tone. They'd reached the table where they'd been eating a light meal which Laudey's appearance had interrupted. He lifted the klah jug and felt it. "Cold. Let's see what's going in the lower cavern. That way we'll be harder to find."

They grinned conspiratorially and, hand in hand, made their way back to the stairs of the Weyr and down across the Bowl to the kitchens.

The dolphins gave warning, ringing the Bells that were now situated in ten locations on the coasts. They rang the Big Bell at Tillek Sea Hold early that morning, though Tillek was further north than the storm's course. But the pod that swam in the great bays also knew that the Master Fishman Idarolan was pod leader for all fish boats and should know what affected his Craft. In appreciation of dolphin help to all seafarers, Master Idarolan had had built a really fine dolphin marina where they could bring the injured and sick animals of the Western Sea.

Idarolan himself answered the Bell, well wrapped up against the chill of pre-dawn.

"Bad blow, bad bad bad blow,' the pod leader told him, wagging her head while her pod mates nodded emphatically.

"Ships can sink in bad bad bad blow. Blow against rocks." Of which there were many on the less hospitable western coastline.

"Exactly where do you think it will hit?" Idarolan asked. He'd had a harper drawer make up a huge map of Pern, the seas in the bright primary color the dolphins could recognize as "sea' as opposed to the "dark' landmasses.

He lowered this now, close enough for Iggy to nose out the storm 5 course.

She indicated the vast expanse of water just below the Eastern Current and skidded her nose under Southern Boll, aiming it directly at Southern Weyr and Hold. "Blow big there. First land.

Blow all day, all night, all day, all night. Looooong blow. Warm water, much cold air,' Iggy shook her head at the unfavorable mixture. "Blow blow blow bad bad bad."

Her pod mates squeeed high and loud to stress the dangers.

"We've some ships out Idarolan ran through the list of those he knew from this port. "Fishing

"We swim, we see, we tell,' Iggy promised. "We warn Iddie pod leader." Iggy loved to say the Master Fishman's name as it was so much like her own.

"I appreciate that very much, Iggy." He held out the first fish from the pail always kept full by the Bell and she rose neatly to accept his offering. Then he flicked out thank yous into the waiting mouths. He had a good aim and none of those who had accompanied the messenger were slighted.

Master Idarolan trundled back to his warm hold and started writing messages for fire-lizards to carry. He sighed as he did so for it was likely that the fleet finny friends of the deep would relay the warning far faster than even fire-lizards could be despatched.

His first message went to Lord Toric for that man would batter his Craft Hall with complaints if such news was not sent first to him. The dolphins couldn't measure wind speeds in any gauge comprehensible to humans. They did not have to cope with winds, anyway, merely high seas and they'd either swim to calmer waters or through combers. They often delighted in the rougher seas as ways of testing their skills.

There had been rather a lot of storms in the past two Turns and Master Idarolan had heard whispers that this was due to changing the Red Star's orbit. Master Wansor of the Smith Craft Hall who had made a study of the stars and was one of his own leading Sea Masters had learned the Craft of meteorology from Aivas and had ridiculed the possibility but that hadn't kept it from being repeated, and credited by those without the specialized knowledge to recognize its fallacies. Idarolan had sat in on as many of Aivas lectures on weather formation, winds and currents as he could make time for. There were valid reasons for the formation of both calm, clear weather and storms. The weather satellites established by the Ancients still gave back their information but not always were they read right. The dolphins were more reliable than instrumentation set at Landing, so far away from the point of the depression.

Lord Toric was roused from a deep sleep by the chattering of a fire-lizard and the noise his own were making at the arrival of a newcomer. He wasn't best pleased. He had worked late the previous night, going over the recent maps made by his scouts, checking and rechecking the organization of his next move. He had made contact with all those he had felt would be eager to assist in his dramatic move. He'd also sounded out which of the Lord Holders also felt that Benden Weyr should not have the gift of Southern lands. Even Lord Groghe had wavered slightly from his loyalty to the Weyrleaders. After all, he had ten sons to place to some advantage. At every Fort Gather over the past three Turns, Toric had been planting suggestions in the boys' ears, intimating that they ought to have the same opportunity as Benelek or Horon. He'd put a flea in the ear of young Kern of Crom, Lord Nessel's third son and Nabol's second.

