“No, just us-just Benden!” Lessa spoke with palpable bitterness. “It’s T’ron and Mardra, trying to get back at you and me!”
“Mardra would not favor a queen to depose her,” said Brekke, who did not turn aside when Lessa whirled on her.
“Brekke’s right, Lessa,” F’lar said, putting his hand on Lessa’s shoulder with apparent casualness. “Mardra wouldn’t like competition.”
Robinton could see the pressure of the Weyrleader’s fingers whitening his knuckles, although Lessa gave no sign.
“Neither would Merika, T’kul’s Weyrwoman,” said D’ram, the Istan Weyrleader, “and I knew her well enough to speak with surety now.”
More than any of the others in this room, Robinton thought that the Oldtimer felt this turn of events most keenly. D’ram was an honest, loyal, fair-minded man. He had felt compelled to support F’lar against those of his own Time. By such backing, he had influenced R’mart and G’narish, the other Oldtime Weyrleaders, to side with the Benden Weyr at Telgar Hold. So many undercurrents and subtle pressures abounded in this chamber, Robinton thought. Whoever had conceived of kidnapping the queen egg might not have succeeded in that stratagem, but they had effectively shattered the solidarity of the dragonriders.
“I can’t tell you how badly I feel about this, Lessa,” D’ram continued, shaking his head. “When I heard, I couldn’t believe. I just don’t understand what good such an action would do them. T’kul’s older than I. His Salth couldn’t hope to fly a Benden queen. For that matter, none of the dragons in the South could fly a Benden queen!”
D’ram’s puzzled comment did as much as Robinton’s pointed remarks to ease the multiple strains in the Council Room. Unconsciously D’ram had supported Robinton’s contention that an oblique compliment had been paid Benden Weyr.
“Why, for that matter, by the time the new queen was old enough to fly to mate,” D’ram added as if he’d just realized it, “their bronzes would likely be dead. Eight Southern dragons have died this past Turn. We all know that. So they tried to steal an egg for nothing … for nothing.” His face was lined with tragic regret.
“Not for nothing,” Fandarel said, his voice heavy with sadness. “For just look at what has happened to us who have been friends and allies for how many Turns? You dragonriders,” his great forefinger stabbed at them, “were a fingernail away from setting your beasts against the old ones at Southern.” Fandarel shook his head slowly from side to side. “This has been a terrible, terrible day! I am sorry for all of you.” His gaze rested longest on Lessa. “But I think I am sorrier for myself and Pern if your anger doesn’t cool and your good sense return. I will leave you now.”
With great dignity he bowed to each of the Weyrleaders and their women, to Brekke and last to Lessa, trying to catch her eyes. Failing, he gave a little sigh and left the room.
Fandarel had clearly stated what Robinton wanted to be sure Lessa heard and understood-that the dragonriders stood in grave peril of losing control over Hold and Craft if they permitted their outrage and indignation to control them. Enough had been said, in the heat of the moment, in front of those Holders summoned to the Weyr during the crisis. If no further action was to be taken now that the egg had been returned, no Holder or Craftsmaster could fault Benden.
But how was anyone to get through to that stubborn Lessa, sitting there wallowing in fury and determined on a disastrous course of revenge? For the first time in his long Turn as Masterharper of Pern, Robinton was at a loss for words. Enough that he had lost Lessa’s goodwill already! How could he make her see reason?
“Fandarel has reminded me that dragonriders can have no private quarrels without far-reaching effect,” F’lar said. “I permitted insult to overcome sanity once. Today is the result.”
D’ram’s bowed head came up and he stared fiercely at F’lar, then shook his head vigorously. There were murmured disclaimers from other dragonriders, that F’lar had acted in all honor at Telgar.
“Nonsense, F’lar,” Lessa said, roused from her immobility. “That wasn’t a personal fight. You had to fight T’ron that day to keep Pern together.”