“I think you could trust Jaxom to handle the situation diplomatically,” Robinton said, watching the young man through the side of his eyes. “He’s already proved to be discreet.” Now why would Jaxom react so to a simple compliment, Robinton wondered and smoothly made a fuss of rolling up the charts to divert attention from the discomposed young rider.
Robinton told Jaxom to get a good night’s sleep, a good morning’s breakfast, and to report to the Harpercrafthall immediately thereafter to acquire his guide. Then Robinton and F’lar left the Hold. As the Weyrleader and Mnementh brought the Harper back to his Hall, Robinton forebore to go beyond offering ordinary courtesies. The needs of Pern had brought the Benden Weyrleader back to the Hall. One step at a time!
As Robinton watched F’lar and bronze Mnementh climb above the fire-heights and wink out. Beauty appeared, scolding at Zair, who resumed his customary perch on the Harper’s shoulder. Zair did not respond to her crackling, causing Robinton to grin. Menolly must be agitating for an account of the afternoon’s doings. She wasn’t presumptuous enough to nag at him, but that didn’t keep Beauty from badgering his bronze. A good child, Menolly, and worth her weight in marks. He hoped she’d approve of a trip with young Jaxom. He hadn’t mentioned her participating in front of Lytol since F’lar had long ago enjoined him to the strictest secrecy about his Southern trips. Zair would not have been enough for Jaxom to find the right cove, but with Menolly, who had been with him on that stormy trip, and her firelizards to act as reinforcement, they’d have no trouble at all. But the fewer people who knew about it the better.
The next day when the Harper informed Jaxom of this added insurance for success, Jaxom looked relieved and surprised.
“Mind you, young Jaxom, it’s not to be discussed that Menolly and I have been exploring so far south. In point of fact, we hadn’t planned that trip …”
Menolly chuckled. “I told you there’d be a storm.”
“Thank you. I’ve heeded your weather wisdom since, as you well know.” He grimaced as he recalled three days of storm-sickness and a desperate Menolly clinging to the tiller of their light craft.
He saddled them with no further advice, urged them to take a supply of food from the kitchens and said he hoped they’d have a favorable report.
“Of D’ram’s whereabouts?” Menolly asked, her eyes dancing at him, “or the performance of the firelizards?”
“Both, of course, saucy girl. Away with you.”
He had decided not to query Jaxom about his strong reactions to timing it and discretion. When he had told Menolly of his intention to send her and her firelizards to accompany Jaxom, she, too, had reacted in an unexpected fashion. He had casually asked her what was so amusing and she had merely shaken her head, convulsed in laughter. He couldn’t imagine what the two of them had been up to together. Now, as he watched Ruth circle into the skies above the Hold, he reviewed their interactions. Good-natured chaffing, certainly-a dollop of contention for leadership but nothing beyond the exchanges of old friends. Not, he hastily told himself, that Menolly would not make an excellent Lady Holder for Jaxom if the two were sincerely attached. It was just that … the Harper chided himself for interfering and turned to dull matters of Craft management which he had been delaying far too long.