CHAPTER XII
Fort Hold, Fort and High Reaches Weyrs, Present Pass, 3.18.43
“I, FOR ONE, am heartily glad to hear a piece of good news,” Capiam said when the echoes of the drum message had faded.
They had all heard the sound of the drums but, closeted in the thick stone walls of Lord Tolocamp’s apartment in Fort Hold, they had not been able to distinguish the cadences until the Harper Hall began to relay the tidings onward.
“Twenty-five eggs is not a generous clutch,” Lord Tolocamp said in exaggeratedly mournful voice.
Capiam wondered if the Lord Holder’s dose of vaccine had held some curious contaminant. The man’s whole personality had altered. The charitable would say that he grieved for his wife and four daughters, but Capiam knew that Tolocamp had consoled himself rather quickly by taking a new wife, so his sorrow was suspect. Tolocamp had also made his losses the excuse for a variety of shortcomings, short temper, and dithering.
“Twenty-five with a queen egg is a superb clutch this late in a Pass,” Capiam replied firmly.
Lord Tolocamp pulled at his lower lip, then he sighed heavily.
“Moreta really must not permit Kadith to fly Oriith again. Sh’gall was so ill.”
204 Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
“That is not our business,” Tirone remarked, entering the discussion for the first time. “Not that the illness of the rider has any effect on the performance of the dragon. Anyway, Sh’gall is flying Fall at
Nerat so he’s evidently fully recovered.”
“I wish they would inform us of the status of each Weyr,” Lord Tolocamp said with another heavy sigh. “I worry so.”
“The Weyrs”Tirone spoke with a firm emphasis and a sideways look of irritation at the Lord Holder“have been discharging their
traditional duties to their Holds!”
“Did/bring the illness to the Weyrs? Or the Holds? If the dragonriders were not too quick to fly here and there”
“And Lords Holder not so eager to fill every nook and cranny of
their” “This is not the time for recriminations!” Tirone shot a warning
glance at Capiam. “You know as well, if not better than most people, Tolocamp, that seamen introduced that abomination onto the continent!” The deep rumbling voice of the Masterharper was acid. “Let us resume the discussion interrupted by such good news.” Tirone’s expression told Capiam that he must control his antipathy for Tolocamp. “I have men seriously ill in that camp of yours,” Tirone caught the Lord Holder’s gaze, stabbing his finger toward the windows. “There is not enough vaccine to mitigate the disease, but they could at least have the benefit of decent quarters and practical nursing.”
“Healers are among them,” Tolocamp countered sullenly. “Or so
you tell me!” “Healers are not immune to the viral influence and they cannot
work without medicines.” Capiam leaned urgently across the table to Tolocamp, who drew back, another habit that irritated the healer. “You have a great storeroom of medicinal supplies”
“Garnered and prepared by my lost Lady”
Capiam ruthlessly suppressed his irritation. “Lord Tolocamp, we
need those supplies”
A mean look narrowed Tolocamp’s eyes. “For Ruatha, eh?” “Other holds besides Ruatha h^ve needs!” Capiam spoke quickly
to allay Tolocamp’s suspicions.
“Supplies are the responsibility of the individual holder. Not mine. I cannot further deplete resources that might be needed by my own people.”
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern 205
“If the Weyrs, stricken as they are, can extend their responsibilities in the magnificent way they have, beyond the areas beholden to them, then how can you refuse?” Tirone’s deep voice rang with feeling.
“Very easily.” Tolocamp pushed his lips out. “By saying no. No one may pass the perimeter into the Hold from any outlying area. If they don’t have the plague, they have other, equally infectious, diseases. I shall not risk more of my people. I shall make no further contributions from my stores.”
“Then I withdraw my healers from your Hold,” Capiam said. He rose quickly.
“Butbutyou can’t do that!”
“Indeed he can! We can,” Tirone replied. He got to his feet and came round the table to stand by Capiam. “Craftsmen are under the jurisdiction of their Hall. You’d forgotten that, hadn’t you?”
Capiam swung out of the room, so angry at Tolocamp’s pettiness that bile rose sourly in his throat. Tirone was only a step behind him.