amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第38节

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ll　convey　children；　your　aunties　and　uncles　first。〃
　　The　reaction　of　the　women　was　to　hug　their　children　to　their　legs；　suddenly　frightened　of　his　presence。　F'lessan　struggled　to　control　his　aggravation。　Didn't　they　trust　dragonriders？　T'gellan　was　a　good　Weyrleader。
　　〃Look；　spread　out　that　fishnet；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　nearest　man　with　one　draped　across　his　shoulder。　〃That　will　carry　a　lot。〃
　　　
　　〃Ever　had　a　ride　a…dragonback？〃　C'reel　asked；　hunkering　down　by　the　youngster　who　had　seen　the　dolphins。
　　F'lessan　kept　checking　his　watch。　Maybe　he'd　just　have　to　wait　for　the　shock　wave　to　hit　to　prove　that　an　emergency　existed。　Being　nearer　the　point　of　impact；　this　Seahold　would　feel　it　a　lot　sooner　and　harder　here。　It'd　be　seismic；　wouldn't　it；　traveling　ten　times　faster　than　sound　along　the　rock　of　the　seabed。　They'd　feel　it；　then　hear　it！
　　Right　up　through　his　boots…and　the　bare　feet　of　most　of　the　seaholders…came　the　shake！　A　boom　that　beat　eardrums　with　its　intensity。　Several　people　fell　to　the　sands；　even　the　dragons　were　unbalanced；　raising　wings　to　steady　themselves。
　　〃D'you　believe　me　now；　Binness？〃　F'lessan　demanded；　brushing　sand　off　his　leathers。
　　Two　of　the　women　began　to　keen；　nearly　as　unnerving　a　sound　as　dragons　made　when　one　of　their　kind　died。
　　〃Believe　you；　dragonrider！〃　The　Journeyman　could　also　see　the　disturbed　ripple　of　the　waves　in　the　bay。　〃Go！　Go！　Pack！〃　Wide　gestures　of　his　arms　sent　the　women　scattering。　〃Lias；　spread　that　net。　Lads；　go　with　your　mothers。　Collect　everything　you　can　carry。　Petan；　get　the　other　nets。　You　sure　your　dragons　are　strong；　bronze　rider？〃
　　〃As　strong　as　they　need　to　be；　Journeyman；〃　F'lessan　replied；　grinning。　He　gestured　for　C'reel　and　St'ven　to　help　spread　nets。　〃We'll　need　rope。。。〃
　　〃Line。。。〃　C'reel　corrected　him　when　Lias　looked　puzzled。
　　〃Line；　then；　in　the　corners；　to　make　a　knot　for　the　dragons　to　lift　the　nets　with。　Where's　the　most　sheltered　place　up　on　those　cliffs；　Binness？　Are　there　woods？　You'll　need　shelter。　There　will　be　winds　and　rain；　not　to　mention　the　high　seas。〃
　　〃Plenty　shelter　a…top；〃　Binness　said；　deftly　nipping　another　net　wide　on　the　sands。
　　A　lad　came　running　up　with　a　rocking　chair。
　　〃No；　no；　furniture　will　e　last；〃　F'lessan　cried；　waving　the　boy　and　the　chair　to　one　side。　〃Bring　pots；　pans；　food；　necessities；〃　he　called　as　the　scared　boy　dropped　the　chair　and　sprinted　back　to　the　largest　cothold。
　　〃That's　my　old　dam's　chair；〃　Binness　said；　pausing　to　prop　his　fists　challengingly　against　the　wide　belt；　which　had　knife　sheaths　as　well　as　the　telescope　holster。
　　〃Where　is　she？〃　F'lessan　demanded。
　　〃ing。　Lady　Medda's　ing。〃　Binness　pointed　to　the　largest　cothold。　Two　women；　their　hands　making　a　seat；　were　hurrying　out　with　an　old　woman；　white　braids　bouncing。　〃Joint…ail　but　she　runs　us　right　well！〃
　　〃She　can　be　the　first　to　go。〃　If　the　woman　managed　the　hold；　then　F'lessan　would　station　her　where　she　could　do　some　good。
　　〃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　Mealt