Part 17 (1/2)
Kindly the harper shook his head. ”He's too weak to see anyone though he asked Alemi to tell you why he hadn't been arnund.
T'lion groaned again. ”I I . . . should have taken him right then to the Hold Healer, right when Afo told us there was a bad thorn but I was late to collect you ”And I was annoyed and rushed you off that day. It's by no means all your fault, T'lion, and you mustn't take it so hard.
And,' now the harper's tone lightened and T'lion saw he was smiling wryly, ”all the healers insist that Readis must swim every day to regain tone in the leg muscles.”
”They did?” Some of the heavy pressure in T'lion's chest lightened.
”it's the best chance he has to recover.
”What does his mother say to that?”
Boskoney's grin was even more ironic. ”She has had to agree to the treatment. It is the only way he'll walk again.”
”Ohhhh!” T'lion buried his head in his hands again, shaking it from side to side. ”He was like my brother ”Now, T'lion, enough of this guilt. It was an unfortunate concatenation of circ.u.mstances. However, I may say unreservedly that Readis is delighted. He finds it no ch.o.r.e to have to a.s.sociate with dolphins daily. I heard him tell his mother that he walks in water better than he can on land!'
T'lion gave a rueful laugh. ”He would, wouldn't he? He's such a brave lad.”
”He'll be fine. You will be, too.”
Chapter Nine.
ver the next four Turns, while Readis earnestly exer cised his legs in the warm waters of Paradise Head, entous events unfolded at Landing, Benden Weyr, Cove Hold and Fort Hold. With advice and counsel from Aivas, Weyrs, Halls and Holds combined their efforts with the technology available from Aivas and altered the orbit of the Red Star so that it would never again come close enough to Pern to threaten the planet with Threadfall. On the day that the explosion of the anti-matter engines of the three colony s.h.i.+ps was viewed through distance lenses, everyone on Pern celebrated the end of Thread tyranny. Only Thread did not stop falling, a demonstrable fact which confused many, including Readis.
”Then why did you celebrate?” he asked his father, four days later when Thread fell across Paradise River Hold.
”Because Thread will end - this is the last Pa.s.s.
”It is? Harper says that we've had it for centuries and every time we think it's going to stop - in a long Interval - it comes back anyhow.”
Jayge grinned at his son, tall for his eleven Turns, and tried not to glance down at the wasted right leg which c.o.c.ked on tiptoe beside the uninjured left foot. He ruffled Readis' curly hair and thought instead that it was unfair for the boys in the family to have the curls while the two girls had straight hair.
”The dragonriders have gone to the Red Star and steered it away from getting close enough to bring Thread to Pern ever again.”
”How could they move a star?” Readis demanded. ”It's too big, even for dragons.
”They used the engines from the Dawn Sisters. They pulled the Star out of an orbit that brings it too close to Pern Do you understand what I mean?”
”Sure. Harper's told us all about our star system. He put a coconut down for the sun and then walked all the way to the edge of the river to put down a tiny pebble for Pern.” Readis giggled. ”He said that's the re-la-tive distances involved.” Patently Readis could only repeat what he had been told and did not quite comprehend the subtleties of the explanation. ”Pern isn't as small as that pebble. I know that!'
”You'll understand better as you grow up.
”Everyone's always saying that,' Readis replied disgustedly.
”You'll find it's true,' Jayge said, hearing an echo of his own boyish voice. ”However, Boskoney has advised us to enrol you in the Landing school.”
”Huh? And leave Paradise?” Readis was appalled at the very thought.
”Daytimes, six of a sevenday, with a break during the hot season.
”Daaad!'
”You, Kami, and Pardure are enrolled. At that, Paradise River is exceedingly lucky to gain three places out the twenty-five available to special students ”You mean, because of my leg I have to go away?”
”There's not a thing wrong with Kami and Pardure, my young lad!” his father said sternly.
Readis was not completely mollified. He hated anyone making concessions for him. He only rode the small runner Lord Jaxom had trained and sent especially for his use in getting about on land because Ruth had said that he, the white dragon, had selected the beast for Readis who had been so good about scrubbing his hide all these Turns. The little creature had made it possible for Readis to go wherever the other youngsters of the Hold roamed: the boy was as good a rider as he was a swimmer.
Aramina preferred him to use Delky, the runner: anything to keep him out of the water and away from the dolphins. She could not be convinced that the dolphins were not responsible for his illness and subsequent crippling. It was Aramina who heard about the proposed special cla.s.ses to be held in the Admin building. using the information machines which were the legacy of Aivas. Menolly had told Alemi who had not only requested the concession for his eldest daughter but for Readis as well.
”How'll I get there?” Readis demanded of his father, sticking his chin out almost impertinently.
”A-dragonback. I trust you won't mind that. Jayge knew that the transport might be the final persuader.
”Every day?” Readis brightened considerably. ”We'd have to ride a dragon every morning and every evening?” He hoped that T'lion and Gadareth would do the conveying. He'd never been able to convince his mother that T'lion wasn't in some way responsible for his illness. He'd told her time and again that T'Iion had told him, twice, to go see Temma for the thorn and he'd forgotten. So his illness, and his bad leg, were not T'lion's fault, but his. He heard what his father was saying then.
”This is a special dispensation for the three of you, until a dormitory can be set up for the pupils.”
”A-dragonback twice a day?” Readis did not hear that qualifier, his eyes s.h.i.+ning with the prospect of riding dragons on a regular basis.
”Only as long as you study hard enough to deserve the honour,' his father said sternly.
Boskoney's report listed Readis as his top student over Kami and the studious Pardure, Journeyman Weaver Parren's eldest.
While Pardure studied hard for his knowledge, everything seemed to come easily to Readis who would benefit from the challenge of a more structured learning climate. Compet.i.tion for the few places available had been intense but Master Robinton, whose scheme this was, had insisted that the students be harper-recommended and they had to be proportionately drawn from Weyr, Hall and Hold.
Master Robinton wanted to be sure this current generation of young people grew up, trained from an early age to absorb and utilize the vast amount of knowledge available through Aivas.
He had started special cla.s.ses with just a few suitable pupils from the Landing residents and each Turn had increased the size of the cla.s.ses. Aivas had agreed, remarking that it would be easier to train youngsters up - since they would have no mis-information to be corrected - than to retrain men and women who would have to alter life-long habits of thinking and learning. Now that the main push of everyone's efforts - the Red Star project - was accomplished, the Halls could concentrate on spreading new devices that would raise living standards all across Pern. Once power could be generated in Holds, Halls and Weyrs, the special equipment Aivas had taught people how to use could be extended throughout the planet, instead of centralized at Landing.
Wind and tide generators were being studied by Jayge and his Craft Hall residents to see which would suit their needs best.
Journeyman Parren could produce quant.i.ties on a powered loom of the coveted fabrics he made from the local fibre plants. Better lights would be a tremendous help in every household, and the fans which would stir air during the hot season would make life more bearable. Other applications of power generation were being studied, especially the manufacture of ice so the fish catches would remain fresher longer. Alemi was very keen for that amenity.
Jayge found some of the concepts difficult to understand so he was delighted that Readis would have the opportunity to start off, absorbing the new wonders at a better ”learning' age.
Such training would also make the boy more acceptable to the Council of Holders when it came time for him to be confirmed in his Holding. In the meantime, Jayge was determined to improve the Hold and its resources. The basics of figuring, reading and scripting taught by harpers along with traditional ballads and songs was well enough for those who would be apprenticed to a craft but a holder needed a broader, overall view. Jayge had learned how to hold through trial and error, to survive when he and Aramina had been s.h.i.+pwrecked on this coast, but he wanted more for his sons and daughters.
Readis was all set for his session at school the following morning, his knapsack packed and he had a flying jacket and cap to protect him between when a fire-lizard came screaming in to land on the porch. He heard its distressed cry at the same time as his family and reached the porch just as his father was unfastening the message tube the fire-lizard wore.
As soon as he released it, the little creature, still desperately keening, flitted out and was gone, followed by the resident fair who picked up its tormented cry.
”No, no, nonono, Jayge said, shaking his head in denial as he scanned the message. ”No. He can't be!'
”What's the matter, Dad?” Readis asked. He'd never seen such a look of anguish on his father's face.
Jayge bowed his head to his chest and slumped against the railing, covering his eyes with one hand while the other held the message; a narrow strip of paper.