I'd only float.
Jaxom wondered at his dragon's nonchalance in this new and dangerous environment. But then, didn't dragons meet danger head on every time they flew Thread? At least there was none of that here to score the white hide or pierce a fragile wing-or his space suit.
See? And Ruth did begin to float, rather than climb, upward. Jaxom was so surprised by his dragon's initiative that he could think of nothing to say. And it doesn't matter if I float, Ruth went on, because all I have to do is jump between wherever I need to go. Is it not beautiful up here?
Jaxom had to agree. Ruth had them perched on the topmost rail, and before them, the globe of Pern glowed in brilliant greens and blues: He thought he recognized the Paradise River Hold estuary and, just at the curve of the horizon, the purple hills of Rubicon and Xanadu. Above were the stairs; behind him, shining far too brightly, was Rukbat's blaze. He thought he caught sunlight glinting off one of the other ships-the Bahrain, no doubt. And far, far above him, at an impossible distance, was the Red Star and the Oort Cloud that the erratic planet would penetrate yet again in another hundred or so Turns.
Abruptly Meer and Farli appeared floating beside Ruth, blinking out a moment later only to reappear, hanging on to the spar with their claws, daintily keeping their flesh from contact with the absolute chill of the metal. Their eyes began to whirl into excited reds.
We're not staying much longer. You d better go in. You can't hold your breaths as long as I can, Ruth told the two fire-lizards. They say space is much too big, he said to Jaxom. It is also colder than between. I think we will go in now. I feel the need to breathe.
Once again, before Jaxom could direct the proceeding, Ruth had executed his intention. Almost without ally sensation of transfer, they were back on the bridge of the Yokohama.
That was splendid! Ruth exclaimed, chirping happily.
Piemur's complexion, Jaxom noted, was noticeably pale under his southern tan, and his expression was unusually grim for a man who traversed the Southern coasts for months with only a gold fire-lizard and a runt runnerbeast for company and never lost his sense of humor.
"Did you have to make Farli and Meer come?"
"They came of their own accord. Ruth says they think space is too big." Jaxom laughed at their understatement. "Ruth thoroughly enjoyed it," he went on, realizing even as he said it how inadequate the comment was. "And so did I," he added staunchly, picturing again that vision of grandeur and immensity, "once I got used to it." He undid his helmet and grinned down at Piemur. "No difference really, from between, and not really as dangerous. As Ruth pointed out, all he has to do is go between wherever he wants, so we'd never really be in any danger in space."
"You sound to me a bit like a man convincing himself against the evidence of his own senses," Piemur said, regarding his friend through narrowed eyes.
"Well, it does take getting used to," Jaxom repeated, running his fingers through sweat-damp hair and grinning in what he hoped was a more convincing fashion. He wouldn't admit to Piemur that he had been apprehensive, though he could now appreciate the sour smell of sweat rising from his suit.
"I wonder," Piemur went on, "just how Sharra, and Lytol, and Lessa, and F'lar, and Robinton will view your latest escapade."
"Once they've tried it, they'll see that it's not really dangerous. It's just... a different aspect of travel on a dragon!"
Piemur let out an exaggerated sigh. "And if you and Ruth can do it, every other dragon and rider on Pern will feel required to follow your example. Is that what you wanted, Aivas?"
"The result is inevitable, given the friendly competitiveness of dragonriders."
Piemur raised both hands in a gesture of resignation. "As I said, with a friend like Aivas, you don't need enemies!"
Jaxom had let himself in for a series of harangues once they got back to Landing.
"True harper instincts!" he remarked acidly to Piemur, when the journeyman bellowed the news to Lytol on the duty desk. His old guardian turned pale and stern, and Jaxom had the satisfaction of seeing Piemur blanch. "Just let's keep this all in perspective, shall we?" he added, striding to Lytol. "I'm all right, really I am. Ruth wouldn't put me in danger any more than Aivas would. Someone!" He raised his voice. "I need some help here!"
Jancis came running down the hall, halted as she took in the scene, and darted into a side room. She was back in a moment with a hot bottle and poured Lytol a cup of klah.
"Just don't stand there, Piemur, get some wine. Some of that fortified wine would be best," she called after him as he scurried for the kitchen. "And just what have you been up to?" she demanded of Jaxom.
"Nothing as dangerous as springing news on-" Jaxom caught himself before saying "old man." "-someone with no advance warning or preparation. I gather Aivas did not mention what he had planned for us today."
"How could emptying fuel sacks be dangerous?" Jancis asked, her pretty eyes wide with astonishment.
"I'm perfectly all right," Lytol insisted. After he had obediently taken several sips of the hot klah his color had improved.
Piemur burst back into the hall, a wineskin in one hand and several glasses in the fingers of the other. He set these down on the table with more force than needed, but he could see that Lytol was recovering. "I need a drink as much as anyone else," the harper said, splashing wine into the first glass so sloppily that Jancis, uttering a protest, took the skin from his hand.
"Thanks. I needed that!" And Piemur downed the glass he had filled and held it out for a refill.
"You wait your turn," she scolded.
Jaxom gestured for her to pour wine into Lytol's cup and for the older man to drink again.
"Now, whatever made you attempt such a dangerous maneuver?" Lytol demanded.
Jaxom sighed. "It wasn't dangerous. Aivas asked Ruth and me to do an EVA, and we did. Ruth and I were quite safe. He had his claws hooked on that framework around the engine section and I-I was hanging on to him." Jaxom grinned at the consternation on Jancis's face.
"Dragonriders!" In that tone, Jancis's single word was a profound condemnation.
"Wouldn't you agree, Lytol, that a dragon won't endanger his rider? That a dragon can take himself and his rider anywhere between to safety?" Suddenly Jaxom realized that this was the first time in many Turns that he had asked Lytol to verify draconic abilities. He could see the muscles along his guardian's jaw clench, and wondered if he had overstepped the bounds of tact.
Lytol exhaled. "On occasion I have thought that Ruth acted too much on impulse, but you, Jaxom, have always been cautious; thus the two of you balanced each other. He would no more endanger you than you would put his life in jeopardy. But your extravehicular activity should have been discussed beforehand."
Piemur shot Jaxom a righteous glare, and Jaxom shrugged.
"We did it, and we have proved that it can be done with no harm."
I am going to sleep in the sun, Ruth told him. You're going to be talking for hours. I'm glad we didn't talk about doing it first. It could have taken days to arrive at permission. We might never have gotten to do it.
Jaxom did not repeat Ruth's less than diplomatic remarks or his appraisal of talk to come-talk that grew into harangue as Lessa, F'lar, Robinton, and D'ram were informed of the EVA.
"One more incidence of Aivas's obsession," Lessa said, not at all pleased to be summoned to the hastily convened meeting.
"I wish you would all address the meat of the exercise,"
Jaxom said with more irritation than he had ever before betrayed in the Benden Weyrleaders' presence. "The important fact is that it can be done, has been done, and that Aivas says that EVA by dragons and riders is crucial to his plan."
They were not in the Aivas chamber, but in the conference room.