“Afraid?”
“Afraid it carries the plague.”
“That runner survived it!”
“Precisely. It survived, you and I survived. I got over my bout faster because I had the serum. Wouldn’t serum from recovered runners protect others the way it protects people?” He grinned at Alessan’s reaction. “If that notion’s valid, you got a field full of cures. And a good trade item.”
Alessan stared at Tuero, condemning himself for not having thought of vaccinating runners. So many of his smallholders depended on their runner breeding that he could not, in conscience, have demanded his right to a portion of their labor in this emergency, recognizing their fear of bringing plague back to their holds.
“I’m disgusted I didn’t think of it myself!” he said to the grinning harper. “Come on. Let’s put these two away. I need a little chat with Healer Follen.” He gave his beast an exultant swat on the rear to impel it into its stall. “How could I have been so dense?”
“You have had a few other problems on your mind, you know!”
“Man! You’ve revived me!” Alessan gave the lean harper a clout on the shoulder, grinning in the first respite from grim reality that he had enjoyed since Oklina had recovered. “And to think I hesitated about sending you.”
“You may have, I didn’t,” Tuero said impudently, scooping up his saddlebags and following Alessan’s quick lead to the Hold Hall.
224
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
They found Pollen quickly enough, in the main Hall tending the sick. Alessan felt his nostrils pinch against the odors that the incense could not mask. He avoided the Hall whenever possiblethe coughing, the rasping breaths, and the moans of the patients were a constant reminder of the sad hospitality he had offered. Folfen’s anxious expression cleared when Tuero raised the saddlebags. When the men had converged into the Hold office Follen now occupied, his hopeful-ness waned as he examined the bags and twists of herbs. Alessan had to repeat his question about vaccinating runners.
“The premise is sound enough, Lord Alessan, but I’m not conver-sant with animal medicines. The Masterherdsman … oh, yes, well, I forgot. But there must be someone at Keroon Beasthold who could give you a considered opinion.”
Tuero sighed with disappointment. “It’s too late now to drum across to Keroon. They wouldn’t thank us for rousing them from
their beds.” “There is someone else, much closer, who would know,” Alessan
said in a thoughtful voice. “And Follen, is there any human vaccine left? Enough for two people?”
“I can, of course, prepare some.”
“Please do while Tuero and I drum up Fort Weyr. Moreta will know if we can vaccinate runners.” Then he added to himself, I can bring Dag back and see what he managed to save.
Moreta was startled when the request came in to the Weyr drummer. The quarantine no longer applied. Alessan had specifically mentioned that he had been vaccinated and was healthy. She had no reason to deny a meeting and more than a few to grant it, curiosity about why the Lord Holder of Ruatha would urgently require a meeting being the least of them. Orlith was not a broody queen and quite happy to have people admire her clutch, particularly the queen egg, though she kept it always within reach of a forearm. Once she indulged in her postclutch feeding, she had piled the other eggs in a
protective circle about the unique one.
“As if anyone would rob your clutch,” Moreta teased her affectionately. She had told Orlith all about her early-moming visit to High Reaches and received a serene absolution for her errand of mercy.
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern 225
Leri was here. Holth was with you. Fair exchange in those conditions. I slept.
Moreta slept for a while after her return from the High Reaches, waking nervously almost as if she had expected another summons. She would have preferred to stay at Tamianth’s side until she was certain that the ichor was flowing to the wing, but Pressen had learned of the dangers and was able to perform necessary counter-measures. Further, as Tamianth strengthened and Falga recovered from wound fever, another crisis was less likely to develop.