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then made much of fastening his riding jacket to indicate his
willingness to depart on the inspection tour. 'Do you agree,
Jamson?'
Jamson harumphed, but the fact that he did not have
questions Paulin took as a good sign.
When they left the house, men and women were busy
putting on the flame-thrower tanks.
'I've scheduled a drill. Have to make up for lost time, you
know,' Vergerin said by way of explanation. Jamson and S'nan
exchanged such fatuous glances that Paulin did his best not
to laugh out loud. Vergerin caught his eye and winked, then
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315
bade a polite farewell to his guests before he returned to the
ground crew.
'Well, he obviously learned a thing or two,' Jamson said in
a sanctimonious tone as they went down the steps to the
waiting bronze dragon.
'Yes, it would seem he has,' S'nan said, and then frowned
slightly. 'Although I cannot like him turning loose Chalkin's
gamesmen. They'll cause trouble at Gathers, mark my words.'
'No more than they've always done,' Paulin said, giving
Jamson a discreet helping hand up Magrith's tall shoulder.
'Probably less without Chalkin exhorting them to squeeze
more out of innocent and guileless holders.'
'No gambling should be allowed for any reason in a Weyr,'
said S'nan, as portentous as ever.
Paulin mounted silently, hoping that these two would see
sufficient in a quick swoop to reassure them about Vergerin's
worth - and the wisdom of Chalkin's impeachment. The brief
visit had satisfied him . . . especially the sight of Chalkin's
much improved portrait. He must send a message to Iantine
at Telgar Weyr; Bridgely had said the artist had returned there
as soon as he was finished at Benden Hold and enquired when
he and his spouse could hope to have a sitting.
During the rest of the inspection circuit, Paulin addressed
the more important problem of subtly reinstating Gallian in
his father's favour. Paulin didn't know if it was working, and
probably wouldn't until Jamson died and the succession
was in question. There were so many instances of visible
repairs and clearings that Jamson could certainly see how poor
a Holder Chalkin had been. For once, S'nan's critical com-
ments were a positive encomium of Vergerin's effort at taking
Hold.
Paulin was well pleased he had taken the trouble to
accompany Jamson. He hoped Lady Thea would be able
to tell him that Gallian was off the hot seat.
'You are not saving the entire world from Threadfall by
yourself, P'tero,' said K'vin, glaring up at the young blue rider.
316
He was nearly beside himself with rage at P'tero's utter
disregard of common sense. 'You are not going to impress
M'leng. If this is how you see your role in Threadfall, I think
you'll be a long time on messenger duty.' 'But, but...'
'Furthermore,' and K'vin pointed a finger fiercely under
the boy's nose, 'Maranis tells me that your wounds are not
well enough healed for you to be back on duty.'
'But... but...' and P'tero, eyes wide with fright, recoiled
from his Weyrleader's fury, clutching the neck ridge before
he over-balanced. The pad which T'sen had given him now
slipped, the ties torn loose some time during the exercises.
Blood spotted it.
'Get down here,' K'vin roared, pointing to where he wanted
P'tero: on the ground. 'Right now.'
P'tero obeyed as promptly as he could, but he was stiff from
sitting so long during the day's manoeuvres and from the
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barely healed flesh of his buttocks.
K'vin caught him by the shoulder and whirled him around.
'Not only new blood, but old stains,' he said, his voice
trenchant with scorn and fury. 'You're off duty...'
'But . . . but . . . Thread's nearly here!' P'tero cried in
anguish, almost in tears with frustration and the fear of being
unable to show M'leng just how brave he really was. Not
mock-brave, like the lion attack, but brave in the air.
~And Thread'11 be here for fifty years, young man. That's
plenty long enough for it to fear you and Ormonth in the air!
Report to Maranis immediately. You're grounded!'
'But I have to be in the first Fall wings,' P'tero cried,
anguished.
'That wasn't the way to get there. Go to Maranis!'
K'vin didn't wait to see if P'tero obeyed. He stormed across
the Bowl, the temptation to shake sense into the blue rider
so intense that he had to put distance between them.
Ormonth tried to keep him from flying today, Charanth
informed his rider.
K'vin halted, now glaring up at his bronze dragon who was
settling himself on his weyr ledge to get what sun remained.
317
Then you're as bad as the pair of them/ K'vin had the
satisfaction of seeing Charanth quail at his fury.
From now on, you are to report to me - instantly - when
any rider, or his dragon, is not one hundred per cent fit for
duty. Do you understand me?
Charanth's eyes whirled, the yellow of anxiety colouring
the blue. His tone was remorseful. I will not fail you again.
If they had been in real danger, I would have warned them
off, Meranath said, entering the conversation.
I didn't ask you/K'vin was so irate he didn't really care if
he offended Meranath, or her rider. But he was not going to
lose riders from foolish and vainglorious actions. There were
fifty years of Thread fighting ahead of them, and he was not
going to lose partners - or risk their injuries due to some
cockamamie notion of what comprises courageous actions.
If you think that I would jeopardize a single rider...
K'vin took the stairs up to the queen's weyr three at a time,
trying to work out his rage before he had to confront Zulaya
and explain why he thought he could speak to her queen in
such a peremptory fashion.
I should be informed of ANY unfit rider or dragon, at any [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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