amc.masterharperofpern-第3节

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ne　that　there　were　many　tears　in　their　eyes　when　her　voice　trailed　off　as　Moreta　and　her　dragon　jumped　between　on　their　last；　fatal　transfer。　Fort's　Lord　and　Lady　Holder　were　so　enthusiastic　that　they　led　the　rush　up　to　the　stage；　to　be　sure　she　heard　their　pliments。
　　　Petiron　beamed　as　she　modestly　accepted　praise；　subtly　reminding　people　that　the　music　her　spouse　had　written　was　a　joy　to　perform。
　　　He　didn't　seem　to　notice　how　pale　she　was。　But　Betrice　did；　and　she　gave　the　singer　a　potent　restorative　drink　in　the　brief　interval　during　which　those　in　the　chores　not　required　for　the　next　part　of　the　programme　filed　out　of　the　stands。　Merelan　would　be　singing　…　less　demandingly　…　in　the　second　part　of　the　evening's　entertainment；　but　she　was　off…stage　during　the　male　chores　which　came　next。
　　　Betrice　watched　the　singer　all　through　that　and　saw　her　colour　gradually　return。　And　when　she　rose　to　sing　a　descant　to　the　final　selection；　she　did　not　appear　as　faint　as　she　had　earlier。
　　　When　the　evening's　programme　was　over　and　the　Hall　cleared　for　the　dancing；　Fort's　Lady；　Winalla；　sought　out　Betrice。
　　　〃Is　MasterSinger　Merelan　all　right；　Betrice？　She　was　trembling　so　much　when　Grogellan　and　I　were　speaking　to　her　that　I　feared　to　let　go　of　her　hand。〃
　　　〃I　had　a　restorative　drink　ready　for　her；〃　Betrice　said　at　her　most　nonmittal。　It　was　kind　of　Lady　Winalla　to　be　concerned；　but　this　was　a　Harper　Hall　affair；　not　the　business　of　the　Hold。　〃She　puts　so　much　into　her　singing；　doesn't　she？〃
　　　〃Hmmm；　yes；　she　certainly　does；〃　Winalla　said；　tacitly　accepting　the　rebuff　and　moving　on　to　speak　to　other　guests。
　　　If　it　surprised　Petiron　when　Merelan　caught　a　chill　and　developed　a　feverish　cough；　he　was　the　only　one。
　　　〃Sometimes　I　think　that　man　is　only　interested　in　her　for　her　voice；〃　Betrice　said　waspishly　to　Gennell　as　she　returned　to　their　apartment　after　a　shift　of　nursing　the　singer。
　　　〃That　may　well　be　a　good　part　of　her　importance　to　our　resident　poser；〃　Gennell　said。　〃No　one　else　could　manage　either　the　range　or　the　difficulty　of　the　vocal　scores　he　creates；　but　that　isn't　all　he　sees　in　her。〃　He　cleared　his　throat。　〃He　was　besotted　with　her　beauty　from　the　moment　she　came　to　us　from　South　Boll　for　training。　In　fact；　well　before　we　realized　what　a　superb　natural　voice　she　had。〃　He　looked　off　into　the　darkness　beyond　the　glowbasket　by　the　bed；　remembering　the　first　time　he　had　heard　her　effortless　scales。
　　　The　entire　Hall　had　stopped　all　work　just　to　listen。
　　　Betrice　chuckled　as　she　slid　under　the　new　furs；　a　gift　from　all　the　journeymen　of　the　Hall　this　TurnOver。　The　pelts　had　been　sewn　together　in　the　most　beautiful　pattern。　She　let　her　hand　linger　on　the　soft　fur　of　the　edging。　〃Never　seen　a　man　more　smitten　in　my　life。　He　just　stared。　And　she　couldn't　take　her　eyes　off　him。　Mind　you；　he's　attractive　enough　even　if　he　isn't　often　a　merry　person。　Just　as　well　Agust　was　her　vocal　teacher；　or　she'd　never　have　progressed　past　vocalizes。〃
