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Haligon cleared his throat, not sure how to state his real business of the morning.
"Oh? Something else, is it?" Torlo, who was a perceptive man under a brusque ma
Maybe this should have been done more informally, but Torlo had called the tone by using his title. Hiding his chagrin, Haligon accepted the hospitality and slid onto a settle seat at the end table while Torlo filled cups and brought a breadboard with some of the morning's bake on it. Everyone would have known about the meeting in the Hold's private dining room. That Batim had been questioned. Certainly the fire-lizard traffic out of the Harper Hall last night would have been noticed. The Ru
The young Lord sipped the klah-it was always excellent here-and deliberated exactly how to approach Torlo. He had several very good reasons for not antagonizing either the man or the Ru
"The Abominator who led the vandals let drop some information," he began, choosing his words carefully.
"He's one of them?" Torlo's contempt was deep. "Same as who abused Master Robinton?"
"Similar but this time turning their spite on the Healer and Glass Halls."
"Glass Halls, too?" Torlo's spiky brows shot up on his lined forehead, his deep-set eyes fast on Haligon's face. He leaned forward slightly across the tables. "What about SmithCraftHalls?"
Something in Torlo's ma
"SmithCraftHalls set up tighter safeguards after the first raids on their Halls ten or more Turns ago," he said.
"Hmm. Yes. Recollect now." Torlo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That Aivas guarded itself, didn't it?"
"A Hall shouldn't have to protect itself," Haligon said.
"True."
"Especially Healers, the one Craft that's benefited most from the knowledge Aivas left behind."
"Agreed." Torlo motioned for Haligon to help himself to the sweet rolls on the board. He broke a piece off himself, pushing the crumbs into his mouth.
Delaying, Haligon thought, so he continued.
"Stationmaster didn't Master Oldive remove that growth from Grolly's leg? Couldn't have been able to do that before. I believe Grolly's ru
"Aye? So what're you driving at, Lord Haligon?"
"Some are spreading evil untruths about the Healers, with vile pamphlets…"
"Ru
"They've seen some?" Haligon was jolted so badly he spilled klah on his hand.
"Ru
"But where? When? Does it happen often?" So Crivellan was right to fret over the matter.
Torlo gave him a long stare. "Ru
"But where? We must stop it. Do Ru
Torlo shrugged. "Ru
"Yes, but not all of it," Haligon said, becoming more agitated. "The vandals had a particularly grisly copy. Master Crivellan was distraught."
"He's not the only one."
Haligon stiffened at the satiric tone of Torlo's voice. "What quarrel do Ru
"None." Torlo was surprised by Haligon's query.
"With whom then?"
Torlo paused, then a slight grin lifted the corner of his mouth and his eyes met Haligon's squarely. "You're not what you seem, Lord Haligon."
"Ru
Torlo considered that and then, making his decision, leaned forward.
"We've no objection to Healer Hall improvements: they benefit all. When 'improvements' threaten an entire Craft, now that's a different track altogether."
"Who would threaten Ru
Torlo gave an ironic bark. "Did she? And who'll be needing the dragons if the truth is told about the Red Star?"
Haligon reassembled his thoughts. He'd never thought to step among so many verbal snakes.
"Red Star? You don't believe the Red Star was moved? But surely you saw it happen, here in the North?"
"Saw the light in the sky, but what did that mean to someone ground-tied?"
Haligon tried another tack.
"All right, usually a Pass is fifty years. This time Aivas definitely said it would be less. We know from our own Records that that has happened several times before. So there're sixteen more Turns to go till the end of this Pass. If it ends in sixteen Turns, then grant that Aivas knew more than we ever could: that when he gave a definite answer, it'll be proved truth. He said the dragonriders accomplished what he set them out to do-alter the Red Star's orbit so it can never come close enough to Pern to drop Thread on us again."
Haligon was rather surprised by his own intensity. He'd only been on the fringes of the massive effort that had occupied the planet for nearly five Turns. But, in his own heart, he'd believed in Aivas's solution to Pern's cyclical problem. He'd wanted-needed-to believe in it.
"I may live another sixteen Turns to the end of this Pass," Torlo replied. "So will you, but it'll take another two hundred to be sure that Aivas was right."
"The point is, Stationmaster, there are so many smaller miracles available to us right now to give Aivas credibility."
Torlo's cynical smile was lopsided. "Like making dragons-and Ru
"Ru
Torlo leaned forward across the table, his eyes sparking with anger. "Not when there are dragonriders taking messages and packing people and parcels."
Haligon countered quickly. "How many small halls and holds can afford to hire a dragon? Ru
Torlo snorted. "Only a few of them can be trusted to deliver messages."
"That's true enough," Haligon agreed, though his father's queen, Merga, having been exceedingly well trained by Menolly, had always proven reliable. "And no Ru