amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第94部分

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h；　this　side　isn't　as　bad。　Golanth　knows　that　you　are　here。　You　will　touch　Golanth　and　tell　him　that　you　have　seen　F'lessan。　He　will　believe　you！
　　When　T'lion　duly　returned；　he　supported　Tai　while　she　placed　her　hands　on　the　bronze's　side；　carefully　avoiding　the　grooves　in　Golanth's　right　shoulder　that　might；　had　they　been　a　little　higher；　a　little　deeper；　have　ended　the　bronze　dragon's　life。　And　F'lessan's；　too。
　　She　blinked　back　more　tears。　This　time　death　had　not　robbed　her　again　of　those　she　loved。　She　wasn't　certain　just　how　Golanth　had　escaped：　the　feline　had　been　leaping　in　exactly　the　right　arc/trajectory　to　land　on　Golanth's　spine；　teeth　bared；　talons　extended。　But　somehow　it　had　missed　and　she　was　profoundly　grateful。
　　She　spread　her　fingers　on　uninjured　parts　of　Golanth's　sun…warmed　hide。　She　found　a　place　where　she　could　lean　her　forehead　on　his　rib　cage。　She　felt　a　rumble　from　Golanth　and　then　a　thought。
　　You　have　e。
　　F'lessan　is　weaker　than　you　are；　Golanth；　so　they　will　not　bring　him　to　you。　But　I　have　held　his　hand；　I　have　spoken　with　him。　Now　I　will　tell　him　that　I　have　touched　you。　And　you　will　both　start　feeling　better　and　healing　as　fast　as　possible。　Do　you　hear　me？
　　I　hear　you。　The　body　beneath　her　hands　heaved　slightly　and　she　felt　him　sigh。　I　hear　F'lessan。　He　wants　to　know　if　you　are　ing　back。
　　Now　that　I　have　seen　you　and　Zaranth；　I'll　　be　right　back。
　　〃This　may　have　been　too　much　for　you；　Tai；〃　T'lion　said；　picking　her　up。　〃I　swear　you　feel　lighter。〃
　　〃That's　as　well　for　you　then；〃　she　said。
　　〃I'm　stronger　than　I　look；　you　know；〃　he　replied　firmly　as　he　carried　her　back　into　the　weyrhold　and　down　the　hall。
　　〃I　must　go　back　to　F'lessan。〃
　　〃Oh；　I'm　taking　you　there　as　fast　as　I　can。　And　you　must　drink　what　Sagassy　has　concocted　for　you。　Maybe　even　get　F'lessan　to　sip　some。〃
　　Which　Tai　did；　after　she　had　assured　him　of　Golanth's　condition。　Most　of　the　time　he　slept；　his　fingers　twined　in　hers　in　a　grip　which　alternately　made　her　weep　or　feel　intense　pride　that；　of　all　the　humans　he　knew；　it　was　she　whom　he　wanted　by　him。
　　
INTERIM　AT　BENDEN　AND　ELSEWHERE
　　Despite　F'lar's　assurance　to　the　Council；　despite　Ramoth's　assurances　to　Lessa；　not　all　the　dragons　were　able　to　imitate　Zaranth　and　the　dragons　who　came　to　her　assistance　in　Honshu　that　terrible　morning。　Although　Ramoth　had　told　Lessa　that　she　had　understood　how　Zaranth　had　managed　telekinesis；　anger；　fear；　and　outrage　had　had　a　lot　to　do　with　the　process。　Cool　thought；　or　gradually；　more　ardent　wishes；　were　not　as　successful。　And　nowhere　near　as　safe。
　　First；　the　path　between　the　original　position　and　the　destination　of　an　object　being　moved　by　a　dragon's　mind　had　to　be　clear　of　any　impediment。　The　distance　did　not　seem　to　be　an　obstacle；　for　inanimate　objects。　Even　for　smaller　living　creatures；　like　wherries　or　herdbeasts。　But　there　could　be　nothing　in　the　way。　While　stones　didn't　suffer　from　being　moved　telekinetically；　they　might　be　broken　if　they　collided　with　anything；　so　might　what　they　collided　with。　The　speed　was　another　problem。　The　transfer　was　instantaneous…which　could；　and　did；　affect　what　was　kinetically　moved。
　　〃A　case　of　all　or　nothing；〃　F'lar　said　after　the　first　few　hours　of　imperfect　results　with　Mnementh。
　　〃Control；〃　Lessa　suggested　cryptically；　having　had　no　better　performance　from　her　queen。
　　With　the　felines；　there　hadn't　been　a　problem　of　safe　transit　or　landing。　Pieces　had　done　very　well。　Ramoth　disapproved　of　challenging　more　felines　for　practice　or　in　groups　large　enough　to　provide　the　stimulus　that　Zaranth　had　had：　sheer　terror　at　seeing　her　weyrmate　and　the　two　riders　attacked。
　　The　dragons　could　send　things　straight　up　in　the　open　air…and　out　of　sight。　To　move　an　object　telekinetically　in　a　horizontal　direction　had　taken　a　lot　of　control　and　required　Mnementh　and　Ramoth　working　together；　one　slowing　the　other　down。　Ramoth　and　Mnementh　practiced　daily；　slowly　lifting　small　rocks　vertically　from　the　ground　and　putting　them　back　down　without　crushing　them　into　dust　or　pebbles。　They　could　probably　have　thrown　one　all　the　way　to　the　Yokohama；　also　not　the　desired　destination；　but　one　that　was　causing　considerable　speculation　by　Lessa　and　F'lar。　That　had　been　a　significant　forward　step。
