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〃They let us sleep longer。 I don't know why； but I'm grateful。〃
〃So am I！〃 F'lessan yawned mightily； holding the klah out in front lest it spill on himself or Tai。
Then he realized that it was cloudy。 Landing's usually bright sun was visible as a hazy yellow orb in the forbidding sky。
〃Dust in the air； someone told me；〃 Tai said with no expression in her voice。 She wasn't a volatile personality； like Mirrim or Lessa； F'lessan thought。 More like Brekke； quiet； self…contained； definitely reserved。
〃What's happening now？〃 The bronze rider jerked his thumb to the three Benden queens； still on duty。
〃The tsunami keeps going；〃 she said； her head averted。
〃Did it destroy Cove Hold？〃 F'lessan blurted the question out。 He could endure almost any other destruction but that。
〃Oh； no；〃 she said quickly； with a sudden magically reassuring smile。 〃Cove Hold has only a little bit of flooding in the gardens。 They had nearly four hours to pack up everything portable； but the water never reached MasterHarper's porch。〃
He felt tension in his midriff snap with relief。 He closed his eyes； thinking of Cove Hold as he had last seen it。 Gardens could be replaced。 Whatever other things had been destroyed by the tsunami； he was deeply grateful Robinton's last home had e through this disaster relatively unscathed。 But Tai did not look happy。 She paused； her eyes unfocused and her shoulders sagged again。 The smile disappeared and she seemed sunk in depression。 He caught her hand； thinking he knew what would trouble her more than Cove Hold。
〃The observatory？〃
〃Not as badly damaged as it could have been。 That dome is watertight。 Kahrain Cape above it caught the brunt。 There was a spectacularly high crest at Jordan Cliffs。〃 F'lessan shuddered； remembering the one he had so narrowly escaped。 〃I'm told a lot of people watched。〃
The brief animation in her face faded quickly。
〃I'm sorry； Tai。 Not much of Monaco would have survived；〃 he murmured； squeezing her hand hard in sympathy。
〃There were five waves； you know；〃 she said flatly。 〃One after another。 They sort of bounced off the nearer Ring island and then plowed into Monaco。〃 She raised one hand and smacked it slowly； five times； into the palm of the other； then her shoulders sagged and her hands dropped。 〃Pier went in the first one and all the cotholds on the beach。 People saved a lot of the tools and supplies from the boatyard。 The careening cradles are just splinters after the seiche waves。 T'lion said those are the perpendicular waves； when the main ones subside。 I don't know how he could go and look except that he was trying to find the dolphin bell pylon。 He said it's made of an indestructible material。〃 She gave a heavy sigh as if she doubted anything could have survived the surge of five tsunami waves。 〃Portmaster Zewe took down the dolphin bell； you know。 T'lion said he'd been out far enough to sea for Gadareth to land on the water and call Report。 It was pretty choppy and cloudy but the dolphins reported。〃 That seemed to cheer her a bit。 〃No pods suffered casualties and they warned all the land people。〃
F'lessan stroked her hand soothingly。 〃I know。 They warned Sunrise cliff。〃 He hesitated。 〃Is Readis all right？ At his Dolphin Hall？〃
〃Yes。〃 She managed a weak grin。 〃T'lion checked。 Readis was high on Rubicon Cliff。〃
He didn't know what else to say。 He knew that Monaco Weyr Center was probably bobbing with the splinters of the pier and the vegetation。 Wherever she and Zaranth had weyred was deep under water。
〃Eat；〃 F'lessan said gently and held a bit to her lips because he hadn't seen her take any of the roasted meat。
She put a piece in her mouth； chewing it slowly； automatically； not tasting anything； and not looking at him； distraught。 Why wouldn't she be？ he thought。
〃What news of other shoreline holds？ Was everyone lifted to safety？〃 Would he always see the panic on Binness's face when he realized he was trapped between a wave and a rock？
