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Back The Skies of Pern
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?

“Binness, wake up and listen!” F’lessan said. “When that thing hits the ocean,” and he pointed to the bit of the fireball still visible on the horizon, “the biggest wave you ever had nightmares about is going to come straight to this bay. There’s no Ring island in its way to break its crest and this holding is going to be drowned!” He scissored both hands together to indicate the totality of the disaster. He caught sight of his watch, visible as his jacket cuff pulled up. “In one minute, that fireball hits the ocean. You might be able to see the cloud of steam that the impact creates!” Again he pointed northward.

“It’s gone!” a woman cried, flagging her hand in a pathetic farewell to the novelty the fireball had presented to an isolated community.

F’lessan closed his eyes at the waste of time. Two hours to move over a hundred people, and whatever possessions they could grab, and he hadn’t even managed to get them to see the gravity of their peril.

“You’ve a far-seer,” he shouted, abruptly noticing the one slung in a holster at Binness’s side. “Take a good look!”

Binness did use the glass, more as an accommodation to the dragonrider’s whim than because he expected to see anything. It took him more precious time to focus the instrument. Only because F’lessan knew exactly in which direction to look did he see the top of the rising cloud.

“Sompin’s there, Binness,” one of the net-bearers said. “He’s right about that. You know my far-sight’s good.”

“Yeyah,” Binness grudgingly admitted. “Probably a storm.” He collapsed the telescope and returned it to its keeper.

“Dolphins was warning us then,” another fisherman put in his opinion.

“Why … will … you … not … believe … me?” F’lessan demanded, spacing his words as he sensed the passage of such valuable time. “Pack your belongings! We’ll convey children, your aunties and uncles first.”

The reaction of the women was to hug their children to their legs, suddenly frightened of his presence. F’lessan struggled to control his aggravation. Didn’t they trust dragonriders? T’gellan was a good Weyrleader.

“Look, spread out that fishnet,” he said, pointing to the nearest man with one draped across his shoulder. “That will carry a lot.”

“Ever had a ride a-dragonback?” C’reel asked, hunkering down by the youngster who had seen the dolphins.

F’lessan kept checking his watch. Maybe he’d just have to wait for the shock wave to hit to prove that an emergency existed. Being nearer the point of impact, this Seahold would feel it a lot sooner and harder here. It’d be seismic, wouldn’t it, traveling ten times faster than sound along the rock of the seabed. They’d feel it, then hear it!