All The Weyrs of Pern

Then he nodded to Piemur and they began. Having sung and played so often together, they interwove and harmonized as if they had rehearsed the brand-new song a hundred times already.

A heart that's true in harper blue makes song from heart's own fire, and though betrayed, is not afraid: in danger, leaps up higher.

Jaxom suppressed the start of surprise the words gave him, and dared not look at either Lessa or F'lar.

No world is free of minstrelsy, nor noise, nor rage, nor sorrow. A harper must discharge his trust before he asks to borrow.

My Harper Hall is free to all who serve with song and playing. But you who'd hide your song inside are very sadly straying.

At those words, Jaxom wondered what cryptic message Menolly and Elimona were giving, and to whom. The next verse was even more germane to the problem of those who considered Aivas to be "the Abomination."

Will you withdraw beyond the law, lie safely in your slumber, while dangers shake your world awake and Death makes up his number?

Did harper here betray those dear he'd feel more than my tongue. If place you'll earn, you'd better learn more music than you've sung.

For if you die, while safe you lie halled in your selfish bone, no chant will come, no harper drum, and you'll lie long alone.

Jaxom, watching Robinton's face as he sang, wondered if the words could possibly have been prompted by Robinton or Sebell, who so often suggested themes to their harpers. But then, Menolly had such an unca

Get up, take heart-o, make a start, sing out the truth you came for. Then when you die, your heart may fly to halls we have no name for.

As the last chord died away there was a respectful silence before the audience burst into loud applause. Robinton and Piemur disclaimed humbly, Robinton saying that with such music any harper would find himself doing his very best.

"Who's next?" Piemur asked, strumming his gitar into a complicated alteration, minor to major.

The next hour was spent happily enough so that Jaxom relaxed, holding Sharra's hand and playing with her long fingers and trying to ignore the distance she had put between them. Talla was coiled up on her shoulder, but he saw nothing of Meer.

Ruth, did Meer tattle on us? he asked when Sharra was occupied in singing descant for one of her favorite songs.

He has curled up on the beach and pretends to be asleep. What could he tell her that would make sense?

Sharra's perceptive, Ruth. She could guess.

She knows you are always safe with me.

But she also doesn't want me risking my neck... more than I already do.

She will not refuse you, Ruth added encouragingly, though his tone held a nuance of doubt.

At last Lessa called an end to the evening's entertainment, murmuring something about never quite becoming accustomed to double-ended days. Robinton acted the perfect host, making certain, with Jancis's help, that all the guests were comfortably installed; his behavior was so calm and ordinary that when Sharra and Jaxom were alone in their usual corner room, she frowned in puzzlement.

"Why was Meer so agitated, Jaxom?"

"He was? Not much happened today." He began to pull his shirt off, which served to muffle his voice and hide his face lest his expression give him away. Sharra had become adept at reading him, a skill that usually smoothed matters between them, but this time he really didn't want to risk upsetting her u

He could see her considering that possibility. "I don't think so," she said finally. "Are you all going up to the Yokohama tomorrow?"

"Yes." Jaxom gave her his best grin, which he expanded into a yawn as he gestured for her to climb in first. When she was settled, he lay down and put his arm around her, cushioning her head on his shoulder as he so often did-only now he did it consciously, not merely in response to the habits of five Turns.

"What's the schedule?" she asked.

"More of the same. Getting accustomed to free-fall."

"Why?"

"Well, Aivas let us in on that today," Jaxom said, choosing his words carefully. "Seems like all the Weyrs of Pern are going to be needed to hoist the engine part of the ships to that big rift on the Red Star."

"What?"

He pushed her back down in the bed, gri

"But-but-why?"

"Those engines will be made to blow up, and the force of the explosion will nudge the Red Star into a new orbit."

"Oh my!"

Jaxom gri

Later, he was awakened by the scratch of a fire-lizard claw on his cheek. It was Meer, his sense of smell told him-and a Meer who was worried and puzzled.

Jaxom! Ruth's anxious tone reinforced Meer's warning. There is someone in the hall by your door. Meer senses danger. I'm coming!

For the love of the egg that hatched you, keep him quiet right now, Jaxom told Ruth. And be as quiet as you can.

You know how quietly I can move, Ruth replied, slightly aggrieved.

I want this one alive-and identifiable!

Carefully, so as not to disturb Sharra or alert the intruder, Jaxom rolled out of the bed and went for his belt and the knife sheathed there. In the darkness, Meer blinked orange-red eyes that were whirling in a gradually increasing speed, but the little bronze made no move.

An alteration in the shadows of the room told Jaxom that the door was being stealthily opened. He stayed where he was crouched, muscles relaxed but every fiber of him ready to move.

The door shadows separated into a crouching figure, knife holding hand raised in a strike position as the intruder crept toward the bed-then paused. Realizing that the man had discerned that only Sharra lay in the bed, Jaxom sprang, encircling the figure with his arms.

"Oh no you don't!" he cried in a hoarse whisper, still not wanting to wake Sharra. But there was no hope of that.

Meer, swooping at the man's face while Jaxom struggled to hold him, bugled with no regard for sleeping folk. Outside, Ruth bellowed, and half the fire-lizard population of the Cove tried to fly in through the open window.

Though the man struggled, breathing hoarsely in his desperation, Jaxom was the victor of far too many wrestling matches to have his hold broken easily. But he didn't quite avoid the slashing blade, which scored his bare shoulder. Cursing, Jaxom grabbed the dagger hand and, twisting it in a move F'lessan had taught him, broke the man's wrist. The attacker crumpled, crying aloud in pain just as F'lar, Piemur, Lytol, and D'ram came bursting into the room. Someone behind them was carrying an open glowbasket, and light spilled past the reinforcements to fall on the face of the man Jaxom had downed.

"G'lanar!" Jaxom fell back in surprise and shock.

The old bronze rider snarled up at him, batting at the shrieking fire-lizards who were still swooping at him, claws extended.