The Captain repeated his summons and abjured the crowd to make room.
Lord Asgenar handed Famira his egg, murmuring something in her ear and pointing into the Hall. He stepped aside, gesturing for Lessa and Famira to pass inside. As well they did for the Holders were now massing up the stairs. Robinton tried to signal Flar but the dragonman was struggling toward Kylara, against the current. She was arguing heatedly with Meron who gave an angry shrug, left her and began shoving roughly into the Hall, past more polite Holders.
There was another exodus, Robinton noticed, of Craftmasters who congregated near the kitchen.
Flar needs the Harper.
Robinton glanced around him, wondering who had spoken amazed that so soft a voice had reached him over the gabbling. He was alerted by a dissonant twang of strings and turning his head unerringly toward the sound, spotted Brudegan up on the sentry walk with Chad, from the look of him. Had the resident Harper of Telgar Hold found a way to over hear the Conclave?
As Robinton changed his direction for the tower steps, a dragonrider confronted him.
Flar wants you, Masterharper.
Robinton hesitated, looking back to the two harpers who were urgently signaling him to hurry.
Lessa listens.
Did you speak? Robinton demanded of the rider.
Yes, sir. Flar wants you to join him. Its important.
The Harper looked toward the dragons and Mnementh dipped his head up and down. Robinton shook his, trying to cope with another of this days astonishing shocks. A piercing whistle reached him from above.
He pursed his lips and gave the go-ahead sequence, adding in its different tempo the tune for report later.
Brudegan strummed an understand chord with which Chad apparently disagreed. Marks for the journeyman, Robinton thought, and whistled the strident trill for comply. He wished the harpers had as flexible a code as the one hed developed for the Smith and where was he?
That was one man easily spotted in a crowd but, as Robinton followed the dragonrider, he didnt see a Smithcrafter anywhere. Of course, the impact of the distance-writer would be anticlimactic to the introduction of the lizards. Robinton felt sorry for the Smith, quietly perfecting an ingenious means of communication only to have it overshadowed by Thread-eating miniature dragons. Creatures who could be Impressed by non-weyrfolk. The average Pernese would be far more struck by a draconic substitute than by any mechanical miracle.
The dragonrider had led him to the watchtower to the right of the Gate. When Robinton looked back over his left shoulder, Brudegan and Chad were no longer visible on the sentry walk.
The lower floor of the tower was a single large room, the stone stairs which rose to the right side of the sentry walk were on the far wall. Sleeping furs were piled in one corner in readiness for such guests as might have to be lodged there that night. Two slit windows, facing each other on the long sides of the room, gave little light. Gnarish, the Igen Weyrleader, was unshielding the glow basket in the ceiling as the Harper entered. Kylara was standing right under it, glaring furiously at Tbor.
Yes, I went to Nabol. My queen lizard was there. And well I did, for Prideth saw Thread sign across the High Reaches Range! She had everyones attention now. Her eyes gleamed, her chin lifted and, Robinton noted, the shrewish rasp left her voice. Kylara was a fine looking female, but there was a hard ruthlessness about her that repelled him.
I flew instantly to Tkul. Her face twisted with anger. Hes no dragonman! He refused to believe me. Me! As if any Weyrwoman wouldnt know the sign when she sees it. I doubt hes even bothered with Sweepriders. He kept harping on the fact that Thread had fallen six days ago at Tillek Hold and couldnt be falling this soon at High Reaches. So I told him about Falls in the western swamp and north Lemos Hold, and he still wouldnt believe me.
Did the Weyr turn out in time? Flar interrupted her coldly.
Of course, and Kylara drew herself up, her posture tightening the dress against her full-bosomed body. I had Prideth sound the alarm. Her smile was malicious. Tkul had to act. A queen cant lie. And there isnt a male dragon alive that will disobey one!