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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?

Without looking down, Jaxom stepped onto the scarf. “Eight, nine, ten.” He counted off another five rapidly, swinging round as he followed the path of whatever was burning so bright. “Possibly just another cometary tail.”

“Has Thread ever fallen at night?” Sharra asked in a whisper.

Jaxom shrugged. “Too bad there’s no way I can reach Tippel at Crom. He’s nearly as dedicated a sky-watcher as Master Idarolan, and he’s got binoculars, too. Maybe he did see it.” Jaxom took another long look. “Think I’d better have Ruth bespeak D’ram’s Tiroth. Cove Hold should be informed. It’s early morning dawn there.”

He was talking to Ruth when the door behind them opened and Brand came out. The steward saw the long streaks in the sky and stood as transfixed by the sight as everyone else.

“How beautiful!” he said.

“Is, isn’t it?” Mickulin said, looking up as five separate glowing spikes flared out at once. With a jaunty set to his shoulders, he moved past the three in the doorway and returned to his post.

“Yes, it is,” Sharra agreed, by now overcoming her initial concern. She eased against Jaxom, who tightened his affectionate hold as he offered the binoculars to Brand.

“Did you note the time, Brand?”

“In passing, Jaxom,” the steward said, his attention on the sky. “Whatever it is …”

“Meteors, I suspect, if I remember my astronomy lessons from Aivas,” Jaxom said.

“They seem to be flying from east to west but—” Brand swiveled to follow another shower. “—are they likely to strike the ground?”

“Probably burn up in the atmosphere,” Jaxom said, almost regretfully.

Pretty, Ruth said from the courtyard. I have told Tiroth. He will tell D’ram, who is running around and very excited.

“Could be this is more widespread than it would seem,” Jaxom said. “Brand, keep an eye on it, will you? I think I’ll get dressed.”

“You can’t have been undressed,” Sharra said somewhat caustically, because she could see his legs encased in the same trousers that he had worn all day.

“Not completely.” He flicked his tunic away so she could see his bare chest. “I was waiting for you to get back. Were you able to repair Possil’s hand?”

“Thanks to Aivas, I was.”

“I may go on to Landing, love,” Jaxom said, “but you’d better get some sleep.”

“And you can do without?” she asked reproachfully as he guided her into the main Hall.

“You know me. I’ll rest when I find out what this is all about. If D’ram is running around at Cove Hold, then what we’re seeing is more than pretty shooting stars.”

Telgar Weyr—local time 4:04 in the morning—1.9.31