Irritation made her flush。 She stopped her chewing and looked up at him； a small outraged frown knotting her eyebrows。 〃I heard there were some who didn't believe the dragonriders and。。。〃
〃Crept back to get something they couldn't live without and drowned；〃 he finished for her。 〃The Weyrs are not responsible for arrant stupidity！〃
〃But they'd been brought to where it was safe！〃 She gripped her fingers so hard her knuckles were white。
〃Like the dolphins； we can't help it if people don't listen to our warnings。〃 F'lessan caught both her hands in his and tugged them to get her to look at him。 〃Tai； how much time did you spend today warning； rescuing？〃
She blinked furiously； tears spattering onto his hand。 〃I。。。 I can't remember。 The fireball was always there；〃 and she cast a frantic glance to her right； to the north。
He massaged her taut hands and fingers； doing his best to soothe her； to relieve her inexpressible grief。
〃Every dragon here did what he or she could do。 I'll wager there're hundreds of exhausted dragons here。 We did all we could！〃 He thought of his son； barely fifteen Turns； taking his dragon on the longest trip between they'd yet made； to serve food and drink。 〃We didn't lose a dragon； did we？〃 No； he would have known。 Dragons made a terrible noise when one of them died。
She shook her head。 He continued to stroke her hands as he looked out over the resting dragons； most of them Monacan； though he recognized a few from Telgar and High Reaches Weyrs。
〃How much more do they expect of us？〃
〃The fireball fell。 And made tsunami；〃 she said； her tone utterly bereft。 Zaranth crooned sympathetically； encouragingly。
F'lessan reached out and pulled the dejected green rider into his arms。 Her skin was cold beneath his hands。 He snagged one of the feline pelts from the ground by Zaranth。
〃How in the name of the First Egg could dragons have stopped the fireball dropping or the tsunami from starting？〃 he demanded bitterly。 〃We did what we could！〃 Once again he used Golanth's shoulder as a backrest and made Tai as fortable against him as he could。 He felt Golanth's sympathetic rumbling and Zaranth shoved her nose over to give Tai's arm a brief lick。 F'lessan felt the reassurances of both dragons humming through him。 Tai lay motionless； her breathing gradually easing from despairingly ragged to a calmer rhythm。
〃You'll see； Tai。 We'll be more famous than Moreta and her ride。 There were thousands of us doing it。〃
We mustn't say that we timed it； F'lessan； Golanth whispered。
〃We're not to say we timed it； F'lessan；〃 murmured Tai in the same breath。
〃Another little miracle of the day covered up； huh？〃 F'lessan felt rancor building in him。 What did it matter if half the population of Pern knew dragons could go between time as well as place？ It's not as if people could learn how。 On the other hand； he'd had enough timing it these last few hours…felt more like days…with that damned fireball hanging over his shoulder。
Tai； who had begun to relax against him； now tensed again and struggled to sit upright。
〃Did you save these？〃 She held up one leg of spotted pelt。
〃Me？ No。 Are these the ones you skinned in Cardiff？ Beauties。〃
〃How did they get here？〃
Tai's eyes widened； her mouth dropped open and she stared at Zaranth who now looked very unfortable and dropped her head from her rider's arm； hiding her eyes。
Zaranth said to Tai that she wanted them so much and there was no time to go get them； Golanth said very softly to F'lessan。
〃What does she mean by that？〃 F'lessan asked； seeing an unreadable expression on Tai's face。
SAME TIME AT KEROON PRINTER HALL…LOCAL TIME 11：15…1。9。31
〃Sir； MasterPrinter； sir；〃 an uncertain young voice said at Tagetarl's elbow。
〃Just a minute。〃 Annoyed； Tagetarl held up his hand so he could listen to the last of the drum message being passed。 He didn't want to miss a vital one； most had been seeking information。 Telgar and Lemos had confirmed a fireball visible in their sky。 Benden drums confirmed that it had fallen into the Eastern Sea。
Roused from his bed early that morning； Tagetarl had gone to his office to find what reass