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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?

“K’van, Adrea, M’ling, N’bil, S’dra, H’redan,” the Weyrleader said, also lighting his face and flashing it at his companions as he named them.

“Idarolan and Sintary,” the Harper said in turn.

“Bringing an urgent message to Lord Toric from Landing,” F’nor said.

“A very urgent and very important message,” Idarolan said, stepping forward in a purposeful manner, “and you had best guide us to him immediately.”

“It’s the middle of the night!” was the protest.

“Since when has the middle of the night been free of trouble!” Idarolan did not pause in his stride and the guard gave ground.

“You sound like Idarolan,” he said dubiously.

“If you don’t know your Weyrleader by sight,” Sintary remarked acidly, “you’re in a lot of trouble.”

“This way, Master Harper, Weyrleader K’van. This way.” They were going past the large square when he made one more remark. “You’ve got to wake him, not me!”

F’nor wasn’t the only one who chuckled.

Luckily, it was Ramala who answered their summons, holding up a glowbasket to identify the visitors.

“Bad news?” she asked, leading them to the main hall.

“Perhaps not as bad for Southern as it is for others,” Idarolan remarked which made her stop and regard him speculatively in the dimly lit hall. “If you would be good enough to wake Toric?”

“Yes, it had better be me,” she said and waved them to chairs as she opened the nearest glowbaskets.

She disappeared on her errand and, because they were listening, they heard Toric’s muffled shout of protest. Then she came back, nodded at them and said, if they wouldn’t mind opening more lights, she would get fresh klah.

“Or wine, if you feel that would suit better.”

“Both,” F’nor said bluntly. He could use a glass of wine right now. Breakfast at Benden seemed to have been a long time ago despite the food that had been served during the emergency meeting at Landing.

Sintary and two of the bronze riders opened only sufficient glowbaskets to light the front part of the big hall. They had taken seats at one end of the long table when they heard the scrape of sandals on stone. Idarolan grinned, arranging his papers on the table, preparatory to an argument with Toric.

Shirt open, drawstring shorts rucked at one hip, the Lord Holder swung into the room, scowling, and the scowl deepened as he paused on the threshold, regarding those awaiting him.

“What the shards is the matter now? This can’t constitute a Council!”

“A fireball impacted in the Eastern sea at approximately twelve hours twenty minutes Landing time,” F’nor said bluntly.

“The impact of what we believe is a cometary fragment has created tsunamis,” Idarolan said. “You will remember what happened when that volcano Piemur discovered erupted.”

Toric’s eyes rounded, thick sun-bleached eyebrows turning his scowl into an expression of unpleasant surprise.