amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第57节

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　　With　a　wide　and　mischievous　grin；　F'lessan　closed　his　fingers　around　Tai's　hand。
　　〃My　very　dear　green；　I　can　hear　everything　she　says。〃
　　〃Can　you？〃　Tai　shot　him　a　surprised　glance。　She　knew　that　Ramoth　and　Mnementh；　even　Monarth　and　Path；　spoke　to　each　other's　people。
　　The　unmistakable　stink　of　trundlebug　interrupted　this　revelation。
　　What　did　you　do？　both　riders　cried；　holding　their　noses　as　they　ran　for　their　dragons　to　mount　and　leave　the　clearing　before　they　were　actively　ill。
　　I　turned　it；　Golanth　said　as　he　leaped　into　the　air；　hoping　between　would　absorb　the　awful　reek。
　　Into　mush；　Zaranth　said　with　some　disgust。
　　They　came　out；　so　high　above　Cove　Hold　that　they　could　see　the　whole　of　it　spread　out　before　them　and　the　observatory　sitting　on　its　hill。　I　can't　smell　me；　Golanth　said　in　an　unusually　meek　voice。
　　I　hope　no　one　visits　that　clearing　in　the　next　day　or　two；　F'lessan　told　Zaranth。
　　Tai　says　she　sees　another　clearing　and　that　Golanth　must　try　again。　I　think　I　know　what　he　didn't　do；　Zaranth　said。
　　Riding　at　Golanth's　right　wing　tip；　Tai　grinned　across　at　his　rider　and　gestured　down。　F'lessan　nodded　vigorously。　Zaranth　and　Tai　veered　left　and　let　the　following　wind　ease　them　down　until　both　dragons　circled　the　new　clearing　of　the　thick　young　growth　that　was　springing　up　after　the　tsunami　flooding。
　　Again　Golanth　sat　himself　down　in　the　path　of　the　trundlebug；　one　with　five　offspring；　the　last　nearly　big　enough　to　go　off　by　itself。
　　Now；　you　want　to　turn　them　just　enough　so　they　go　in　another　direction；　Zaranth　was　saying　calmly。　Not　grind　them　into　the　sand　at　the　same　time。　Just　point　to　the　east　and　give　them　a　gentle。。。　I　SAID　GENTLE。。。　Where'd　you　send　them？
　　East；　Golanth　said　very　softly。
　　The　green　dragon　and　both　riders　looked　to　the　east。　There　was　a　noticeable　passage；　trundlebug…wide；　in　a　straight　line　through　the　grasses　as　far　as　they　could　see　to　the　very　waters　of　Cove　Hold。
　　〃Didn't　you　say　they　can　tread　water？〃　F'lessan　asked；　almost　as　chagrined　as　his　dragon。
　　〃If　they　don't　already；　they'll　learn　today；〃　Tai　replied。　〃Trundlebugs　are　survivors。〃
　　He　does　understand　what　to　do；　Zaranth　said。　He　was…well；　maybe；　too　enthusiastic？
　　〃I　think；〃　F'lessan　said；　making　good　use　of　a　chance　to　put　his　arm　around　Tai；　〃that　more　practice　will　determine　exactly　how　much…energy？　enthusiasm？…is　enough　to　do　the　trick。〃
　　
FORT　HOLD…2。13。31
　　When　Tenna　came　in　from　her　run　and　handed　Torlo　her　packet　of　letters　from　the　Southern　Boll　stations；　he　leaned　close；　on　the　pretext　of　making　a　notation　of　her　arrival　on　his　schedule　pad。
　　〃Need　to　see　your　friend…〃　The　old　man　paused　so　that　Tenna　would　appreciate　which　friend。　〃…tonight。　You；　too。　Side　bench。　Ten…thirty。〃
　　Tenna　was　being　accustomed　now　to　arranging　meetings　with　Haligon　for　Torlo。
　　〃You've　a　run　uphill　tomorrow；　Tenna；〃　he　said　more　audibly。
　　She　made　an　amused　grimace。　〃Then　I'm　for　the　baths　and　a　good　long　soak。〃
