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〃She'll show you where！〃 Binness shouted back； grinning maliciously before he grabbed a piece of line and tied it to the back of the rocking chair。 〃Where？〃 he asked F'lessan。
Shards！ But it wasted time to argue with him。 F'lessan swung his arm in Golanth's direction。 〃Loop it on the third neck ridge。 I'll take her myself and the two carrying her。〃
He ended up with far more draped on his bronze than the delighted Lady Medda； whose wrinkled face suggested nine or ten decades of living。 She was in high spirits as she settled on Golanth's back； shouting orders to those who jumped to obey。
〃Use tablecloths for the food and loose things。 Bring the water skins。 Stuff each pot with what es to hand。 Dragonriders don't haul empty space when you can fill it with something useful。〃
C'reel's brown Galuth had two younger women on his back； with two children apiece； and rough packs hung from the neck ridges and trailed down his backbone。 St'ven was leaning over Mealth's side at a dangerous angle to be sure nothing was spilling out of the first of the packed nets the dragon lifted from the sand。
It took much more time to disencumber the dragons on the summit。 To his disgust； F'lessan found the knots with which Binness had tied the rocking chair were hard to undo。 Awaiting her usual seat； Lady Medda was upright on the trunk of a fallen tree and continued her stream of succinct orders； using a frond to keep the biting insects from her。 Beyond her； Mealth carefully maneuvered his net to the ground； and landed beyond it to let his passengers off。 The old lady gave a whoop of a cheer for such precise flying。 F'lessan struggled with the knot until the youngster who'd seen the dolphins came running over。 With a pitying look and a flip of one trailing end； the boy released the knot and the rocking chair was loose。
〃You should know how！〃 he accused F'lessan and ran the chair to his grandmother。
F'lessan rued not his ignorance of sea knots but the time consumed fussing with them。 Time！ Time！ He vaulted…not as effortlessly as usual…astride Golanth。 The bronze ran toward the precipice； wings wide； and fell off the edge。 When F'lessan heard shocked cries of alarm from behind him at Golanth's timesaving exit； he grinned。
Binness and the other men had filled two more nets and held up the knots for the browns to grab。 F'lessan managed five children； two more women； and a string of sacks down Golanth's back on the next trip。 He could see women and girls filing up the uneven steps zigzagging up the cliffside； everyone laden with so many bundles he wondered how they moved。
On his way back down to the sands； he saw that one of the fishing dories had been manhandled up over the dune high…tide barrier。 Four men were racing seaward； obviously to get a second one。 〃Don't let them talk you into conveying their boats；〃 T'gellan had warned him。
〃We can't handle that！〃 F'lessan cried； leaping off Golanth's back to confront a belligerent Binness。 Beside him was Lias； equally determined。
〃No boats； no fish； we starve。〃
〃We sailed 'em all the way down from Big Bay； dragonrider；〃 Lias put in； his wizened face fierce。 〃Days of sailing。 We can't abandon them。〃
Gasping for breath； the other four arrived with a second dory。
〃The masts're unstepped；〃 Binness said； as if that made transport feasible。 It would make them less unwieldy。 〃We can rig the hulls to be lifted like you did the nets。 We got the line。〃
F'lessan delayed his answer； wiping sweat off his face and neck。 Did they have the time？ He glanced at the two small craft； then at his watch。 These seaholders were about to lose their cotholds； and neither of the dories was longer than a dragon's body。 He saw they were clap…sided； only the sharp V of the transom covered。 They couldn't weigh that much。 Lias grabbed a cleat； slung a line quickly about it as if this proof would be sufficient to sway F'lessan's doubt。
〃You said dragons're as strong as they need be！ Be they strong enough； dragonrider？〃 Binness's eyes were wide and fierce with an entreaty and a challenge that F'lessan could not resist。
F'lessan swallowed。
〃Rope 'em； then。 We'll give it a try。 Be quick about it。〃
〃Three dragons？ Three sma' little dories？〃 Binness cried； eyes suddenly full of hope again。 〃Outta the nine boats we got？〃
F'lessan groaned。 He couldn't believe he was agreeing。
〃Quick； a…fore he changes his mind；〃 Binness cried； sending off the four who were still gasping for breath。 They turned to stagger back down the dune。 He and Lias began to secure lines。 He paused； tossed a coil of rope at F'lessan。 〃Start on the second one。 Be sure the lines are the same length。〃
And F'lessan found himself wrapping lines around cleats on the second dory。
〃Everyone out of the holds？ Everything you need？〃 F'lessan cried as the exhausted fishmen arrived with the third hull； collapsing against it； wheezing； their sweating bodies covered with sand where they'd stumbled。
〃You； go check！〃 Binness ordered and the man crawled gamely to his feet and staggered toward the nearest cot。 〃Lias； tighten that line。 You； rig the portside。 You； do a running bowline through the anchor bracket。 Make it real tight！〃
When C'reel and Galuth arrived to find the first ship rigged to be conveyed； the brown rider obviously thought F'lessan was asking too much of them。 All sorts of odds and ends； buckets； rakes； hand nets； a pair of sandals； more nets； fish spears； small buoys； floats； light anchors； and even some folded sails had been dumped in the dories。
〃Nothing really heavy；〃 F'lessan said； peering over the new cargo as he wondered how all that had been stashed in when he was looking elsewhere。
〃We can do it； C'reel。 Galuth can do it！ Up you go； Galuth！〃 And he gave the Wingleader's signal to lift。
Golanth added a roar and Galuth was aloft so fast C'reel's head snapped； but the brown dragon had the knot in his claws and the dory was rising； swinging erratically in the air。 Galuth waited until its swaying lessened and slowly rose； leading the sway slightly。 If he didn't get the height； the ship could be dashed to bits on the cliff。 It just cleared the edge。 The fishmen cheered and then Mealth positioned himself to receive the knot for the second。
F'lessan nervously eyed the still…calm surface of the wide bay until a spray of sand announced the return of the man who had gone to check the cotholds。
〃Everyone's out； Binness。〃
〃Then we're for the steps； dragonrider。 Mount and I'll give the knot to your bronze。〃
Just then the sea seemed to creep up the sands； leaving behind a wide lacy border。 Binness stared at it。
F'lessan swept his eyes across the sea but he could see nothing that looked like the crest of a tsunami。 The shoals were at least fifty meters out； where the dolphins had been swimming。 And shoals were bad when a tsunami was rolling shoreward。
〃Lift； dragonrider；〃 cried Binness； knot in one hand； waving urgently with the other。
F'lessan obeyed； Golanth rising and craning his head down； trying to look between his front legs。 F'lessan felt Golanth catch the knot and take up the slack in the lines。 They had barely risen a few feet from the sands when they saw Binness； arms and legs pumping as the fishman raced toward the steps。
It isn't that heavy； Golanth reassured his rider； but it took him time to lift so as not to unbalance his load or lose his grip on the rope cradle。 The summit was alive with people and goods； leaving no clear spot for the dory。 Shouting orders from her rocking chair； the old woman solved the problem。 It was with great relief that F'lessan felt the tension ease in the bronze shoulders as Golanth succeeded in getting the third dory landed。 Golanth soared up； bugling with his success。 Well； it wouldn't be their problem to get the dories back down to the shore。
Not today！
Golanth tilted northward； dipping low around the granite outcrop； so that they could see the last of the seaholders reach the top of the rough stairs； crawling a little farther from the cliff edge。 Rider and dragon could see Binness still racing for the first step。 The man stumbled； obviously winded； and regained hi