"I can send Tolly down for it," Mirrim suggested.
Manotti gave her a sardonic look. "He'll have a day's wait."
She groaned. "Then I'm going down," she said. "I feel the need of a swim and fresh food and some time with my mate."
"If we really are out of action until the silicone fluid is prepared, I ought to take the day off, too," Sharra said, thinking it had been an age since she'd had any time with her sons, or Jaxom.
Caselon grinned. "I'll stay here and manufacture some more tools. If I go down, someone's surely going to find work for me."
Aivas gracefully gave permission for the departures, but to those who remained, he immediately assigned other tasks.
Jaxom was as absorbed in his current tasks as Sharra was in hers, but these days he managed to spend more time at Ruatha, with the two boys, than she was able to. When she was home, he would listen to her descriptions of her projects-the failures and small successes-and encourage her.
"Aivas knows what he's doing, even if he doesn't devote much time to explanations," he told Sharra on more than one occasion. "He's done so much for us already, we simply have to take the enigmatic on faith and follow his instructions." Jaxom reminded himself to take his own advice.
To the chagrin of Lessa and F'lar, Aivas had insisted that Jaxom and Ruth be involved in every aspect of training the dragons and riders in extravehicular activity. According to Aivas, Jaxom and Ruth would also be the ones to guide all future excursions to the surface of the Red Star.
"Ruth is the younger dragon," Aivas said at its most diplomatic, "and has not suffered the strains and stresses of Threadfall-"
"I ride Fall with Fort Weyr all the time," Jaxom protested, as much to soothe Lessa as to make clear that he and Ruth did not fail of their primary obligation.
"No offense intended," Aivas said deferentially. "Be all as it is, it is not recommended that such a long journey be made without good reason."
"It's certainly no gather site," Lessa said.
"I do propose one more investigative trip," F'lar said, "taking along an observer to record the abyss in a permanent form. Every dragon and rider who is to help bring those engines there must have a vivid picture in his mind of where he's going."
"Apart from that necessary contingency," Aivas went on smoothly, "this undertaking should be recorded. There is nothing to match this endeavor of yours in the annals of any other world."
"Not that any other world is interested in our feats," Master Robinton said in a droll murmur.
"Mankind needs heroes," Aivas replied. "This project is of heroic stature."
F'lar gestured in disclaimer. "What has to be done can scarcely be termed heroic!"
Master Robinton shot the Weyrleader a long, thoughtful look.
"We have three engines to place," F'lar went on, ignoring the Harper's stare, "so the leaders of each group need to visit the place. I lead one..."
"Jaxom leads another," Aivas said crisply.
"All right," F'lar allowed.
"And I lead the third," Lessa said.
F'lar immediately objected. "You've risked yourself and Ramoth enough already."
Lessa's expression hardened. "If you go, I go. Ramoth's scarcely the only queen on Pern these days."
Suddenly F'lar's resistance dissolved, which surprised Jaxom but not Ruth.
Why not? Jaxom asked his dragon very privately.
Lessa would not risk Ramoth if she is in clutch, would she?
Jaxom hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand and turned a guffaw into a cough. No wonder F'lar hadn't pressed the point of Lessa's involvement in the event-and Mnementh would cooperate by getting Ramoth in clutch. F'lar had learned subtlety in handling his weyrmate!
"On this one admissible expedition," Jaxon said, "I think F'nor ought to be included."
F'lar gave Jaxom a friendly clout, grinning broadly. "I was about to insist that F'nor and Canth deserve to see the place."
"It's only fair," Robinton said, nodding wisely. "And Canth won't object to taking Perschar, who's got the best eye for detail. D'ram must be allowed this opportunity. And Tiroth can easily convey me," he added, daring protest.
"You can't be put at risk," Lessa said, rising to the bait.
"There'd be no risk involved, would there, Aivas?" Robinton said, shamelessly appealing to the one authority that Lessa would respect.
"The Harper would not be at risk."
"Tiroth's too old!" Lessa declared, glowering at Robinton.
"Tiroth is sturdier than most beasts his age, and the insight of both his rider and Master Robinton might prove invaluable," Aivas said.
It took a few moments for Lessa's irritation to subside, but the matter was soon settled. One more exploratory jump would be made to the Red Star's surface. The group would include D'ram, F'nor, N'ton, and Jaxom, with the dragons carrying Master Robinton, Fandarel, Perschar, and Sebell as observers. The discretion of these few was unassailable, so there would be no chance of careless talk generating more rumor and misconception than already abounded.
Lord Larad of Telgar and Lord Asgenar of Lemos asked Masterharper Sebell to meet them at Telgar Hold at his convenience.
Since Sebell appreciated the diplomatic tone, he dispatched his fire-lizard, Kimi, with a message that he would attend them an hour after the evening meal at Telgar.
"What do you suppose is bothering them?" Menolly asked when Sebell told her of the meeting.
"Rumors have abounded lately, pet," Sebell said with a sigh.
Menolly leaned back from the lectern on which she composed much of her music and, grinning slyly, cocked her head at her husband. "You mean the ones about Sharra and Jaxom, the ones about G'lanar and Lamoth, the latest Abomination mischief, or why the bronze dragons are looking so inordinately pleased with themselves?"
"I'd rather not have so much choice." He carefully tucked a vagrant strand of her long hair back into its clasp before bending to kiss her neck. "I hadn't heard of either Telgar or Lemos having any problems with vandalism, so it can't be that."
"Those who approve do so wholeheartedly, while those who are fearful, apprehensive, or downright skeptical scuttle around the edges and ruin what they haven't the wit to understand."
"It's our task to see that they do understand," Sebell said, gently remonstrating.
"But some don't want to," she replied in a rebellious tone, stretching both arms well above her head to ease her back. "I know the breed. Oh, how I know the breed! It's just too bad we can't leave them alone with their closed minds, but they're standing in our way forward."
"We are altering the fabric of their lives. That frightens people. It always has; it always will. Lytol's sent me some fascinating excerpts from Aivas's historical data. Fascinating. People don't change, love. React first, think later, regret at leisure."
He bent to kiss her cheek. "I've time to tell Robse and Olos a ,story before I go."
Menolly snaked an arm around his neck before he could straighten. "You are such a loving man," she said, and then kissed him again deeply before releasing her hold.
When he paused at the threshold to look back at her fondly, she was already bent to her composition. He smiled at the concentrated pose of her back, one shoulder angled up. She did love him, but he accepted the fact that he would have always two rivals-music and the Master. He had the same loves. With that thought, he went down the corridor to sing to his sons and to admire his daughter, Lemsia, who was too young for more than adoration.
Laradian, Larad's oldest son, was waiting for Sebell in the well-lit court when the obliging Fort Hold dragon deposited the harper at Telgar.
"My father and Lord Asgenar are in the small study, Masterharper," Laradian said formally, and then, relaxing, grinned a welcome at Sebell.