“Oh, I don’t like the sound of that!” Leri rolled her eyes. “And, by the Egg, there were two Gathers yesterday, weren’t there?”
“The danger was not fully appreciated. Master Capiam and Talpan”
“The Talpan who was a friend of yours?”
“Yes, well, he’s been an animal healer, you know, and he realized that the feline they had on display at Ista was the disease carrier.”
“The feline from the Southern Continent?” Leri clacked her tongue. “And some bloody fool has been taking that creature here, there, and everywhere, showing it off, so the disease is also here, there, and everywhere! With riders, including our noble Weyrleader, all going to have a little peek!”
“Sh’gall’s story was a little incoherent but he’d taken Lord Ratoshigan to Ista to see the feline; Capiam had arrived from seeing what ailed Igen Sea Hold, Keroon, and Telgar”
“Great Faranth!”
Moreta nodded. “Ista, of course. Then Ratoshigan had an urgent drum message summoning him ‘back because of illness, so Sh’gall conveyed him and Master Capiam.”
“How did the sickness get there so fast? The beast only got as far as Ista!”
“Yes, but it was first at Keroon Beasthold to be identified by Mas-ter Sufur and no one realized that it was carrying sickness”
“And because it’s been an open winter, they’ve been shipping runners all over the continent!” Leri concluded, and the two women looked at each other gravely.
“Talpan told Capiam that dragons are not affected.”
“We should be grateful for small mercies, I suppose,” Leri said.
“And Fall’s tomorrow. We’ll have that over with before any of us fall sick. Incubation’s two to four days.”
“That’s not a big mercy, is it? But you weren’t at Ista.” Leri frowned.
“No, Sh’gall was. However, a runner fell in the second race at Ruatha and it shouldn’t have …”
Leri nodded, her comprehension complete. “And naturally you were close enough to go have a look. It died?”
“And shouldn’t have. Its owner had just received some new stock from Keroon.”
“Hooooo!” Leri rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation. “So, what medication does Capiam recommend? Surely he must have some idea if he’s been flipping across the continent?”
“He recommends that we treat the symptoms empirically until he finds out just what it is and what the specific medicine is.”
“And what is it we treat empirically?”
“Headache, fever, and a dry cough.”
“They don’t kill.”
“Until now.”
“I don’t like this at all,” Leri said, pulling her shawl across her shoulders and hunching into its warmth. “Though mind, we’d a harper herethough L’mal shooed him off for he was dolefulwho used to say ‘there’s nothing new under the sun.’ A slim hope in these circumstances, but I don’t think we can ignore any avenues of exploration. You just bring me up more Records. Say the ones starting the last Pass. Fortunately I hadn’t planned on going anywhere this morning.”
As Leri only left her weyr to fly with the queens’ wing, Moreta offered her a smile for her attempt to lighten the bad tidings.
“Sh’gall’s left it to you to tell the Weyr?”
“Those who are awake. And Nesso …”
Leri snorted. “That’s the right one to start with. Be sure she gets
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Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
the facts right or we’ll have hysteria as well as hangovers by noontime. And since you’re up, would you fix my wine for me, please, Moreta?” Leri shifted uneasily. “The change in the weather does get to my joints.” She saw Moreta’s reluctance. “Look, if you fix it, then you’ll know I haven’t exceeded the proper amount of fellis juice.” Eyes sparkling with challenge, she cocked her head at the younger Weyrwoman. Moreta did not like Leri to use much fellis juice and contended that if Leri went south where the warmer weather would ease her condition, she wouldn’t need fellis juice at all.
But Moreta did not hesitate. The clammy cold made her feel stiff so it would certainly be making Leri miserable.
“Now, tell me, did you enjoy the Gather?” Leri asked as Moreta measured the fellis juice into her tall goblet.
“Yes, I did. And I got down on the race flats and watched most of the races from a very good vantage point with Lord Alessan.”