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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?

“As you can see, it’s a fine Benden red,” and the wineman turned the tag for Tagetarl to read.

“Yes, indeed, it is,” and Tagetarl was impressed. “A ’forty-two! Excellent vintage. I shall enjoy that. Whose health do I drink tonight since the donor’s message is overdue?”

“Why, the Lord Holder’s, of course,” the man replied easily.

Tagetarl beckoned for the drudge to put his broom down. “You there, take this into the kitchen and we’ll all drink the health of the Lord Holder tonight. I expect he must be pleased with my latest publications,” he added mendaciously.

“Cellar to cellar is our boast. I’ll take it in myself. Wine needs to be handled carefully.” The wineman held an arm up to discourage assistance.

“Very good of you, I’m sure,” Tagetarl said, sternly motioning the drudge to obey, ensuring that the wineman wouldn’t enter the hold. “I see you’ve other skins. Would you happen to have a Benden white among them, of a good vintage?” He stepped forward to look at the labels hung from the neck of the skins in the cart.

“No,” and now the false wineman intercepted Tagetarl—every bit as good as a Gather play, Tagetarl thought, experiencing a flash of amusement and stepping back. “Nothing as good as what I’m delivering to you now.”

With unexpected agility, the drudge had deftly got under the wineskin to slip it to his shoulder in a way that would not muddle the wine unnecessarily and, straightening, carried it to the steps and up into the Hall. There was an unmistakable air of disappointment on the wineman’s face. Wanted to have a good look inside, had he? Tagetarl thought.

“Too bad,” Tagetarl said heartily. “Had some marks to spend.” He gripped the weaver circles tightly in his hand. “Do stop by again if you should have a good white ’forty-five,” and maliciously Tagetarl named what he knew had been an inferior year.

“Good choice, Master-ah-Printer.”

Tagetarl escorted him to the outer gate in firm dismissal and watched him push his cart away, up the hill. He sprinted back to the hold then, to see what Pinch—if that had been him under the rags—had done with the wineskin. He was not in the kitchen, which was as well since he could see that Rosheen was busy getting supper. She’d’ve wanted to know where they had acquired a dirty drudge as well as a wineskin. Hearing footsteps echo on the steps down to the under-cellar, Tagetarl followed. When he reached that level, the wineskin had been deposited into one of the flint laundry sinks and the drudge was unwinding his holey tunic and reaching into a belt pouch.

“Carefully pour out a measure, Tag,” Pinch said, drawing out a small vial which Tagetarl knew contained one of those invaluable powders that most long-distance travelers carried to check the potability of stream water.