“Yes, but you’ve been to most of the ancients’ sites, haven’t you? And you mentioned that they built above the ground, in freestanding buildings.” She gave him a measuring look and then shyly added, “I really would like to see one of those sites.”
“That can be easily arranged,” Piemur said, trying not to read into the wistful request more than a professional curiosity.
They had been together almost constantly for the last ten days, either as assistants to Master Robinton and Master Fandarel, or on their own, itemizing the contents of some of the smaller, well-packed chambers. Master Fandarel had ordered several crates of machine parts to be transferred to a warehouse where he and other mechanically oriented Masters and journeymen were attempting to make sense out of such quixotic wealth. Piemur and Jancis, meanwhile, were attempting to match banding, color, and numerals on the crates and cartons to those on the lists Piemur had found in the desk that first day. They had been eating lunch when Jancis made her innocent comment. Piemur called Farli to him and wrote a message to V’line, Clarinath’s rider at Eastern Weyr.
“I do envy you Farli,” Jancis said when the little queen had disappeared on her errand.
“How come you don’t have a fire-lizard?”
“Me?” She was astonished by the question. She also had a smudge on her cheek and another on her forehead, and Piemur wondered if he should tell her. She was neat in her habits and motions, but he kind of liked to see her disheveled—it made her seem more approachable. “Not likely. With every Craftmaster and senior journeyman ahead of me in the list, I’ll be waiting a long time. Unless you know of a nest around here?”
He gave her a long look, suppressing the laughter that threatened to fracture his solemn regard. He knew very well that she had spoken artlessly, but that did not keep Piemur from daring. “Nest hunting is the preoccupation of every rodman and digger. But you—you’d make a good fire-lizard friend.”
Jancis’s eyes went wide, and then her expression changed. “I think you’re teasing me.”
“No, really, I’m not. After all, I’ve got a queen.”
“You mean Farli’s clutched?”
“Frequently.” And then Piemur was forced to admit the embarrassing aspect of that: “Trouble is, I don’t know where!”
“Why not?” Jancis asked, surprised.
“Well, you see, queens instinctively return to their original clutching place and choose a free site nearby. Only I don’t know where that was.”
“But you Impressed her when she hatched? Surely—”
Laughing, Piemur waved his hand to halt her comments. “That’s another long story, but basically I don’t know where she was clutched and she can’t seem to give me directions beyond sand dunes and heat.”
Just then Farli returned, flying into the chamber and chittering agitatedly about things in her way. But the message she bore was affirmative.
“We’re taking the afternoon off, Janny. We deserve it,” Piemur said firmly. “We’ll ruin our eyes, trying to match up all this banding. So we’ll go visit a restored ancients’ ruin at Paradise River Hold. You’ll like Jayge and Ara! I told you about them being shipwrecked and all.”
Her answering expression was inscrutable, but she smiled before she gathered up their work materials.
“This is official, isn’t it?” V’line asked Piemur, glancing at Jancis when the two presented themselves to the bronzerider.
“Sure is,” Piemur assured him airily, helping Jancis to mount Clarinath. “Got to cross-check carton markings on the ones left at Paradise River. It’s one of those boring things that’s got to be done, and Jancis and me got chosen!” He climbed on behind the girl, well pleased with himself. It would be perfectly legitimate for him to put his arms about her during flight.
Jancis gave him a speaking look and a grin for his outrageous invention, and then gasped, grabbing his arms as Clarinath launched himself skyward.
“This isn’t your first time a-dragonback, is it?” Piemur asked, his lips close to her ear. Tendrils of her curly hair escaped from her helmet and tickled his nose. She shook her head, but her grip on his arms did not relax, so he knew that she could not have ridden often.
Then they went between, and her fingers tightened spasmodically. The next moment they were above the clean sandy stretch, Clarinath gliding in to land on the riverbank a few lengths from the hold. The heat was considerably greater there than on the relatively higher, cooler Plateau. Fleetingly Piemur wondered why Alemi had a ship anchored that far to the west of Paradise River. Then Farli came streaking in over Clarinath’s shoulder and, bugling in her silvery voice, joined the stream of welcoming resident fire-lizards, who all swooped into the hold.
“Look, I don’t know how long this will take, V’line,” Piemur began, hurriedly unbuckling helmet and jacket as the heat enveloped them, and helping Jancis remove hers.
“I’ve got to hunt Clarinath,” V’line said. “That’s how come I could get off sweepriding to bring you. Would you ask Jayge where’s the best place to go for wild runners?”
Piemur dismounted and helped Jancis down just as Jayge came onto the verandah to see who had arrived. Piemur hurried over to the dark shady expanse of the porch, introduced Jancis to Jayge, and asked where Clarinath could hunt.
“Tell him to go on down the river, about twenty minutes straight. He’ll catch ‘em browsing close to the water this time of day,” Jayge suggested, adding that V’line should return to the hold to bathe the bronze and to join them in the evening meal while Clarinath digested his.
“You’re crazy, Piemur, coming down here before the heat’s passed,” Jayge said, yawning hugely. He turned to Jancis. “Want something cool to drink?”
“Thank you, Holder Jayge,” Jancis said, giving Piemur a sly glance, “but we ate just before we left the Plateau and we really must check the coding on the cartons in your storeroom, if we may.”
Piemur was stripping down to the loose vest he wore under his shirt. Jancis seemed unaffected by the heat, which irritated him, but then, smiths were used to warmth. “Now, Jancis, I only said that—”
“That’s true enough, Piemur,” Jancis went on equably, “but it was a clever notion, and I think we should check it out.”
“You two do as you wish,” Jayge said, grinning as he looked from one to the other, “but I’m going back to my hammock and wait till the afternoon shower cools us off. Anyone with any sense stays out of the hot!” he muttered as he went.
“Now, Jancis,” Piemur began, using his shirt to mop his forehead.
“It can’t take that long to look!” she said, peering around the verandah at the empty rocking chairs and baby swing. She started down the neat shell-lined path toward the other buildings, and Piemur, cursing under his breath, followed her.
“Are these occupied now?” she asked when they were halfway to the storehouse.
“As far as I know, “he answered grumpily. He knew she was teasing him and that he should not react. And then he began to wonder why she was doing it; he had believed that she liked him and even enjoyed working with him. Why was she being perverse? Was it a character flaw? “Jayge and Ara invited some Bloodkin to join them from the north,” he went on, attempting a more cheerful, if resigned, attitude. “And then Menolly suggested her brother, Alemi, who’s Master Fisherman here, and there’s a Glassmaster now because there are some really fine white sands, and, well, Paradise River was gradually repaired and occupied. Here we are!”
The high-ceilinged building was cool, with what breeze there was entering at the ventilating slats at the top. Empty crates and cartons were still piled neatly in one corner, but there were more that had been put to use and were stacked close to the entrance. Jancis made a small disapproving sound.