“Have you figured how much better we’d have to fight to survive long enough for the hatchlings to mature to fighting age?” K’lior asked Verilan.

“We’re working on it!” Bekka’s voice called from outside the pavilion. Fiona glanced sharply toward the entrance before giving Verilan a droll expression.

“She is, perhaps, one of the more challenging apprentices,” Verilan allowed.

“Nothing we wouldn’t have expected,” Zist added, “given the source.”

Fiona ducked her head in appreciation of the gibe, then turned her head toward H’nez. “I presume we’ve got Terin helping with the calculations?”

“Bekka suggested her,” Verilan said. He gave Fiona a hopeful look, as he added, “She’s quite good with numbers. If she were to come to the Harper Hall …”

“I’ll put it to her,” Fiona replied.

“I’m not sure that F’jian would approve,” H’nez said.

“As long as dragons have wings, F’jian won’t be far from her,” Fiona said. “He’s no fool, nor she—I can’t believe either would want her talents to go to waste.” Her expression made it clear that she thought H’nez wouldn’t want Terin’s talents to go to waste, either.

“At another time,” Zist said, “we really should discuss how to identify and encourage such talents.”

Fiona nodded in agreement.

“What I don’t understand is why are we in so much danger,” D’vin said. “Did they not survive the same sort of problems in the last Pass?”

“From all that I’ve seen, we have no Weyr Records from the time two hundred and fifty Turns back,” Kindan said. He glanced toward Fiona. “Unless some survived at Igen?”

“They did. But I don’t recall any problem like ours.”

“They must have survived worse problems in the First Pass,” K’lior said. “Back then they started with no dragons and still survived!”

“Ah, but they had the aid of their amazing machines,” Mastersmith Zellany responded. “I’m afraid we can offer not much more than the agenothree throwers inspired by Weyrwoman Fiona.”

“That’s not much help from the past,” Weyrwoman Tullea said. Beside her, Benden’s Weyrleader gave her a pained look, but Tullea persisted. “We had help from the First Pass before, why not ask for more now?”

“Are you willing to sacrifice your dragon to send the message?” Sonia asked. Tullea gave her an irritated look.

“I doubt that they can help any more,” Lorana said. As the others glanced her way, she continued, “Wind Blossom is dead, and, from what Emorra said in her audios, her special knowledge died with her.”

“What about all those ancient artefacts you were so desperate to sink at Tillek?” Tullea asked.

“Their usefulness to us was over when the last of the materials were used in the cure,” Kindan said.