“Why now?”
“No one in the Southern Weyr returned Ramoth’s egg.” Menolly smiled up at Jaxom, and put her hand to his cheek, giving him an affectionate slap. “I was so proud of you, Jaxom, when I realized what you and Ruth had managed to do! Prouder even because you didn’t noise it about. And it was so critical just then for Benden to believe that a Southern rider had relented and restored Ramoth’s egg …”
“Hey, Jaxom, Menolly, c’mon!” Piemur’s roar distracted them.
“Race you?” Menolly said, turning and dashing for the beach.
They weren’t to have much time for their swim. Master Idarolan’s ship reappeared, the blue full-catch pennant flying from its foremast. Brekke called them to help gut enough fish for the evening’s meal. She wasn’t certain how many of those now at the Plateau would return to Cove Hold for dinner but cooked fish could be served in rolls the next day, she said, cheerfully ignoring the protests. She sent Mirrim off with supplies for Master Wansor and N’ton, who planned to make an evening of star-watching or, as Piemur said irreverently, the Dusk-Dawn and Midnight Sisters.
“And what do you bet Mirrim tries to stay there the night, too, to see if Path does keep away the Southern firelizards?” Piemur asked, a slightly malicious grin on his face.
“Mirrim does have well-trained firelizards,” Menolly said.
“And they sound just like her when they scold everyone else’s friends,” Piemur added.
“Now that’s not fair,” Menolly said. “Mirrim’s a good friend of mine …”
“And as her best friend you ought to explain to her that she can’t manage everyone on Pern!”
As Menolly prepared to take umbrage, dragons began popping into the air over the Cove, and with their bugling no one could hear anything else.
The dragons were not the only ones in good moods, An atmosphere of intense excitement and expectation pervaded the evening.
Jaxom was grateful for his afternoon’s nap, for he wouldn’t have missed that evening. All seven Weyrleaders were there, D’ram with some private news for F’lar’s ears about the affairs in the Southern Weyr, and N’ton, who stayed only part of the evening since he was sky-watching with Wansor. There were also Mastercraftsmen Nicat, Fandarel, Idarolan, Robinton, and Lord Lytol.
To Jaxom’s surprise, the three Oldtimer Weyrleaders, G’narish of Igen, R’mart of Telgar and D’ram now of Southern, were less interested in what might lie hidden in the settlement than N’ton, T’bor, G’dened and F’lar. The Oldtimers were far more eager to explore the broad lands and the distant range than dig to unearth their past.
“That is past,” R’mart of Telgar said. “Past, dead, and very much buried. We have to live in the present, a trick, mind you, F’lar, that you taught us.” He grinned to remove any sting from what he said. “Besides, wasn’t it you, F’lar, who suggested that it’s useless to muddle our brains thinking how the ancients did things … that it’s better to build for ourselves what is useful for our times and Turn?”
F’lar grinned, amused to have his words returned. “I suppose I’m hoping that we’ll find undamaged records somewhere, filling in the holes in what came down to us. Maybe even another useful item like the enlarger viewer we discovered in Benden Weyr.”
“Look where that got us!” R’mart exclaimed, whooping with laughter.
“Undamaged instruments would be invaluable,” Fandarel said, very solemn.
“We might just find you some. Master Robinton,” Nicat said thoughtfully, “because only one section of that settlement sustained much damage.” He had everyone’s attention. “Look,” he drew out a sketch of the general site, “the flow of lava is to the south. Here, here, and here, the cones of the mountains broke, and the flow followed the slope of the land, away from much of the settlement. The prevailing wind also carried the ash away from the place. From the little digging I did today, I found only a thin layer of volcanic debris.”
“Is there only this one settlement? When they had a whole world to occupy?” asked R’mart.
“We’ll find the others tomorrow,” the Harper assured them, “won’t you, Jaxom?”
“Sir?” Jaxom rose, half-startled by his unexpected inclusion in the main discussion.