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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?

Pinch’s weary face was wreathed in a smile. “Part of it, but I’m glad to know that the warning got through to the Harper Hall, too.” He looked over his shoulder and said in a louder voice, “It’s safe to come in now. There’s fresh klah. And,” he went on to the startled Tagetarl, “by the way, I suspect that when they decide to enter these premises for their subversive activities, they, too, will use the weaver’s roof. He’s listened to loom clacking so long he’s deafer than a shuttle.”

Pinch moved confidently to the wall cabinet and started hooking cup handles on the fingers of his left hand, gathering four more together with a clink in his right fingers. He placed all on the table as his companions solemnly entered one by one.

“Still, it’s wiser to let them use a known vulnerability and prepare. Oh, by the way, these are more of the promised ‘assistance.’ Don’t gawk, Tag. Pour the klah while I introduce them.”

Five young men and three girls filed in, packs on their shoulders, covered buckets in their hands, giving him a nod or a shy smile.

“Oh, leave the stuff on the landing or there won’t be anywhere to stand,” Pinch said, gesturing them to do so before he handed out the cups. Then he named them as he poured klah. Macy, Chenoa, Egara, Magalia, Fromelin, Torjus, Garrel, and Niness.

“Much obliged, Master.”

“Thank you, Master Tagetarl.”

“You’re very kind, Master.”

“Appreciate this.”

“Eight, Pinch?” Tagetarl said, automatically steadying cups as he filled them; trying to absorb the presence of the Harper and the assistance. Would there be enough klah left for him?

“Yes, that’s the number we figured it would take to paint all the wood you’ve got,” Pinch said with a weary sigh. He snagged a stool to set his backside on, gesturing for his followers to be easy. “For all that most of your Hall is made of good fieldstone, you’ve wood in your doors and floors and window frames. They’d burn just as easily as paper will.” Pinch raised his hand to soothe Tagetarl’s explosion. “So we have thoughtfully brought a fire-retardant. A coat of that’s to go on all your wooden surfaces between now and full daylight. Doesn’t smell either. Or won’t with all the stinks this close to the wharves. The stuff dries quickly, Piemur assures me, and since our Abominators would scarcely have delved that far into Aivas’s files to know such useful substances exist, it’ll help foil their plans.”

“It is the Abominators? You know what they plan?” Tagetarl exclaimed, nearly sloshing hot klah over Macy’s hand.

“We can make some pretty good guesses, based on what they’ve done before,” Pinch said condescendingly. Then his lips thinned with distaste.