　　　〃So　remember　how　Petiron　would　hang　about　in　the　courtyard　just　listening　to　them　as　if　he'd　nothing　better　to　do　with　his　time；〃　Gennell　said；　reaching　out　to　close　over　the　glowbasket。　Absently　he　patted　Betrice's　shoulder　and　then　punched　the　pillow　for　a　spot　to　lay　his　head。
　　　Just　when　Gennell　thought　he'd　settled　the　question　of　which　journeyman　should　take　which　assignment；　more　holders　applied　for　trained　personnel　he　did　not　have。　With　a　hard　winter；　it　was　impossible　to　ask　journeymen　to　tour　from　one　hold　to　another；　spreading　their　services　by　spending　four　seven…days　in　one　place　and　then　moving　on。　Every　family　had　the　right　to　learning；　to　be　instructed　in　the　Teaching　Ballads；　so　there　was　no　misunderstanding　about　what　was　due　to　whom　and　when。
　　　He　thought　longingly　of　the　times；　now　several　hundred　Turns　back；　when　the　six　Weyrs　of　Pern　had　assisted　the　major　Halls　with　dragon　transport。　Those　on　the　East　coast　still　had　Benden　Weyr；　so　Lord　Maidir　could　boast　of　dragon　rides　to　distant　Holds　and　Gathers　whenever　he　needed　them。　But　Fort　Weyr　had　been　empty　over　four　centuries；　and　no　one　really　knew　why。
　　　Gennell　had　once　looked　at　the　Records　kept　in　the　archives　of　both　the　Harper　Hall　and　Fort　Hold；　and　there　was　only　the　one　entry：　shortly　after　the　end　of　the　last　Pass。
　　　〃The　MasterHarper　was　asked　to　Fort　Weyr　this　fifth　day　of　the　ninth　month；　first　Turn　after　Pass　End。〃　That　was　it：　short　and　cryptic。　In　other　similar　instances　when　the　MasterHarper　was　called　to　the　Weyr；　a　more　fulsome　explanation　was　given。
　　　The　next　entry　was　by　the　then　MasterHarper；　Creline；　with　a　date　a　full　two　months　later　when　Fort　Hold's　tithe　train　duly　arrived　with　supplies　and　found　the　Weyr　abandoned；　and　nothing　but　broken　pottery　on　the　top　of　the　midden　heap。　Other　Holders　had　noticed　that　their　flags　requesting　dragon　assistance　had　gone　unanswered　and；　while　annoyed　by　the　discourtesy；　people　were　far　too　involved　in　relaxing　after　fifty　turns　of　ground…crew　duty　to　wonder　much　about　the　absence　of　dragons　from　the　skies。　It　was　enough　that　Thread　was　gone。
　　　A　Conclave　had　been　convened　when　it　became　all　too　apparent　that　five　of　the　six　Weyrs　were　empty。　Benden's　two　Weyrleaders　were　as　mystified；　and　even　the　bronze　or　green　riders　questioned　seemed　to　be　truly　surprised　by　the　abandonment；　and　by　Benden　being　the　only　remaining　Weyr。
　　　Many　theories　had　been　put　forth。　A　favourite　claimed　that　a　mysterious　disease　had　spread　through　the　five　Weyrs；　killing　both　dragons　and　riders。　But　that　didn't　account　for　the　missing　weyr…folk　or　the　absence　of　every　stick　and　stitch　belonging　to　them。
　　　Benden　Weyr　had　even　sent　a　wing；　with　reliable　Hold　and　Hall　passengers；　to　scan　the　Southern　Continent　in　case　all　five　Weyrs　had　…　for　some　unknown　reason　…　decided　to　resettle　south；　despite　the　hazards　of　that　country。
　　　The　matter　was　under　discussion　…　often　heated　…　for　Turns　afterwards；　and　no　one　the　wiser　for　all　the　talk。
