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Chapters (64)
  1. Other titles by Anne McCaffreyPublished by Ballantine Books:
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. INTRODUCTION
  8. PROLOGUE
  9. At a Gather—6.15.30
  10. Part 1
  11. Turnover at Landing—1.1.31 Present Pass Aivas—Aivas Adjusted Turn 2553
  12. Benden Weyr—1.1.31
  13. Southern Hold—1.1.31
  14. Healer Hall—1.1.31
  15. Back at Landing—1.2.31
  16. Fort Hold—late night—1.1.31
  17. Fort Hold Runner Station—1.2.31
  18. Keroon Printer Hall—1.3.31
  19. Benden Weyr—midday—1.3.31
  20. Monaco Bay Weyr—five days later—1.8.31
  21. Part 2
  22. Ruatha Hold—local time 12:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  23. Telgar Weyr—local time 4:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  24. Benden Weyr—local time 6:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  25. Harper Hall—local time 1:00 in the morning—1.9.31
  26. Landing—local time 10:12 mid-morning—1.9.31
  27. In the Conference Room at Landing—1.9.31
  28. Monaco Weyr—10:22 in the morning—Timing it
  29. In the Conference Room at Landing—local time 1:10–1.9.31
  30. Sunrise Cliff Seahold—timed-back
  31. In the Conference Room—local time 2:12 at Landing—1.9.31
  32. Back at Landing—local time—3:40
  33. Harper Hall—5:00 in the morning, and Southern Hold—2:00 in the morning–1.9.31
  34. Landing—late afternoon—1.9.31
  35. Same time at Keroon Printer Hall—local time 11:15—1.9.31
  36. Later, on an unusually bright evening at Landing, Sunrise Cliff, and Honshu Hold—1.9.31
  37. Part 3
  38. Honshu—1.10.31
  39. Circle Runner Station—1.18.31
  40. Harper Hall
  41. Benden Weyr—
  42. Benini Hold—east Monaco and Honshu—1.20.31
  43. Harper Hall—1.28.31
  44. Honshu Hold—2.1.31
  45. Fort Hold—2.13.31
  46. Printer Hall at Wide Bay—same night
  47. Honshu Hold—2.9.31
  48. Night at Wide Bay—2.9.31
  49. Ruatha Hold—late evening—2.9.31
  50. Core Hold—two days before Council Meeting—2.26.31
  51. Part 4
  52. Honshu Weyrhold—2.26–27.31
  53. Council Meeting at Telgar Hold—3.1.31
  54. Honshu Weyrhold—3.01.31
  55. Interim at Benden and elsewhere
  56. Honshu Weyrhold—time passing slowly
  57. Landing—3.21.31
  58. Honshu Weyrhold—3.21.31
  59. Southern Hold—3.23.31
  60. Honshu Weyrhold—3.27.31
  61. Benden Weyr—3.27.31
  62. Cove Hold—same day, same approximate time
  63. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

“But what do we do first?” Mirrim demanded in a scared voice.

“Monarth’s bespeaking Talina’s Arwith. I’ve told her to take four wings at once to Monaco Bay, to warn Portmaster Zewe and to start moving people to safety.”

“The dolphins will be safe?” Tai asked.

Mirrim shot her a furious look. “We have to think about the Weyr. It’s spread out all over!” Despair made her flush. “So many people.”

“The dolphins will know what to do,” F’lessan said, taking a firmer grip on Tai’s arm, hurrying her along. “If we can time it,” and he couldn’t resist grinning at the permission, “we will make the time we need.”

“But our Weyr’s no more than fifty meters from the sea,” and Mirrim’s voice rose with anxiety, her face pale under her tan. “On low-lying ground.”

“Weyrfolk are a lot better at taking orders than holders or crafters,” Tai said, for once the one to reassure.

“And all those seaholders?” Mirrim gasped at the enormity of the task ahead of them.

“I’ve maps in my office of every holding that looks to Monaco,” T’gellan said as they strode, ever faster under the impetus of their anxieties, toward the back door. The guards at the front entrance were now shouting that there was an emergency: specialists to stand right, other volunteers muster to the left. Landing itself was completely safe here in the foothills. Except from the shock wave. When would that be hitting them? “We’ll warn them all.”

“How long ago did you leave?” F’lessan asked as T’gellan straight-armed the door open, holding it for the others to exit. “We can go back as soon as you’ve left. Get a bit of a head start.”

“I don’t know,” T’gellan said, startled. “When we finally made it into the office, Time Remaining stood at 4870. I remember that!”

“An hour and a half ago? As well as the time we wasted talking,” F’lessan said. Had so little time elapsed? And yet it had seemed so long—watching the stunning visuals as mere curiosity in a bright point in Benden’s morning sky turned into a planetary disaster at midday in Landing.

Ramoth says only bronze riders are to manage the timings, Golanth said, his tone awed.

T’gellan gave a sharp bark of laughter, glancing over his shoulder at the Benden Wingleader. “So which of us has more experience timing?”

“Not a point to argue,” F’lessan said. “Let’s do it. All we need are our dragons.”

There wasn’t enough room for four dragons, even if two were green, to land on the area outside the rear door, and the guard was goggle-eyed at the flurry of so many wings.