The Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey [173]
“As a dragonrider, I ought to take offense,” F’lar said, so disturbed by this indictment that he spoke lightly.
“As Benden’s Weyrleader, you ought to take charge,” Robinton retorted, his voice ringing. “When Benden stood alone, seven Turns ago, you said that the Lord Holders and Craftsmen were too parochial in their views to deal effectively with the real problem. They at least learned something from their mistakes. The Oldtimers are not only incurably parochial, but worse—adamantly inflexible. They will not, they cannot adapt to our Turn. Everything we accomplished in the four hundred Turns that separate our thinking is wrong and must be set aside, set back for their ways, their standards. Pern has grown—is growing and changing. They have not. And they are alienating the Lord Holders and Craftsmen so completely that I am sincerely concerned—no, I’m scared—about the reaction to this new crisis.”
“They’ll change their minds when Thread falls unexpectedly,” Lessa said.
“Who will change? The Weyrleaders? The Holders? Don’t count on it, Lady Lessa.”
“I have to agree with Robinton,” Lytol said in a tired voice. “There’s been precious little cooperation from the Weyrs. They’re overbearing, wrongheaded and demanding. I find that I, Lytol, ex-dragonrider, resent any more demands on me as Lytol, Lord Warder. And now it appears they are incapable even of doing their job. What, for instance, can be done right in the present crisis? Are they willing to do anything?”
“There’ll be cooperation from the Weyrs, I can guarantee it,” F’lar told Lytol. He must rouse the man from his dejection. “The Oldtimers were shaken men this morning. Ruatha Hold’s weyrbound to Fort and T’ron’s setting up sweepriders. You’re to man the watch fires on the heights and light them when Thread mass is sighted. You’ll get prompt action the instant a watch fire is seen.”
“I’m to rely on shaken men and fires on the heights?” Lytol demanded, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Fire is not efficient,” Fandarel intoned. “Rain puts it out. Fog hides it.”
“I’ll gladly assign my drummers to you if you think they’d be of help,” Robinton put in.
“F’lar,” Lytol said urgently. “I know Benden Weyr sends messengers ahead to Holds under Threadfall. Won’t the other Weyrleaders agree now to assign riders to the Holds? Just until we know about the shifts and learn to anticipate them? I don’t like most of the Fort Weyr riders, but at least I’d feel secure knowing there was instant communication with the Weyr.”
“As I was saying,” Fandarel boomed in such a portentous voice that they all turned to him a little startled, “there has been a regrettable lack of efficient communication on this planet which I believe my craft can effectually end. That is the news I brought.”
“What?” Lytol was on his feet.
“Why didn’t you speak up sooner, you great lout?” demanded the Harper.
“How long would it take to equip all major Holds and Weyrs?” F’lar’s question drowned the others.
Fandarel looked squarely at the Weyrleader before he answered what had been almost a plea.
“More time, unfortunately, than we apparently have as margin in this emergency. My halls have been overbusy turning out flame throwers. There’s been no time to devote to my little toys.”
“How long?”
“The instruments which send and receive distance writing are easy to assemble, but wire must be laid between them. That process is time-consuming.”
“Man-consuming, too, I warrant,” Lytol added and sat down, deflated.
“No more than watch fires,” Fandarel told him placidly. “If each Lord and Weyr could be made