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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?

Ramoth says we must come back to Benden, Golanth told him. The brown riders will visit your seaholders. They are Monaco’s people, not Benden’s.

F’lessan quietly gathered his clothing, hoping to have a chance to bathe and change, and left his room without waking the others. He took a quick shower; there’d be many people wanting one. He was glad he’d fixed the cisterns. As he padded down the stairs, past many sleepers, the pungent and irresistible odor of fresh klah told him someone else was awake. He heard voices, arguing quietly but intensely. Well, that was their problem, whoever it was. He needed klah.

He slid open the panel into the kitchen and nearly ducked out again when he saw that it was Mirrim and Tai who were bickering. Or rather, Mirrim was ranting at Tai, who kept saying “No, I didn’t,” “No, the children came first,” and “I don’t know how.”

Zaranth says, Golanth told him, that Mirrim thinks Tai deserted the Weyr’s children to save her skins.

Skins?

Her pelts from the Cardiff felines.

She saved the children. I sent you with her.

Zaranth says she got the skins.

How could she? F’lessan looked from Mirrim’s angry face to Tai’s pale one. You were with her. She came and went with you.

“Golanth says Zaranth was with him all the time, transporting children,” F’lessan said and strode across the counter to the huge urn of klah. He’d have a cup no matter what the argument was.

Mirrim whirled toward him. “She didn’t have the skins when she got to the Weyr. She did have them when she left.”

“I didn’t get them.”

She’s telling the truth, Golanth said.

“Golanth says Tai’s telling the truth, Mirrim, so leave her alone.”

“Then how did she get them?” Mirrim demanded.

“I didn’t!” Tai was taut with anger and frustration. “If I’d had time to get to my place, I’d’ve saved my books and notes. Not sharding pelts.”

“Pelts like that would have given you enough credit to buy new books,” Mirrim countered.

“Ahha, but not her notes, Mirrim. Golanth says she’s telling the truth. Now leave it!” F’lessan rarely spoke in such a tone. Mirrim gulped, and swallowed whatever she had been about to say. F’lessan used her silence to drink as much hot klah as he could. “Thanks, whoever brewed the klah.” He looked toward the pale, tense Tai and smiled, indicating he was certain she’d made the klah.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she murmured.

“And, if that doesn’t—” Mirrim began.

“I told you to leave it, Mirrim!” F’lessan took a menacing step toward Mirrim who unexpectedly gave ground. He saw the meatrolls on the counter behind Tai and, stepping around her, grabbed a handful. “Thanks, Tai. Besides which, Mirrim, I didn’t see the pelts on Zaranth’s saddle until Landing.”