amc.masterharperofpern-第40部分

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t　all　this　has　been　about。〃
　　　Robinton　nodded　and　then　embraced　his　mother；　feeling　her　thin　bones　and　trying　not　to　use　his　young　strength　to　bruise　her。　But　he　wanted　to　hold　her　as　tightly　as　possible；　for　he　was　fearful　he　might　never　see　her　again。
　　　〃Oh；　Robie；〃　she　said　teasingly。　〃I'm　much　better。　Don't　fret。　You　know　things　will　be　easier。。。　now。。。〃　she　added　apologetically。　〃I　shall　write　or　drum　if　I　don't　hear　from　you；　young　man。　You　hear　me？〃
　　　〃Indeed　I　do；　MasterSinger。　They've　quite　a　good　network　of　runners　at　High　Reaches。〃
　　　〃They'd　have　to；〃　she　said　with　a　patronizing　sniff。　〃Living　back　of　beyond　like　that。〃
　　　The　unmistakable　trumpeting　of　a　dragon　reverberated　through　the　courtyard。　〃I　believe　your　transport　has　arrived；〃　she　said；　smiling；　though　her　chin　seemed　to　quiver。
　　　He　hurried　to　load　up　his　packs；　but　was　interrupted　by　the　appearance　of　Masters　Gennell；　Washell　and　Ogolly。　They　immediately　pushed　him　out　of　the　way　and　shared　the　packs　among　them；　allowing　him　only　the　new　harp　case。
　　　〃I'm　honoured　…　I　mean；　you　don't　need　to。。。〃　Robinton　tried　to　protest；　but　he　was　overruled。　Shrugging；　he　allowed　them　the　duty。
　　　Master　Gennell　winked　at　him　as　they　walked　out　into　the　hall；　and　Robinton　realized　that　this　display　of　solid　goodwill　was　as　much　for　his　mother's　benefit　as　to　make　up　for　his　father's　absence。　Their　kindness　touched　him　once　again；　and　he　had　to　swallow　back　tears。
　　　〃You　made　it；　huh？〃　F'lon　shouted　as　he　slid　down　to　Simanith's　raised　forearm　and　started　piling　luggage　on　the　harness。
　　　〃Congratulations；　Journeyman　Robinton！　You've　got　greetings　from　all　your　old　friends　at　Benden；　Weyr　and　Hold。〃　To　the　other　new　journeymen　waiting　in　the　courtyard　for　their　conveyancing；　he　said；　〃Your　dragons　will　be　along　shortly　…　and　congratulations。〃
　　　Loading　took　only　moments　and　then　Robinton　had　to　make　his　farewells。　His　mother　pulled　his　head　down　for　one　last　kiss　and　embrace。　He　shook　hands　with　the　Masters　and　promised　them　that　he'd　do　his　best。
　　　〃Give　my　special　regards　to　Master　Lobira；〃　his　mother　called　as　he　climbed　up　to　Simanith's　back。　〃He　may　remember　me。〃
　　　〃Now　who　can　forget　you；　Merelan？〃　Master　Gennell　said；　putting　a　forting　arm　around　her　shoulders。
　　　That　was　how　Robinton　remembered　his　mother　in　the　trying　initial　days　under　Master　Lobira's　supervision。　Fortunately；　F'lon　deposited　him　and　his　effects　in　the　courtyard　of　the　high　and　windy　Hold　and　departed；　seen　by　relatively　few。　And　especially　not　Master　Lobira。
　　　For　that　person　was　unimpressed　with　having　so　young　a　journeyman。
　　　〃Don't　know　what　Gennell's　thinking　about；　walking　you　up　at　fifteen！　Indeed；　I　don't；　so　don't　go　expecting　any　cosseting　from　me；　young　man。〃　Lobira　eyed　Robinton　and　scowled　at　the　lean　length　of　him。
　　　It　didn't　help；　Robinton　thought；　that　he　towered　above　the　diminutive　MasterHarper。　The　man　came　not　quite　to　Robinton's　shoulder；　he　was　heavy　in　the　chest　…　he　sang　bass　…　and　narrowed　through　the　hips　to　short；　skinny　legs。　His　features　were　pulled　together　in　the　middle　of　his　wide　face　as　if　they　should　have　inhabited　a　much　narrower　one。　He　had　a　shock　of　heavy　wavy　hair　with　bands　of　silver；　making　him　look　striped。　All　put　together；　he　was　an　almost　ludicrous　figure。　But　no　one　snickered　at　Master　Lobira。　He　had　too　much　presence；　Robinton　quickly　decided；　ever　to　be　the　butt　of　ridicule。　His　muddy　brown　eyes　were　shrewd；　and　there　was　no　way　that　Robinton　was　going　to　underestimate　him。
　　　〃I　never　expected　to　walk　so　soon；〃　Robinton　murmured；　trying　to　be　self…effacing。
　　　Lobira　gave　him　a　quick　look；　as　if　he　thought　Robinton　was　dissembling。　〃I　shall　expect　much　from　you　then；　young　man。　Where　were　you　raised？　Who　are　your　parents？〃
