amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第104部分

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　　〃You　knew　about　this？〃　he　demanded　of　Tai；　recalling　her　whispered　reassurance　under　the　ramp。
　　〃Me？〃　she　was　affronted。　〃I'm　certainly　the　last　one　they'd　tell。　Zaranth　can't　keep　secrets　from　Golanth　or　you。〃
　　〃PUT　MY　DRAGON　DOWN！〃
　　It　doesn't　hurt；　Golanth　replied；　peering　down　at　his　rider；　as　he　was　supported　in　midair　by　the　other　dragons。　I'm　high　enough　to　go　between。
　　You　can't　go　between　without　your　rider；　Monarth　said　and　Golanth　began　to　descend。
　　Stop！　Golanth　cried　to　reduce　the　pressure　that　was　putting　him　back　down　on　the　terrace　stones。　That's　better。　Be　careful　of　me！　I'm　not　a　feline　to　be　tossed　about　any　old　way。　Shaking　his　head；　he　righted　himself　and　looked　around　for　F'lessan。　Why　can't　I　do　it　to　myself？
　　We　don't　know…yet！　Arwith　replied；　blinking　her　lids　with　puzzled　embarrassment。　Queens　were　supposed　to　know　everything。
　　〃We're　lucky　we've　got　this　far；〃　T'lion　shouted。　〃Get　aboard！〃
　　As　Golanth　crouched　to　allow　him　to　mount；　F'lessan　hesitated。
　　〃I'll　try　it　from　the　left；〃　he　said　and；　trying　to　disguise　his　limp；　hauled　himself　up　to　the　neck　ridge；　though　his　left　leg　hung　down　stiffly　straight。
　　Are　you　ready；　F'lessan？　Monarth　said。　This　time　we'll　lift　Golanth　high　enough　for　safe　passage　between。
　　Where？
　　Swimming。　We're　to　get　Golanth　in　the　water；　too；　Tai　said。
　　You're　expected　at　Cove　Hold　today；　Path　told　Golanth。　I　mean　swim　at　Cove　Hold；　too；　you　know；　he　replied。
　　And　Erragon　has　something　for　you　to　bring　back。　I　don't　think　he　needs　all　of　us；　you　know；　Path　added　in　an　aside　to　the　other　dragons。
　　Ramoth　says　we　are　not　to　take　chances　with　them；　Arwith　remarked。　Lift！
　　F'lessan；　once　again　in　the　air　astride　his　dragon；　felt　Golanth's　unmistakable　elation。　Within　that　joy　was　a　core　of　deep　fear　that　told　F'lessan　something　else：　as　he　had　been　hiding　his　fears　from　his　dragon；　Golanth　had　been　concealing　his　from　his　rider…clowning　up　and　down　the　ramp；　exhausting　them　both　so　they　could　neither　grieve　nor　think。　Then　he　was　aware　of　Zaranth　on　Golanth's　left　side。　Poised　to　lend　him　her　wing　if　needed？　Well；　he　would　certainly　choose　Zaranth　and　Tai　as　wing　riders。　Honshu　Hold　receded　behind　them　until　they　were　well　clear　of　it。　He　could　see　as　far　as　the　clump　of　holder　cots；　the　fields　they　had　cleared　for　crops；　the　river…and　the　terraces。
　　It　is　good；　and　Golanth　gave　a　sigh　of　relief；　craning　his　head　hard　left　to　make　up　for　his　impaired　vision。
　　Let's　go　to　Cove　Hold；　Golanth。　Bright　in　his　mind　were　the　blue　waters；　streaked　with　green　over　shallower　bits：　the　observatory　on　the　right。　Unconsciously　raising　his　arm　in　the　Wingleader's　mand；　he　brought　it　down　and　told　Golanth　to　go　between。
　　
BENDEN　WEYR…3。27。31
　　They　did　it！　Ramoth　jubilantly　told　her　rider。　Then　she　added　in　a　slightly　critical　tone；　Not　as　neat　a　landing　as　could　be　but；　under　the　circumstances；　it　was　well　done。　I　don't　think　that　five　dragons　were　needed　to　lift　Golanth。　Just　Mnementh　and　I　could　have　done　it。
　　Most　certainly；　Lessa　agreed　but　she　herself　was　smiling　with　relief。　But　the　Monacan　riders　needed　the　practice　and　so　many　offered；　that　it　might　well　require　five　to　control　each　other。
　　She　had　never　seen　the　ebullient　F'lessan　so　despairing　as　the　moment　he　finally　realized　that　Golanth　would　never　again　be　able　to　fly　Thread。　And；　by　that　disability；　he　could　no　longer　be　Wingleader。
　　She　thought　back　to　the　day　when　she　and　F'lar　had　been　overjoyed；　the　magical　moment　when　F'lessan　had　Impressed　Golanth　at　the　first　Hatching　he'd　been　old　enough　to　stand　as　candidate。　The　pair　had　been　unusually　well　matched　and　had；　almost　without　visible　effort；　succeeded　in　all　the　training　and　tests。　At　sixteen；　he'd　impudently　encouraged　Golanth　to　fly　a　female　when　the　mating　flight　of　a　junior　queen　had　been　opened　to　all　bronze　dragons。　The　same　Turn　had　seen　the　birth　of　his　first　child。　Two　Turns　later　he　had　been　made　Wingleader　of　a　newly　formed　wing…Benden　was　at　near　capacity　as　a　Weyr；　so　F'lar　could　take　a　chance　on　a　new　young　rider　assuming　a　full　wing。
