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Well, when I tell Aivas what we've found, he won't be so upset, F'lessan added. So I d better survey the whole place for a complete report. Aivas respects complete reports.
Then he bounded up the steps to the landing and proceeded on upward. He noticed that there were piles of dung on some of the steps and muddy hoof marks that, fortunately, ended at another closed door.
This one slid back into the wall-not without some grunting and shoving on F'lessan's part. Having achieved a wide-enough gap to squeeze through, he stepped onto yet another landing, with stairs leading down to a huge cavern-a workroom, to judge by the variety of tables and cabinets. Slightly amazed, he identified both a forge and a huge kiln, as well as workbenches. And there he saw his first signs of a hurried departure, for some cabinet drawers were half out of their slides and there were odd cartons, not quite lidded shut, on three work surfaces. He didn't go down to investigate further, for yet another flight of stairs led up to a higher level.
I'm moving up in the world, Golanth, with more marvels to report to Aivas. Oooowhee, but this place is a treasure trove. The people may have left, but for once they didn't take much with them. Robinton and Lytol are going to be fascinated!
Golanth's response was a deep grunt that echoed in F'lessan's ears; laughing at his dragon's lack of enthusiasm, the bronze rider galloped eagerly up the steps.
Nor was F'lessan disappointed. The door on this level opened onto what had to be the main entry to the hold. Through a graceful archway, he could see into what must have been the central living area. For the first time, he felt like an intruder as he stepped into the immense room, and he stopped in the doorway. He heard the slither of tu
Retracing his steps to the hall, he threw open the wide double leaves of the main door, blinking at the brilliance of the early-morning sun. The hold faced northeast, as a southern hold should, and an early breeze ruffled the thick cushion of dust on the floor. With that light to help him, he found the windows, which were set far above his head; he also found the long pole that opened them. He had opened five of the ten large windows before his eyes fell on the space above them.
Golanth! You should see this! It's amazing!
See what? Where are you now? Is there room for me?
"I-th-think so." F'lessan heard his own stammer echo back from the vaulted ceiling, a ceiling that had been decorated in brilliantly colored murals that had lost nothing of their brightness. And he now knew part of the story they depicted. "This ought to shut up the doubters-an independent verification of what Aivas told us!" he murmured, more to himself than to Golanth, as he gave the walls a fleeting glance before begi
This door is not wide enough for me, Golanth said, sounding distinctly a
"You're not stuck, are you?" the bronze rider asked solicitously.
They could have made the door a little bit higher and wider, since they made it as big us they did.
"I don't really think they had dragons of your size in mind when they built it, Golanth. But can you see the murals? There's even a scene about dragons-right overhead. Oh, you can't quite see it, but these murals are amazing. There are panels for every major event-" F'lessan pointed out the appropriate panels as he explained. "The actual landing in the shuttle craft; the ones in Ship Meadow; and yes, there are sleds just like the one down below; and the building of holds, and people working the land, and then Thread. They did that panel too graphically. Turns my stomach just to look at it. They've got lots of sleds, and smaller craft, and flamethrowers and-ah, high up in the ceiling, they've even got Rukbat and all its planets. If only we'd found this place a long time ago..." F'lessan was silent a long moment, his eyes moving from one beautifully painted panel to the next. "They'll all want to see this place," he said at length with infinite satisfaction. "We did good, Golanth, dear heart. And we were first here!"
He looked around one last time, deciding not to investigate further so that others might have the pleasure of seeing the place as it had been left. Then he carefully closed the windows.
Golanth, crammed into the doorway, had been trying to see what he could. As F'lessan approached him, he carefully backed out onto the broad shelf that jutted out from that level. F'lessan closed the doors behind him, marveling at the workmanship that allowed the heavy metal to pivot so easily after so many centuries of disuse. He gazed up at the sweep of the hold: three more levels of windows were visible.
"Neither weyr nor hold but it would serve," F'lessan said, remembering the point of his search. "That is, once the artifacters and Craftmasters get their look-in."
Dragons would find this spot eminently suitable, F'lessan, Golanth assured him. There is the river, which is deep, clear, and tasty to drink, and there are many ledges that face the sun all the day long. The bronze dragon swung his head to left and right to bring those places to F'lessan's notice. This would make a very good Weyr indeed.
"And so we shall report."
12
The discovery of Honshu was partially eclipsed by S'len's discovery of eighteen usable space suits in the Yokohama EVA ready room. In Master Robinton's opinion, Aivas had received that news with a great deal more excitement than he had displayed when hearing about Honshu's state of preservation. Aivas said that the suits gave his schedule considerably more flexibility and dispensed with some rather awkward and possibly dangerous alternatives. However, some folk in the Smithcraft, and many in the Harper Hall, considered Honshu the more important, and certainly more immediately useful, discovery.
While Aivas was revising his plan, Jancis and Hamian were appointed by Master Fandarel to inventory the tools at Honshu and, if their use was not immediately apparent, to decide what function they had had. Aivas did take time to print out a manual for the sled, out of respect for the keen interest shown, but added the qualifier that any such investigations were esoteric since he could give no assistance in powering it. That provoked some resentment in those who felt that aerial transportation should not be restricted to dragonriders and "a chosen few."
Aivas's rebuttal to that accusation was to enumerate all the skills and technological improvements-which most of those same complainants objected to in theory-that would be necessary to produce powered aerial vehicles, including the development of an alternative and reliable power source.
"The settlers used power packs," Aivas reminded them. The subject had arisen before. "These units were rechargeable, but no recharging mechanism survived."
"But can't you tell us how to make the power packs?"
"There are two kinds of science," Aivas began in his oblique fashion. "Practical and theoretical. With practical, engineers use only what is known-and proved to work in the everyday world-to achieve certain predicted and predictable results. Theoretical science, on the other hand, pushes at the boundaries and laws that are known to work-and sometimes even steps outside of them. For the projects you have been working on, you already had enough background and know-how to learn the necessary science to follow my instructions. But for some things-such as the alien power packs-Pern, simply has not the technology or the science to understand the theories well enough to apply them practically."