amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第50部分

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　　Tagetarl　began　to　recite　the　text　of　the　message　as　he　eased　through　the　crowded　room　to　hand　the　packet　to　Arminet。　The　Stationmaster　was　besieged　by　those　who　wanted　their　own　copy。　Tagetarl　stopped　talking；　so　as　not　to　interrupt　the　concentration　of　those　who　had　difficulty　reading　the　smaller　print　below　the　banner　headline。
　　〃Then　Aivas　prevented　disaster？〃　Someone　in　the　crowd　said；　doubtless　Pinch；　Tagetarl　suspected；　though　the　voice　was　muffled。
　　〃And　what　are　the　Abominators　saying？〃　Tagetarl　demanded；　hands　on　his　belt；　glaring　around。
　　〃That　Aivas　caused　it；　with　all　its　meddling　with　the　Red　Star。　And　dragonriders　let　it　pass。　It　was　seen　from　Telgar；　y'know；〃　a　man　shouted。
　　〃And　Benden！〃　a　soprano　cried。
　　〃Benden　and　Landing　acted！〃　Tagetarl　responded　sharply。　〃More　than　any　Abominator　did。　I　expect　I'll　have　more　news　later。　I'll　publish　as　I　receive。　I　stopped　here　first　to　start　spreading　truth。〃
　　〃I'll　see　these　go　out　with　every　packet；〃　Arminet　had　to　raise　his　voice　again　above　the　cries　for　copies。
　　Pinch　did　not　follow　Tagetarl　out　but　he　would　probably　be　one　of　the　first　to　spread　the　news　where　it　would　do　the　most　good。　Or　thwart　rumor　quickest！
　　When　Tagetarl　got　back　to　the　Hall；　he　was　surprised　to　see　a　crowd　of　people；　all　wanting　their　own　copy　of　the　newssheet。　Rosheen　and　the　two　apprentices　were　handing　them　out　as　fast　as　they　could。　Tagetarl　saw　some　far　too　curious　folk　circling　by　the　shelves　where　he　kept　galley　pages　of　work　waiting　for　approval。
　　〃You；　there；　wait　your　turn。　e　up　front；〃　he　called；　gesturing　authoritatively　for　them　to　stop　wandering　about　the　print　shop。　〃You've　no　business　back　there。〃　He　went　to　supervise　their　departure　and　decided　maybe　he　could　do　a　second　run　of　the　sheet。　Get　people　to　rely　on　the　printed　word　and　he'd　get　new　customers　for　the　books　and　manuals　he　kept　in　stock。
　　
LATER；　ON　AN　UNUSUALLY　BRIGHT　EVENING　AT　LANDING；　SUNRISE　CLIFF；　AND　HONSHU　HOLD…1。9。31
　　F'lessan　and　Tai　had　finished　eating　when　the　word　passed　among　the　dragonriders　that　the　emergency　supplies　were　ready　to　be　collected。　Riders　had　been　told　to　return　to　those　holdings　they　had　visited　earlier　that　day。　They　were　to　check　on　injuries　and　determine　if　it　was　necessary　to　convey　anyone　between　to　Landing's　Healer　Hall。　Enough　healers　had　been　sent　by　Master　Oldive　to　assist　those　locally　assigned。　There　were　Healer　kits　of　bandages；　numbweed；　fellis　juice；　and　fortified　wine　for　riders　to　bring　with　them。　The　riders　were　to　make　their　own　judgments　about　staying　overnight　at　holdings　if　critical　situations　had　developed。
　　〃What　could　be　critical　after　this　morning？〃　F'lessan　remarked　facetiously。
　　Tai　gave　him　a　hard　stare。　〃I　suppose　we　can　bed　down　here　tonight。〃　She　gave　a　shrug。　〃There's　nothing　left　of　our　Weyr。〃
　　He　knew　that　she；　and　a　few　other　riders；　had　had　the　courage　to　overfly　the　flood　that　had　drowned　Monaco　Bay　Weyr。
　　〃You　can　stay　at　Honshu；〃　and　before　she　could　refuse；　F'lessan　extended　the　invitation　to　C'reel　and　St'ven　nearby。　〃Have　you　been　to　Honshu？〃　he　asked　the　brown　riders。
　　〃Hunted　nearby　once　or　twice；〃　C　'reel　said　but　his　grim　expression　lightened　at　the　invitation。
　　〃There's　plenty　of　space；〃　F'lessan　said　expansively。　〃Though　I'm　not　sure　about　having　enough　food。　Bring　some　with　you；　but　there's　a　whole　cliff　of　space　for　dragons。〃
　　〃How　many　can　you　acmodate？〃　Tai　asked。
　　F'lessan　raised　his　arms。　〃Well；　not　all　of　Monaco　Weyr　but　two；　three　wings　of　riders　and　dragons。　And　any　weyrfolk　attached　to　them。〃　As　Tai　turned　away　to　spread　his　invitation；　he　added；　〃And　tell　'em　to　bring　blankets。　It's　cooler　up　there。〃
　　He　and　C'reel　fitted　Zaranth's　load　to　her　back　before　Tai　returned。
　　〃Everyone's　grateful；〃　she　said　and　he　knew　that　she　was；　too。　〃T'gellan　and　Mirrim　may　have　to　remain　here　at　Landing　and　there're　others　promised　to　help　the　weyrfolk　on　the　hills。　They　thank　you；　F'lessan。　Landing's　facilities　are　overtaxed。〃
