But this time, the Weyrs get first choice."

"They do deserve it. If they can hold what they want. The pod warned us just last week of another group trying to land, west of the river."

"Really?"

"Dad sailed out with Alemi and they left. We outnumbered them,' Readis said with hold pride. "One day, we might not,' he added ruefully.

"There're a lot of decisions to be made, aren't there?" T'lion said with a sigh.

Gadareth and T'lion brought Readis back to Landing. Seeing the area from a height, buildings lit, and people walking up and down the paths, Readis felt a surge of pride to be part of this place which had had a glorious past and was now preparing for a future: the future that, in fact, had been planned a long time ago for this planet.

T'lion said he'd find time in the next sevenday to get to the Master Smith Hall in Telgar and he'd let Readis know the outcome.

"You may not have any marks to spend at a gather for some time to come,' he said. "But then, neither will I!' T'lion was back three days later, looking highly amused as he sauntered into Readis' quarters.

"We're not the only ones,' he announced.

"Only ones who what?" Readis asked, half of his mind still on the mathematics he was figuring.

"Who found the aqua lung and want the Master Smith to make "em. And I was right."

"About what?"

"The face mask. There isn't any sort of elastic material that will keep a mask comfortably tight and seal it against a face."

"Oh.

T'lion did not appear to be concerned about that lack. "Seems as if that sort of flexible material is needed for a lot of things the Ancients used. So Master Hamian and one or two of that Hall over in Southern Hold are experimenting."

"Who else wants the aqua lung?"

"Idarolan, for one. He's really quite an advocate of dolphins.

Master Fandarel told me "You saw Master Fandarel himself?"

T'lion grinned. "I think I shall miss the courtesies accorded dragonriders." He sighed wistfully. "However, I did see him but only after I'd talked to half a dozen journeymen and Masters.

Evidently Idarolan is mad because he's too old to do too much with dolphins . . . too old and too busy as Master Fishman."

Readis was beset with conflicting emotions: that someone as prestigious as a Craft Master wanted to be with dolphins and would have more authority than he, Readis, ever could; that someone else might usurp his, albeit tenuous, connection with a pod; and fury with his mother's prejudice which kept him from openly a.s.sociating with these marvellous creatures.

"Don't look so bereft, Readis,' T'lion said. "It's not the end of the wrld. Look how many pods we've already contacted. And how many more there are out there? Yours'll be yours. And you already share it with Alemi, don't you? Besides you're going to be Holder at Paradise River."

"Which is a Sea Hold, too, so the dolphins are important to us. And who knows when, or if,' and Readis slapped the knee of his withered leg, "I get to be Holder. My father's a healthy man . . . F'lessan's words at Honshu came back to him. "What are you going to do in the time between?" Then there was his younger brother, Anskono, with both legs in good working order and growing stronger and taller every year. Readis could be pa.s.sed over in favour of his unimpaired younger brother.

"Paradise River's a big place, Readis,' T'lion went on. "Big enough for you to hold on your own, separate from your parents.

He's barely touched the heart of it even with all the folks he's taken in over the last Turns. With a lot of sea coast."

That prospect hadn't occurred to Readis; though it had been standard practice for most northern Lord Holders to establish smaller ones for their sons whenever possible. Which was another reason so many northerners looked enviously at all s.p.a.ce available on the Southern Continent: every accessible and workable site in major northern holds was already long established. Readis knew from conversations at gathers that Lord Toric had let some younger sons run holds in Southern but not every candidate met the high standards that Lord Toric expected or wanted to work under that taskmaster's total authority.

"You could establish a dolphin base of your own and be a dolphineer. Wouldn't hurt."

"No, it wouldn't,' Readis agreed absently, thinking about his mother and cringing a bit at having deceived her, and his father.

They'd no idea that he'd spent so much time with the Paradise River pod - unless Alemi had told them.

"And Lord Toric's another one who wants aqua lungs, T'lion said. "That man!" And he shook his head. "He's not going to let a chance pa.s.s him by. He's ordered ten breathers."

"He's going to start a Dolphineer Hall?"

"No,' T'lion said with a wry grin. "That would require him to allow others to join." His grin faded. "Not that he'd have the chance with Master Idarolan on the dolphins' side."

