“Come, Jaxom, Menolly and Sebell have several months’ news to exchange and I want to hear your version of D’ram’s discovery.”
As Robinton guided Jaxom toward the Hall, Menolly cried out and pushed herself free of Sebell’s arms, although Jaxom noticed that her fingers remained entwined in Sebell’s as she took a hesitant step toward Robinton. “Master?”
“What?” Robinton affected dismay. “Cannot Sebell command a measure of your time after so long an absence?”
Jaxom was gratified to see Menolly caught by uncertainty and confusion. Sebell was grinning.
“Hear what he has to tell you first, girl,” Robinton said, more kindly. “I’ll make do admirably with Jaxom.”
Glancing back at the pair as Robinton escorted him into the Hall, Jaxom saw their arms linked about each other’s waists, heads inclined together. Their firelizards spiraled above, following them as they walked slowly toward the meadow beyond the Harper Hall.
“You brought D’ram and Tiroth back?” the Harper asked Jaxom.
“I found them. The Benden Weyrleaders returned them this morning, Benden time.”
Robinton hesitated, his foot nearly missing the top step as he led Jaxom to his own quarters. “They were there, though, in that cove, all along? Just as I surmised.”
“Twenty-five Turns back,” and, with no further urging, Jaxom recounted the adventure from the beginning. His listener was more sympathetic and attentive than either Lessa or F’lar had been, so Jaxom began to enjoy his unaccustomed role.
“Men?” The Harper, who had been lounging in his chair, one booted foot propped on the table, abruptly came off the end of his spine. His heel rang on the stone floor. “They’d seen men?”
Jaxom was momentarily startled. Whereas the Weryleaders had been alarmed and skeptical, the Master Harper acted almost as if he’d expected this news.
“I’ve always maintained that we came from the Southern Continent,” the Harper said, more to himself than anyone else. Then he signaled Jaxom to continue.
Jaxom obeyed but was soon aware that only half the Harper’s attention was on his narrative, though the man nodded and asked occasional questions. Jaxom told of his and Menolly’s safe return to Benden Weyr, remembered to mention his gratitude to Mnementh for permitting Ruth to eat. He fell silent then, wondering how to ask a question of his own of the Harper, but Robinton was frowning at some private reflections.
“Tell me again what the firelizards said about these men,” the Harper asked, leaning forward, elbows on the table, eyes fixed on Jaxom. On his shoulder, Zair echoed a querying note.
“They didn’t say much, Master Robinton. That’s the trouble! They got so excited, they made little sense at all. Menolly could probably tell you more because she had Beauty and the three bronzes with her. But-”
“What did Ruth say?”
Jaxom shrugged, unhappily aware that his half-answers were inadequate.
“He said the images were too confused, even if they were all about men, their men. And we, Menolly and I, weren’t their sort of men.”
Jaxom reached for the pitcher of klah, to slake the dryness of his mouth. He courteously filled a cup for the Harper who absently drained half of it while deep in thought.
“Men,” Master Robinton said again, extending the last consonant and ending the sound with a click of his tongue. He got to his feet in such a fluid motion that Zair squawked, clawing for balance. “Men, and so long ago that the images the firelizards retain are vague. That is very interesting, very interesting indeed.”
The Harper began to pace, stroking Zair, who chittered reprovingly.
Jaxom glanced out the window at Ruth, sunning himself in the courtyard, the local firelizards clustered about him. Jaxom listened idly to the chorus, wondering why they were stopped so often in the Ballad, for he couldn’t detect discord in their harmonies. The breeze coming in the window was pleasant, soft with summer scents, and he was jerked back to his surroundings when Robinton’s hand gripped his shoulder.
“You’ve done very well, lad, but you’d better get back to Ruatha now. You’re half asleep. That time jump took more out of you than I think you realize.”
As Master Robinton accompanied Jaxom to the courtyard, he had him rehearse the conversation with the firelizards just once more. This time the Harper nodded his head sharply at each point as if to insure accurate recall.