“Ever since I Impressed Talenth,” Fiona said with a shrug. “I thought it was from timing it back to Igen.”

“Do you get edgy, irritable?”

“Sleepy, muzzy-headed,” Fiona said. “Some days worse than others.” She couldn’t suppress a grin. “Today, I feel more awake than not.”

M’tal shared her grin with one of his own.

“T’mar felt the same, and many of the weyrlings,” Fiona said, wondering what had caused the bronze rider to consider this particular issue interesting.

“Headaches?”

“Yes,” Fiona said, her eyes narrowing. “Do you know something?”

“Tullea had similar symptoms,” M’tal said, stirring in his chair, a frown on his face. “She had been acting odd pretty much since she’d Impressed her Minith—three Turns back.”

“And?” Fiona asked, raising a hand and motioning peremptorily for the ex-weyrleader to continue.

M’tal’s eyes flashed briefly with amusement before he continued, “Sometimes, Weyrwoman, you have flashes of her behavior.”

“I take it you don’t approve.”

“Only when it’s uncalled for,” M’tal said. He waited for her response, but she merely smiled at the gibe and pleaded with her eyes for him to continue. M’tal relented, pursing his lips for a moment as he recovered his thoughts, before saying, “Now I wonder if some of your behaviors aren’t related in another way.”

“Timing?”

“Tullea went back three Turns in our time to High Reaches Weyr,” M’tal said. “It seems that being in the same time caused her bad temper in both times.”

“But we went back in time—” Fiona began in protest.

“So far,” M’tal agreed.

“You think that perhaps some time soon we will go back in time again? Now?” A moment later, Fiona expanded, “I mean to this now?

Why?”

“I have no idea.”

Fiona distracted herself with another bite of food. She chewed carefully and took a drink of her klah before continuing, “What effect would timing have on Talenth?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a frown. “I assume that you’re referring to her eggs.”

Fiona nodded and then sighed, shaking her head. “I can’t see myself leaving Talenth with a clutch on the Hatching Grounds.”

“Perhaps you will take her someplace else,” Mekiar said, looking from Weyrwoman to bronze rider and back.

“But where?” Fiona asked. “It can’t be Igen—there are riders recovering all through the last ten Turns.”

“Perhaps it is something else,” M’tal said, his expression troubled.

“Else?” Fiona said. “Worse?”

“It’s never wise to borrow trouble,” Mekiar reminded them.

Fiona snorted acidly. “No, certainly when we’ve enough of our own already!”

A noise from the entrance attracted her attention and she turned in time to see Kindan and Lorana saunter through the entrance. Something in Lorana’s walk made Fiona curious and she sent a thought toward Talenth, only to find her queen still deep in slumber. Thwarted, Fiona tried an experiment and focused her attention on Lorana.