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"Norist?" Robinton exclaimed.
Piemur shrugged. "Has to be Norist. He's the one who's most vocal about destroying the 'Abomination.' And look..." He bent and lifted the limp hand of one of the attackers. "Those look like glass-pipe calluses, and he's certainly got old burn scars on his arms. He's the only one who has them. But once they wake up, we can ask a few questions. And get answers!" Piemur's voice took on a harsh edge.
"Who knows about this?" the Masterharper asked.
"Everyone presently in Landing," Piemur said with a shrug, and then gri
"Impressively," Robinton said almost absently as he moved to check the other would-be vandals. "The dragons and the firelizards accorded her their own tribute."
"Ruth didn't even warn me," Jaxom added with a wry grin.
It was fitting. The dragons were in agreement. The fire-lizards imitated them, but that was fitting, too, Ruth told Jaxom, who told the others.
Robinton didn't recognize a single face among the attackers. Gloomily he wondered if Norist had indeed pla
"He's got a terrible bump," Jancis said, "and the healer says he cracked a rib, falling on the edge of the desk, but his pride's more injured than his skull. You should have heard him complaining that Ker and Miskin were too slow on their feet to be of any assistance."
"Against eight men armed with axes and bars?" Robinton said, appalled at the possible harm such implements could have done to his friend, much less to Aivas. He found himself swaying a bit on his feet.
Immediately Piemur grabbed him, roaring at Jaxom to take the other side and ordering Jancis to get the healer and some wine, and they helped him into the nearest room– and into a chair. Protestingly, he flailed at their hands, but even to his own ears his voice held a quaver of weakness that appalled him.
"It's time to bespeak Lessa and F'lar," Jaxom said, "and I don't bloody care what excuse they give Larad. Ruth!"
As Robinton lifted a hand to object, Jaxom's expression told him that he had already given Ruth the message to forward. Jancis arrived with a huge mug of wine, which Robinton sipped gratefully while the healer fussed at him.
"The Masterharper has taken no harm; his vital signs are restored to acceptable levels," Aivas said. "Do not distress yourself, Master Robinton, for there has been no lasting harm done to humans and none to this facility."
"That is not the point, Aivas," Jaxom said, whirling around. "No harm should have been considered, much less attempted."
"The winds of change create a climate of resistance. That is to be expected."
"By you?" Jaxom asked, irritated by Aivas's imperturbability. Why hadn't they realized how ideal this day was to dissidents like Norist, who would have known that Robinton and D'ram would attend the honors done Sallah Telgar, that anyone who could grab a ride a-dragonback would be gone from Landing?
"And me. Ease up, lad," Lytol said, entering the room just then. "I figured an attempt might be made. That's why I made Ker and Miskin stay back. But I didn't think there'd be so many of 'em. Rushed us, and we'd no chance." He looked keenly at Robinton. "Humpf. You look much the way I feel, Robinton." He lowered himself carefully into the nearest chair. "Master Esselin was with me at the time, but he fainted when that gang barged in. I hadn't thought to arm the students. They were nearby, and fifteen of 'em should have been sufficient deterrent."
Just then two of Esselin's young apprentice archivists came ru
"Quietly!" Piemur bellowed, then grimaced in apology.
"Harper, we found their ru
"Well done, Deegan," Piemur said. "Have you winded your ru
"No, sir, Harper." Deegan's expression became indignant at the thought of injuring a valuable beast. "They're sweet movers. Cost a pouch or two for that sort of ru
"Send your bronze to reassure Rona and go back and bring in the others. We might find something interesting in their gear."
"All they had in their saddle packs was food, sir," Deegan added apologetically. "I looked, 'cos I thought there might be some clues."
Again Piemur nodded approval. "Off you go, then." He turned grimly to the others. "There're more in on this than Norist and his cranks. How'd expensive ru
"Meaning a dissident Masterfisher is also involved?" Jaxom asked.
"That's the one craft that has not benefited very much from Aivas's stored information," Piemur said, frowning.
Robinton shook his head, but it was Lytol who spoke. "Not at all, Piemur. Master Idarolan was exceedingly grateful to Aivas for the detailed charts of depths and currents that Captain Tillek compiled. The overviews from space are truly astounding." Lytol paused in respectful awe, then shrugged. "Of course, there have been alterations in coastlines since then, but the accuracy of the charts makes it all that much easier to update them. Every master has been given copies, and specific area charts are being supplied to every fisherman. What Master Idarolan approves is accepted by every master of his craft."
"True enough," Piemur replied, but added in a sardonic tone, "though I can think of one or two extremely conservative and hidebound Masterfishers, without naming any names, who might sympathize with Norist's discontent. Look at how many people made it to Southern who weren't supposed to."
"A full purse can close many a mouth," Lytol added cynically.
"Let us not make rash assumptions," Robinton said.
"Lessa says it's impossible for either herself or F'lar to come," Jaxom reported at that point. "But F'nor can. The Weyrleaders're both livid and want to know how such an attack could occur."
One of the assault group stirred, moaning.
"We'll find out!" Jaxom and Piemur said simultaneously, and exchanged grimly determined glances.
"Might I suggest we tie these fellows up before they regain their wits?" Robinton asked, eyeing the sizes and comparing them to the slighter frames of the student guards.
"Yes, and we've just the thing to hand." Piemur reached for a coil of thick flex, a savage grin on his face. "C'mon, you lot," he said, turning to the students, "let's truss these sharding dimwits up properly."
Once restraints were in place, each man's clothing was searched, but the exercise proved fruitless. Old scars, thick ears, and broken noses suggested that five of the eight had fought often. Only the one bore marks of the glass-smith craft, but the remaining two were equally rough livers.
"Swacky might know some of 'em," Piemur suggested. "He's been sergeant at arms in enough Holds over the Turns to know a lot of the regulars."
"They'd hardly pick men wed recognize, now would they?" Robinton said. "But if Swacky could identify any one of them, that might give us a direction for inquiry. Aivas, how long will they remain unconscious?"
Aivas said that the period was variable. "The duller the subject, the more sonic barrage is required. As you see, they survived to the very threshold."
"I don't like that at all," Robinton said explosively.