He'd selected older journeymen, competent and resenting the promotion of others to Mastery above them.

He cursed as he read Idarolan's message about the storm, it meant he'd have to delay the start. It could also mean more chance of someone - and his "someone' translated into "dragonrider' - discovering the carefully concealed sites. Or questioning the prnvision of every one of the hold's small fishing fleet. So far, the young Weyrleader K'van had accepted the off-handed explanation that Toric was resupplying his southernmost mine sites before the hot season. Those across the river had not been detected. nor the sites, hidden in dense foliage.

The dragonriders had long since surveyed the coast. All that land and his Hold bursting with eager new, hand-chosen settlers, determined to secure and improve their own holds. looking favorably on him because he had granted their most earnest desires.

He had had to swallow a great many slights and insults from the Benden Weyrleaders who thought they were going to carve up all these lands to their own specifications. Well, they would find opinion against them now. Too many people were aware of the extent of the Southern Continent and were discontent over the dragonriders' claim that they had first choice. For Turns they had had the best that Pern had to offer. When the Pass was ended and their services no longer needed, a far different tune would be struck for them to dance. And he would make sure of that!

He heard the bell that his Fish Craftmen had insisted be installed in the deep harbor. The shipfish had proved unexpectedly useful in telling fishmen where the schools were running but he was not at all their advocate. He resented talking animals: speech was a human attribute and he hadn't cared being told that dolphins were mammals, not fish, and humans were mammals too. The creatures were not equal to humans and there was no way he would change his mind on that score. Humans planned ahead: dolphins only cooperated with humans because humans amused them, created "games' for them to play. Life was not a game! The very notion of providing amusement to an animal irritated Toric to the core.

But he was a pragmatist and the dolphins could be used to human advantage. He didn't like the notion that the creatures were known to patrol the coast line. He had his own plans for the coastline. He fingered his lips thoughtfully.

They'd seek safety in the Currents during this storm, then, and that might be the best time for him to make his move: before the storm was quite over and the dolphins had returned to their customary waters.

He rose then, pulling on his clothes, ignoring his wife's sleepy murmurs. If he was to push this scheme through on the end of the gale, he had work to do and to be done.

When the storm swept down on the southern peninsulas protruding northward in the Southern Sea, its battering winds were the fiercest experienced. Even long-time fishmen were amazed.

Though its eye was well south of Southern Boll and Ista, coastal holds were battered and the seas flooded low-lying lands, crashing up beaches to inundate seaside cotholds and fields that had always been high above ground. Coming as it did during the equinox, its fury was double that of normal storms, battering the lands right up to the hills.

Along the southern coast it uprooted the shallower rooted, flexible trees that generally bowed with wind. The stOrm rolled gigantic combers as high up the Weyr cliff as the Weyrhall, shredding part of the roof and demolishing many of the little buildings that housed riders. Nothing stood in its way. Especially Toric's plans. The deep harbour, usually a safe enough anchorage, was as storm tossed as the outer sea and men struggled to save the ships, many half-laden for their "down river' journey. Some crew, riding out the storm on their craft, took serious injuries and had to remain, tended for three long days and nights as best their mates could manage, until the storm blew itself away from Southern.

It made good speed, and gathered more, as it headed obliquely south southeast, blasting toward Paradise River and Cove Hold.

Although the warning served by the dolphin pods was immediately heeded, for the water mammals had never been wrong, the exact definition of "bad bad bad' became all too apparent as the weather worsened and the whistling twisting winds pounded the coast. No-one had anticipated such a lengthy and ferocious storm.

