"What?Live in this cold all the time?I think not, Rob, though it's kind of you to offer me the post and the honours."
"The Harper Hall will get the reputation that girls, and women, are not wanted here," he said, continuing his argument.
She only smiled."If my daughter is at all musically inclined, I'll send her to you, I promise."
"Even if she isn't?" Robinton asked, pleading.
"You!" and Halanna left him with that ambiguous remark.
In the middle of a blizzard Silvina was delivered of a fine big boy in due course, and Robinton was besotted with the infant at first sight of him.If Silvina seemed unusually subdued, he at first put it down to the rigours of the final month of pregnancy and the delivery.Then he began to realize that this infant was unusually quiet, sleeping and eating fitfully, and only occasionally wailing in a thin, petulant way.
All right, Silvina, what's wrong with him?" Robinton asked, as the baby briefly waved his fat arms and then sank into unwinking silence.
She gave a long, sad sigh."The cord was around his neck when he was born.Ginia said he didn't get enough air to breathe normally."
Robinton stared at her, disbelief foremost even as he admitted to himself the hideous fact that this child of his was obviously not normal.
"And?" he asked quietly, slowly sinking to the nearest chair, seeing once again his pleasant dreams turning to ashes.
"He will be…slow," she said."I've seen the same sort of thing before.There've been two cot babes the same way.But they are sweet.And docile."
"Sweet?And docile?"
Robinton tried hard to absorb what that would mean in terms of his child.He buried his head in his hands and tried not to think of what could have been.How ironical!That his first, and only, child would be sweet and docile instead of the curious, interested, clever, tall, fine straight child he had yearned for!
"Oh, Robie, you cannot know how sorry I am." Silvina's fingers twined in his hair."Please, don't hate me.I so wanted to give you a…fine child."
"How can I hate you, Vina?" He glanced sideways at the baby.
"Or him.I'll care for you both…"
"I know you will, Rob."
There was little more he could say, just then.Over the months of Camo's first Turn, he kept looking for signs that his condition might have been exaggerated and the bright intelligence which should have been his legacy might somehow blossom.He was even somewhat encouraged when Camo first smiled at him.
"He knows your voice, Rob," Silvina said sadly."He knows you bring him something good to eat…" She ignored the little drum which Robinton had made with his own hands to amuse his son.
The child had regarded it with the vacant eyes he turned on anything that was offered him.
"He has a very sweet smile," Robinton remarked, and then he had to leave the room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A very weary Nip appeared late one night in the second month of the new Turn.
"He's at it again," he said, dropping a tattered hide coat to the floor and pouring himself a drink, swallowing it before he spoke.
"I can get you soup," Robinton suggested when he saw how blue Nip was about the lips.He rose from his comfortable chair.Nip shook his head, poured himself a second glass and came over to the fire."What's he at?"
"His tricks," Nip said, sinking gratefully into the chair Robinton had vacated."How he plans his invasion of holds, large and small."
"Really?" Robinton poured wine for himself and, hooking his foot around a stool, slid it to the hearth and made himself comfortable to listen."Do tell."
"Oh, you'll get chapter and verse from me."
"If you don't fall asleep first."
"I won't.My subject matter will keep me wide awake," Nip said bitterly.He downed the second glass of wine."Pity to waste it like that, Rob, I know, when it's good Benden, but it goes to a good purpose."
I'm listening," Robinton said patiently, and filled Nip's glass a third time.The harper sipped this one slowly.
"He visits his intended victim, all smiles and reassurances, compliments the man on his fine holding.Buys whatever the hold produces, pays over the mark for what he calls the best quality.He asks how such yields are achieved on such poor, good, medium, excellent soil…under such trying, hot, cold, dry conditions…In short…"
"He makes himself a friend of the hold," Robinton said, nodding ruefully.
"Then he sends down a man to learn from the holder.Or he starts buying the produce, at higher prices, and brings others to see how well this holder is doing with his land.I mean, how can they be taken in so easily?"
"Some of those upland holds are isolated.Often they don't get to but one Gather a Turn."
"True," Nip sighed."Now, he's very canny about how he insults the Harper Hall, especially if the hold in question has a harper, or is on a well-travelled route.He's careful with his slanders," and Nip pantomimed a dagger being inserted gently in and then slowly twisted."He gives examples of harper lies and exaggerations.So he plants the seeds of doubt.Then he invites the man and his family to come to his next Gather, and sometimes, if the gullible fool believes him, he offers to send men to tend the herd-beasts or the fields, or whatever, while the holder and his family are away."
"So that his men become familiar with the place."
"Exactly." And Nip took a sip."One man and his family never did get back from that Gather and so Fax has acquired Keogh Hold recently."
"That makes…"
"Four."
"I see.Let me take those boots off for you, Nip.They look soaked." Actually, Robinton had caught sight of the way Nip was shivering despite the wine and the heat.
"You're the only man I'd allow such a privilege," the irrepressible Nip replied as he lifted his left leg and then placed his right boot on Robinton's butt."I know many people who'd love to have the MasterHarper of Pern on the end of their boot!" he added, chuckling, and gave Rob a hefty push, all to help remove his boot, of course.
In spite of Nip's pessimistic report, Fax was quiescent again, seemingly content to ride his extended borders, encouraging, as Nip put it drolly, his dependants to increase their production.
Robinton could not spend all his time worrying about where Fax would go next.He had the Hall to run, with all its problems and scheduling, especially when the bias against harpers was increasing.
However, when he heard that Nemorth had actually risen in a good mating flight with Simanith, Robinton sent congratulations and had a special visit from F'lon who looked excessively pleased with himself.
"How did you manage?" Robinton asked, pouring two glasses from the Benden wine-skin F'lon had brought to celebrate.
"First we starved the pair of them.I never thought a queen dragon could be so difficult.All the bronzes were needed to snatch anything she killed.She'd sneak out the Weyr at night to get something to eat."
"Who?Jora or NemorthT
F'lon blinked and then howled with laughter."Actually, I meant Nemorth but I think Jora probably had edibles secreted about the place because we never did manage to get her down to a decent size.But Nemorth was our prime worry.Like rider like dragon can be all too true.But we succeeded in keeping her from doing more than blood the next time she turned bright gold.My, she was a nasty one in flight," and F'lon shook his head from side to side, with an odd grin on his face."Simanith proved his worth.Caught her high and did her well." Then he exhaled noisily.
Robinton was hard pressed not to laugh out loud, wondering how F'lon had managed his unwieldy mate on that occasion but there were certain matters one did not discuss, even with such a good friend as F'lon.