“Of course you will,” Salda said warmly, “and we will stockpile as much paper as we can beforehand. Old rags are always welcome.” Then her expression sobered. “But I don’t think any of us can know what will or will not survive. Tarvi Andiyar’s survey when he took Hold indicated that most of the slopes were denuded. Ten years before Threadfall ceased, he had seedlings in every corner of the Hold, ready to plant out. We were just lucky that natural succession also occurred in the three decades after the end of First Pass.”
“That is yet another item we must record for future generations,” Clisser said.
“The ultimate how-to,” put in Mari of High Reaches.
“I beg pardon?”
“What to do when Threadfall has Passed is even more important than what to do while it’s happening,” she said, as if that should be obvious.
“We’ve got to first survive fifty years…” Salda began.
“Let’s get back to the subject,” said Paulin, rising to his feet.
“The Chair concurs that we ought to have some permanent, indestructible, unambiguous, simple way to anticipate the rogue planet’s return. Has anyone any ideas?”
“We can engrave metal plates and put them in every Weyr, Hold and Hall where they’re too obvious to be ignored,” Kalvi suggested. “And inscribe the sextant settings that indicate the Pass.”
“So long as there’s a sextant, and someone to use it accurately,” Lord Bastom said, “that’s fine. But what happens when the last of them is broken?”
“They’re not that complicated to make,” Kalvi replied.
“What if there’s no-one trained in its use,” Salda put in.
“My fleet captains use sextants daily,” Bastom said. “The instruments are invaluable on the sea.”
“Mathematics is a base course for all students,” Clisser added, “not just fishermen.”
“You have to know the method to get the answers you need,” said Corey, the Head Medic, speaking for the first time.
And know when to use it., Her profession was struggling to maintain a high standard as more and more equipment became unusable, and unusual procedures became erudite.
“There has to be some way to pass on that vital information to future generations,” said Paulin, looking first at Clisser and then scanning the faces at the table. “Let’s have a hard think. “
“Etching on metal’s one way… and prominently placing tablets in every Weyr and Hold so they can’t be stored away and forgotten.”
“A sort of Rosetta Stone?” Clisser’s tone was more statement than query.
“What’s that?” Bridgely asked. Clisser had a habit, which annoyed some folk, of dropping odd references into conversations: references with which only he was familiar. It would lead to long lectures from him if anyone gave him the chance.
“On Earth, in the late eighteenth century, a stone with three ancient languages was discovered which gave the clue to translating those languages. We shall, of course, keep our language pure.”
“We’re back to etching again,” said Corey, grinning.
“If it’s the only way…” Clisser began and then frowned. “No, there has to be some fail-safe method. I’ll investigate options. “
“All right then, Clisser, but don’t put the project aside,” Paulin said. “I’d rather we had a hundred sirens, bells and whistles going off than no warning at all.” Clisser grinned slowly. “The bells and whistles are easy enough. It’s the siren that will take time. “
“All right then,” and Paulin looked around the table.
Toe-tapping dance music was all too audible and the younger holders and weyrfolk were plainly restless. “No more new business?” He didn’t wait for an answer but used the gavel to end the meeting.
“That’s all for now. Enjoy yourselves, folks.” The speed with which the Hall emptied suggested that that was what all intended to do.
Gather at Fort
“Cliss, what on earth possessed you?” Sheledon demanded, glowering. He was head of the Arts faculty at the College and constantly jealous of what free time he had in which to compose.
“Well,” and Clisser looked away from Sheledon’s direct and accusing glare, “we do have more records and are more familiar with the techniques of accessing them than anyone else. Information and training are what this College was established to provide.”
“Our main function,” and Danja took up the complaint she wanted spare time in which to work with her string quartet, “is to teach youngsters who would rather ride dragons or acquire many klicks of Pernese real estate to use the wits they were born with. And to brainwash enough youngsters to go out and teach whatever they know to our ever widely-spreading population.”
Dance music swirled about them, but Sheledon and Danja were so incensed that they seemed oblivious to the rhythms that were causing the other three at their table to keep time with foot or hand. Danja shot Lozell a peevish look and he stopped rattling fingers callused from harp strings.
“I don’t think it’ll be that hard to find some way to indicate a celestial return,” he said in an attempt to appease the wrath of Sheledon and Danja.
“It isn’t the ‘hard’ that bothers me,” Danja said acidly, “ but when will we have the time?” She stabbed her finger at the as-yet-unfinished extension to the teaching facility.
“Particularly since there is a time limit,” and she shot another dirty look at Clisser. “Winter Solstice.”
“Oh,” and Lozell grimaced. “Good point.”
“We’re all working every hour we can spare from classes on what’s urgent right now,” Danja went on, gesturing dramatically and pacing up and down the length of their table.
While Sheledon closed in on himself when threatened, Danja exploded into action. Now her nervous movements knocked the chair on which she had placed her violin and she reacted, as quickly, to keep the valuable instrument from falling to the cobbles. She gave Lozell a second nasty look, as if he had been responsible.
Sheledon reached across and took violin and bow from her, putting them very carefully on the table which had been cleared of all but wine glasses. Absently he mopped a wine spill near the precious violin, one of the few usable relics from Landing days. He gave it a loving pat while Danja continued.
“Like today,” she said, resuming her pacing, “we taught in the morning, managed to eat something before we spent an afternoon painting so that there will be some finished rooms for the summer term. We had five minutes to change and even then we missed the fly-past which I, for one,” and she paused to jab her thumb into her sternum, “wanted to see.”
“We’ve played two sets,” she went on earnestly, “and will undoubtedly still be playing when the sun rises, and tomorrow will be a repeat of today except no Gather, so we get a good night’s rest to prepare us for more of the above, except maybe get a little work done on next term. Which starts in a week, and then we’ll have no time at all since we now have to prepare the teachers who’ll be graduated to carry The Word to the outer extremities of the continent.” She gestured eastward in a histrionic fashion, then flounced down on the chair the violin had occupied. “So how are we going to find time to do yet more research, Clisser?”
“We always do find the time,” Clisser said, his quiet rejoinder a subtle criticism of her rant.
“Use it as a history class project?” suggested Lozell brightly.
“There you have the answer,” said Bethany who had merely, as was her habit, watched the fireworks Danja was so good at sending up. “My juniors could use an independent project.”