reason. Now he had to deal with the facts.
So, perhaps you would tell us what this is all about?” he asked Debera
who, confronted by the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman, was suddenly overcome
with remorse and doubt.
1 was Searched,’ she said, urgently stroking Morath who was trying to
burrow her head into the girl’s body. 1 had the right to come. 1
wanted to come,’ and then she waved an indignant hand at her prostrate
father, and they didn’t even show me the letter telling me to come. !!e
wants me for a union because he had a deal with Boris for a mining site
and with Ganmar for taking me on. 1 don’t want Ganmar, and I don’t know
anything about mining. 1 was Searched and 1 have the right to decide.”
The indignant words rushed out, accompanied by expressions of distaste,
resentment and anger!
Yes, 1 remember seeing your name on the Search list, Debera,’ said
Zulaya ranging herself beside the girl in a subtle position of support.
The alignment was not lost on the older of the two men attending their
fallen friend. You are Boris?” she asked him. So you must be
Ganmar,’ she went on, addressing the younger one. Did you not realize
that Debera had been Searched’?” Ganmar looked very uncomfortable and
dropped his eyes, while the scowl on Boris’s face deepened and he jutted
out his jaw obstinately.
Lavel told me she’d refused.
At that point, Maranis, the Weyr’s medic, arrived to have a look at the
wounded man. When he had examined him, he sent a helper for
litter-bearers. Then he began to deal with the injuries, pulling back
the tattered jerkin, provoking a groan from the dazed man.
Well, Boris,’ Zulaya said, at her sternest. As you seem to be aware,
Debera does have the right . . -.
That’s what you weyrfolk always say. But it’s us who suffer from what
you call “right” Making more trouble, Boris?” asked Tashvi, arriving
just then with Salda.
You agreed, Tashvi,’ Boris said, with little courtesy for his Lord
Holder. You said we could dig that new mine. You were glad to have me
and my son here start. And Lavel was willing for Ganmar to have his
daughter Ah, but the daughter seems not to have been so willing, Lady
Salda remarked.
She was willing all right, wasn’t you, Deb?” Boris said, staring with
angry accusation at the girl who returned his look by lifting her chin
proudly. Til they came from the Weyr on Search Search has the
priority,’ said Tashvi. You know that, Boris.
We had it all arranged,’ the father spoke up, now his pain had been
alleviated by the numb weed Maranis had slathered on his wounds.
We had it arranged!” And the look he gave his daughter was trenchant
with angry, bitter reproach.
You had it all arranged,’ Debera said, equally bitter, between
yourselves, but not with me, even before the Search.
A wistful moan from Morath interrupted her angry rebuttal.
She’s hungry. I have to feed her. Come along now,’ she added in a
far more loving tone. Without a backward glance, she led her green
dragonet out of the Hatching Ground.
I’d say that the matter was certainly not well arranged, then,’ Tashvi
said.
But it was,’ said Lavel, jabbing one fist at the dragon riders until
they came round, putting ideas in her head when she was a good,
hard-working girl who always did as she was told.
Then you riders tell her she’s fit for dragons. Fit! I know what you
riders get up to, and Debera’s a good girl. She’s not like you lot
That’s quite enough of such talk,’ said Zulaya, drawing herself up,
insulted.
Indeed it is,’ Tashvi agreed, scowling angrily. The Weyrwoman will
realize that you’re not yourself, wounded as you are.
Wounds got nothing to do with my righteous anger, Lord Holder. I know
what I know, and I know we had it all arranged, and you should stick up
for your holders, not these weyrfolk and all their queer customs and
doings, and I dunno what’ll happen to my daughter.” At that point, he
began to weep, more in frustrated anger than from the pain of the now