Oh, not to mention, Wansor replied, blinking hard to focus on her.
Enough to mention, Lessa said firmly and took the cup from his hand. half-lifting him from the stool. I think Master Wansor, that you had better sleep here at Benden a little while.
Oh, could I? Id the most fearful notion that I might fall off the dragon between. But that couldnt happen, could it? Oh, I cant stay. I have the Crafts dragon. Really, perhaps Id just better …
His voice trailed off as Lessa led him down the corridor.
He was up all last night too, Nton said, grinning affectionately after Wansor.
There is no way to go between to the Red Star?
Nton shook his head slowly. Not that we could see tonight last night. The same features of dark, reddish masses were turned toward us most of the time we watched. Just before we decided you should know about the other planets, I took a final look and that Nerat-like promontory had disappeared, leaving only the dullish gray-red coloration.
There must be some way to get to the Red Star.
Im sure youll find it, sir, when youre feeling better.
Flar grimaced, thinking that unobtrusive was an apt description of this young man. He had deftly expressed confidence in his superior, that only ill-health prevented immediate action, and that the ill-health was a passing thing.
Since thats the way matters stand in that direction, let us proceed in another. Lessa said that you procured Thread for us. Did you see how those swamp grubs dealt with Thread?
Nton nodded slowly, his eyes glittering.
If we hadnt had to cede the dissidents the continent, Idve had a straight-flown Search discover the boundaries of the southern lands. We still dont know its extent. Exploration was stopped on the west by the deserts, and on the east by the sea. But it cant be just the swampy area that is infested with these grubs. Flar shook his head. He sounded querulous to himself. He took a breath, forcing himself to speak more slowly and therefore less emotionally. Theres been Threadfall in the Southern Weyr for seven Turns and not a single burrow. The ground crews have never had to flame out anything. Now, even with the most careful, most experienced, sharpest-eyed riders, some Thread gets to the ground. Tbor insists there were never any burrows to be found anywhere after a Threadfall, Flar grimaced. His wings are efficient and Threadfall is light in the south, but I wished Id known.
And what would you have thought? asked Lessa with her usual asperity as she rejoined them. Nothing. Because until Thread started falling out of phase, and you had been at the swampfall, youd never have correlated the information.
She was right, of course, but Nton didnt have to look so torn between agreement with her and sympathy for him. Silently Flar railed at this infuriating debility. He ought to be up and around, not forced to rely on the observations of others at a critical time like this.
Sir, in the Turns Ive been a dragonrider, said Nton, considering his words even as he spoke, Ive learned that nothing is done without purpose. I used to call my sire foolish to insist that one tanned leather in just one way, or stretched hide only a little at a time, well-soaked, but Ive realized recently that there is an order, a reason, a rhyme for it. He paused, but Flar urged him to go on. Ive been most interested in the methods of the Mastersmith. That man thinks constantly. The young mans eyes shone with such intense admiration that Flar grinned. Im afraid I may be making a nuisance of myself but I learned so much from him. Enough to realize that therere gaps in the knowledge thats been transmitted down to us. Enough to understand that perhaps the southern continent was abandoned to let the grubs grow in strength there …
You mean, that if the ancients knew they couldnt get to the Red Star, Lessa exclaimed, they developed the grubs to protect growing fields?
They developed the dragons from fire lizards, didnt they? Why not grubs as ground crews? And Nton grinned at the whimsy of his thesis.