«Hooooo!» Leri rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation. «So, what medication does Capiam recommend? Surely he must have some idea if he's been flipping across the continent?»
«He recommends that we treat the symptoms empirically until he finds out just what it is and what the specific medicine is.»
«And what is it we treat empirically?»
«Headache, fever, and a dry cough.»
«They don't kill.»
«Until now.»
«I don't like this at all,» Leri said, pulling her shawl across her shoulders and hunching into its warmth. «Though mind, we'd a harper here-though L'mal shooed him off for he was doleful, who used to say 'there's nothing new under the sun.' A slim hope in these circumstances, but I don't think we can ignore any avenues of exploration. You just bring me up more Records. Say the ones starting the last Pass. Fortunately I hadn't planned on going anywhere this morning.»
As Leri only left her weyr to fly with the queens' wing, Moreta offered her a smile for her attempt to lighten the bad tidings.
«Sh'gall's left it to you to tell the Weyr?»
«Those who are awake. And Nesso …»
Leri snorted. «That's the right one to start with. Be sure she gets the facts right or we'll have hysteria as well as hangovers by noontime. And since you're up, would you fix my wine for me, please, Moreta?» Leri shifted uneasily. «The change in the weather does get to my joints.» She saw Moreta's reluctance. «Look, if you fix it, then you'll know I haven't exceeded the proper amount of fellis juice.» Eyes sparkling with challenge, she cocked her head at the younger Weyrwoman. Moreta did not like Leri to use much fellis juice and contended that if Leri went south where the warmer weather would ease her condition, she wouldn't need fellis juice at all.
But Moreta did not hesitate. The clammy cold made her feel stiff so it would certainly be making Leri miserable.
«Now, tell me, did you enjoy the Gather?» Leri asked as Moreta measured the fellis juice into her tall goblet.
«Yes, I did. And I got down on the race flats and watched most of the races from a very good vantage point with Lord Alessan.»
«What? You monopolized Alessan when his mother and the mother of every eligible girl able to creep or crawl to that Gather …»
Moreta grinned. «He did his duty with the girls on the dance square. And we,» she added, smiling more broadly than ever, «managed to stay upright in a toss dance!»
Leri grinned back at Moreta. «Alessan could be quite a temptation. I assume he's got over the death of that wild one he married. Sad, that! Now, his grandfather, Leef's sire … Ah, no, you'll have heard all that.» Moreta had not, but Leri's comment meant she was unlikely to. «I always chat Alessan up while the ground crews are reporting. Always has a flask of Benden white with him.»
«He does, does he?»
Leri laughed at Moreta's alert tone.
«Don't tell me he tried it on you, too, at his own Gather?» Leri chortled and then assumed a masculine pitch to her voice, «I just happen to have one skin of Benden white …'» And she laughed all the more as Moreta reacted to the mimicry. «He's got a full cave of 'em, I'd say. However, I'm glad Leef gave him the succession. He's got more guts than that elder brother of his, never could remember the man's name. Never mind. Alessan's worth three of him. Did you know that Alessan was Searched?»
«And that Lord Leef refused.» Moreta frowned. Alessan would have made a superb bronze rider.
«Well, if the lad was to succeed, Leef was entitled to refuse. That was twelve Turns ago. Before you arrived from Ista. Alessan would have Impressed a bronze, I'm sure.» Moreta nodded, bringing Leri her fellis juice and wine. «Your health!» she said ironically, raising the cup to Moreta before she took a careful sip. «Hmmm. Do get some rest today, Moreta,» she said more briskly. «Two hours' sleep is not enough when there's Fall tomorrow and who knows how many dragonriders will do stupid things thanks to two Gathers, let alone Capiam's unidentified disease.»
«I'll get some rest once I've organized a few matters.»
«I sometimes wonder if we did right, L'mal and I, monopolizing your healing arts for the Weyr.»
«Yes!» Moreta's quick reply was echoed by Holth and Orlith.
«Well, ask a silly question!» Leri was reassured, and she patted Holth's cheek.
«Quite. Now, what Records should I send you?»
«The oldest ones you can find that are still legible.» Moreta scooped up the pillow Leri had loaned her and threw it back to the old Weyrwoman, who caught it deftly.
«And eat something!» Leri shouted as Moreta turned and left the weyr.
Wisps of fog were infiltrating the valleys, oozing toward the western rim of the Bowl, and the watchrider was standing within the forearms of his dragon, finding what protection he could from the elements. Moreta shuddered. She didn't like the northern fogs even after ten Turns, but she hadn't liked the humidity of the southern latitude at Ista any better. And it was far too late to return to the comfortable climate of the highlands of Keroon. Was the disease in the highlands, too? And Talpan diagnosing it! How strange that he had been in her mind yesterday. Would the epidemic bring them together again?
She gave herself a little shake and began the descent to the floor of the Bowl. First she would see K'lon, then find Berchar, even if it meant invading the privacy of S'gor's weyr.
K'lon was asleep when she reached the infirmary and there was not so much as a bead of fever perspiration on his brow or upper lip. His fair skin was a healthy color, wind-darkened where the eyepieces left the cheek bare. Berchar had attended K'lon during the initial days of his fever so Moreta saw no point in rousing the blue rider again.
Folk were moving about the Bowl by then, swirling fog about them as they began the preparations for the next day's Threadfall. The shouts and laughter of the weyrlings filling firestone sacks was muted by the mist. Moreta thought to check with Weyrlingmaster F'neldril to find out how many of the weyrlings had drawn convey duty the day before. A rare animal in Ista might well have attracted some of them despite their strict orders to convey and return directly.
«Put some energy into the task, lads. Here's the Weyrwoman to see the sacks are properly filled for tomorrow's Fall.»
Many Fort dragonriders insisted that F'neldril was the one rider all Fort dragons obeyed, a holdover from weyrling days under his tutelage. He did have an uncanny instinct, Moreta thought, if he could see her through the rolling fog. He appeared right beside her, a craggy-faced man with a deep Thread scar from forehead to ear, and the lobe missing, but she had always liked him and he was one other first friends at Fort Weyr.
«You're well, Weyrwoman? And Orlith thrives? She's near clutching now, isn't she?»
«More weyrlings for you to tyrannize, F'neldril?»
«Me?» He pointed his long curved thumb at his chest in mock dismay. «Me? Tyrannize?»
But the old established exchange did not lift her spirits. «There's trouble, F'neldril …»
«Which one?» he demanded.
«No, not your weyrlings. There's a disease of epidemic proportion spreading over the southeast and coming west. I'll want to know how many of the weyrlings were on convey duty yesterday and where they took their passengers, and how long they stayed on the ground at Ista. The entire Weyr will be answering the same questions. If we are to prevent the epidemic's spreading here, we'll need to know.»
«I'll find out exactly. Never fear on that count, Moreta!»
«I don't, but we must avoid panic even though the situation is very serious. And Leri would like to have some of the oldest Records, the still legible ones, brought to her weyr.»
«What's the Masterhealer doing then with his time, and all those apprentices of his, that we have to do his job for him?»