　　　Then　Creline　performed　a　new　work；　which　he　called　the　Question　Song；　and　which　was　to　be　included　in　the　pulsory　Teaching　Ballads。　Gennell　had　made　a　mental　note　to　return　the　song　to　that　category　since　someone　…　he　wouldn't　like　to　point　a　finger　…　had　let　it　drop　out　some　time　before　he　became　MasterHarper。　Such　things　happened：　but　they　shouldn't；　considering　the　importance　with　which　Creline　had　treated　the　work。
　　　Odd　song。　Haunting　melody。　Yes；　worth　reviving。
　　　Another　fifty…five　Turns　remained　before　Threadfall　was　due　again。　That　is；　Gennell　amended　to　himself；　if　it　was　going　to　Fall　again。　Many　believed　Thread　was　gone　for　ever。　A　mon　theory　claimed　that　the　Weyrs　had　been　bound　by　some　bizarre　suicide　pact；　leaving　only　Benden　to　carry　on　the　draconic　traditions。　That　made　no　sense　whatever　to　a　thinking　man。　But　at　least　he　was　unlikely　to　have　to　contend　with　that　in　his　term　as　MasterHarper。
　　　With　a　sigh　of　relief；　he　firmly　turned　his　mind　towards　sleep。
　　　Merelan's　cough　developed　into　a　chest　cold　shortly　after　TurnOver。　Sniffles　and　coughs　were　prevalent　during　the　beginning　of　any　new　Turn　when　the　weather　remained　cold　and　snowy；　and　young　Robinton　and　Petiron　both　suffered　from　colds；　but　they　threw　off　the　worst　of　the　infection　quickly。　But　Merelan's　cough　seemed　determined　to　linger；　and　she　could　rarely　get　through　a　vocal　exercise　without　having　to　break　off　in　a　spasm。　For　the　first　time；　Petiron　became　seriously　worried　about　her　health。
　　　So　did　Betrice　and　Ginia；　for　the　singer　had　quickly　lost　what　weight　she　had　gained　after　the　baby's　birth　…　and　more。
　　　〃You've　really　nothing　big　ing　up　in　the　way　of　rehearsals；　have　you？〃　Ginia　asked　Petiron　privately　after　delivering　another　bottle　of　cough　mixture　for　Merelan。　With　a　certain　degree　of　reluctance；　he　shook　his　head　…　had　he　not　been　sick；　he　most　assuredly　would　have　started　posing　something　extravagant　for　the　Spring　Gathers。
　　　〃Well；　then；〃　Ginia　continued；　〃I　happen　to　know　MasterHarper　is　looking　for　someone　to　provide　basic　instruction　at　a　hold　in　South　Boll　…　not　far　from　where　Merelan　was　born。　So　why　don't　you　ask　him　to　allow　you　to　take　the　post？　I　believe　the　acmodation　would　be　adequate　for　a　small　family　like　yours。　The　Ritecamp　traders　just　arrived　here；　and　their　route　takes　you　close　by　Pierie　Hold。〃
　　　Before　Petiron　could　produce　a　good　reason　why　he　couldn't　leave　the　Harper　Hall　at　that　time；　he　and　his　small　family　were　on　their　way　south；　their　baggage　packed　on　pack　animals　which　Master　Gennell　ordered。　He　sent　along　two　good　Ruathan…bred　mounts；　as　well。　MasterTrader　Sev　Ritecamp　was　only　too　happy　to　oblige　the　Harper　Hall　and　had　agreed　to　take　them　to　the　very　door　of　Pierie　Hold。
　　　〃If　Master　Petiron　wouldn't　mind　taking　some　time　of　an　evening　to　learn　some　of　our　youngsters　their　Teaching　Ballads？　They're　in　dire　need　of　some　educating；〃　Sev　had　suggested　very　politely。　〃And　maybe　give　us　a　new　song　or　two　in　the　evening　around　our　fire。〃
　　　〃That　would　be　only　fair；〃　Merelan　said　when　Petiron　was　not　as　prompt　as　he　could　have　been　in　agreeing。　Then　she　winked　at　her　spouse；　knowing　ve