　　The　Honshu　attack　had　been　a　near　thing；　even　though　both　F'lessan　and　Golanth　had　survived。　Riders　often　had　trouble　accepting　such　severe；　and　limiting；　injuries　to　themselves　or　their　dragons。　The　ones　who　were　not　strong　enough　in　character　and　resilience　to　deal　with　the　reality　would　just　go　between。　That　had　been　the　most　important　factor　to　the　Benden　Weyrleaders：　that　F'lessan；　once　he　understood　the　severity　of　Golanth's　crippling；　would　not　suicide。　Keita　had　dismissed　that　fear　instantly。　F'lessan　did　not　have　that　sort　of　personality。　Then　there　was　Tai　to　fort　him。　Frankly；　Lessa　had　not　foreseen　F'lessan　making　such　an　attachment　but　the　bination　had　lasted　well　past　mating；　and　Zaranth　was　as　supportive　of　the　bronze　as　her　rider　was　of　the　man。　Ramoth　had　kept　an　ear　open　for　Golanth　and　Zaranth　every　moment　of　the　crucial　period。　So；　Lessa　thought　privately；　had　F'lar　and　Mnementh。
　　Lessa　could　now　be　doubly　grateful　for　F'lessan's　keen　interest　in　Honshu　and　she'd　been　much　relieved　to　know　that　he　and　Tai　had　begun　to　pick　up　the　sky…watching　during　the　convalescence。　F'lessan　was　too　important…not　just　as　their　only　living　issue；　but　to　Pern。　How　he　had　given　heart　at　that　Weyrleaders　meeting！　When　she　herself　had　despaired　of　finding　a　solution　to　what　the　dragonriders　could　do　After；　her　one　child　had　supplied　a　direction。
　　She　gave　herself　a　little　shake；　reliving　that　moment　of　cold　terror　when　Ramoth　had　gone；　without　her　rider；　to　aid　Golanth　and　Zaranth。
　　〃That　moment　is　nearly　a　month　ago；〃　F'lar　said；　ing　from　behind　to　bend　and　embrace　her。　〃I　know　you　wanted　to　be　there；　but　Zaranth　is　a　Monaco　dragon　and　having　the　support　of　her　Weyr　is　as　important　as　learning　how　to　give　Golanth　just　enough　lift　to　get　airborne。　It's　not　as　if　we　aren't　getting　plenty　of　practice　in　telekinesis　lifting　those　telescope　ponents　for　Erragon。〃　He　hugged　her。　〃A　fine　control　you　and　Ramoth　have。〃
　　〃And　Mnementh's　potential　is　seemingly　unlimited；〃　she　said；　returning　a　sincere　pliment　as　she　leaned　against　him；　accepting　the　strength　he　always　shared　with　her。　〃So　many　new　things　to　learn　in　this　new　dimension　of　dragonkind。〃
　　F'lar　gave　a　dry　chuckle。　〃It's　no　wonder　it's　too　much　for　some　people　to　absorb。〃
　　〃We've　not　had　more　trouble　with　Abominators；　have　we？〃　Alarmed；　she　turned　in　his　arms　to　see　that　he　wasn't　hiding　anything　from　her。
　　〃Fortunately；　we　have　enough　to　do。〃
　　〃But　you　don't　think　we've　heard　the　last　with　that　death　at　Landing？〃
　　F'lar　sighed。　〃Pinch　has　evidently　seen　Fourth　in　Tone's　keeping。　Who　can　be　sure？　Such　people　are　afraid　of　what　they　don't　understand；　won't　understand。　So　they　pretend　to　despise　and　reject　it　since　they　can't　and　won't　understand。　They　retaliate　by　defiance　and　witless　destruction。　And　claim　they're　acting　on　behalf　of　people　and　for　reasons　those　people　don't　understand　either。　It　may　just　be　a　sign　of　our　changing　times。　And　life　on　our　planet　is　indeed　changing。〃
　　〃For　the　better？〃　she　murmured。
　　He　tipped　her　head　up　with　one　finger　and　lightly　kissed　her　lips。　〃Definitely　for　the　better！〃
　　〃You　do　believe　that？〃　Lessa　said；　seeking　reassurance。
　　〃I　wouldn't　say　it　if　I　didn't　believe　it。　After　how　many　Turns；　don't　you　know　I　wouldn't　give　you　false　hope；　dear　heart？〃
　　She　put　her　hands　on　the　arms　that　enfolded　her。　〃We　lived　for　nearly　a　whole　Turn　on　nothing　but　hope。〃
　　〃And　I　survived　three　days　without　any；〃　F'lar　said；　kissing　her　as　he　reminded　her　of　his　own　private　despair　when　she　had　gone　back　in　time　to　bring　forward　the　five　missing　Weyrs。
　　
COVE　HOLD…SAME　DAY；　SAME　APPROXIMATE　TIME
　　As　F'lessan　counted　the　eight　seconds　in　his　head；　he　never　thought　he'd　be　so　happy　to　be　in　the　black　coldness。　Then　they　were　above　the　blue　waters。　Golanth　eased　to　the　right；　lowering　the　left　wing's　sail　to　pensate　as　they　glided　toward　the　lightly　rippling　surface。
　　This　is　good！　I　have　missed　this！　Golanth　said。
　　All　right；　my　friend；　how　do　you　propose　to　land？　F'lessan　almost　laughed　as