amc.masterharperofpern-第4部分

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　　　Then　Creline　performed　a　new　work；　which　he　called　the　Question　Song；　and　which　was　to　be　included　in　the　pulsory　Teaching　Ballads。　Gennell　had　made　a　mental　note　to　return　the　song　to　that　category　since　someone　…　he　wouldn't　like　to　point　a　finger　…　had　let　it　drop　out　some　time　before　he　became　MasterHarper。　Such　things　happened：　but　they　shouldn't；　considering　the　importance　with　which　Creline　had　treated　the　work。
　　　Odd　song。　Haunting　melody。　Yes；　worth　reviving。
　　　Another　fifty…five　Turns　remained　before　Threadfall　was　due　again。　That　is；　Gennell　amended　to　himself；　if　it　was　going　to　Fall　again。　Many　believed　Thread　was　gone　for　ever。　A　mon　theory　claimed　that　the　Weyrs　had　been　bound　by　some　bizarre　suicide　pact；　leaving　only　Benden　to　carry　on　the　draconic　traditions。　That　made　no　sense　whatever　to　a　thinking　man。　But　at　least　he　was　unlikely　to　have　to　contend　with　that　in　his　term　as　MasterHarper。
　　　With　a　sigh　of　relief；　he　firmly　turned　his　mind　towards　sleep。
　　　Merelan's　cough　developed　into　a　chest　cold　shortly　after　TurnOver。　Sniffles　and　coughs　were　prevalent　during　the　beginning　of　any　new　Turn　when　the　weather　remained　cold　and　snowy；　and　young　Robinton　and　Petiron　both　suffered　from　colds；　but　they　threw　off　the　worst　of　the　infection　quickly。　But　Merelan's　cough　seemed　determined　to　linger；　and　she　could　rarely　get　through　a　vocal　exercise　without　having　to　break　off　in　a　spasm。　For　the　first　time；　Petiron　became　seriously　worried　about　her　health。
　　　So　did　Betrice　and　Ginia；　for　the　singer　had　quickly　lost　what　weight　she　had　gained　after　the　baby's　birth　…　and　more。
　　　〃You've　really　nothing　big　ing　up　in　the　way　of　rehearsals；　have　you？〃　Ginia　asked　Petiron　privately　after　delivering　another　bottle　of　cough　mixture　for　Merelan。　With　a　certain　degree　of　reluctance；　he　shook　his　head　…　had　he　not　been　sick；　he　most　assuredly　would　have　started　posing　something　extravagant　for　the　Spring　Gathers。
　　　〃Well；　then；〃　Ginia　continued；　〃I　happen　to　know　MasterHarper　is　looking　for　someone　to　provide　basic　instruction　at　a　hold　in　South　Boll　…　not　far　from　where　Merelan　was　born。　So　why　don't　you　ask　him　to　allow　you　to　take　the　post？　I　believe　the　acmodation　would　be　adequate　for　a　small　family　like　yours。　The　Ritecamp　traders　just　arrived　here；　and　their　route　takes　you　close　by　Pierie　Hold。〃
　　　Before　Petiron　could　produce　a　good　reason　why　he　couldn't　leave　the　Harper　Hall　at　that　time；　he　and　his　small　family　were　on　their　way　south；　their　baggage　packed　on　pack　animals　which　Master　Gennell　ordered。　He　sent　along　two　good　Ruathan…bred　mounts；　as　well。　MasterTrader　Sev　Ritecamp　was　only　too　happy　to　oblige　the　Harper　Hall　and　had　agreed　to　take　them　to　the　very　door　of　Pierie　Hold。
　　　〃If　Master　Petiron　wouldn't　mind　taking　some　time　of　an　evening　to　learn　some　of　our　youngsters　their　Teaching　Ballads？　They're　in　dire　need　of　some　educating；〃　Sev　had　suggested　very　politely。　〃And　maybe　give　us　a　new　song　or　two　in　the　evening　around　our　fire。〃
　　　〃That　would　be　only　fair；〃　Merelan　said　when　Petiron　was　not　as　prompt　as　he　could　have　been　in　agreeing。　Then　she　winked　at　her　spouse；　knowing　very　well　that　he　hated　doing　〃basics'　with　beginners　while　she　enjoyed　teaching　the　very　young。　So　long　as　the　children　were　taught；　it　really　didn't　matter　who　did　the　teaching。
　　　As　MasterSinger；　she　knew　her　Teaching　Ballads　and　Songs　as　well　as　Petiron　did。
　　　The　young　daughter　of　the　Ritecamps'　leader　had　a　toddler　the　same　age　as　Robie　…　though　not；　Merelan　privately　thought；　as　sturdy　as　her　lad　…　but　she　doubted　that　Dalma　would　mind　watching　two　who　could　amuse　each　other　while　Merelan　taught。
　　　MasterHarper　Gennell　was　delighted　to　have　a　Master　to　assign　for　however　short　a　term。　Betrice　had　a　word　with　the　Ritecamp　healer　about　Merelan's　condition　and　waved　farewell　with　the　rest　of　the　Hall。
