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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?

“I suppose we’ll need time to wind down,” he said, coming up behind her. “Sorry,” he added as she whirled around, spilling some of her wine. “Don’t waste it.”

“You startled me.”

“So I see. Again, my apologies.”

She flicked her hand in dismissal and seemed hesitant.

“So you noticed it, too,” he said, gesturing to the northeast where a silvery glow arched in the general direction of Monaco.

She sighed and then looked up, where the light from other stars was undiminished.

“Yes, but Rigel’s still there.” She pointed at the first magnitude star above them.

“Hard to miss,” he said, laughing softly. “And Betelgeuse,” he said, subtly testing her knowledge of the southern night sky. She looked in the appropriate direction and he chuckled.

“Also Acrux, and Becrux,” she quickly added, taking up his challenge. “The one forty degrees away is Gacrux. Erragon said there was a fourth star in what the Ancients called the Southern Cross but you can’t find it with the naked eye.”

“I’ll match those with Shaula and Antares,” and he lightly touched her shoulder to turn her toward Adhara.

“I am glad that you retained Honshu’s old name,” she said softly, her voice rough with fatigue. “I think it is honorable that we use the names the Ancients had for their places, and their stars.”

“Why not? They brought the names with them. The stars haven’t moved that much and there are bright ones in our skies that the Ancients saw from old Earth only as dim ones.”

“It isn’t the stars we have to worry about,” Tai said, her voice as weary as the sudden slump in her shoulders.

“No, it isn’t,” he agreed tiredly, “but it’s good to see they don’t change. I’ve a pair of binoculars, you know, if you’d like to use them tomorrow night.”

“You do?” Excitement briefly sparkled in tired eyes and then she sighed. “Tomorrow, if you’d trust me with them. They’re … hard to come by.”

F’lessan managed a wry grin. “I’ve known Piemur and Jancis a long time, you see, so I snuck to the top of the list. Besides, they’re very keen to get the Honshu instrument working. A bit of extortion!”

“Extortion?” That startled her.

“It’s all friendly. A dare and challenge situation,” he assured her. “Tomorrow night then. We both need the sleep tonight.” He put his hand lightly on the small of her back and gave a push.

Quietly they left the upper terrace and separated in the hall inside. For this one night, fire-lizards would stand watch. F’lessan shared his room with the last to arrive: T’lion, bronze Gadareth’s rider, and his brother, K’drin, brown Buleth’s rider. Fortunately, neither snored.

Part 3


AFTERMATH

Honshu—1.10.31

F’lessan found himself awake at Benden’s usual dawn hour though night lingered at Honshu.