CHAPTER XI
Fort Weyr, Present Pass, 3.17.43
“SHARDS!” JALLORA CRIED. “He’s fainted!”
Kadith, in the outer chamber of the weyr, bellowed, and Moreta jumped up from the chair to reassure the startled dragon as the joumeywoman healer examined her reluctant donor.
What has happened? Orlith asked in concern from her weyr.
“Sh’gall had a bad reaction,” Moreta replied, knowing perfectly well that Leri would be instantly informed by Holth and know what had really happened. “Calm Kadith down!”
“It’s generally the big strong ones who faint,” Jallora was saying as Moreta resumed her place. “He’s in no danger. Badly as we need the blood for serum, I wouldn’t risk him.”
“I didn’t think for a moment that you would, Jallora,” Moreta replied with a slight laugh.
The joumeywoman had interrupted an interview between Moreta and Sh’gall in which he had been determined to find fault with every provision made in the Weyr since the onset of his illness. He utterly discounted the fact that Moreta had not made any of the decisions or that she herself had only just recovered.
“His sort don’t generally make good patients, either,” Jallora went
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on conversationally, though her attention was on the blood dripping into a glass container.
“Will his go to Ruatha?”
“Most of it, once the rest of your riders are vaccinated.” When Moreta gestured wamingly at Sh’gall, she added diplomatically, “I perfectly understand, I assure you. He’s still out of it. There! That’s all I’ll take but he could donate more and never miss it.” Deftly she pressed a small pad over the needlethom, extracted it, and motioned for Moreta to continue the pressure as she dealt with the apparatus. “He’ll regain consciousness in just a few minutes.” Jallora began packing her tray, carefully covering the container. “F’duril told me that you did the reconstruction on Dilenth’s wing. Fine work.”
“The wing is healing well, isn’t it?” Recognition of her achievement by another healer was gratifying to Moreta.
“Fortunately, so is F’duril and that nice young A’dan. I’ve never visited a Weyr before. Andyou know something else? It never occurred to me that dragons suffered so from Thread. They’re so impressive”
“Unfortunately not invulnerable.”
“We can thank our lucky stars they didn’t catch this viral influence!”
Just then Sh’gall moaned. Jallora hurried to gather up the rest of her paraphernalia.
“There now! Back again, Weyrleader?” She took the glass of or-ange liquid from the table and, deftly propping Sh’gall’s pillows be-hind him with her free hand, put the glass to his lips. “Drink this and you’ll be just fine.”
“I don’t really think it was wise of you to take” Sh’gall sounded petulant and took the glass from her with a bad grace.
“The riders of Fort need it, Weyrleader. They must all be vaccinated, you know, to insure that no more have to endure what you’ve just been through.”
The joumeywoman took exactly the right tone with Sh’gall. Moreta could wish herself so fortunate as Sh’gall permitted Jallora to make a discreet departure.
“I don’t think she should have!” Sh’gall repeated when he was certain Jallora was out of earshot.
“She got mine.” Moreta pushed up her sleeve to exhibit the tiny
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bruise at the bend of her elbow. Sh’gall looked away. “We’ve a hundred and eighty-two riders out of action, sick or disabled.”
“Why didn’t Capiam attend us instead of thatwoman?”
“Jallora is an experienced joumeywoman healer. She was sitting her mastery exams when this plague occurred. Capiam is only just out of bed himself and he has the whole continent to worry about.”
“I cannot believe that Leri did not know of my preference for P’nine as Leader.” Sh’gall picked up his complaints as if Jallora had not interrupted the acrimonious interview.
“Leri made appropriate decisions based on her experience as a Weyrwoman. Kindly remember that she was one before you or I had Impressed.”
“Then why does Kadith tell me that T’ral is taking two wings to Tiliek today?” Sh’gall demanded angrily. “T’ral’s a wingsecond.”
“With the exception of the High Reaches, the Weyrs are still being led by wingseconds at this point. The sooner you can take over, the best pleased all the Weyrs will be.”