Paradise River ran high, flooding the line of cotholds and forcing Jayge and his family to the nearest high ground, which was also threatened. The riverside farmlands were inundated, too. With the season's crops all gathered in, at first everyone felt safe enough. But the storehouses were merely roofs on posts to keep the sun off material and most of those buildings lost their roofs and had contents blown away. It was even too dangerous to try to lash down bales and crates for the wind tossed these indiscriminately as lethal flying objects. Herd and runner beasts who were pasturing in the more open fields were later found lodged in now leafless tree boIls, a strange fruit. It took days to round up those that had fled from the savagery of the storm.

Some animals had to be destroyed when they were found with broken legs or wounds that had become infected during the three days in which they had been untended.

At Landing, the storm flag was flown from the mast that had once floated ancient colours of a forgotten homeworld to the breeze. Somewhat protected by the three slumbering volcanoes and the fact that the storm was blowing itself inland, Landing suffered relatively little damage. Monaco Bay took heavy surf and lost the dolphin float but not the Bell that had clanged for hours in the gale. Eastern Weyr got lashing rain and high winds but not the punishing blow that had devastated the coastline.

As soon as he could, Readis made a wet journey down to the bay, to ask Alta and Dar to find out if his folks at Paradise River were all right. Kami insisted on coming with him because a frantic message from Cove Hold told them that Master Robinton's house had been flooded and many of the things that the Harper had valued had been destroyed. She was terribly afraid that Paradise River might also have been devastated. It took a long time for the dolphins to answer the report' sequence: Readis and Kami ended up taking turns at the Bell rope.

When Alta finally answered, she told them that, while some of the pod had remained on duty in case a ship had been out in the gales, the others had swum to the northern and quieter seas.

She said she would sound a message to pass to the Paradise River pod. So Readis and Kami waited until nearly full dark before they received an answer. The blow had been bad bad bad but humans were well, wet and tired.

"Dolphins hurt. You go help?"

"Badly?"

Alta ducked her head under the water and came up. Don't know. You go."

Further distressed by such unexpected news, Readis thanked Alta and apologized for having no fish to give her.

"Ah, the fish run well and deep,' she told him and then backflipped away.

"Who got hurt? How badly?" Readis demanded of Kami who remained silent as they started on the long walk back. "I wish they could be more explicit. Shards! It'll be ages before we find out.

"I'm sure Master Alemi is already helping, Readis,' Kami said soothingly.

They were both startled, and Readis cried out with relief, when they heard a dragon's trumpeting above them, the sound almost lost in the still brisk after-storm wind. It was Gadareth and T'lion.

"Could you take us to Paradise River, T'lion?" Readis begged when rider and dragon landed. "There's been dolphin injuries, only Alta couldn't say who or how badly."

T'lion didn't bother to dismount, leaning over to give them a hand up to Gadareth's back.

"That's bad news,' T'lion looked concerned and Gadareth turned his head back to show the orange of concern in his eyes. "I was just at Landing and heard you'd walked down here. Look, I'm supposed to report in at Cove Hold. It was badly flooded but I can certainly get you home first. At that.

the wind's only just died down enough for dragons to risk flying. Gaddie couldn't lift far enough off the ground to go between. That storm was incredible!'

As soon as Gadareth lifted from the roadway, the three were buffeted by the winds: Readis clinging to T'lion who had his safety straps buckled on and Kami clutching Readis so hard she hurt his ribs. Dragon flight was usually smooth but this morning even Gadareth was subjected to unexpected drops in the few moments it took him to reach transfer height.

The winds were not much calmer at Paradise River and as Gadareth re-entered, all three could see how badly the Hold had fared. Whole swathes of trees were down, the broad-leafed vegetation in shreds, river banks deep in mud and roofs lying everywhere but where they had been built. Readis groaned.

Everywhere people were working to clear the storm debris.

Grabbing T'lion's shoulder, Readis shouted in his ear.