　　　Robinton　was　quite　happy　to　answer　since　he　hoped　that　would　mollify　his　new　Master。　But　if　his　mother　met　with　Lobira's　approval；　his　father　did　not。　Robinton　was　at　first　shocked　…　less　at　the　blunt　remarks　about　his　father's　sort　of　posing；　which　Lobira　felt　was　far　too　sophisticated　to　be　of　any　use　to　anyone；　than　at　hearing　such　criticism　voiced；　especially　in　front　of　the　man's　son。　Not　that　it　didn't　mirror　his　own　very　private　assessment　of　Petiron's　ornate　positions；　but　to　have　mentioned　such　doubts　would　have　seemed　disloyal　and　a　betrayal：　as　if　his　own　songs　merited　more　attention　than　his　father's　more　ambitious　works。　It　came　as　another　shock　that　it　was　his　music　which　Lobira　used　extensively　…　though　Lobira　did　not　know　that　Robinton　had　been　the　poser。　That　had　been　a　secret　kept　in　the　Hall；　evidently；　and　not　made　public　even　to　Masters　outside　the　Hall。
　　　Robinton　knew　better　than　to　make　something　of　that　approval；　but　it　did　much　to　help　him　endure　Lobira's　crotchety　behaviour；　his　temper；　his　inconsistencies　and　his　general　dislike　of　having　to　break　in　a　'snot…nosed；　wet…eared'　novice。
　　　Still；　when　the　old　Master　saw　how　patient　Robinton　was　with　some　of　the　more　backward　students；　he　began　to　mellow　a　trifle。
　　　He　even　delivered　a　word　or　two　of　appreciation。　Lobira　himself　was　too　short…tempered；　and　quick　with　a　slap　for　the　inattentive；　so　Robinton　was　given　not　only　the　slow　but　the　very　young；　who　had　to　be　taught　the　basic　Teaching　Ballads。　He　didn't　mind：　in　fact；　it　was　a　pleasure　to　sing　those　songs　of　his　which　Master　Gennell　had　incorporated　in　the　early　Teaching　Songs。　It　was　a　quiet　contentment　to　him　that　his　songs　were　used　and　he　could　sing　them　with　a　clear　conscience。
　　　He　was　also　assigned　the　duty　of　spending　several　days　of　each　seven…day　going　to　the　distant　holds；　often　the　only　outsider　they　would　see。　These　trips　would　end　once　the　heavy　weather　settled　in　the　high　hills；　so　he　copied　out　extra　music　for　the　holders　to　keep　and　study　until　his　next　trip。　He　had　to　write　a　report　for　each　of　his　journeys；　to　his　surprise；　Lobira　went　over　these　reports　carefully。
　　　Besides　Robinton　and　Lobira's　three　apprentices；　there　was　another　journeyman　harper；　Mallan；　who　was　High　Reaches　born；　and　who　handled　other　Teaching　routes　and　also　some　of　the　classes　in　the　big　Hold。　The　two　journeymen　shared　a　small　inner　apartment　on　the　Holder's　floor　with　two　bed　cubicles　and　a　decent…sized　day　room；　and　shared　the　bathing　facilities　down　the　hall　with　the　three　apprentices　who　were　quartered　in　one　big　inner　room。　Master　Lobira　had　an　outside　apartment　with　his　wife；　Lotricia；　a　faded　woman　with　an　enchanting　smile　and　a　kindly　manner　reminiscent　of　Betrice's。　She　had　been　an　apprentice　healer　when　she　met　Lobira；　but　when　they　had　bee　espoused　she　had　ended　her　studies　and　acpanied　him　to　his　posting　at　High　Reaches；　where　she　devoted　herself　to　rearing　the　four　children　of　their　union。　The　one　daughter　had　married　a　High　Reach　holder　and　occasionally　visited　her　parents　with　her　children。　The　sons　had　been　apprenticed　to　other　trades；　although　they　returned　now　and　again　for　a　High　Reaches　Gather。
　　　〃None　of　them　could　carry　a　tune　in　a　sack；〃　Robinton　once　heard　Lobira　say　in　total　disgust。　〃Took　after　their　mother's　side。　But　they've　done　well。　They've　done　well。〃
　　　Lotricia　was　always　bringing　'her　boys'　…　as　she　called　the　journeymen　…　extra　food。　〃You're　all　growing；　and　you're　all　nothing　but　bones；〃　was　her　happy　plaint；　and　her　offerings　were　always　wele。
　　　With　such　constant　travel　and　the　busy　schedule　in　the　Hold　when　he　wasn't　travelling；　Robinton　had　little　time　to　pose。　He　took　to　writing　the　tunes　which　filled　his　head　while　on　the　road；　stopping　frequently　to　note；　in　tiny　cramped　script；　the　measures　that　he　had　piped；　whistled　or　sung　into　being　as　he　trudged　up　and　down　steep　tracks。　He　barely　missed　injuring　himself　on　several　occasions　when　posing　so　distracted　him　that　he　strayed　off　the　narrow　runner　traces　that　were　sometimes　all　he　had　to　follow　to　his　destination。　The　advantage　of　posing　as　he　walked　was　that　he　could　sing　and　play　as　loudly　as　he　wished　…　often　getting　an　answering　echo　from　the　hills　around　him。
　　　With　the　first　big　snowstorm；　his　travelling　came　to　a　halt。　In　fact　he　was　trapped　for　three　days　in　Murfy　Hold；