Chapters (64)
- Other titles by Anne McCaffreyPublished by Ballantine Books:
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- PROLOGUE
- At a Gather—6.15.30
- Part 1
- Turnover at Landing—1.1.31 Present Pass Aivas—Aivas Adjusted Turn 2553
- Benden Weyr—1.1.31
- Southern Hold—1.1.31
- Healer Hall—1.1.31
- Back at Landing—1.2.31
- Fort Hold—late night—1.1.31
- Fort Hold Runner Station—1.2.31
- Keroon Printer Hall—1.3.31
- Benden Weyr—midday—1.3.31
- Monaco Bay Weyr—five days later—1.8.31
- Part 2
- Ruatha Hold—local time 12:04 in the morning—1.9.31
- Telgar Weyr—local time 4:04 in the morning—1.9.31
- Benden Weyr—local time 6:04 in the morning—1.9.31
- Harper Hall—local time 1:00 in the morning—1.9.31
- Landing—local time 10:12 mid-morning—1.9.31
- In the Conference Room at Landing—1.9.31
- Monaco Weyr—10:22 in the morning—Timing it
- In the Conference Room at Landing—local time 1:10–1.9.31
- Sunrise Cliff Seahold—timed-back
- In the Conference Room—local time 2:12 at Landing—1.9.31
- Back at Landing—local time—3:40
- Harper Hall—5:00 in the morning, and Southern Hold—2:00 in the morning–1.9.31
- Landing—late afternoon—1.9.31
- Same time at Keroon Printer Hall—local time 11:15—1.9.31
- Later, on an unusually bright evening at Landing, Sunrise Cliff, and Honshu Hold—1.9.31
- Part 3
- Honshu—1.10.31
- Circle Runner Station—1.18.31
- Harper Hall
- Benden Weyr—
- Benini Hold—east Monaco and Honshu—1.20.31
- Harper Hall—1.28.31
- Honshu Hold—2.1.31
- Fort Hold—2.13.31
- Printer Hall at Wide Bay—same night
- Honshu Hold—2.9.31
- Night at Wide Bay—2.9.31
- Ruatha Hold—late evening—2.9.31
- Core Hold—two days before Council Meeting—2.26.31
- Part 4
- Honshu Weyrhold—2.26–27.31
- Council Meeting at Telgar Hold—3.1.31
- Honshu Weyrhold—3.01.31
- Interim at Benden and elsewhere
- Honshu Weyrhold—time passing slowly
- Landing—3.21.31
- Honshu Weyrhold—3.21.31
- Southern Hold—3.23.31
- Honshu Weyrhold—3.27.31
- Benden Weyr—3.27.31
- Cove Hold—same day, same approximate time
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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“I’m sure we’ve all heard that dragonriders should do something about anything that falls from the sky.” He let the various angry and resentful reactions to that peculiar assumption fade. “Ridiculous as that notion is, I think we all realize that that’s the first question the Council will put to us in two days’ time. Somehow that Fireball has become our fault.” He altered his voice, affecting a querulous tone. “ ‘Dragons can fly between. Can’t they just push rocks out of the way? Can’t they burn them out of the skies? Can’t they do something?’ ”
“Didn’t we do enough?” F’lessan said with a brittle edge to his voice that surprised Lessa. Then he shrugged and his expression altered to one of detached indifference as other bronze riders muttered about ingratitude and impossible demands.
“Dragonriders did more than enough,” said Lytol, the former Lord Warder of Ruatha, his craggy face fierce.
“Every Weyr performed magnificently,” D’ram added, prideful.
“In the time allotted,” Jaxom said, his expression very bland, turning his head ever so slightly toward Lessa. That sly remark subtly defused the unspoken resentment. Some even chuckled.
“I never understood quite how you accomplished as much as you did,” Wansor said in all innocence. But then his expression turned to respectful awe. “The miracles you managed! In the face of what could have been catastrophic. Why the Storm of ’Twenty-nine Present Pass was a shower in comparison!”
“Fortunately, we’re not considered responsible for the weather,” F’lar said satirically.
“Not yet,” G’dened added in a sour voice. Though Ista had been spared the full impact of the tsunami waves, the island had suffered badly from the hurricane.
“You know, there are those who feel we failed them in that storm, too,” G’narish said, shaking his head.
“This time we had sufficient warning,” K’van remarked, “before the winds made it impossible to fly.”
“Back to what you said, F’lar, it isn’t as if dragons could flame rocks in space,” N’ton said. “Dragons need oxygen to make fire.”
“Meteorites are moving too fast to be caught by dragons,” K’van added, “not to mention the fact that they’re so hot, mere dragon fire would have no effect whatsoever and be a total waste of time and effort.”
F’lar grinned broadly. “Other facts Lord Holders and Craftmasters tend to forget. Still, I’d like to take the initiative. We’ve been on the defensive since that sharding Fireball impacted.”
“You mean, there is something we can do?” G’dened demanded, sitting up straighter and glaring around the table.
“Oh, indeed,” Wansor said, smiling beneficently around the table. “My Craft hasn’t been idle a single moment. We have solid recommendations to make to the Council.”