"S'len?" F'lar asked. "Isn't he that young green rider from Fort?"
"That's the one. And Aivas insisted on drilling Mirrim to bring her up to a level with the rest of us," Piemur added.
"Why would the green dragons be so important to Aivas?" Lessa asked.
"They're small, that's why," Piemur said.
"Small? "
"Well, that's my hunch, and Ruth's the smallest of them all," Piemur went on. "There's no doubt in my mind that those two will play a special part in Aivas's Great Scheme."
Lessa and Lytol both looked concerned.
"Oh, don't worry about Jaxom," Piemur said airily. "He's the best of us all. Has a real grasp of all that navigational mathematics Aivas throws at us, and the spatial relationships."
"Has he suggested anything yet?" Lessa asked Robinton and Lytol. Both men shook their heads.
Then Robinton grinned. "I get literary quotations, such as: 'There's a time for some things, and a time for all things: a time for great things, and a time for small things.' I am forced to assume that this is the time for small things, like assimilating all those foundation courses from Aivas; while the time for great things is still four Turns, seven months, and however many days away from us."
"Literary quotations?" F'lar asked, surprised. His lessons with Aivas tended to the practicaclass="underline" tactics, mathematical projections of Threadfall, and draconic healing-though he practiced none of the latter, he kept himself informed of Aivas's innovations.
"Oh, yes. And though Aivas admits he is choosing what he thinks might appeal to my tastes, our ancestors had fascinating and complex literatures from ever so many cultures that put ours to shame. Some of our epic sagas he has identified as paraphrases of Terran originals. Fascinating."
"Indeed, my studies have been equally absorbing," Lytol said, leaning forward on the table, his face lighting with his own enthusiasm. "I don't think any of us realized that our present political structure was handed down from the very Charter our ancestors brought with them. That is historically very unusual, Aivas told me."
"Why should it be?" F'lar asked, mildly surprised. "It allows Weyr, Hold, and Hall to function without interference."
"Ah, but interference was a major factor in Terran politics," Lytol replied. "Spurred by territorial imperatives and, all too often, sheer greed."
Adroitly interrupting another of Lytol's historical perorations, Lessa rose, nodding to Robinton and the two young journeymen. "We must get back to the Weyr now. Aivas gave me another healing compound to try on Lisath's wing. It simply isn't mending as it should."
I told Aramina that we're coming, Ruth said as Jaxom mounted him. She likes to know, you know, he added in a confidential tone.
Jaxom rather wished that Ruth hadn't committed them to paying a call on Aramina and Jayge. He really ought to get right back to Ruatha, and go to Paradise River in the morning, as he had said he would.
"Well, we won't stay long, mind," Jaxorn said, giving Ruth an indulgent slap.
The white dragon was very fond of the young woman who, as a girl, had heard dragons so easily-and so incessantly-that she had inveigled Jayge of the Lilcamp Traders to take her as far away from dragons as he could to preserve her sanity. Shipwrecked on their way to the Southern Continent, they had been rescued by shipfish and set ashore. There they had discovered and restored ancient buildings, not realizing the significance of their find. Located by Piemur on his coastline survey, they had been officially named as Holders of Paradise River and had increased their numbers to a sizable Hold, including a Fisher Hall. The former trader had been immensely surprised when Piemur and Jancis told him that a paternal ancestor named Lilienkamp had been instrumental in saving so much useful material in the Catherine Caves.
Following Aivas's directions, Jaxorn and Ruth emerged over rather anonymous grassland. It wasn't until they had overflown the alleged site several times that Jaxorn noticed the declivity well overgrown with grass and shrubs, with the suspicion of white glinting through the vegetation. They landed, and by kicking and gouging, Jaxom peeled back the obscuring greenery and lifted a handful of sand so fine it was nearly powder. Working up quite a sweat, he filled the large sacks he had brought with him. Finally, hot and tired, he remounted his dragon.
He had cooled off by the time Ruth glided to a gentle, faultless halt in front of the gracious ancient residence of the Paradise River Hold.
"And a good day to you, Lord Jaxorn and Ruth!" Jayge said, coming down the stairs from the wide porch. "Ara started squeezing fresh juice the moment Ruth told her you were coming. And I'm glad you did, because something's come up!"
I'm going swimming. The fire-lizards said they'll scrub my back, Ruth told Jaxom, his eyes whirling with green delight. At Jaxom's approval, the white dragon hop-glided right into the river, several full fairs of fire-lizards, both wild and banded, circling ecstatically above him.
"Off for a scrub, is he?" Jayge asked. He was of medium height, his bare chest burned a fine deep brown, his legs not quite as dark. His oddly flecked green eyes stood out in a tanned face that reflected a hint of a strong personality and a basic tranquility, even though a slight frown crossed his face as he led Jaxorn up to the coolness of the porch. "I'm glad you stopped by, Jaxom. How did you work up such a sweat in between?"
"Stealing sand."
"Indeed?" Jayge regarded him thoughtfully. "Now what would you need Paradise River sand for? As I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway." He gestured for Jaxom to take the hammock while he leaned against the porch banister, arms folded across his chest.
"The settlers had a sandpit back in that scrubland of yours. They thought highly of Paradise River sands-for glass making."
"There's enough certainly. Did Piemur and Jancis find those whatchamacallums..."
"Chips?" Jaxom supplied with a grin.
"Chips, then, useful after all?"
"Well, we managed to salvage the usable transistors and capacitors, but they haven't actually been put onto a board yet."
Jayge gave him a long, hard, suspicious look before grinning. "As you say!"
Just then young Readis, clad only in a clout, came out onto the porch, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He eyed Jaxom steadily. "Ruth?"
Jaxom pointed to where the white dragon, surrounded by industrious fire-lizards, was wallowing in the shallow water.
"He's enough of a guardian, isn't he?" Readis asked his father, tilting his head back in a stance that reminded Jaxom of Jayge.
"Ruth's bathing right now, and besides, I d like you to tell Jaxom what happened to you and Alemi the other day," Jayge said.
"Did you come just to hear?" There was a certain element of vanity in young Readis's grin. Jaxom was suddenly aware of how much he missed his own son, Jarrol, an engaging two Turns old.
"Well, that was one reason," Jaxom replied mendaciously. "So what did happen to you and Alemi the other day?"
Aramina emerged from the house, carrying her squirming daughter under one arm and a tray in her free hand. Jayge sprang quickly to relieve her of the tray, but she gave him two-Turn-old Aranya instead and served Jaxom a tall, cool drink and some freshly baked sweet biscuits. It took a few more minutes until Readis had been sat in a chair, his small glass and two biscuits to hand. As Aramina settled herself, Readis looked to his father for his cue to begin.
"Uncle Alemi took me fishing three days ago in the skiff. The big reds were schooling out there." Readis's brown arm indicated a general northerly direction. "We was to have a beach meal 'cos it was Swacky's nameday and we needed big 'uns to grill. There was only little squids on the edges of the school. Then, all o' sudden, a big one got Uncle's hook and it dragged us, boat and all"-Readis's eyes were shining with remembered excitement-"right into the current. But Uncle Alemi, he wrestled it aboard and it was this"-he held his arms as wide as they could go-"big. No funning!" He glared briefly at his father, who was hiding his laughter in his hand. "It was big! You ask Alemi! But he hung on, and I helped him gaff it aboard. Then my reel started spinning, and Uncle Alemi and I had to plat our backs into landing that one. That's why we didn't notice the squall coming up."