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anxiety.
"Pinch has been on his trail, he said. It's possible N'ton recognized him,
though he wouldn't have seen him in Turns." He was silent a moment then added,
"I should somehow have had a word with him. To see if he would tell me more."
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"More about what? Isn't it enough that he was caught destroying what he can
very well recognize as a tremendously important asset for all Pern?"
Jaxom gave her a long closed look. That made her flinch inwardly because they
were usually so open with each other about everything in their lives.
"I thought he had been well placed in the south with Toric," he said finally.
"Oh!" Sharra had to sit down quickly as she absorbed the implications of that.
Jaxom had been trying to shield her.
"It's preferable to think that he was on his own, perhaps just taking an
opportunity to be paid for making the kind of trouble he enjoys. It wouldn't
be unlike him," and Jaxom spun from the window and began pacing the floor,
looking everywhere but at his spouse.
"My brother, Toric," Sharra said in a voice as taut as Jaxom's had been, "was
greedy as a child and would allow no common sense to dissuade him from what he
felt was his, or-" she paused a beat "-perceived was his by right. He has
since, as you should know, forfeited the loyalty of all his brothers and
sisters. Even his sons. I thought when he was brought up short several Turns
ago by the
Lord Holders and Weyrleaders that he might realize that there are limitations
to what one man may hold."
Jaxom could not endure her anguish and took her in his arms, his cheek against
her cheek.
"We do not know that this is another scheme of his, Sharra."
She clung to him, her fingers tight in his hair, pressing herself into the
strength that always emanated from him. "Even if I, too, can see that Toric
may be setting himself against the rest of Pern, just to prove he can?"
Comforted now turned comforter. "We shall know soon enough who has been giving
orders for all this wasteful vandalism and unrest."
"We will? Did Pinch say anything?" Sharra leaned back, to look deep into his
eyes. "We seem to recover from one disaster and another threatens."
"Sssh, sssh, love.' He rocked her in his arms, slowly, lovingly.
Sssh, sssh, Sharra. We are here!
For just a fraction of a second, though she was accustomed enough to having
Ruth speak to her, she thought his reassurance was oddly amplified.
CORE HOLD-TWO DAYS BEFORE COUNCIL MEETING-2.26.31
From her seat in the window at Cove Hold, Lessa could watch those coming up
the newly graveled path from the beach. It still amazed her that Robinton's
Hold had survived the havoc that had spared few other places. After the Winter
Storm, some of his possessions had had to be replaced with lovingly contrived
duplicates and these had been removed in case the Kahrain Cape did not protect
the Hold. So once again, the Hall looked much as it had before his death. She
could still believe that he was only out on the porch, or fussing with his
tunic in his room before coming to greet his guests. The essence of Robinton,
the MasterHarper of Pern, subtly pervaded the place as if he still lived here
with his friends, Lytol, old Master Wansor, and D'ram. What a quartet they had
made!
Now she watched as dragons arrived in pairs, gliding down to waves that lapped
quietly-again-up the beach. It was like a Gather dance, she thought, trying to
think of something pleasant to quiet the nagging frustration that she had been
experiencing ever since the
Fireball Flood. From the north and High Reaches came the newest Weyrleaders,
G'bear on Winlath and Neldama on Yasith-their mating had turned out
felicitously, one of the few things that had gone right lately. Slightly west
of them, in from Telgar flew J'fery and Palla on Willerth and Talmanth. A
single dragon appeared from the west, with two passengers, Jaxom and Sharra on
Ruth. She wanted a word with Jaxom and N'ton about the Printer Hall incident.
A second Printer Hall must be established as soon as possible.
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Printed documents were too important: human memories couldn't cope with all
the details and the tedious act of handwriting was a process rife with
opportunities for mistakes.
The visibly larger Fort dragons, Lioth and Ludeth, with N'ton and Margatta,
followed Ruth immediately. Igen's Gyar-math and
Baylith with G'narish and Nadira entered facing north. Lessa could hear
dragons bugling over the building announcing the arrival of
K'van and Adrea on Heth and Beljeth. Then three from the east, T'gellan,
Talina, and Mirrim. Well, Mirrim was to be expected and, while Lessa knew the
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