　　　Although　the　Ruathan　runner…beasts　provided　were　well　trained　and　easy　riding；　Merelan　at　first　rode　in　Dalma's　efficient　housewagon；　since　she　knew　herself　incapable　of　managing　the　antics　of　a　mount　right　then。　Petiron；　less　familiar　with　riding　beasts；　was　more　often　on　the　lead…wagon　seat；　talking　to　Sev　Ritecamp　or　his　father　or　his　uncle　or　whoever　was　the　day's　guide。
　　　Despite　his　forebodings　and　initial　dismay；　Petiron　soon　began　to　relax　and　enjoy　the　trip。　Having　overheard　the　favourable　ments　about　the　Ruathan　breed；　he　offered　Sev's　eldest　son　the　chance　to　ride　his　mount；　and　consequently　he　found　all　the　Ritecamp　men　more　genial　towards　him。　He　even　enjoyed　the　nightly　music　sessions；　for　almost　everyone　in　the　thirty　wagons　of　the　train　played　some　instrument　and　could　carry　intricate　parts。
　　　Many　had　good　voices；　and　he　found　himself　conducting　four…　and　five…part　harmonies　to　some　of　their　favourite　ballads　and　airs；　as　well　as　teaching　them　the　newer　songs。
　　　〃They're　nearly　as　good　as　fourth…year　apprentices；〃　he　said　with　some　surprise　to　Merelan　at　the　end　of　the　third　evening's　session。
　　　〃They　do　it　for　fun；〃　she　said；　gently。
　　　〃There's　no　reason　they　cannot　do　it　better　and　have　fun　too；〃　he　said；　not　at　all　pleased　at　her　subtle　rebuke　over　his　attempt　to　improve　the　harmonies。
　　　〃Now；　hold　still　while　I　put　the　salve　on　your　face；〃　she　went　on；　holding　his　chin　firmly　while　she　pasted　his　cheeks　and　nose　with　the　remedy　for　the　windburn　he'd　acquired。
　　　With　Merelan　that　close　to　him；　he　could　see　she　had　more　colour　in　her　pale　cheeks；　though　she　still　coughed　so　hard　it　made　him　wince　to　think　what　damage　she　might　be　doing　her　vocal　cords。　But　she　didn't　seem　quite　as　strained　about　the　eyes　and　mouth　as　she　had　been。
　　　〃Are　you　all　right；　Mere？〃　he　asked；　holding　her　by　the　arms。
　　　〃Of　course　I'm　all　right。　Why；　it's　an　answer　to　one　of　my　childhood　dreams：　going　adventuring　in　a　trader's　van。〃
　　　When　she　favoured　him　with　the　wide　smile　that　put　dimples　in　both　cheeks；　she　was　more　his　Merelan　than　she　had　been　since　before　her　pregnancy。　He　folded　her　into　his　arms；　hugging　her　…　remembering　to　be　gentle；　as　he　felt　how　thin　she　still　was　in　his　embrace。　That　reminded　him　what　he　might　not　have；　and　he　was　about　to　put　her　firmly　away　from　him　when　she　clung　tightly。
　　　〃It's　safe　enough；〃　she　murmured；　and　he　clasped　her　with　a　passion　that　he　had　been　aching　to　express　but　had　sternly　repressed。　He　didn't　even　have　to　worry　about　an　inopportune　interruption　from　the　baby　sleeping　in　the　spare　crib　in　Dalma's　wagon。　So　he　loved　Merelan　with　a　single…minded　urgency　which　had　been　denied　him　far　too　long。　Nor　was　there　any　reluctance　in　her　response　to　him。
　　　The　slow　trip　south　was　really　a　very　good　idea。
　　　At　some　point　during　that　ambling　three…week　journey　to　the　southern　tip　of　South　Boll；　Petiron　realized　that　he　had　been　nearly　as　strung　out；　emotionally　and　physically；　as　Merelan。　Being　in　the　Harper　Hall；　with　music；　musicians　and　instruments　constantly　heard；　caused　one　to　think　only　of　music　to　write　for　instruments　and　voices　to　perform。　On　the　road；　he　was　not　pelled　by　the　tacit　petition　rampant　in　the　Harper　Hall　to　produce　yet　more　plex　and　glorious　sounds。　For　the　first　time　since　he　had　started　his　apprentice　years；　he　had　an　opportunity　to　realize　the　richness　…　as　well　as　the　simplicity　…　of　life　all　around　him。　He'd　e　from　Telgar　Hold；　one　of　the　largest；　so　he　had　never　really　been　short　of　the　necessities　of　day…to…day　existence。　Living　in　the　Harper　Hall　had　been　a　continuation　of　his　childhood's　conditions。
　　　He　took　so　many　things　for　granted　that　it　was　a　lesson　to　him　to　be　denied　easy　access　to；　say；　the　well…tanned　hides　for　musical　positions　which　he　was　accustomed　to　coveting　with　quick；　large　notations。　Now　he　learned　to　write　economically；　using　small　marks　which　allowed　him　to　fit　more　than　one　work　on　a　single　hide。
　　　Eating　was　another　thing　he　had　never　given　much　thought　to。
　　　Food　arrived　in　the　Hall　with　no　indication　to　those　who　dined　of　its　acquisition　or　preparation。　Now　he　learned　to　hunt　and　fish　with　the　other　men　of　the　caravan；　even　as　the　women　gathered　firewood　and　nuts　and；　as　they　continued　to　t