The Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey [285]
“We believe so. And he’ll fight Thread, too. With more reason than any of us.”
Corman regarded F’lar levelly. “I can see it’s going to take Turns and Turns to grub the continent thoroughly. This forest,” and he gestured to the plantation of hardwood saplings, “my corner on Keroon plains, the one valley in Telgar, used all the grubs it’s safe to take from Southern this Turn. I’ll be dead, long since, before the job is finished. However, when the day comes that all land is protected, what do you dragonmen plan to do?”
F’lar looked steadily back at the Keroon Holder, then grinned at Asgenar who waited expectantly. The Weyrleader began to laugh softly.
“Craft secret,” he said, watching Asgenar’s face fold into disappointment. “Cheer up, man,” he advised, giving the Lord of Lemos an affectionate clout on the shoulder. “Think about it. You ought to know by now what dragons do best.”
Mnementh was settling carefully in the small clearing in response to his summons. F’lar closed his tunic, preparatory to flying.
“Dragons go places better than anything else on Pern, good Lord Holders. Faster, farther. We’ve all the southern continent to explore when this Pass is over and men have time to relax again. And there’re other planets in our skies to visit.”
Shock and horror were mirrored in the faces of the two Lord Holders. Both had had lizards when F’nor and Canth had taken their jump between the planets; they’d known intimately what had happened.
“They can’t all be as inhospitable as the Red Star,” F’lar said.
“Dragons belong on Pern!” Corman said and honked his big nose for emphasis.
“Indeed they do, Lord Corman. Be assured that there’ll always be dragons in the Weyrs of Pern. It is, after all, their home.” F’lar raised his arm in greeting and farewell and bronze Mnementh lifted him skyward.
VOLUME III
THE WHITE DRAGON
CONTENTS
Dedication
I At Ruatha Hold, Present Pass, 12th Turn
II Benden Weyr, Present Pass, 13th Turn
III Morning at Ruatha Hold, and Smithcrafthall at Telgar Hold, Present Pass, 15.5.9
IV Ruatha Hold, Fidello’s Hold, and Various Points Between, 15.5.10-15.5.16
V Morning in Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold, Afternoon in Benden Weyr, Late Afternoon in Harpercraft Hall, 15.5.26
VI Ruatha Hold and Southern Hold, 15.5.27-15.6.2
VII Morning at Ruatha Hold, 15.6.2
VIII Ruatha Hold, Fort Weyr, Fidello’s Hold, 15.6.3-15.6.17
IX Early Summer, Harpercraft Hall and Ruatha Hold, 15.7.3
X From Harpercraft Hall to the Southern Continent, Evening at Benden Weyr, 15.7.4
XI Late Morning at Benden Weyr, Early Morning at Harpercraft Hall, Midday at Fidello’s Hold, 15.7.5
XII Ruatha Hold, Fidello’s Hold, Threadfall, 15.7.6
XIII A Cove in the Southern Continent, 15.7.7-15.8.7
XIV Early Morning at Harpercraft Hall, Midmorning at Ista Weyr, Midafternoon at Jaxom’s Cove, 15.8.28
XV Evening at Jaxom’s Cove and Late Evening at Ista Weyr, 15.8.28
XVI At the Cove Hold, 15.8.28-15.9.7
XVII Fort Hold, Benden Weyr, at Cove Hold, and at Sea aboard the Dawn Sister, 15.10.1-15.10.2
XVIII At the Cove Hold the Day of Master Robinton’s Arrival, 15.10.14
XIX Morning at the Cove Hold, Star-gazing in Late Evening, Next Morning, Discovery at the Mountain, 15.10.15-15.10.16
XX At the Mountain and at Ruatha Hold, 15.10.18-15.10.20
XXI Next Day at the Mountain, Cove Hold, and the Southern Hatching Ground, 15.10.21
Afterword
This book is irreverently dedicated
to my brothers
Hugh and Kevin
for sibling rivalries, and
the mature affections and loyalties that
develop from early brawling!
CHAPTER I
At Ruatha Hold, Present Pass, 12th Turn
“If he isn’t clean enough now,” Jaxom told N’ton as he gave Ruth’s neck ridge a final swipe with the oiled cloth, “I don’t know what clean is!” He wiped his sweaty forehead on his tunic sleeve. “What do you think, N’ton?” he asked politely, suddenly aware that he had spoken without due regard for his companion’s rank as Weyrleader of Fort.
N’ton grinned and gestured toward the grassy bank of the lake. They squelched through the mud created by rinsing soapsand