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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?

Lytol bowed his scarred face in acknowledgment of F’lessan’s tacit allusion to the fact that he would never again fly a fighting wing.

“Perhaps you should consider spending the Nine Fall here at Cove Hold with us, bronze rider,” Lytol said.

“I shall hope to be able to land more gracefully by then,” F’lessan replied with a self-deprecating grin.

“Practice, I believe,” Lytol murmured, his eyes alive with understanding and compassion, “always improves performance.”

“I will, however,” and F’lessan paused, “need to pursue another future for myself and my dragon.”

“Well, you’ve already proved that you can be useful as a star-watcher,” Master Wansor blurted out. “You don’t need a dragon for that.” His plump hand covered his mouth as he realized what he had said. “I mean, you still have Golanth, even if he …”

“Even if he is battered,” F’lessan finished for him. “So, I entreat you, Master Wansor, Master Erragon, to allow me to study astronomy so that Honshu can become fully operational as the second Pern observatory.”

“Oh, dear, there never has been a dragonrider astronomer,” Wansor said, and then beamed in F’lessan’s direction. “But then there wasn’t even a StarSmith until very recently.”

“Tai’s already trained to near journeywoman status,” F’lessan said, laying his hand on hers. “Isn’t she, Erragon?”

“She is, indeed,” Erragon agreed with hearty approval.

“We work well as a team,” F’lessan hurried on, “and she’ll need a profession, too, when Threadfall stops.”

“True, very true,” Erragon said enthusiastically, slapping his hands on his knees in emphasis. “Hope you’ll be the first of many.” Then, in an abrupt change of mood, he said, “Do tell us, F’lessan, how did you and Golanth get here today?”

“I was wondering when someone would ask,” F’lessan replied.

“This new ability that the Weyrleaders mentioned in Council? Something …” Erragon clicked his fingers, impatient with his memory lapse. “… about the ability Aivas perceived in dragons that has some bearing on averting future dangers?”

“Given that dragonriders are apparently responsible for what falls out of the sky,” F’lessan said with a touch of irony, “yes, it bears directly on that, and on my very keen interest in astronomy.”

“What? What is it?” Erragon prompted.

“Actually you all witnessed a demonstration of that ability on my arrival.”

Erragon, Wansor, and D’ram regarded him without comprehension, but a smile eased across Lytol’s seamed face and he nodded.

“I thought so.” When the grinning F’lessan gestured for him to continue, he did. “Consider, my friends, that Golanth sustained terrible injuries to eye and wing. I do not think Golanth could have launched himself from even the topmost terrace of Honshu to gain sufficient height to go between. Also, he arrives in the company of five other dragons. He falters in landing and is righted—without any use of that damaged wing. The other dragons assisted him. Correct?”