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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?

Golanth went between and came out again, circling, skimming the brilliantly turquoise and blue sea. Dolphins immediately tail-danced to greet him, squeeing their welcome. He was as well known as Ruth was to the various pods along the southern continent. Golanth swung shoreward until F’lessan saw the swimmer: a black spot in the sea.

Swimming is good for aches, Golanth remarked.

“Quite likely,” F’lessan replied with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

The swimmer was Tai. She seemed to be treading water as they overflew her.

“Come in!” F’lessan yelled through cupped hands. Then he pointed to the shore.

Craning his neck backward, he saw that dolphins accompanied her. Well, maybe she wasn’t being so reckless, then.

Yes, she swims with Natua and her new calf.

Were you listening then, last night? He never knew when Golanth was. Last night seemed a very long time ago.

I like dolphins. Flo is with them. And here come others from the pod.

Close to land now, F’lessan could see Zaranth sitting upright on the shore, watching her rider. Golanth landed, dipping his head politely to the big green and managing deftly not to churn sand onto her. Draped on Zaranth’s neck ridge were a towel, a shirt, and shorts. F’lessan slipped off Golanth’s back and took a moment to shuck off his flying gear, wishing he could strip and swim.

You could, you know.

Golanth! F’lessan should have grown accustomed to his dragon’s teasing.

Then he saw Tai limping out of the water and, grabbing the towel from Zaranth’s back, he jogged down to the edge of the sea. Only because he knew that his flying boots would take a long time to dry did he resist the impulse to continue into the water. Her body, legs, and arms were covered by bruises. Persellan had done a neat repair of the gash on her right cheekbone.

“What’s wrong, F’lessan?” she asked anxiously, splashing the rest of the way.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, looking but not looking—as was polite—at her long lean figure and her long, lovely legs.

“Admiring Natua’s calf,” she answered tartly, taking the towel from his hand and wrapping it about her. “There he is.” She pointed to the dolphin heads, large and small, bobbing as they watched her safely landed. “Salt water’s good for wounds, you know.”

“And washed off all the numbweed.” He reached for his belt pouch. He had seen her wince when the towel rubbed against one of the contusions.

“I brought some with me,” she said, pointing to her clothes.

“And I suppose Zaranth can apply it?” He gestured to the bruises running down her back.

“Why are you angry with me?”

F’lessan let his breath go out in one exasperated sigh and glanced around him, looking for a good answer. Even the right one.

“I’m sorry. I was worried.”