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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?

F’lessan nodded, his smile still in place. “We have the Yoko in its permanent orbit. It has the southern array of weather stations reporting to it. I often wondered why there wasn’t a northern one.”

“Perhaps because the southern continent was chosen, having the larger landmass and more temperate weather,” Lytol suggested.

Erragon held up one hand. “Now don’t tell me there are plans in Aivas records for weather satellites.”

“There are,” Lytol said.

“I was thinking of them more as links between the observatories,” F’lessan put in, “which you know we’ll need if we’re to do a proper job of sky-watching.”

With an exclamation of confused aggravation, Erragon rocked back on his chair, looking from Lytol to F’lessan to Tai, hoping for more explanation.

“Doesn’t young Jaxom boast that his Ruth always knows where and when he is?” Wansor asked, twiddling his fingers as the tension in the room increased.

“Even in space?” Erragon’s baritone voice rose to tenor levels in surprise.

“Well, not today, or even by the time the Western Telescope is lit,” F’lessan said, “but we evidently have a way of putting objects up!” He pointed skyward. “Of course, it will take practice. Maybe,” and he threw this out with a gleam of mischief in his eyes, “there is a prosaic use for this draconic ability—apart from defending themselves against felines.”

“May we never have to do that again!” Tai said fervently. Outside, in the cove, three dragons echoed the sentiment.

“Meanwhile,” F’lessan said briskly, gathering up the reports and prints that Erragon wanted them to study, “we have much to occupy us. Studying for our Mastery,” and he gave Tai a sly glance, “and altering our ways. We must do as much as we can to make Pern fair up to our means, to make it the world our Ancestors hoped to create.”

He felt his chest fill with determination to succeed in his new tasks. He could feel tears coming to his eyes as he held out his hand to Tai. She rose, inclining her body toward him, her eyes shining, too. He saw Lytol’s face light up so that he seemed younger and more vital than ever. D’ram and Erragon got to their feet, while Master Wansor beamed benignly around the table.

The dragons continued to bugle and, in his head, F’lessan was certain that their call reverberated through every Weyr on the planet. He had the dragons’ support.

“Whatever we have to do, we shall,” he said in a choked voice. “There will always be dragons in the skies of Pern!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR