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Back The Skies of Pern
Chapters (64)
  1. Other titles by Anne McCaffrey Published 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 on your reading list?

“Just think what we could see and understand about the cosmos,” F’lessan said, his eyes bright with such a visionary gleam that Lessa regarded the bronze rider with admiration, “if we had more observatories and people trained to watch.”

G’dened grunted, unimpressed, flicking his fingers at the beautiful starscapes, and glared at F’lessan. “You said those were far, far away. Isn’t it the nearby stuff you’re supposed to be watching?”

“Oh, we do more of that.” F’lessan splayed out another set of prints in front of the Oldtimer.

G’dened recoiled suspiciously. “Looks like a bug-eaten tuber.” He picked up one, studied it briefly before discarding it contemptuously. “More holes than reef rock.”

“Ah,” and F’lessan waggled a finger at him. “Those asteroids are not far enough away. What looks bug-eaten is where other flying bits have made craters in the surface. Or where gases that were once in the asteroid blew out.” Then F’lessan added, “The first one is ten kilometers long and the holey one is fifty. It’s big enough to blow Pern apart.”

G’dened swallowed, slowly turning his eyes to Erragon who nodded solemn affirmation.

“That’s the whole point of tonight’s meeting,” Wansor said, “to establish a sky watch and train those who will keep their eyes on asteroids like that.”

“There’re only four scopes in the Catherine Caves,” Lessa said, and wondered if they would be enough.

“Which,” and F’lessan jumped to his feet, “makes me wonder if perhaps the Ancients hadn’t planned to set up a sky watch of their own before Thread changed all their options.”

“That has often occurred to me,” Wansor said, nodding his round head thoughtfully. “And why there is no northern array. Though, of course, the Ancients had settled on the southern continent so they wouldn’t have needed a northern array for many Turns.”

“A northern array would have warned us of that storm,” G’dened remarked sourly.

“Will four more scopes be sufficient?” K’van asked.

“It doesn’t even take a large scope for night-watching, K’van,” Erragon replied reassuringly. “Master Jancis has been making binoculars that many,” and he turned to Jaxom, who nodded, “have been utilizing.”

“All watch-riders use them and all of us have done our watches on Weyr Rims,” N’ton added, glancing around for confirmation from the other Weyrleaders. “I think I can still name all the bright stars.”

“Sadly, it’s not the bright ones we have to watch, N’ton,” Wansor said, “but they are important to recognize, to give the positions of the ones we must chart and register.”

“It’s also a very big sky, F’lessan,” K’van remarked.

“Which is why it is such a very good idea for more dragonriders to learn how to watch it,” F’lessan said, giving K’van the Southern Weyrleader, a challenge. “You’ve an admirable situation down there on the heights in your new Weyr.”

“It’s the sort of thing you young riders should do,” G’dened said emphatically. Then he realized what he’d said. “You may be sure I’ll encourage my riders.”