Readis gave a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, Readis,' T'lion went on. "I've already put in a good word for you."

"You did?" Readis was torn between relief and the fear that now his mother would learn how he had disobeyed her.

"Never fear. Master Idarolan only asked me how many people were truly interested in dolphins. I said you were because you'd been rescued that time and had learned all the bell peals and hand signals out of grat.i.tude."

Readis wasn't sure that was subtle enough.

"Don't worry now, Readis. It'll all come right. You'll see."

Readis' response was a noncommittal sound deep in his throat.

"Thanks anyway, T'lion. Did Master Fandarel have any idea when we might get an aqua lung?"

"Soon, he hoped, but he couldn't give a time. He's got a whole Hall doing nothing but a.s.sembling radios. Do your folks have one yet? No? Well, they should. Fandarel says they have to find the sealer material. If you don't have that, you get water inside the mask and that defeats the purpose. At that, we're lucky because the sea here is so clear. Gets pretty murky in the northern waters. I'll keep you informed, Readis."

"I'd appreciate that, T'lion, and thanks."

"Any time." With a cheerful wave, T'lion left.

Chapter Eleven.

Master Fandarel comes with Master Nicat, Mnementh informed both Lessa and F'lar.

"I wonder what the Master Smith wants,' Lessa said, sharing the report of new arrivals with R'mart of Telgar Weyr, G'dened of Ista and Journeyman Harper Talmor who was the Benden Weyrleaders' main a.s.sistant with relocations.

Talmor indicated the council table, spread with maps and reports which the meeting was discussing. F'lar shrugged.

"Leave it. Not efficient to bundle it all up, after all,' the Weyrleader said and won smiles for the Master Smith's oftvoiced criterion. He and Aivas had had much in common on the score of "efficiency'. Perhaps, of them all, Master Fandarel missed the voice address intelligence the most, though his absence was still felt three Turns after the end of his presence.

"Maybe he has this "radio" he's been so eager to produce,' Lessa said, her smile partly for the many attempts the huge Smith had made to initiate some sort of instant communications system for those who had neither dragon nor fire-lizard. He'd been at it ever since that half-successful attempt at the beginning of the Pa.s.s.

"That would account for Master Nicat's appearance,' F'lar said. The Master Miner had collaborated with the Master Smith to find the raw elements, like metals, crystal and some of the plastics that Aivas had listed as necessary to the production of "electronic' devices.

As large as Benden's Council Room was, Master Fandarel seemed to dwarf its dimensions, as he did the other tall and well-built men in the room. Even the Harper was tall and while R'mart had put on some flesh over the past few Turns, he was certainly not as ma.s.sively built as the Smith.

Fandarel stood in the doorway, noticed the table strewn with paper, the complement of the meeting and frowned.

"I dislike saying this but you are simply going to have to go more slowly settling people in the south,' he said.

"What?" Lessa exclaimed, staring at the Master Smith for it was the last thing she had expected him to say, and certainly he was not against the relocations. Her reaction was mirrored by everyone else in the room. Talmor left his hand suspended over the latest Smith Craft Hall reports which had recently been delivered.

"This is the first time we've been asked to slow down,' F'lar exclaimed. "And good day to you, Master Fandarel. D'you know how many people complain that we're dragging our heels over settlings?"

"I hear that, too,' Fandarel said, nodding his big head and looking as solemn as ever. He had visibly aged since he had helped remove the engines from the three colony ships and Lessa had noticed that the slow way in which he now moved was due more to the debilities of age than deliberated movements.

"But I know it is not the truth and say so. I also hear, and know, that journeymen and women as well as Masters are being offered heavy purses of marks to leave their positions and go south."

"I thought Master Nicat was with you,' Lessa said, looking around the big man's figure in the doorway to see if it hid the smaller, rotund figure of the Master Miner.

"Ah, and Master Fandarel's brows drew together as he held up an object, almost lost in his huge hand. "Master Nicat, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can. I'm only at the foot of the stairs." The unmistakable tones of the Miner sounded clearly, if reduced, from the instrument which Fandarel had turned to face the a.s.sembled.

"Ah! You've produced the radio!" Lessa cried.

I have produced an electronic device,' Fandarel corrected her. "An improvement on the ancient radios but, with relays, they can operate across much longer distances than those units.