"Take us to the harbour. The dolphins'll need my help more."

"Oh, Readis, I must get home. Just look!" Kami was in tears as she pointed to their once neat hold. The porch roof was awry, mud and storm wrack covered the place and the chimney had fallen down. The net racks were splinters on the ground and they could see several nets festooned in high limbs of trees.

"The dolphins first. You won't be far from your home there.

Readis also fretted about the fishing ships. Maybe, and surely Alemi would have gone to inspect them as soon as he could, the dolphin injuries had been attended to. That way he could go home to help. His mother might not even realize that he'd gone to the dolphins first.

Gadareth had trouble finding enough clear space to land in, for the pier had been demolished to a few lengths, the dolphin float and the Bell gone. With a sinking heart, Readis saw that the two smaller ships had been beached and lay on their sides, masts and rigging gone, hulls broached. The Fair Winds was not in much better case, but he could see figures working on her deck. cutting away the sheets and the splintered main mast: the second one was still upright even if the rigging had been torn away. The schooner also looked low in the water. Had she sprung a leak or merely taken on a lot of water?

There were no dorsals visible and that worried Readis even more. He'd been thinking "one' injury. How many had there been? And with no bell to summon the dolphins, how was he to call them?

As Gadareth gingerly settled on the beach, pushing dislodged, splintered tree trunks out of his way to do so, T'lion turned to Readis.

"No Bell. Gaddie can call them underwater. He's done it before. Haven't you, my fine fellow?" And T'lion affectionately slapped Gadareth's neck.

I call. They come. My bugTh is as good as their bell.

When his passengers had dismounted, Readis looked around him, shaking his head at the devastation. So much to do.

Kami was sniffling, knowing that Readis disliked her showing indecision or emotions but she wanted to cry on seeing the destruction of the smaller boats. Father would be so upset!

Gadareth walked into the water, holding his wings up high at first until he was buoyant. Then he lowered his head in the water. Those watching heard nothing but they could see the bubbles of his call boiling to the surface. He raised his head, looking out to sea to wait for results. Then T'lion and Readis saw someone on the Fair Winds waving vigorously. The ship was too far out for voices to be heard. Gadareth was about to repeat his summons when a single dorsal appeared in the water, speeding towards them. Gadareth extended his head toward the incoming dolphin but it continued in toward the shore as far as it could before it raised its head. It was Kib, bearing fresh marks on his melon.

"Bad bad bad bad blow. Worse! Two calves hurt. Can you fix?"

"We'll try,' Readis replied. "How's the ship?"

"Hole full of water. We help "Lemi."

"That's good of you with injured calves."

Kib blew water out of his hole. "We help. Our duty."

"Then we'll help. Our duty,' T'lion added. "Bring in the injured. Gaddie's very good at holding."

When the two battered calves were brought it, Readis and T'lion exchanged despairing glances. Both needed stitching to close the gaping wounds. A healer was needed.

"Would your Aunt Temma be willing?" T'lion asked Readis. "I think T'gellan will understand me coming here instead of Cove Hold. They'll have lots of help."

From his tone of voice, Readis gathered that T'lion wasn't all that certain of Weyrleader approval of his delay.

But they'd need Gadareth to hold the dolphin calves while the surgery was in progress. The dams were alternately squeeing to the humans to help and trying to soothe their offspring. Both dams bore superficial cuts but nothing as bad as the lighter and less experienced younglings.

"I'll understand if you don't feel you can stay.

"Don't worry about me and T'gellan,' T'lion added, coming to a sudden decision. "There're plenty of humans to help other humans but very few to help dolphins."

"I thought the dolphins just rode out storms, Kami said timorously, her pretty face twisted with conflicting worries.

"They usually can,' Readis said.

T'lion shook his head. "That was not any usual sort of storm!

Shall I take you to the Hold?"

