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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?

The door opened to admit Haligon, followed by the prisoner, propelled into the room by two guards. No longer in bogus Healer green, he was clad in a patched shirt and too-short trousers from which his hairy legs protruded. His feet were bare and his lank hair was still damp. His expression was both arrogant and sour, expecting the worst and prepared for it. When Batim realized who was present, he twitched his shoulders defiantly and strutted right up to the table. Involuntarily, his eyes darted to the bread, cheese, and fruit on the table and he licked thin, dry lips

“I want my clothes. I demand my rights,” Batim said without preamble.

“Sorry about the clothes, Father,” Haligon said, clicking his tongue apologetically. “I really couldn’t present him in what he was wearing. Beyond cleansing.”

“I have my rights,” Batim repeated.

“Which do not,”—Groghe’s fist came down hard on the table, bouncing plates and glasses—“include destroying the Healer Hall.”

“Abominations! We destroyed abominations! I have rights.”

“Not in my Hold you don’t!”

“What is your Hold?” Lessa demanded, almost idly.

“If any would claim you,” Groghe continued contemptuously. “We know you came down from Crom.”

Batim twitched a lip derisively.

“Sometimes it’s what’s not said that speaks for itself,” Sebell remarked across the table to Lessa, who shrugged indifferently.

Batim glared at the Harper, who took a sip of wine, ostentatiously savoring the taste in his mouth before swallowing.

“Holdless then, are you?” Groghe remarked. “Viscula left a Crom hill hold to follow you, didn’t she? Minsom, Galter, and Lechi are Bitran. They’re often so gullible, those Bitrans.” He gave a pitying shake of his head. “Small wonder Zalla has such a great fear of tunnel snakes, coming from Igen Caverns. Bagalla, Vikling, and Palol—” He stopped naming the other prisoners as the sneer on Batim’s face deepened. Leader he might have been, but he had no loyalty to those who followed him. That also was information—of a sort. “Ah, well, not that that matters. They chose to follow you.”

F’lar pushed back his chair, impatiently cutting through the air with one hand. “This is such a waste of time, Groghe. Do let me take him for a short dragon ride. If between doesn’t loosen his tongue, I’ll just leave him there and that’s the end of the matter.”

That startled the prisoner. Master Crivellan stared in shocked astonishment at the Benden Weyrleader.

“Why bother Mnementh, F’lar?” Jaxom commented, flicking an indolent hand. “When we’ll know by morning where those Runner messages originated?”

“Runners don’t talk,” Batim protested.