　　When　queried　by　Ramoth；　Zaranth　remended　that　dragons　experience　trundlebugs。　If　there　were　many　riders　who　found　that　a　bizarre　way　to　awaken　telekinetic　ability；　it　proved　to　be　the　one　that　worked…on　trundlebugs。　Ramoth　and　Mnementh　earnestly　suggested　that　the　experiment　be　carried　out　in　pairs；　female　and　male　dragons；　and　preferably　a　good　distance　from　any　holdings　and　close　to　a　stream；　lake；　or　ocean。
　　Then；　when　Ramoth　and　Mnementh　worked　together；　one　controlling　the　other；　kinesis　became　more　practical；　less　hazardous　to　what　was　being　moved　without　physical　contact。
　　What　purpose；　other　than　repelling…and　destroying…felines　or　disciplining　trundlebugs　was　not　immediately　apparent　to　many；　though　the　ability　provoked　deep　thought　and　theorizing　in　many　quarters。　Meanwhile；　the　dragons　and　their　riders　continued　to　practice　this　counter…balancing　of　kinetic　energy。
　　Master　Esselin…who　now　plained　bitterly　about　all　the　tasks　set　him…was　supposed　to　see　what　records　were　available　on　early　dragon　training：　going　between　and　using　firestone。　Nothing　legible　remained　from　the　old　Record　Aivas　had　transcribed　and　those　who　owned　fire…lizards　insisted　that　the　dragons　had　learned　from　these　smaller　cousins。
　　No　one　had　ever　observed　fire…lizards　telekinetically　moving　something；　unless　the　speed　with　which　fire…lizards　could　gobble　food　from　a　plate　could　be　considered　a　form　of　telekinesis。
　　Many　other　matters　were　being　set　in　place；　the　most　important　of　which　was　siting　the　Western　Continent　observatory。　This　so…called　continent　was　two　landmasses；　a　wide　inlet　almost　pletely　separating　them　except　for　a　straggle　of　boulders　making　a　bridge　at　the　northern　end。　Erragon　had　the　plans　Aivas　had　printed　out　for　Cove　Hold　and；　apart　from　a　different　telescope　mount　（he　remended　the　fork　type）；　these　would　suffice：　especially　when　those　who　had　worked　on　Cove　Hold　volunteered　their　services　to　erect　the　new　one。　Lord　Ranrel　was　as　good　as　his　promise　and　three　ships　were　loaded　with　material　and　volunteers　to　sail；　with　Master　Idarolan　in　nominal　charge　of　the　expedition；　to　the　southernmost　cape　of　the　larger　landmass。　A　pod　of　dolphins　assigned　by　the　dolphins'　venerable　leader；　the　Tillek　herself；　were　to　acpany　the　small　fleet　to　a　harbor　she　could　remend。
　　Green　and　blue　dragons　were　to　precede　the　ships；　setting　up　a　base　camp。
　　The　same　general　plans；　with　variations　to　the　terrain；　were　to　be　implemented　at　Ice　Lake　and　in　Telgar。　The　most　pressing　need　was　training　apprentices　to　serve　the　new　facilities　or　to　add　to　the　Crafthalls　that　produced　spyglasses　that　used　to　be　called　〃far…seers；〃　binoculars；　and　small　telescopes。
　　Master　Tagetarl's　Print　Hall　was　busy；　first　with　printing　the　requirements　of　craftsmen　and　…women；　lists　of　materials　to　be　supplied…especially　lists　of　people　willing　to　be　transported　to　such　a　distant　location　to　help　in　building　an　observatory　on　the　Western　Continent。
　　That　was　a　simpler　task　than　the　demand　for　printed　instructions　on　how　to　build　smaller　non…metal　telescopes：　thick　wherhide　would　suffice　so　long　as　the　interior　was　painted　black　and　sealed　against　dust。　Manuals　must　be　written　by　the　Star　Hall；　charts　and　diagrams　of　what　objects　were　known　to　be　in　unthreatening　orbits；　instructions　on　how　to　sight；　recognize；　and　make　proper　notations　on　possible　discoveries。　The　GlassCraftHalls　could　supply　mirrors　for　reflective　scopes　from　100…mm　to　400…mm。　Larger　ones；　of　course；　required　time　to　shape　and　build。
　　When　Thread；　inevitably；　fell　near　Honshu；　the　healers　made　sure　the　two　injured　dragons　were　so　deeply　sedated　that　they　were　unaware…except　at　some　very　primal　level…that　the　ancient　enemy　was　being　met。　Zaranth　was　recovering　well　but　Golanth's　injuries　still　concerned　every　Weyrhealer　and　Beastmaster。
　　
HONSHU　WEYRHOLD…TIME　PASSING　SLOWLY
　　〃There's　considera