Terror, horror, a whirling many-faceted impression of heat, violent wind, burning breathlessness, sent him staggering against Nton as Grall, with a fearful shriek, launched herself from his hand and disappeared.
What happened to her? Nton demanded, steadying the brown rider.
I asked her, and Fnor had to take a deep breath because her reaction had been rather shattering, to go to the Red Star.
Well, that takes care of Brekkes idea!
But why did she over react that way? Canth?
She was afraid! Canth replied didactically, although he sounded as surprised as Fnor. You gave vivid coordinates.
I gave vivid coordinates?
Yes.
What terrified Grall? You arent reacting the way she did and you heard the coordinates.
She is young and silly. Canth paused, considering something. She remembered something that scared her. The brown dragon sounded puzzled by that memory.
What does Canth say? Nton asked, unable to pick up the quick exchange.
He doesnt know what frightened her. Something she remembers, he says.
Remembers? Shes only been hatched a few weeks.
A moment, Nton. Fnor put his hand on the bronze riders shoulder to silence him for a thought had suddenly struck him. Canth, he said taking a deep breath, You said the coordinates I gave her were vivid. Vivid enough for you to take me to that fist I saw in the clouds?
Yes, I can see where you want me to go, Canth replied so confidently that Fnor was taken aback. But this wasnt a time to think things out.
He buckled his tunic tightly and jammed the gloves up under the wristbands.
You going back now? Nton asked.
Funs over here for the night, Fnor replied with a nonchalance that astonished him. Want to make sure Grall got back safely to Brekke. Otherwise Ill have to sneak in to Southern to the cove where she hatched.
Have a care then, Nton advised. At least weve solved one problem tonight. Meron cant make that fire lizard of his go to the Red Star ahead of us.
Fnor had mounted Canth. He tightened the fighting straps until they threatened to cut off circulation. He waved to Nton and the watchrider, suppressing his rising level of excitement until Canth had taken him high above the Weyr.
Then he stretched flat along Canths neck and looped the hand straps double around his wrists. Wouldnt do to fall off during this jump between.
Canth beat steadily upward, directly toward the baleful Red Star, high in the dark heavens, almost as if the dragon proposed to fly there straight.
Clouds were formed by water vapors, Fnor knew. At least they were on Pern. But it took air to support clouds. Air of some kind. Air could contain various gases. Over the plains of Igen where the noxious vapors rose from the yellow mountains you could suffocate with the odor and the stuff in your lungs. Different gases issued from the young fire mountains that had risen in the shallow western seas to spout flame and boiling rock into the water. The miners told of other gases, trapped in tunnel hollows. But a dragon was fast. A second or two in the most deadly gas the Red Star possessed couldnt hurt. Canth would jump them between to safety.
They had only to get to that fist, close enough for Canths long eyes to see to the surface, under the cloud cover. One look to settle the matter forever. One look that Fnor not Flar would make.
He began to reconstruct that ethereal fist, its alien fingers closing over the westering tip of grayness on the Red Stars enigmatic surface. Tell Ramoth. Shell broadcast what we see to everyone, dragon, rider, fire lizard. Well have to go slightly between time, too, to the moment on the Red Star when I saw that fist. Tell Brekke. And he suddenly realized that Brekke already knew, had known when shed seduced him so unexpectedly. For that was why Lessa had confided in them, in Brekke. He couldnt be angry with Lessa. Shed had the courage to take just such a risk seven Turns ago, when shed seen a way back through time to bring up the five missing Weyrs.