My lady, the Mastersmith inclined his upper body toward Lessa and gestured with great courtesy for her to take her place.
Lessa had to stand on tiptoe to reach the eyepiece, silently wishing someone had taken into account that not all the viewers this evening were tall. The instant the image of the Red Star reached her brain, such trivial annoyance evaporated. There was the Red Star, seemingly no farther away than her arm could reach. It swam, a many-hued globe, like a childs miggsy, in a lush black background. Odd whitish-pink masses must be clouds. Startling to think that the Red Star could possess clouds like Pern. Where the cover was pierced, she could see grayish masses, a lively gray with glints and sparkles. The ends of the slightly ovoid planet were completely white, but devoid of the cloud cover. Like the great icecaps of northern regions of Pern. Darker masses punctuated the grays. Land? Or seas?
Involuntarily Lessa moved her head, to glance up at the round marks of redness in the night sky that was this childs toy through the magic of the distance-viewer. Then, before anyone might think shed relinquished the instrument she looked back through the eyepiece. Incredible. Unsettling. If the gray was land how could they possibly rid it of Thread? If the darker masses were land … Disturbed, and suddenly all too willing that someone else be exposed to their ancient enemy at such close range, she stepped back.
Lord Groghe stepped forward importantly. Sangel, if you please?
How like the Fort Lord, Lessa thought, to play host when Pzar who was after all, acting Weyrleader at Fort Weyr, did not act quickly enough to exert his rights. Lessa wished fervently that Flar had been able to attend this viewing. Well, perhaps Pzar was merely being diplomatic with the Fort Lord Holder. Still, Lord Groghe would need to be kept …
She retreated and knew it for a retreat to Robinton. The Harpers presence was always reassuring. He was eager to have his turn but resigned to waiting. Groghe naturally would give the other Lord Holders precedence over a Harper, even the Masterharper of Pern.
I wish hed go, Lessa said, glancing sideways at Meron. The Nabolese had made no attempt to reenter the group from which he had been so precipitously expelled. The offensive stubbornness of the man in remaining where he clearly was not welcome provided a counter irritant to worry and her renewed fear of the Red Star.
Why must it appear so so innocent? Why did it have to have clouds? It ought to be different. How it ought to differ, Lessa couldnt guess, but it ought to look to look sinister. And it didnt. That made it more fearful than ever.
I dont see anything, Sangel of Boll was complaining.
A moment, sir. Wansor came forward and began adjusting a small knob. Tell me when the view clarifies for you.
What am I supposed to be seeing? Sangel demanded irritably. Nothing there but a bright ah! Oh! Sangel backed away from the eyepiece as if Thread had burned him. But he was again in position before Groghe could call another Lord to his place.
Lessa felt somewhat relieved, and a little smug, at Sangels reaction. If the fearless Lords also got a taste of honest dread, perhaps …
Why does it glow? Where does it get light? Its dark here, the Lord Holder of Boll babbled.
It is the light of the sun, my Lord, Fandarel replied, his deep, matter-of-fact voice reducing that miracle to common knowledge.
How can that be? Sangel protested. The suns on the other side of us now. Any child knows that
Of course, but we are not obstructing the Star from that light. We are below it in the skies, if you will, so that the suns light reaches it directly.
Sangel seemed likely to monopolize the viewer, too.
Thats enough, Sangel, Groghe said testily. Let Oterel have a chance.
But Ive barely looked, and there was trouble adjusting the mechanism, Sangel complained. Between Oterels glare and Groghe trying to shoulder him out of the way, Sangel reluctantly stepped aside.