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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?

Since it was nearly dawn in Benden, a good number of weyrfolk already breakfasting in the Lower Cavern were startled by the bugled alert. It coincided with Ramoth giving Lessa Willerth’s message from Telgar, so Lessa was on her feet, grabbing at F’lar’s tunic to drag him with her. Everyone else present scrambled to the Bowl after the Weyrleaders to see what was happening.

“Those aren’t Ghosts,” Lessa cried, coming to a stop so abruptly that F’lar had to sidestep. She could see what had alarmed the watchdragon: long flaring ribbons in the sky, almost directly above Benden. One large burst startled everyone, as if some smaller piece had broken off the bigger ball.

“No, they aren’t!” F’lar agreed, gazing up, his hands on his weyrmate’s arms, rubbing them to warm her.

Willerth didn’t say they were, Ramoth reminded her rider. Then she added, surprised, Ruth says there is something above Ruatha that Jaxom doesn’t think are Ghosts either.

By now every dragon in the Weyr was peering up at the manifestation, their eyes beginning to whirl with agitation, creating the effect of rings of vivid color around Benden’s inner walls. F’nor and F’lessan joined their Weyrleaders, peering up at the phenomenon just as more flares burst from it.

“All the shooting arrows”—Lessa gestured with her hands—“seem to come from the same source.”

“I’d like to know what source,” F’lessan said, scrubbing at his thick hair, an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

“You’re the one who studied astronomy,” F’lar remarked, turning his head slightly toward his son but not taking his eyes off the sprays of brilliant lights.

“Not something like that,” F’lessan said. “Though it could be a meteor coming through the atmosphere. We do get them.”

“Yes, Circle Runner Station never lets us forget!” F’nor murmured wryly.

“Do we have to worry about it falling on us?” Brekke asked, curling her hand over F’nor’s arm.

“Shouldn’t it be moving?” Lessa said, becoming a little nervous. “It seems to be hanging right over us.”

“I’d say that’s an illusion,” F’lessan replied, trying to sound reassuring. He caught F’lar’s cocked eyebrow and shrugged. “It’ll probably disappear in a few moments. Though the Ghosts usually travel from west to east. Noticeably.”

“They’re also paler,” Lessa said. “This one is getting brighter!” She shivered.

F’lar dropped his arms across her to provide more warmth in the wintry early morning light.

It is very high above us, Ramoth said, and it is getting brighter. She blinked the first protective lid across her eyes.

I agree. The winter Ghosts are higher still, bronze Mnementh added.

“Would the Yoko see it, do you think?” Lessa asked. “Or is it too far north for the sensors?”

Tiroth says that he takes four to Landing to see, Ramoth said, sounding surprised.