amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第3部分

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　　His　stomach　churned　with　the　raw；　greasy　food　he　had　eaten。　He　had　to　eat　more　slowly　or　lose　everything。　Vomit　was　a　hard　smell　to　hide。　In　a　tightly　covered　container　that　would　protect　its　contents　from　vermin；　he　found　three　quarters　of　a　wheel　of　cheese。　He　thought　how　long　such　food　would　sustain　him　in　his　escape…but　the　fewer　traces　of　his　passing　were　noticeable；　the　better。　While　the　cotholder　might　not　notice　the　loss　of　a　few　tubers　and　grease　in　a　pan；　the　disappearance　of　too　much　cheese　would　be　a　different　matter。　So　he　found　a　thin　old　knife　blade　in　the　back　of　a　drawer　and　sliced　off　a　section　of　cheese；　enough　to　provide　him　a　small　meal　but；　he　hoped；　not　enough　to　be　instantly　noticed。　Almost　as　if　his　restraint　were　being　rewarded；　he　found　a　dozen　rolls　of　travel　rations　in　another　tin　box　and　took　two。　He　would　surely　find　more　food　if　he　was　not　greedy　now。　He　believed　in　that　sort　of　justice。
　　He　removed　the　bandage　on　his　forehead；　a　painful　task　even　when　he　had　soaked　his　face　in　the　cold　stream　water。　One　or　two　spots　bled　a　little；　but　as　no　blood　trailed　down　his　face；　he　left　the　wound　open　to　the　clean　mountain　air。
　　He　went　back　to　the　cothold　to　look　for　clothing　but　found　none。　He　did　take　one　of　the　older　hides。　He　could　not　count　on　finding　shelter；　and　though　this　was　the　fifth　month；　the　nights　could　still　be　chilly。
　　Leaving　the　cothold；　he　investigated　the　tracks　that　led　off　in　several　directions。　A　flash　of　sunlight　on　something　metallic　caught　his　eyes　and　he　whirled　toward　the　river；　afraid　that　he　had　been　discovered。　It　took　him　much　longer　to　locate　the　source　of　the　reflection：　the　oarlocks　of　a　small　boat。　Under　the　thick　shrubbery　along　the　bank；　the　boat　was　almost　invisible；　tethered　to　a　branch　with　a　rope　so　worn　by　constant　rubbing　against　a　half…submerged　stone　that　the　slightest　pull　would　part　the　last　strands。
　　He　provided　the　pull　and；　stepping　carefully　into　the　boat；　used　his　stick　to　push　out　into　the　current　of　the　river。　Perhaps　he　should　have　tried　to　find　the　oars；　but　he　felt　an　urgency　to　be　away　from　this　cothold　and　as　far　down　the　river　as　possible。　The　little　craft　was　just　long　enough　so　that　if　he　cocked　his　knees；　he　could　lie　flat　and　be　unseen　from　the　shore。
　　That　night；　when　he　saw　the　glowbaskets　of　a　sizeable　small　holding…not　a　large　enough　one　to　have　a　watchwher　on　guard…he　propelled　himself　to　the　bank　and　tied　up　the　boat　by　the　tether　he　had　mended　with　strips　of　his　tattered　shirt　during　his　long　day　afloat。
　　Luck　was　with　him。　First　he　found　a　basket　of　avian　eggs　left　on　a　hook　outside　a　side　door　to　the　beasthold。　He　sucked　the　contents　of　three；　and　carefully　deposited　three　more　in　his　shirt；　tucked　into　his　waistband。　Then　his　eye　caught　the　shirts　and　pants　drying　on　bushes　by　the　flat　river　stones　where　women　would　have　washed　them。　He　found　clothes　to　fit　him　well　enough　and　corrected　the　positions　of　others　to　make　it　appear　that　what　he　had　chosen　might　simply　have　fallen　into　the　river　and　drifted　away。
　　In　the　beasthold　for　a　second　look；　though　the　animals　moved　restlessly　in　the　presence　of　a　stranger；　he　found　bran　and　an　old　battered　scoop。　Tomorrow　he　would　boil　the　bran　and　add　the　eggs　for　a　good　hot　meal。　Suddenly　he　heard　voices　and　immediately　returned　to　his　boat；　pushing　it　carefully　out　into　the　current　and　lying　down；　lest　he　be　seen。
　　The　night　swallowed　the　voices　and　all　he　heard　was　the　gurgle　of　the　river　in　which　the　boat　moved　so　silently。　Above　him　were　the　stars。　The　old　harper　who　had　taught　all　the　youngsters　at　the　Glasscrafthall　had　told　him　the　names　of　some　of　them。　Indeed；　the　old　man　had　mentioned　meteorites　and　the　Ghosts　that　appeared　in　bright　arcs　in　Turnover　skies。　Shankolin　had　never　believed　that　those　bright　sparks　were　the　ghosts　of　dead　dragons；　but　some　of　the　younger　children　had。
