“Well,” Robinton said as welcome silence settled on the room, “they did return promptly, didn’t they?”
F’lar burst out laughing. “Return, yes. Delivery was another problem. I’d hate to have to argue for every message brought me.”
“That was just because Menolly wasn’t here,” Jaxom said. “Beauty wasn’t certain whom she could trust, you know. Meaning no offense, F’lar,” he added hastily.
“Here’s the one I need,” Robinton said, unwinding it fully. He gestured for the others to unroll the segments they held. Shortly the maps were placed in sequence across the table, the curling ends weighted down with pieces of fruit and wine cups.
“It would appear,” Lytol said mildly, “that you have been blown off course in every direction, Master Robinton.”
“Oh, not me, sir,” the Harper replied ingenuously. “SeaHolders have been very helpful here, here and here,” and he pointed to the western portions where an intricate coastline was carefully delineated. “This is the work of Idarolan and the captains reporting to him.” He paused, toying with the notion of mentioning just how much of Idarolan’s explorations had been assisted by the various firelizards of the crews. “Toric and his holders, of course,” he went on, deciding against gilding the matter now, “have a perfect right to discover their land. They’ve detailed this portion …” His hand swept across the peninsular thumb that was the Southern Hold and Weyr and substantial portions of the territory on either side.
“Where’re those mines located that Toric’s trading from?”
“Here.” Robinton’s finger dropped to the foothill shading, slightly to the west of the settlement and well inland.
F’lar considered the location, walking his fingers back across the well-stretched hide to the Weyr’s location. “And where’s this cove of yours?”
Robinton pointed to a spot which was as far distant from the Southern Weyr as Ruatha was from Benden. “In this area. There’re quite a few small coves in the coastline. I couldn’t say exactly which one it was, but in this general location.”
F’lar mumbled about his recollection being all too general and how would a dragon take the specific direction he’d need to go between.
“Dead center in the cove is the cone of an old mountain, perfectly symmetrical.” Robinton gestured appropriately. “Zair was with me and could give Ruth the proper image.” Robinton turned his head slightly and gave Jaxom a private wink.
“Could Ruth take a direction from a firelizard?” F’lar asked Jaxom, frowning at the unreliability of the source.
“He has,” Jaxom remarked, and Robinton caught the glint of amusement in the lad’s eyes. He began to wonder where firelizards had already led the white dragon. Would Menolly know?
“What is this?” F’lar demanded suddenly. “A conspiracy to restore firelizards to good odor?”
“I thought we were forming a cooperative venture to locate D’ram,” Robinton replied in mild rebuke.
F’lar snorted and bent to study the maps.
The cooperation, Robinton realized, would be all on Ruth’s part. The outcome would finally depend on whether or not the Southern firelizards were attracted to the white dragon. Otherwise, Jaxom had agreed to try judicious time jumps backward in the cove … if, F’lar amended, Jaxom was able to find the proper one.
The subject of firelizard memory was discussed again; F’lar unwilling to concede that, unlike the dragons they otherwise resembled, the little creatures were capable of recall. Their tales might all be imaginary, the results of sun-dreams and insubstantial. To that Robinton replied that imagination relied on memory-without one, the other was impossible. The afternoon drew to a close, emphasized by the return of the fosterlings to the Hold after a day’s field tour with Brand. F’lar noted that he’d been gone far longer than he had intended when he set out from Benden. He cautioned Jaxom to be careful timing it-advice which Robinton suspected F’lar had best take to heart himself-and to take no risks with himself or his dragon. If he didn’t locate the cove, he was not to waste time and energy but return. If he did find D’ram, preferably he was to mark the time and place and return immediately to Benden with the coordinate for F’lar. F’lar did not want to intrude on D’ram’s grief unnecessarily, and if Jaxom could avoid being seen, so much the better.