"You go to the Hold, T'lion, and ask Temma to come. She's good at suturing. Had enough practice, Uncle Nazer says. And you go with him, Kami,' Readis said, deciding that the girl would fret too much over the conditions of her home to be useful here. "I'll stay with the patients."

"Can you manage?" Kami asked, vacillating again between showing Readis how helpful she could be and worried about not being with her mother in this emergency.

"Sure,' Readis said blithely, standing waist deep in water, a wounded dolphin floating on either side of him and he surrounded by the dams and the nurse dolphins.

Temma was too busy with human injuries to leave off her duties for dolphins. She said she'd come when she could.

T'lion thanked her and asked Gadareth to take him back to Eastern Weyr. They had weathered the three days of storm much better than anywhere else. He'd get Persellan to come.

Persellan had been collected and taken to Cove Hold.

"Does he need more supplies? How bad was it there?" Mirrim asked, her brows knotted with concern.

"It's bad all along the coast, Mirrim,' T'lion said. "I'll just bring what's needed with me,' he added and, since Mirrim didn't challenge him further, he entered the healer's hold and helped himself to the items he knew he and Readis would need.

There was more than enough and he'd tell Persellan later. He also took the book which was Persellan's treasured compilation from Aivas' medical files. T'lion had watched Persellan work on dolphins often enough to have a good idea of how to proceed but it would be reassuring to have printed words to refer to.

He didn't think he'd been very long but it was Readis who had had to wait and the waiting must have seemed like Turns to the hold boy who called out frantically as Gadareth landed.

"What took you so long? I've had all sorts of trouble keeping the bloodsuckers from attaching themselves to the calves.

Temma isn't with you?" Readis' face turned whiter and his expression bordered panic.

"I took what we need from Persellan's hold, and his book,' T'lion explained as he stripped off his riding gear and clothes down to his clout. Shivering a bit for the wind still had traces of storm chill, he waded out, book and sack of supplies held above the rippling surface of the water. "C'mon, Gaddie, we'll need you, too." Gadareth followed him, moving very carefully with one eye on the dorsal fins and heads protruding above the surface.

"What about Temma? I've never sewn up anything. Have you? And I had to stuff Angie's guts back in."

Angie was the older of the two injured calves - Cori's daughter, born that spring.

"Ooooo. Wonder if you should've

"1 had to, T'lion,' Readis said, his tone a bit strident with anxiety. "Couldn't let any blo?dsuckers get attached to her guts. They'd eat her inside out.

"Wait a minute. I'm looking . - T'lion said, riffling through pages of the book which he kept well above the water and any splashes. "Oooo! Ugh!" He paused, lowering the book slightly to peer at something. "Ah, here. Human intestines." He bent to peer down at the injured Angie. "Gaddie, hold her for me, will you? C'mon now, Angie, Gaddie won't hurt you.

The calf's squeeing was agonized but, with her mother and Afo pushing her with their noses, she had no option. Gaddie's talons cradled her.

"Tip her slightly, huh, Gaddie?" And the bronze dragon, head cocked to see for himself, tilted the little body sideways.

"Oooo." T'lion shuddered at the raw sight of the cords of visible intestines poking out of the wound.

T'lion tucked the sack on the dragon's upper arm where the angle was just enough to keep it secure but to hand, then tentatively fingered the extruding loops. Referred to the book again, read with his lips moving as he did the more technical words by the syllables. Then he shrugged at the anxious Readis.

"Well, the book doesn't give any directions other than "reinsert the colon in the reverse order of removal." Hmmm. That's a lot of help."

"1 did sort of loop them back in,' Readis said. "I've seen runners with their bellies opened. Dad would just put them back in, sew "em up and hope. Mostly they lived."

"Then we'll hope dolphins being mammals like us and runners will survive, too,' T'lion replied, rolling up his sleeves. "All right, start spreading this,' and he handed Readis a big pot of numbweed, "around the wound. It seemed to help Boojie and he didn't squirm when Persellan sewed him up.

Readis liberally slathered on the numbweed.