　　〃There're　always　the　Catherine　Caves；〃　F'lessan　said；　trying　for　some　levity。
　　〃Too　small　for　our　dragons；〃　C'reel　said；　with　good…natured　condescension。
　　〃Move　on　there；　if　you're　loaded　up；〃　someone　yelled　at　them。
　　They　did。　Zaranth　following　F'lessan；　C'reel；　and　St'ven　out　of　the　line。
　　〃Have　you　ever　been　to　Honshu？〃　F'lessan　asked　Tai。
　　〃Got　taken　there　once。　Oh；　Zaranth　says　Golanth　just　made　sure　she　knows　the　landmark。　I'll　see　you！〃
　　Zaranth　trotted　away；　sacks　bouncing　on　her　back；　until　she　had　enough　clear　space　to　launch　herself。
　　Tell　her　good　flying；　Golanth。　F'lessan　experienced　an　unusual　sense　of　apprehension　for　the　green　rider。
　　She　is　strong。　Zaranth　is　strong。　The　sooner　we　go；　the　quicker　we　get　to　Honshu。　Honshu　is　quiet；　his　bronze　told　him　and　F'lessan　couldn't　agree　more。
　　St'ven　and　C'reel　mounted　over　the　supplies。　He　wondered　if　they　were　as　unfortable　as　he　felt；　perched　on　sacks　with　hard　things　prodding　into　his　legs。　He　latched　his　helmet；　made　sure　his　jacket　was　closed　and；　raising　his　arm　high；　pumped　it　to　direct　his　panions　upward。
　　Let's　not　make　shallow　jumps　a　habit；　brown　riders；　he　said；　waiting　until　they　were　well　above　the　surface。　Then　he　extended　his　arm　southward　to　their　destinations。　We　all　know　where　we're　going？
　　Riders　and　dragons　acknowledged。
　　Let's　go。
　　ing　out　above　an　almost　obscenely　quiet　sea　front　where　Sunrise　Cliff　Seahold　had　been　was　as　much　a　shock　to　F'lessan　as　to　the　other　riders：　he　could　hear　their　exclamations　above　the　sad　noises　all　three　dragons　made。
　　There　might　never　have　been　human　habitation　here。　Waves　splashed　idly　against　granite　cliffs　instead　of　wide　white　sands　in　grassy　dunes；　waters　draining　muddily　back　from　the　break　in　the　cliff　face　that　had　been　a　streambed。　From　the　flotsam　deposited；　piled　in　places；　they　could　see　how　far　inland　the　tsunami　had　coursed。　It　had　not　yet　pulled　back　far　enough　to　show　what　might　be　left　of　the　cotholds。　Whole　tree　trunks　floated　on　the　waves；　idly　being　pushed　in　by　the　high　water。　It　was　logical　to　assume　that　these　had　been　swept　from　the　islands　just　off　the　coast。　Most　were　craggy；　with　no　place　for　a　holding　of　any　sort；　except　near　the　summits；　but　they　had　supported　the　same　variety　of　fruit　and　timber　trees　that　grew　on　this　part　of　the　continent。　And　the　fish　would　return　to　an　area　rich　in　feed。
　　Mealth　sees　smoke；　Golanth　told　his　rider　and　turned　his　head。
　　F'lessan　let　out　his　breath。　He　hadn't　known　he'd　been　holding　it。　His　throat　ached。　He　hadn't　a　doubt　that　Lady　Medda　had　organized　everything　to　her　satisfaction。　Odd　that　there　was　still　light　in　the　sky…a　strange　sort　of　luminescence；　possibly　something　to　do　with　that　sharding　fragment。　After　today　he　was　going　to　review　his　old　astronomy　lessons　and　he　doubted　he'd　be　the　only　one。
　　Let's　see　where　the　fire　is。
　　Someone　is　waving　a　banner　near　the　forest；　Golanth　said；　and　picked　up　the　beat　of　his　wings；　angling　slightly　over　the　summit。
　　Why　were　his　binoculars　in　Benden　when　he　needed　them　here？　But　he　could　make　out　quite　a　few　figures；　several　waving　what　were　probably　the　shirts　from　their　backs。　He　hoped　they'd　saved　more　clothing　when　he　remembered　the　full　nets　that　had　been　conveyed　to　the　cliff　top。
　　She　is　there！　Golanth　said　and　F'lessan　looked　about　for　a　green　dragon　and　her　rider。　The　old　one。　In　her　chair。
　　And　so　she　was；　looking　dry；　her　hair　carefully　plaited；　her　rocking　motion　reflective。　It　stopped　at　the　sight　of　the　ining　trio　of　dragons。　They　were　cheered　as　they　landed　and　would　have　been　weled；　but　a　barked　mand　from　Binness　kept　all　at　their　chores。　A　circle　of　stones　acmodated　a　brisk　hot　fire　over　which　two　huge　kettles　had　been　set　on　tripods。　One　was　already　steaming。　At　the　forest　edge；　two　men　were　skinning　a　herdbeast；　fallen　fruit　had　been　gathered　and　lay　in　nets　to　one　side；　and　wood　was　stacked　under　an　oilskin。
　　Binness；　his　arms　bandaged　where　Golanth　had　seized　him；　came　to　meet　them；　limping　a　bit。　He　was　still　barefoot；　curling　his　toes　up　from　the　coarse　ground　cover。
　　〃Didn't　expect　you　back；　dragonri