No one had ever observed fire-lizards telekinetically moving something, unless the speed with which fire-lizards could gobble food from a plate could be considered a form of telekinesis.
Many other matters were being set in place, the most important of which was siting the Western Continent observatory. This so-called continent was two landmasses, a wide inlet almost completely separating them except for a straggle of boulders making a bridge at the northern end. Erragon had the plans Aivas had printed out for Cove Hold and, apart from a different telescope mount (he recommended the fork type), these would suffice: especially when those who had worked on Cove Hold volunteered their services to erect the new one. Lord Ranrel was as good as his promise and three ships were loaded with material and volunteers to sail, with Master Idarolan in nominal charge of the expedition, to the southernmost cape of the larger landmass. A pod of dolphins assigned by the dolphins' venerable leader, the Tillek herself, were to accompany the small fleet to a harbor she could recommend.
Green and blue dragons were to precede the ships, setting up a base camp.
The same general plans, with variations to the terrain, were to be implemented at Ice Lake and in Telgar. The most pressing need was training apprentices to serve the new facilities or to add to the Crafthalls that produced spyglasses that used to be called "far-seers," binoculars, and small telescopes.
Master Tagetarl's Print Hall was busy, first with printing the requirements of craftsmen and -women, lists of materials to be supplied-especially lists of people willing to be transported to such a distant location to help in building an observatory on the Western Continent.
That was a simpler task than the demand for printed instructions on how to build smaller non-metal telescopes: thick wherhide would suffice so long as the interior was painted black and sealed against dust. Manuals must be written by the Star Hall, charts and diagrams of what objects were known to be in unthreatening orbits, instructions on how to sight, recognize, and make proper notations on possible discoveries. The GlassCraftHalls could supply mirrors for reflective scopes from 100-mm to 400-mm. Larger ones, of course, required time to shape and build.
When Thread, inevitably, fell near Honshu, the healers made sure the two injured dragons were so deeply sedated that they were unaware-except at some very primal level-that the ancient enemy was being met. Zaranth was recovering well but Golanth's injuries still concerned every Weyrhealer and Beastmaster.
"There's considerably more available about every other animal on this planet," Wyzall said after a long afternoon's study with Beastmaster Ballora; his best animal healer, Persellan; and Tai, "than about the ones we're most dependent on." He pushed back from the table, rubbing his face to ease fatigue.
"That's because we have had bodies of every other animal to dissect for study," Ballora remarked. She was a big, athletic woman. She had started healer training with Master Oldive but found a real empathy and skill with animals so she had changed to the BeastCraftHall. Her manner was in general as reassuring to humans as it was to the animals she tended and bred. Now she sighed with deep regret. "But then the only anatomical studies ever available were those done on dead fire-lizard hatchlings that Ancient zoologists happened to find. And those most incomplete notes that Wind Blossom left that concerned unhatched watchwhers which, as we all know, were not ourdragons."
"Records state that there were unhatched dragon eggs…" Tai began tentatively.
Wyzall dismissed that. "There was a prejudice against such study," he continued. "Not that I disagree, since any eggs that didn't hatch failed because of some defect." He gave a sigh. "Live dragons can at least tell their riders where they hurt, if it isn't visible. Unlike us humans who do not seem to be sufficiently in tune with our bodies because we-" He broke off, clearing his throat and riffling the pages he had been reading.
"Because we die when we wear out," Ballora said with detachment. "Did you ever discover which is the oldest living fire-lizard, Wyzall?" she asked with a grin.
Wyzall tut-tutted and shook his head. "It's an impossibility. They may tell dragons what they 'remember' seeing but I think it's analogous to the Tillek's knowledge of delphinic history. The fire-lizards weren't there to see it happen but they have passed the tale of it down so that it"-and he waved to the fairs that were either sleeping or lazily flying on the light breeze-"becomes a personal memory."
"Not all the fire-lizards remember seeing the spaceships in the ship meadow," Tai reminded him.
"Ah," and Wyzall wiggled a finger at her, "but which do? Back to the present," he said then, growing solemn, "I do think that gentle massage with the unguent will help circulation to Golanth's damaged wing joint. At least it no longer causes him great pain."
"How could it with five jars of numbweed soaked in!" Tai asked, since she had undertaken a lot of that massage.
"Well, no harm in trying this unguent," Ballora said, taking it from her pouch and placing it on the table with the air of exhibiting an item of rare value. "Helps with joint-ail on runnerbeasts but it's worse to produce than numbweed."
"Nothing can be worse," said Persellan, who was usually in charge of collecting, boiling, and rendering the weed at Monaco Weyr.
"It's a big joint," Tai said, dubiously.
"Rub it in well and we must be sure to wash our hands thoroughly. We don't want to absorb too much of it through the skin of our hands."
She removed the stopper to the pot and had been about to sniff but set it down quickly.
"The smell won't kill you," Ballora said. So willing hands massaged the substance into the dragon's wing joint.
There were other worries about Golanth that must soon be addressed. A dragon injured in a Fall usually went between-first to shake off Thread in the cold and second to emerge in his or her Weyr. Every Weyr, including Monaco, had an infirmary, which could accommodate a wounded, or sick, dragon. Honshu had only the broad terrace on which the queens had tenderly deposited the desperately wounded bronze after the attack. But Golanth could not be moved through betweenuntil his injuries were healed.
Another five days stuck in Honshu, with so many people around, was Tai's limit. She had to get away by herself, away from all the pressures there. She spent as much time with F'lessan as she could-when not dismissed by healers-because he really did seem less restless when she was nearby.
She could tell when he was speaking with Golanth, which was often, and also when his wounds were being dressed and he needed distraction from the pain, because his eyes went unfocused. Sometimes she worried that he was retreating too much into Golanth. Oddly enough, the healers could keep the dragon far more comfortable by use of numbweed than they could the rider.
There was, indeed, little she could do for F'lessan-which distressed her-and not all that much for Zaranth who, like most injured dragons, slept a lot. By the eighth day, she realized that the healing process was complete enough-no more grainy feel except to the deepest claw marks, though the new skin was very tender-and Zaranth could safely go between.Tai's leg wounds were red scars and peeling flesh. The sea would complete her healing, too.
We will go when they sleep,Zaranth informed her rider. They will not then miss us.
Sea will be good for you, too.Tai assuaged her conscience by saying, repeatedly.
Having made the decision, it was hard to get through the day. She worried about leaving F'lessan; Golanth wouldn't be aware. She felt as if she was deceitful and devious but she needed a respite. The sight of F'lessan crumpling in on himself when allowed to take a few steps from his bed had almost made her retch. He'd had to lean heavily on the crutch, for his left leg could still handle no weight and the abdominal wound kept him from straightening. Hair was beginning to grow over the head wound, but he was a far cry from the dashing, blithe, youthful Benden Wingleader.