　　〃As　well；　things　considered；〃　was　his　reply　and　she　went　off；　pausing　first　in　the　dormitory　she　shared　with　other　girls。　It　faced　the　main　street　and　she　pulled　the　curtain　across　to　the　exact　center　of　the　window。　Haligon；　who　knew　she　was　back　at　the　Station；　would　now　realize　that　she　wished　to　see　him。　She　didn't　know　which　hold　child　ran　his　messages　but　they　always　got　to　him。　She　gathered　up　clean　clothes；　and　then　had　a　long　soak　and　a　brisk　leg　massage　before　the　evening　meal。
　　It　was　a　fair　evening；　if　cold；　and　a　wind　always　blew　down　the　main　road　from　the　hills　so　she　had　her　lined　jacket　ready　when　Haligon　appeared　at　the　door。　Everyone　expected　the　two　to　be　together　when　she　was　in　Station　so　she　smiled　him　a　wele　and　was　glad　to　see　his　expression　lighten　at　the　sight　of　her。　He'd　had　a　lot　of　responsibility　laid　on　him　by　Lord　Groghe　this　Turn；　being　what　Haligon　privately　described　as　〃the　Lord　Holder's　Runner；〃　and　had　remained　cheerful　and　acmodating。　Or　such　was　the　impression　she　had　from　Torlo；　as　much　because　of　what　the　Stationmanager　didn't　say　as　what　he　did。
　　〃Walk；　Tenna？〃　Haligon　asked；　nodding　courteously　to　Torlo　and　his　wife；　and　extending　the　acknowledgment　to　the　others　in　the　main　room。
　　The　usual　jibes　of　〃a　walk　will　do　her　good　after　the　run〃　and　〃don't　walk　her　legs　off　〃　followed　them　out。　Such　impudent　ments　were　better　than　disapproving　silence。
　　The　new　electric　lights；　fashioned　like　glowbaskets；　were　positioned　on　poles　up　and　down　the　main　road　so；　despite　the　chill；　they　weren't　the　only　ones　taking　an　evening　stroll。　They　walked　beyond　the　fixed　lights　and　off　to　the　side；　near　a　shed　by　the　beastholds。　In　the　shadows　there；　she　and　Haligon　could　embrace　without　being　overseen　and　with　considerable　enthusiasm。　She'd　been　away　a　sevenday　and　she　had　missed　him。　Considering　the　ardor　with　which　he　kissed　and　nuzzled　her；　the　feeling　was　mutual。
　　They　had　not　really…not　in　so　many　precise　words…discussed　their　association。　She　knew　that　he　knew　she　felt　that　she　wasn't　good　enough　for　a　son　of　one　of　the　oldest　Bloodlines　on　Pern。　He　felt　she　would　miss　the　freedom　of　her　profession　and　did　not　wish　to　constrain　her。　He　had　other；　older　brothers　so　his　father　might　not　be　so　particular　about　whom　he　espoused。　With　the　problems　caused　by　the　Fireball…which　Haligon　called　the　et…and　Flood；　they　had　both　been　extremely　busy。　Fort　Hold　had　taken　no　damage　but　Lord　Groghe　had　sent　Haligon　to　arrange　assistance　in　Southern　Boll；　which　had　had　bad　flooding。　Tenna　wondered　if　perhaps　that　was　Lord　Groghe's　way　of　suggesting　that　Haligon　favor　Lady　Janissian。　That　would　have　been　an　acceptable　alliance　to　Tenna's　way　of　thinking。　Haligon's　only　ment　was　that　the　young　woman　would　make　a　good　Holder　and　he　liked　her。
