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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?

“Is all this serious?” Lessa asked, taking the seat and noting a bewildering amount of information scrolling down one side of the monitor. The fireball that had seemed almost directly overhead was now coming straight at them, even from Yoko’s altitude above the surface.

“It could be,” Wansor said. “Erragon is watching with Stinar—and, of course, we now have you here.” He smiled. “Do go on, Lytol. Any new information on that error ellipse?”

“Some of this will be very technical, Lessa,” Lytol said courteously, reseating himself before he leaned close to Wansor to describe the scene and recite the numbers that were flowing down the side of the monitor.

Beside her, F’lar gave it his attention, though he, too, she noticed, scowled subtly; the complicated astronomical data was beyond him. Someone brought in a tray of klah and meatrolls and, eyeing the screen warily, departed as quickly as possible. There was a degree of fear in the girl’s manner that troubled Lessa. She was accustomed to listen to her instincts. As she served D’ram a cup of klah, she bent close to his ear.

“What would happen if that fireball came down anywhere?”

Clearly that possibility had occurred to the old bronze rider.

“It could be a miss,” he whispered softly.

“A near one?” Lessa said, hazarding her opinion.

“We can hope so,” he replied, shifting his position in his chair. “Yoko hasn’t displayed any information about its size, but it’s clearly a large object.”

“Flaming,” she said sardonically. “So it will make a large hole and shake the surface.”

D’ram gave her a startled glance. “We don’t know that it will impact, Lady Lessa.”

“Let’s think of the worst that could happen and then we can be pleasantly surprised.”

“Fortunately there’s a lot of sea for it to cross,” he murmured.

“Then it’s best if it falls into water and does no harm.”

His eyes widened. “It will cause harm! If it falls, there will be tidal waves of tremendous force, flooding all low coastal areas and surging inland. You remember the high waves caused by the last eruption of Piemur’s volcano?”

“Indeed, but the hurricane of two Turns ago caused a great deal more havoc.”

D’ram thinned his lips. “This would cause more widespread damage, believe me. That is,” he amended hastily, “if the worst should happen.” He paused, frowning and twisting his lower lip between two fingers. Looking her full in the eyes, he added. “But if we know about it, we could prepare, evacuate.”

“We—meaning dragonriders?”

He nodded quickly. “People could be lifted to higher ground before the wall of waves reaches them.”