　　The　brightest　stars　never　changed。　He　recognized　the　sparkle　of　Vega…or　was　it　Canopus？　He　couldn't　remember　the　names　of　the　other　stars　in　the　spring　sky。　In　trying　to　recall　those　names　and　when　he　had　learned　them；　his　mind　inexorably　returned　to　Aivas　and　all　that。。。　that　thing。。。　had　done　to　him。　He'd　only　recently　heard；　in　a　repetition　of　very　old　news；　that　his　father　had　been　exiled　to　an　island　in　the　Eastern　Sea　with　the　Lord　Holders　and　other　craftsmen　who　had　tried　to　stop　the　Abomination。
　　Now　that　the　source　was　silenced；　they'd　be　able　to　talk　men　and　women　into　returning　to　their　senses。　The　Red　Star　brought　Thread。　The　Dragonriders　fought　Thread　in　the　skies；　and　people　lived　fortably　enough　between　Passes。　That　had　been　the　order　of　life　for　centuries…an　order　that　should　be　preserved。　When　he　had　heard　that　the　Masterharper　of　Pern；　a　personage　Shankolin　had　admired；　had　been　abducted；　he　had　been　deeply　disturbed。　But　his　ears　had　been　blocked　for　Turns　before　he　gradually　recovered　some　hearing　and　learned　about　that　part　of　the　incident。　He　had　never　clearly　heard　why　the　Masterharper　had　been　found　dead　in　the　Abomination's　chamber。　But　it；　too；　had　been　dead…〃terminated；〃　one　of　the　miners　said。　Had　Master　Robinton　e　to　his　senses　and　turned　off　the　Abomination？　Or　had　the　Abomination　killed　Master　Robinton？　He　felt　eager　to　discover　the　truth。
　　Once　he　got　down　Crom's　river…perhaps　Keogh　Hold　would　be　far　enough…he　could　make　plans　and　see　just　how　badly　the　Abomination　had　interfered　with　Pern's　traditions　and　way　of　life。
　　Gathers　began　in　springtime；　when　the　roads　dried　of　winter　snow　and　mud；　and　he　could　simply　blend　into　the　crowds；　and　perhaps　find　more　answers。　He　was　hearing　more　and　more　these　days；　even　the　shrill　song　of　avians。　Once　he　caught　up　on　current　news；　he　would　be　able　to　plan　his　next　moves。
　　Surely　not　everyone　on　Pern　would　want　tradition　degraded　or　would　believe　the　lies　that　the　Abomination　had　spouted。　He　called　to　mind　those　whom　he　knew　had　been　seriously　disturbed　by　the　so…called　improvements　promulgated　by　Aivas。　By　now；　eleven　Turns　since　the　Abomination　had　terminated；　some　right…minded；　thinking　folk　would　realize　that　the　Red　Star　had　not　changed　course　simply　because　three　old　engines　had　blown　up　in　a　crack　on　its　surface！　Especially　when　Thread　continued　to　fall　on　the　planet…as　indeed　it　should；　to　be　sure　that　all　Pern　was　united　against　the　menace　of　its　return；　century　after　century。
　　
AT　A　GATHER…6。15。30
　　〃I　don't　know　why　it　had　to　mess　up　time；〃　said　the　first　man；　morosely　fingering　a　pattern　in　the　spilled　gravy　in　front　of　him。
　　〃You're　messing　up　the　table；〃　the　second　man　said；　pointing。
　　〃He　had　no　call　to　mess　up　our　time；〃　the　first　man　insisted；　rather　more　vehemently。
　　〃Who？〃　Second　was　confused。　〃He？　It？〃
　　〃Aivas；　that's　who　or　it。〃
　　〃Whaddya　mean？〃
　　〃Well；　he　did；　didn't　he？　Back　in　'38…which　should　be　only　2524。〃　The　holder　scowled；　his　thick　black　brows　ing　together　across　the　wide　bridge　of　his　thick　nose。　〃Made　us　add　some　fourteen　Turns　allasudden。〃
　　〃He　was　regulating　time；〃　Second　corrected；　surprised　at　his　panion's　vehemence。　The　holder　had　seemed　a　pleasant　enough　panion；　knowledgeable　about　music　and　knowing　all　the　words　to　even　the　latest　songs　the　harpers　were　playing。　With　his　third　wineskin；　his　temper　had　deteriorated。　And　possibly　his　wits；　if　time　or　how　folk　numbered　Turns　was　bothering　him。
　　〃Made　me　older'n'　I　was。〃
　　〃Didn't　make　you　smarter；〃　Second　said　with　a　rude　snort。　〃　'Sides；　Masterharper　himself　said　it　was　all　right　on　account　there　were　dis…　ah；　disk…〃　He　paused　and　used　a　belch　as　an　excuse　while　he　recalled　the　exact　phrasing。　〃…there'd　been　inaccurate　timekeeping　because　of　Thread　falling　only　forty　Turns　once　instead　of　fifty；　like　it　usually　did；　and　people　forgetting　to　account　for　the　disk…〃
　　〃Discrepancies；〃　the　third　man　put　in；　regarding　them　superciliously。
　　Second　gave　a　snap　of　his　fingers　and　beamed　at　Third　for　finding　the　word　he　couldn't　recall。
　　〃The　problem　is　not　what　it　did；〃　First　went　on。　〃It's　what　it's　continuing　to　do。　To　all　of　us。〃　He　made　a　flourish　that　included　everyone　at　the　Gather；　all　laughing　and　singing；　oblivious　to　the　dangers　in　this　continu