amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第77章

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at　both　lunch　and　dinner。　He　had　not　been　able　to　display　any　enthusiasm　for　the　hour　he　usually　spent　so　panionably　with　his　sons。
　　She　had　waited；　without　appearing　to　hover　close　by；　in　case　he　might　wish　to　talk　about　what　was　depressing　him。　She'd　seen　him　terribly　distracted　like　this　only　once　before：　when　he　had　presided　over　the　exile　of　those　who　had　been　responsible　for　abducting　Master　Robinton。
　　She　waited　until　they　had　gone　up　to　their　own　quarters　and　he　was　leaning　against　the　deep　window；　looking　out　on　nothing。　Just　as　she　was　sure　she'd　have　to　pry；　he　gave　a　deep　sigh。
　　〃Ruth　and　I　went　to　Wide　Bay；　to　assist　Tagetarl。　There　was　an　attempt　to　damage　the　Print　Hall。〃
　　〃More　Abominators？〃　Who　else　could　it　have　been；　since　the　Print　Hall　had　been　so　enthusiastically　received　by　every　Craft。
　　He　nodded　but　did　not　elaborate。
　　In　the　silence　that　followed；　Sharra　watched　her　spouse；　absentmindedly　running　his　hand　up　and　down　the　heavy　brocade　curtain　that　prevented　the　worst　of　the　winter　winds　from　penetrating　into　their　sleeping　room。　She　waited　quietly。　She　knew　when　he　was　fretting　over　something。
　　〃Dorse　was　one　of　them。〃
　　Sharra　felt　something　within　her　lurch　at　that　soft；　chilling　admission。　Jaxom　did　not　have　many　fond　memories　of　his　milk…brother　but　had　kept　giving　him　the　benefit　of　the　doubt；　long　after　his　foster　mother　had　died。　Dorse　had　left　before　one　more　outrageous　act　would　have　pelled　Jaxom　to　send　him　away。
　　〃I　thought　he　had　gone　south。　Worked　for　Toric。〃　She　gasped　as　soon　as　she　finished　speaking。
　　Jaxom　nodded　his　head　slowly。　〃He　did　not　speak。〃
　　〃But　surely；　love；〃　and　Sharra　went　to　lay　her　hand　on　his　shoulder；　feeling　the　tension　in　his　body；　〃he　had　only　to…〃
　　〃They　were　asked　to　name　hall　or　hold。〃　Jaxom's　grip　tightened　on　the　curtain　so　that　the　fabric　was　stretched　from　its　rail；　the　upper　hem　tearing。
　　〃Are　you　distressed　because　he　didn't　speak？〃
　　〃I'm　not　sure。〃　Sharra　could　hear　the　anguish　in　Jaxom's　voice。　〃I'm　not　sure！　I　think；〃　and　now　Jaxom　buried　his　face　in　the　folds　of　the　curtain；　〃he　was　the　leader。　I　think　he　was　challenging　me。　Defying　me　and　what　I　stand　for。　What　did　he　expect　me　to　do？　See　that　they　were　only　sent　to　the　mines？〃
　　Before　he　tore　the　curtain　from　the　wall；　she　closed　her　hand　around　his　fingers　and　gently　detached　them。
　　〃I　suggest　that　either　way　he　is　getting　his　own　back　on　you；　Jaxom；〃　she　said　in　a　quiet　nonjudgmental　tone。　〃By　any　chance；　did　anyone　else　recognize　him？　Ruth　said　you　did　not　go　alone。〃　He　gave　her　a　fierce　look。　〃No；　no；　my　love。　I　never　asked　him。　He　knows　I　worry　that　sometimes　the　pair　of　you　might　get　into　trouble　and　not　tell　me。〃　She　tried　to　speak　lightly；　to　ease　his　distress。　She　didn't　even　get　a　rise　out　of　him　for　what　he　usually　termed　unnecessary　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。〃
　　〃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　mon　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？〃
　　forted　now　turned　forter。　〃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　ing　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　ing　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。　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　Gyarmath　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　girl　could　be　domineering　and　arrogant；　she　had　great　sympathy　toward　a　fosterling　she　had　trained。
　　The　newly　made　Master　Erragon　had　particularly　invited　F'lessan　and　a　Monacan　green　rider；　named　Tai；　who　was　one　of　Erragon's　apprentices。　Her　name　was　familiar　to　the　Benden　Weyrleaders　for　her　part　in　thwarting　the　vandals　at　Landing　and　being　indefatigable　during　the　evacuation　of　Monaco。
　　As　the　Weyrleaders　filed　in；　Master　Wansor；　their　official　host　for　the　night；　greeted　them。　He　stood　on　the　threshold；　a　serene　personality　in　a　room　that　held　memories　for　all　of　them。　He　lifted　a　smiling　face　to　each　new　arrival　as　if　he　saw　them　as　clearly　as　ever。　Erragon　stood　behind　Wansor；　wearing　the　diamond　pendant　that　was　the　sign　o