All The Weyrs of Pern

"There's enough certainly. Did Piemur and Jancis find those whatchamacallums..."

"Chips?" Jaxom supplied with a grin.

"Chips, then, useful after all?"

"Well, we managed to salvage the usable transistors and capacitors, but they haven't actually been put onto a board yet."

Jayge gave him a long, hard, suspicious look before gri

Just then young Readis, clad only in a clout, came out onto the porch, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He eyed Jaxom steadily. "Ruth?"

Jaxom pointed to where the white dragon, surrounded by industrious fire-lizards, was wallowing in the shallow water.

"He's enough of a guardian, isn't he?" Readis asked his father, tilting his head back in a stance that reminded Jaxom of Jayge.

"Ruth's bathing right now, and besides, I d like you to tell Jaxom what happened to you and Alemi the other day," Jayge said.

"Did you come just to hear?" There was a certain element of vanity in young Readis's grin. Jaxom was suddenly aware of how much he missed his own son, Jarrol, an engaging two Turns old.

"Well, that was one reason," Jaxom replied mendaciously. "So what did happen to you and Alemi the other day?"

Aramina emerged from the house, carrying her squirming daughter under one arm and a tray in her free hand. Jayge sprang quickly to relieve her of the tray, but she gave him two-Turn-old Aranya instead and served Jaxom a tall, cool drink and some freshly baked sweet biscuits. It took a few more minutes until Readis had been sat in a chair, his small glass and two biscuits to hand. As Aramina settled herself, Readis looked to his father for his cue to begin.

"Uncle Alemi took me fishing three days ago in the skiff. The big reds were schooling out there." Readis's brown arm indicated a general northerly direction. "We was to have a beach meal 'cos it was Swacky's nameday and we needed big 'uns to grill. There was only little squids on the edges of the school. Then, all o' sudden, a big one got Uncle's hook and it dragged us, boat and all"-Readis's eyes were shining with remembered excitement-"right into the current. But Uncle Alemi, he wrestled it aboard and it was this"-he held his arms as wide as they could go-"big. No fu

Jaxom glanced anxiously at Jayge and Aramina. Alemi knew his Craft, and he would never endanger anyone.

"It was some squall, I can tell you," Readis said, jerking his chin to emphasize the details, in the ma

"What happened?" Jaxom asked as if on cue.

"I had my arms out, trying to keep my head up, when suddenly something came smack-dab into my right hand. And started pulling me. Uncle Alemi yelled at me that it was all right. We were safe. I was to hang on tight, just as he was doing."

"Shipfish?" Jaxom asked with an incredulous glance at Readis's parents. He knew that Jayge and Aramina owed their lives to shipfish; even Master Idarolan swore that the sleek big sea creatures would rescue humans in stormy areas.

"A whole pod of 'em," Readis said proudly. "And every time my hand slipped off, there was another one right behind to hang on to. Uncle Alemi says there must have been twenty or thirty. They pulled us far enough in for us to see the beach and reach safety on our own. And," he added, pausing to give emphasis to his final words, "the next morning the skiff was found beached up by the Fishhold, like they knew exactly where it belonged."

"That is some tale, young Readis. You're a harper born. An amazing rescue: Truly amazing," Jaxom said with genuine feeling. He glanced at Jayge, who nodded supportively. "The redfish weren't by any chance returned with the skiff?" he asked.

"Nah." Readis dismissed that with a flick of his wrist. "They drownded. So we had to eat of stringy wherry 'stead of good juicy redfish steaks. And you know something else?"

"No, what?" Jaxom asked politely.

"The shipfish kept talking to us all the time they was saving us. Uncle Alemi heard them, too."

"What did they say?"

Readis frowned deeply in concentration. "I don't 'xactly remember the words. The wind was shrieking, but I know they were shouting at us. Encouraging us like."

Until Jaxom caught Jayge's eye, he thought it was a youthful embellishment on a hectic rescue story, but Jayge nodded in confirmation.

"Readis, why don't you run down and see if the fire-lizards are giving Ruth a proper scrubbing?" Jayge suggested.

The sturdy little boy jumped to his feet. "Can I? Really?" He flashed a radiant grin at Jaxom.

"Really, you can," Jaxom assured him, wondering if Jarrol would be as enchanting as Readis when he was five.

"Yahoo," Readis cried, tearing off down to shore where Ruth was afloat.

"That's exactly what happened to him and Alemi?" Jaxom asked.

"With no invention," Aramina said, obviously proud of her son. "Alemi said that Readis didn't panic and obeyed him instantly. Otherwise-" She broke off, her face paling under her warm tan.

Jayge leaned toward Jaxom. "I wondered if you'd mind asking this Aivas thing of yours what he knows about the shipfish. Alemi also swears that they were speaking words, though over the wind and sea noises, he couldn't distinguish exactly what they were saying. He thinks they were giving them directions or reassurances. Piemur mentioned a passing reference to the big fish-doll-fins-which Aivas said were brought here from Terra. I asked him to inquire, but I guess it slipped his mind."

These days Jaxom always carried a small pad and pencil in his belt pouch. He made a notation. "I won't forget," he assured them, patting his pouch when he had replaced pad and pencil.

As soon as Ruth had had time to dry off in the sun, Jaxom called him up from the beach. Readis was squealing with rapture, for Ruth had allowed the lad to climb up on his back for the short walk back. Aramina gave Jaxom a full net of fresh fruit to bring Sharra and Jarrol, and he thanked her profusely.

As Ruth ascended to a safe height, Jaxom came to a conclusion, based on the guilt he experienced in being so long away from Ruatha-yet again!

Ruth, let's shave three hours of our return. That's safe enough, and we'll be back in Ruatha just as everyone's getting up.

You know Lessa doesn't like us timing it.

We haven't in Turns, Ruth.

Sharra will know.

I'm hoping she'll be so glad to see me she won't mind-this once. Jaxom stroked Ruth's neck urgently. Let me handle my mate. Ruth didn't like to deceive either Sharra or Lessa. It's not deceiving Sharra. It's getting home early for a change. Not a big thing to ask.

Oh, I suppose it won't matter this once. I always know when we are.

However, as soon as they came out of between above Ruatha Hold, Jaxom had cause to regret coming home at all. A wild blizzard blowing down from the mountains all but obscured the Hold.

A good thing I always know where I am, too, Ruth remarked, craning his neck and blinking windblown particles out of his faceted eyes.