All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey Read Free Book Online Page B

of Masters in all disciplines—except, perhaps, the dragons. She might have been reading things into its tone, but had there been a note of excitement in that otherwise level voice when it mentioned the dragons?
    “Yes, the maps are appropriate here, aren’t they? Not merely decorative.” She smiled at Jancis and Menolly. Working with Piemur’s young woman had reassured her that the journeyman was well matched with Fandarel’s granddaughter. Lessa had been dubious about including Jancis on Aivas’s roster, but she had lost her reservations this morning. Jancis had earned a place, and not simply because she had been instrumental in finding the room and was proving to be a willing worker. She had the right attitude toward Aivas and the future.
    Jancis’s eyes glowed as she studied the map. “They produced so many wonderful things. Things that could last for centuries; materials impervious to Thread. Things that will enrich our lives, too.”
    “True enough, but how am I going to reduce this—” Menolly waved an arm in Aivas’s direction. “—into a ballad that will explain these events to people?”
    Lessa chuckled. “A change from your usual subjects, isn’t it? You’ll manage, Menolly dear. You always do, and splendidly. And don’t bother to explain—I doubt even Master Robinton could ‘explain’ a phenomenon like Aivas. Present him as a challenge, to shake us all out of our mid-Pass doldrums.” She pulled out a chair, absently gave it a flick of her rag, and sat down with a loud sigh. Then she cocked her head at the other two. “I don’t know about you two, but I could certainly use a nice hot cup of klah.”
    Jancis sprang to her feet. “And fruit and meatrolls. The cook was up before dawn, complaining about hordes to feed on short notice—but he was making enough food to feed a Gather. I’ll be right back.”
    Menolly turned to Lessa then, her expression serious. “Lessa, is Aivas going to be a good challenge? Jaxom told us such incredible things. Some people are simply not going to accept them, or even try to.” She thought of her hidebound parents and others of similarly rigid minds whom she had not in her Turns as a harper.
    Lessa gave a resigned flick of one hand. “It’s been found. I don’t want to deny it, even if its discovery means some painful reassessments. I found it fascinating to hear how the settlers got here—the pictures they had of Pern in the black heavens are truly awesome. I’d no idea it could look like that! And it was thrilling to hear how bravely our ancestors struggled to destroy Thread. We’ve been used to it—even if
some
thought we’d had our last Pass four hundred Turns ago.” Her lips curled with remembered malice for those doubters. “But what a terrible shock it must have been for them.” With an apologetic expression, she touched Menolly’s hand lightly. “You are one of those who truly deserved to hear that history, Menolly, but we’d no idea what had been discovered when we were sent for. Maybe Aivas wouldn’t mind repeating it for you, and the other Harper Masters, because that is something the Hall should circulate. It should be compulsory for children to learn our true origins. We’ll need new Teaching Ballads. But that is for Sebell to decide, isn’t it?” Then her expression altered again, first to a look of awe, and then to a grimace. “I can tell you that I had trouble believing my eyes and ears when Aivas said that the settlers actually created—’bi-o-en-gin-eered’ was his word—our dragons.” Her grin was tinged with rancor. “I’m almost relieved that there are so few Oldtimers left alive. They’d have found
that
very hard indeed to accept.”
    “Do you find it hard to accept that dragons were engineered from fire-lizards?” Menolly asked teasingly. Lessa had made her dislike of the small draconic cousins very plain over the Turns, and Menolly was always careful to keep hers out of the Weyrwoman’s way.
    Lessa made