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us a twenty…four…hour coverage for that critically needed sky…watch program！〃 Master Wansor beamed expansively as if this provided the answer。
Turns ago now； Lessa recalled Wansor's triumph at finding a high resolution telescope； a Cassegrain…according to the metal plate on the mirror cell and the thick manuals that had e with it…in the Catherine Caves。 Aivas had supervised its installation and lighting up during his first Turn in charge of the Red Star Project。 F'lessan had found the one left at Honshu and had just recently； after a lot of hard work and delicate repair； got it functioning again。 How a third one would possibly deter more ets； stony or metallic bits from pocking the surface of Pern she did not know。 Whether or not the project would appease the nervous or parsimonious among the Council was； of course； in doubt。 Was sky…watching what really kept F'lessan down in Honshu and so much in Tai's pany？
Yes； was Ramoth's smug reply。
〃If we hadn't had the Yoko's telemetry reporting the Fireball as early as it did；〃 Wansor went on； 〃or the unusual capabilities and devotion of the dragonriders； there would have been a plete catastrophe instead of a mere disaster。〃
〃Mere？〃 T'gellan burst out； half rising from the table； his outrage reflected in the stunned expressions on the faces of both Talina and Mirrim。
〃I am so sorry； dear boy；〃 Wansor said； twiddling his fingers in distress； blinking his clouded eyes。 Lessa knew that if Wansor had actually seen how Monaco's land had suffered； he'd have been more tactful。 His next words tried to correct the damage。 〃I don't mean to imply that the incredible damage Monaco sustained was 'mere；' just that it wasn't as bad as it could have been had the Fireball landed without any warning。 Everyone tells me how magnificently you have repaired almost all the damage。〃
〃As much as we can until the land itself recovers；〃 T'gellan murmured； reseating himself but still palpably upset。
〃How will this sky watch help？〃 F'lar asked； trying to get back to the subject。
D'ram cleared his throat。 〃In the first instance； it will allay the Council's doubts to know that； since dragonriders are unaccountably responsible for anything in the sky； we are very much aware of our responsibilities； and the scopes are essential to identifying what's up there。 In the second instance；〃 and he paused； regarding those at the table with an oddly self…righteous smile on his lips； 〃if we make sky…watching our craft when this Pass is over； we will have a profession that is peculiarly suited to dragonriders。〃
There was a rather stunned silence as the various Weyrleaders assimilated that suggestion。
Beside D'ram； Lytol was also broadly smiling and Lessa thought that that must be the first real smile she'd seen on his face in Turns。 The Oldtimer pursued the matter。
〃By forming our own Craft； we will be able to significantly reduce the tension among holders and crafters who fear we wish to dominate their traditional crafts。〃
〃Well； well； sky…watching wouldn't take all of us；〃 G'dened began； fuming with indignation。
F'lessan laughed out loud。 〃And a good many more； G'dened； if we're to make a proper job of it。〃 His eyes sparkled。 〃In fact； Honshu already has images of the asteroid belt from its initial search patterns。〃
〃Search patterns？〃 G'dened asked； scowling。
With a glance at Erragon； F'lessan went on； 〃We know which stars are constant in our skies。 What we search for is something moving between those stars and us！ Look！〃 He flipped several prints to the table。 〃See this one？〃
〃I see a streak on black and a blur；〃 G'dened replied； dismissing the image。
〃We've identified the streak as an asteroid。 We're calling it Aliana。〃 He ducked his head and gave the almost cheeky smile he had used as a small boy when he was hiding deeper feelings。 〃Tai thought we should give them names； instead of numbers； and I thought that perhaps we'd name it after one of the first dragonriders。 We've got a lot of those。〃
〃Which； asteroids or dragonriders？〃 Lessa asked； smiling to show that she liked the idea。 She could see that both Wansor and Erragon obviously approved。
〃Both。〃
〃How'd you know it's an asteroid？〃 G'dened demanded impatiently； his scowl deepening。
〃F'lessan cross…checked it with Cove Hold and Yoko。〃 Erragon said。
〃This blur； as you call it； is a star named Acrux。 Acrux is fixed。。。 at least in a forty…minute exposure。。。 while the asteroid is moving fast enough to create the blur。 By considering its position in the sky； we know that it is in the asteroid belt。 By getting to know our night skies and taking images…〃 F'lessan tapped the print。 〃…we will find ones that might be moving dangerously close to Pern。〃
〃One just did！〃 G'dened objected； feeling insulted； and pushed the print away。
F'lessan laughed。 〃We've had more than one near miss。〃
〃Oh； not that Runner site again！〃 And the Istan Weyrleader swiped his hand in dismissal。
〃If I may；〃 Tai said in such a firm voice that everyone regarded her in surprise； 〃the Fireball was the first really hazardous impact noted in the Yoko's records as far back as it kept them。〃
〃Quite right； Tai。 And； until the last ten minutes of its descent；〃 Erragon said； 〃we weren't even certain that it would impact on Pern。 And it is by no means the only one in a possibly hazardous orbit。〃
That was news to the inland Weyrleaders； G'dened's scowl deepened。
Lessa wondered if they oughtn't to have asked M'rand to e to this meeting。 Usually he had balanced G'dened's pessimistic； biased attitudes。
〃We have now had a chance to thoroughly examine the Yoko's records；〃 Lord Lytol said； his expression doleful； 〃and the Fireball was a visible light against the asteroid belt as far back as Turn's End。〃
〃When we were occupied with other matters entirely；〃 G'dened said wearily。
Lytol gave him a repressive glare and continued。 〃The Yoko has traced its inclination and now suggests that it was probably even then a possibly hazardous object； not merely one near Pern。〃
〃What's the difference； Lytol？〃 Lessa asked。
〃Oh； between 100；000 and 400；000 kilometers； Lady Lessa；〃 Lytol said with a sad smile。 〃If Pern had been farther on its rotation around Rukbat； the etary fragment would have passed us by。〃
〃The point is； Lady Lessa；〃 Wansor said； leaning toward her earnestly； 〃that if we had had a sky watch then； we would have known to track it more carefully。〃
〃What more could we have done about it if we had known？〃 T'gellan asked wearily。
A depressed silence followed that heartfelt query。
〃The situation for dragonriders was once much worse than this；〃 F'lar said in a quiet but firm voice； 〃when Benden had only a handful of riders to fight Thread； and you；〃 he gestured to D'ram； G'dened； and G'narish； 〃came forward in time to support us。 Now we have access to the Ancients' exhaustive records and； if I remember Aivas's lectures at the time； he told us that old Earth had its own share of problems in near space。 Erragon； how did the Ancients handle that problem？〃
Erragon gave a dry chuckle。 〃They watched through very powerful telescopes augmented by a dedicated group of men and women using lesser instruments。 Aivas states that they had mapped the position of stars in their part of the galaxy…and objects in the Earth's system…with an accuracy measured by micro…arc…seconds。 Far beyond the abilities of the telescopes we have； of course。 But we need only concern ourselves about Rukbat。〃
〃Yes； yes；〃 G'dened interrupted； leaning eagerly in his direction； 〃but what did they do to things that came too close to Earth？〃
〃They took…I quote…'action when required to divert a possibly hazardous object。' 〃
〃With what？ How？〃 demanded G'dened。
〃That；〃 Erragon said ironically； 〃they didn't say。〃
〃But they must have done something！〃 There was a quaver of fear in G'dened's tone。
〃They did have a sky watch；〃 F'lessan said so firmly that he caught everyone's attention。 〃We can be accurate enough and； as Erragon says； we should learn what should be in our skies and track any newers。〃
〃The astronomy files I've been studying clearly state that suc