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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?

“That’s true enough,” Haligon agreed, though his father’s queen, Merga, having been exceedingly well trained by Menolly, had always proven reliable. “And no Runner has ever failed to bring messages through.” His thought went to Tenna, out on the frozen traces at the moment.

Torlo regarded him thoughtfully. “Nor will we ever.”

“So what is really bothering you, Stationmaster?”

“Those SmithCraftHall thingummies …” Torlo made a cradle of his fingers, scowling as he tried to find the exact word.

“The comm units?”

“Them! Seen one myself. People’ll be able to ‘talk’ to anyone. Won’t need Runners to take messages then.”

Relief made Haligon laugh. “No, Torlo. Can’t happen.”

“Why not?” Torlo’s sharp question was tinged with a belligerence he rarely displayed.

“Too expensive,” Haligon blurted the words through his laughter. “Simple as that. Takes Master Bassage and his Hall months to make the things. Have to get the elements from several other Halls. And they have a short range here in the north because there isn’t a satellite relay.”

“A what?”

“Like the Yoko to relay the signal. Healer Hall has to put up the relay for this part of the west and one up at Tillek, possibly a third at Telgar. Two in the east, I heard. They’d work better on the southern continent because of the Yoko, but with so many starting out holds and halls down there, it’ll be a long time before they have marks for that sort of gadget. My father will use Runners for a long time. He trusts you. For all he’s forward looking on many issues, he trusts people more than machines. No, Stationmaster, Runners’ll be necessary for as long—as long as they’ve legs to run with. They were the first Craft Fort Hold supported. Turns before the first Weyr was established. We’ll never not need you, Master Torlo.”

Torlo’s expression had cleared as Haligon enumerated the problems to be surmounted by the new technology.

“Aivas is like that, isn’t it? Shows how to do things better and that takes time all in itself. Perhaps that’s the best way. No need to have things when we don’t know we really need ’em.” Torlo rose, tactfully bringing their dialogue to an end.

As he got to his feet, Haligon wasn’t sure whether or not the Stationmaster had agreed to help the Hold.

“We support healers road and trace, Haligon,” Torlo said with an emphatic nod of his head as he escorted the young Lord across the big long-ceilinged room. “Those as hears will give a word to the wise to them as is too badly informed to know what’s what!”

“That’s what’s needed, Torlo.”

“Myself, or Tenna, will tell you.” The Stationmaster tipped two fingers in a salute, leaving Haligon no option but to leave.