Chapters (55)
- Title Page
- Map
- Prologue
- VOLUME I: DRAGONFLIGHT
- Dedicatory Note
- PART I Weyr Search
- PART II Dragonflight
- PART III Dust Fall
- PART IV The Cold Between
- VOLUME II: DRAGONQUEST
- Dedication
- I Morning at Mastercrafthall, Fort Hold / Several Afternoons Later at Benden Weyr / Midmorning (Telgar Time) at Mastersmithcrafthall, Telgar Hold
- II Evening (Fort Weyr Time). Meeting of the Weyrleaders at Fort Weyr
- III Morning over Lemos Hold
- IV Midday at Southern Weyr
- V Midmorning at Ruatha Hold / Early Evening at Benden Weyr
- VI Midmorning at Southern Weyr / Early Morning at Nabol Hold: Next Day
- VII Midmorning at Benden Weyr / Early Morning at the Mastersmithcrafthall, Telgar Hold
- VIII Midmorning at Southern Weyr
- IX Afternoon at Southern Weyr: Same Day
- X Early Morning in Harpercrafthall at Fort Hold / Afternoon at Telgar Hold
- XI Early Morning at Benden Weyr
- XII Morning at Benden Weyr / Predawn at High Reaches Weyr
- XIII Night at Fort Weyr: Six Days Later
- XIV Early Morning at Ruatha Hold / Midday at Benden Weyr
- XV Evening at Benden Weyr: Impression Banquet
- XVI Evening at Benden Weyr / Later Evening at Fort Weyr
- VOLUME III: THE WHITE DRAGON
- 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
- Dragondex
- Other Books by Anne McCaffrey
- To learn more about other great titles from Ballantine Books . . .
- Copyright
“How do we know that?” Lessa caught him up sharply, too delighted with many aspects of this project to give it up easily. “The Records don’t mention the Southern Continent, true, but they omit a great deal. How do we know it isn’t green again in the four hundred Turns since the Threads last spun? We do know that Threads can’t last long unless there is something organic on which to feed and that once they’ve devoured all, they dry up and blow away.”
F’lar looked at her admiringly. “Now, why hasn’t someone wondered about that before?”
“Too hidebound.” Lessa wagged her finger at him. “Besides, there’s been no need to bother with it.”
“Necessity—or is it jealousy?—hatches many a tough shell.” There was a smile of pure malice on his face, and Lessa whirled away as he reached for her.
“The good of the Weyr,” she retorted.
“Furthermore, I’ll send you along with F’nor tomorrow to look. Only fair, since it is your idea.”
Lessa stood still. “You’re not going?”
“I feel confident I can leave this project in your very capable, interested hands.” He laughed and caught her against his uninjured side, smiling down at her, his eyes glowing. “I must play ruthless Weyrleader and keep the Hold Lords from slamming shut their Inner Doors. And I’m hoping”—he raised his head, frowning slightly—“one of the Craftmasters may know the solution to the third problem—getting rid of Thread burrows.”
“But...”
“The trip will give Ramoth something to stop her fuming.” He pressed the girl’s slender body more closely to him, his full attention at last on her odd, delicate face. “Lessa, you are my fourth problem.” He bent to kiss her.
At the sound of hurried steps in the passageway, F’lar scowled irritably, releasing her.
“At this hour?” he muttered, ready to reprove the intruder scathingly. “Who goes there?”
“F’lar?” It was F’nor’s voice, anxious, hoarse.
The look on F’lar’s face told Lessa that not even his half brother would be spared a reprimand, and it pleased her irrationally. But the moment F’nor burst into the room, both Weyrleader and Weyrwoman were stunned silent. There was something subtly wrong with the brown rider. And as the man blurted out his incoherent message, the difference suddenly registered in Lessa’s mind. He was tanned! He wore no bandages and hadn’t the slightest trace of the Thread-mark along his cheek that she had tended this evening!
“F’lar, it’s not working out! You can’t be alive in two times at once!” F’nor was exclaiming distractedly. He staggered against the wall, grabbing the sheer rock to hold himself upright. There were deep circles under his eyes, visible despite the tan. “I don’t know how much longer we can last like this. We’re all affected. Some days not as badly as others.”