Alemi was torn between duty to the Hold and love of his sister. But she wasn’t in the Hold anymore, and commonsense told Alemi that she must be dead if, in this length of time, with dragonriders looking for her, she hadn’t been found. Menolly was only a girl, so what good did it do that her songs found favor with the Harper? Alemi was also reluctant to put the lie to his father. So, despite the fact that Elgion was impressed by the songs, since the songmaker was beyond them, Alemi answered truthfully that he didn’t know where “he” was.
Elgion wrapped the waxed slates carefully, and with a noticeable sigh of regret. “I’ll send them on to the Harper Crafthall anyway. Robinton will want to use :them.”
– “Use them? They’re that good?” Alemi was startled and regretted the lies still more.
“They’re cracking good. Maybe if the lad hears them, tell come forward on his own.” Elgion gave Alemi a rueful smile. “Since if s obvious there’s some reason you can’t name him.” He chuckled at the Sea Man’s reaction. “Come now, man, the lad was sent away in some sort of disgrace, wasn’t he? That happens, as any harper worth his salt knowsand understands. Hold honor and all that. I won’t tease you anymore. He’ll surface to the sound of his own music.”
They talked of other things then, until the fishing fleet returnedtwo men of the same age but different background: one with an inquisitive interest in the world beyond his Sea Hold, and the other quite willing
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to satisfy it Elgion was, in fact, delighted to find none of Yanus’s dejoseness and inflexibility in Alemi, and the Harper began to feel that after all he might be able to follow Master Robinton’s ambitious plan of broadening understanding beyond the limits of this Sea Hold.
Alemi was back the following day after the children had been dismissed, with more questions. He stopped midsentence finally, apologizing profusely for taking so much of Elgion’s time.
“I tell you what, Alemi, I’ll teach you what you’d like to know if you’ll teach me how to sail.”
“Teach you to sail?”
Elgion grinned. “Yes, teach me to sail. The smallest child in my class knows more about that than I do, and my professional standing is in jeopardy. After all, a Harper is supposed to know everything.
“I may be wrong but I can’t imagine that you need both legs to sail one of those little skirls the children use.”
Alemi’s face lit up, and he pounded the Harper on the back with enthusiasm.
“Of course I can. By the First Shell, man, I’d be glad to do it Glad.”
And nothing would satisfy Alemi but to take the Harper down to die Dock Cavern immediately and give him the fundamentals of seamanship. In his own subject, Alemi was as good an instructor as the Harper; and Elgion was able to tack across the Harbor by himself by the end of the first lesson. Of course, as Alemi remarked, the wind was from the right quarter and the sea calm, ideal sailing conditions.
“Which rarely prevail?” asked Elgion; and he was rewarded by Alemi’s tolerant chuckle. “Well, practice makes perfect, and I’d better learn the practical”
“And the theory.”
So their friendship was cemented by mutual exchanges of knowledge and long visits together. Although their conversation touched many subjects, El-96
gion hesitated to bring up the subject of fire lizards, or the fact that the Weyr had asked him to search for traces of the elusive little creatures. He had, however, searched as much of the accessible coastline as he could on foot TTiere were some beaches that should be checked now from the seaside. With Alemi teaching him how to handle the skiff, he hoped he’d soon be able to do it himself. Elgion knew with certainty that Yanus would be completely scornful of any search for fire lizards, and the Harper didn’t want to implicate Alemi in any plan that would bring Yanus’s anger down on his head. Alemi was in bad enough straits over breaking his leg.
One clear bright morning, Elgion decided to put his solution to the test He dismissed the children early, then sought out Alemi and suggested that today was not only a fine day but the sea was rough enough to test his ability. Alemi laughed, cast a wise eye at the clouds, and said that it would be mild as a bathing pool by afternoon but that the practice now would be useful to Elgion’s progress.