　　They　were　both　conscious；　though　no　one　in　Fort　mentioned　the　fact；　that　Lord　Groghe　was　losing　some　measure　of　his　phenomenal　vigor。　Not　surprising；　considering　he　was　eighty…nine。　The　vandalism　at　Turn's　End　had　so　shocked　the　old　Lord　that　he　was　determined　to　prevent　a　repetition　in　his　Hold　and　to　identify　who　was　behind　this　〃resurgence　of　all　that　Abomination　nonsense。〃　He　had　managed　to　enlist　the　support　of　Torlo　and　many　other　Stationmasters；　but　not　all　Runners；　there　were　those　who　still　did　not　understand　that　it　would　be　many；　many　Turns　before　the　〃abominable〃　hand　units　significantly　affected　their　profession。　Nevertheless；　most　would　follow　Station　policy：　they　abhorred　the　violence　displayed　by　the　Abominators　and　their　callous　attack　on　the　Healer　Halls。　Tenna　might　be　one　voice　but　she　did　her　part；　when　she　could；　repeating　what　Lady　Lessa　had　said…that　Runners　had　long　served　Pern　and　would　continue　to　do　so。
　　Held　passionately　in　Haligon's　arms；　she　could　forget　duty；　responsibility；　and　anything　but　the　sensual　contact　she　was　enjoying。　Tenna　did　nothing　by　halves　and　neither　did　Haligon。
　　With　the　innate　sense　of　time　that　most　Runners　possessed；　she　reluctantly　wriggled　out　of　his　arms　and　started　pulling　her　clothing　straight。　She　smiled　when　she　heard　his　deep　exasperated　sigh。
　　He　finger…bed　his　hair…which　he　hadn't　had　time　to　have　trimmed…into　a　neat　club　at　the　back　of　his　neck；　fixed　the　collar　of　his　jacket　and　lengthened　his　stride　to　match　hers。　Tenna　certainly　could　set　a　brisk　pace。
　　Torlo；　or　rather　a　shadow　that　could　be　a　man；　was　already　seated　on　the　side　bench；　where　the　corner　of　the　Station　jutted　out　from　the　line　of　its　neighbors。　Tenna　and　Haligon　often　sat　there；　out　of　sight。　Without　a　word；　they　sat　on　either　side　of　him。
　　〃Runners　finally　traced　all　those　messages　to　Keroon；〃　Torlo　said　without　preamble。　〃Wide　Bay　and　two　inland　holds；　both　isolated。　Another　reason　it　took　so　long　to　confirm　Lord　Groghe's　request　was　because　sometimes　the　messages　were　handed　to　Runners　already　on　the　trace。〃
　　〃They　were？〃　Tenna　was　astonished。
　　〃Runners　were　paid；　so　it　was　permissible。　'Cept　it　happened　quite　a　few　times　in　Keroon；　and　Chesmic　got　suspicious　and　asked　Runners　and　other　Stationmasters；　sort　of　quiet…like；　how　often　that　happened。　That's　why　we　got　a　network　for　Runners…never　too　far　for　someone　to　bring　a　message；　proper…like；　to　the　Station　and　have　it　logged　in　from　source。　Then　it　took　time　to　catch　up　with　the　Runners　who　logged　in　such　messages　at　their　next　Station。　Seems　odd　to　have　it　happen　in　sort　of　bunches；　like　in　twelfth　and　thirteen　month　last　Turn。〃
　　He　paused。　〃Then　I　got　confirmation　that　sort　of　thing　had　happened　elsewhere；　too。　Same　time。　Only　now…〃　and　he　paused　again；　〃same　thing's　happening　and　all　down　Keroon　way。　Three　times　in　the　past　two　sevendays；　man　twice　and　woman　t'other；　stopped　Runners　to　take　on　messages。　Chesmic　may　be　old；　but　he　doesn't　forget　a　face。　Seen　one　too　often；　in　different　clothes；　garbling　words；　too；　saying　he　was　picking　up　for　Apprentice…this　or　Holder…that。　Sent　some　off；　too。　Recently。　We're　still　tracing　where　they　were　collected。　We；〃　and　putting　his　thumb　to　his　chest　indicated　he　was　referring　to　all　other　Stationmasters；　〃think　it's　how　those　Abominator　fellows　are　passing　messages。　Make　sure　that　Pinch　fellow　knows；　too