"Oh, may I try?" Lessa said, slipping to Fandarel's side and holding out her hand for the device. "Oh, it's lightweight.

She hefted it, and turned to show the oblong balancing in her hand.

"Press the red b.u.t.ton and hold it down to speak. Later you will need to key in the code number you wish to reach but as the only other unit is with Master Nicat, that step is not necessary.

Press and speak into this end."

"Master Nicat?" Lessa pressed so hard that her knuckle turned white and she spoke into the appropriate end in a loud voice.

"There is no need to shout,' Nicat said, with some asperity in the small clear manifestation of his voice.

"A whisper will be heard,' Fandarel said with an understandable degree of pride.

"Where are you now, Master Nicat?" Lessa asked in a conversational tone.

"Right where I was two minutes ago."

"Remarkable,' F'lar said, coming to the side of his weyrmate and taking the device from her. "May I?"

"Of course,' Lessa and Fandarel said in chorus.

"I can hear that, too,' Nicat said.

F'lar pressed the red b.u.t.ton. "Then join us!'

"Only too happy to since it's raining, you know."

F'lar and Lessa exchanged amused glances. They had been at this meeting for well over an hour now and had had no idea the weather had altered from morning mists to precipitation.

"Master Fandarel, some klah?" Lessa said, getting a fresh mug from the tray and holding up the thermal jug. That had been one of the best homely additions to kitchen equipment.

"Please,' he said, striding forward and accepting the seat which F'lar suggested.

Nicat arrived, puffing slightly from the climb to the Weyr, holding out the damp coat he'd been wearing which Talmor took from him and hung on a spare chair to dry.

While he was being served a welcome cup and seated, the two devices were pa.s.sed around the table for everyone to examine.

"Now what's all this about your people being bribed, Fandarel?" F'lar asked, setting aside the delights of the device for the more important consideration. "That's serious."

"It distresses me, my Journeyfolk and Masters because it undermines the discipline of my Craft Hall and the honor and loyalty which has always governed us.

Nicat muttered a "here-here' to that sentiment.

"Who's doing the bribing?" R'mart wanted to know. "Toric?" The Telgar Weyrleader made no bones about his distrust of the southern Holder.

"Not always."

"Oh, then who?" R'mart demanded, surprised.

Fandarel shrugged. "Let them remain nameless, Weyrleader.

Our Craftsmen and women did not accept the offered bribes and informed me of each occurrence. But I worry about the apprentices who might not have such scruples."

G'dened snorted. "I've heard of bribery in Ista Hold. Lord Warbret's furious. He's also lost some young men and women who're knowledgeable enough about the sea but haven't formally been apprenticed yet. And there, it is Toric, or his agents, who're promising high marks because Istans would "understand" the hazards of the Southern Continent since they're already used to tropical conditions." G'dened snorted.

"Not the same at all,' F'lar said. "Ista's been settled a long, long time and has fewer of the hazards that the Southern Continent has in plenty."

"Exactly, and furthermore . . . G'dened began.

"We don't actually have many more sites available right now, Talmor said, looking through his papers. "And it's not just a matter of having trained craftspeople to staff them.

Master Fandarel. It's sites that are accessible. So far, we've concentrated on river and oceanside positions so there is at least one means of transportation and contact. Especially when the northern born have not had a chance to acquire fire-lizards. Of course that device of yours would be of enormous a.s.sistance in that respect,' and he nodded to the hand-held.

"That is the bad news I have for you,' Fandarel said with a heavy sigh. "We will need a workforce to make the transistors required and to a.s.semble the components. They will have to be trained and we will need at least one knowledgeable person of Journey rank to oversee the work. Master Benelek needs all the young folk he can train for the terminals and cannot give the Hall more time. I have a long list of those who have requested this efficient and effective little device."

Lessa covered her smiling mouth at his use of his favorite words. "Effective' was now always paired with "efficient' in his lexicon. It was ironic that when he finally had achieved a device that satisfied his high standards, he hadn't the people to produce the units.

"As well as the demand for any one of the many projects people have applied for our Craft to fabricate,' he added, "I've had to a.s.sign Master Terry three a.s.sistants to deal with requests alone and we have given up trying to make efficient and effective deliveries." Fandarel's sigh was more regret than satisfaction at so much business on his books.