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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?

“Let the MasterPrinter pass. He’s just the man to explain all this,” cried Arminet in his equally loud deep bass voice.

People stepped on each other to get out of Tagetarl’s way but almost everyone asked “The Fireball? Do you know about the Fireball?” as he passed them.

Tagetarl held the package over his head, waving it. “It’s all in here.” He almost stumbled when he saw Pinch duck to one side. Trust that one to be in the thick of things. “Stationmaster Arminet, I’ve been asked by the signatories of this message to request Runners to pass these along inland. Sweepriders are warning coastal areas. I’ll pay any charges you think fair.”

“Ha! You know we carry community messages free, Master Tagetarl,” Arminet said, his bass voice rumbling with sardonic amusement. “What does it say?”

Tagetarl began to recite the text of the message as he eased through the crowded room to hand the packet to Arminet. The Stationmaster was besieged by those who wanted their own copy. Tagetarl stopped talking, so as not to interrupt the concentration of those who had difficulty reading the smaller print below the banner headline.

“Then Aivas prevented disaster?” Someone in the crowd said, doubtless Pinch, Tagetarl suspected, though the voice was muffled.

“And what are the Abominators saying?” Tagetarl demanded, hands on his belt, glaring around.

“That Aivas caused it, with all its meddling with the Red Star. And dragonriders let it pass. It was seen from Telgar, y’know,” a man shouted.

“And Benden!” a soprano cried.

“Benden and Landing acted!” Tagetarl responded sharply. “More than any Abominator did. I expect I’ll have more news later. I’ll publish as I receive. I stopped here first to start spreading truth.”

“I’ll see these go out with every packet,” Arminet had to raise his voice again above the cries for copies.

Pinch did not follow Tagetarl out but he would probably be one of the first to spread the news where it would do the most good. Or thwart rumor quickest!

When Tagetarl got back to the Hall, he was surprised to see a crowd of people, all wanting their own copy of the newssheet. Rosheen and the two apprentices were handing them out as fast as they could. Tagetarl saw some far too curious folk circling by the shelves where he kept galley pages of work waiting for approval.

“You, there, wait your turn. Come up front,” he called, gesturing authoritatively for them to stop wandering about the print shop. “You’ve no business back there.” He went to supervise their departure and decided maybe he could do a second run of the sheet. Get people to rely on the printed word and he’d get new customers for the books and manuals he kept in stock.

Later, on an unusually bright evening at Landing, Sunrise Cliff, and Honshu Hold—1.9.31