Flar looked inquiringly at Nton.
Yes, hes there all right. If he werent a Lord Holder and Nton shrugged
Why? Does he say why?
Nton shrugged again He says hes looking for coordinates. But so are we. There arent any features distinct enough. Just shapeless masses of gray and dark gray-greens. They dont change and while its obvious theyre stable, are they land? Or sea? Nton began to feel the accusatory tension in the room and shifted his feet. So often the face is obscured by those heavy clouds. Discouraging.
Is Meron discouraged? asked Flar pointedly.
Im not sure I like your attitude, Benden, Larad said, his expression hard. You dont appear eager to discover any coordinates.
Flar looked Larad full in the eyes. I thought wed explained the problem involved. We have to know where were going before we can send the dragons. He pointed to the green lizard perched on Larads shoulder. Youve been trying to train your fire lizard. You can appreciate the difficulty. Larad stiffened defensively and his lizard hissed, its eyes rolling. Flar was not put off. The fact that no Records exist of any previous attempt to go there strongly indicates that the ancients who built the distance-viewer, who knew enough to plot the neighbors in our sky did not go. They must have had a reason, a valid reason. What would you have Me do, Larad? Flar demanded, pacing in his agitation. Ask for volunteers? You, you and you, Flar whirled, jabbing a finger at an imaginary line of riders, you go, jump between to the Red Star. Coordinates? Sorry, men, I have none. Tell your dragons to take a long look halfway there. If you dont come back, well keen to the Red Star for your deaths. But men, youll die knowing youve solved our problem. Men cant go to the Red Star. Larad flushed under Flars sarcasm.
If the ancients didnt record any intimate knowledge of the Red Star, said Robinton quietly into the charged silence, they did provide domestic solutions. The dragons, and the grubs.
Neither proves to be effective protection right now, when we need it, Larad replied in a bitter, discouraged voice. Pern needs something more conclusive than promises and insects! He abruptly left the Rooms.
Asgenar, a protest on his lips, started to follow but Flar stopped him.
Hes in no mood to be reasonable, Asgenar, Flar said, his face strained with anxiety. If he wont be reassured by todays demonstrations, I dont know what more we can do or say.
Its the loss of the summer crops which bothers him, Asgenar said. Telgar Hold has been spreading out, you know. Larads attracted many of the small Holders whove been dissatisfied in Nerat, Crom and Nabol and switched their allegiances. If the crops fail, hes going to have more hungry people and more trouble than he can handle in the winter.
But what more can we do? demanded Flar, a desperate note in his voice. He tired so easily. The fever had left him little reserve strength, a state he found more frustrating than any other problem. Larads obduracy had been an unexpected disappointment. Theyd been so lucky with every other man approached.
I know you cant send men on a blind jump to the Red Star, Asgenar said, distressed by Flars anxiety. Ive tried to tell my Rial where I want him to go. He gets frantic at times because he cant see it clearly enough. Just wait until Larad starts sending his lizard about. Hell understand. You see, what bothers him most is the realization that you cant plan an attack on the Red Star.
Your initial mistake, my dear Flar, and the Harpers voice was at its drollest, was in providing salvation from the last imminent disaster in a scant three days by bringing up the Five Lost Weyrs. The Lord Holders really expect you to provide a second miracle in similar short order.
The remark was so preposterous that Fnor laughed out loud before he could stop himself. But the tension and anxiety dissolved and the worried men regained some needed perspective.
Time is all we need, Flar insisted.