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amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第45部分

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 〃should have happened to you before; Tai。〃 He couldn't help making fists and driving them into the rumpled furs of the bed。 〃I'm appalled and concerned that you were so abused。 That's not the way dragonriders should behave even when the dragon's in control。 I'm。。。〃
  〃Sssh;〃 she said; reaching up to lay her palm against his cheek; her face calm; the hint of a smile on her kiss…roughened lips。
  He wished he could see her eyes but there was so little light filtering through from the hall。
  〃I'm glad it was you I could choose;〃 she said。
  〃I…〃 He started to protest; stunned that; despite his best efforts; she had somehow sensed his wile。
  〃I know me well enough; F'lessan;〃 she said; putting both hands on his face now。 〃I am so very grateful to you。〃
  〃Gratitude in a snake's arse;〃 he said; incensed。 He wrapped his arms around her; wanting very much to take her again; and with human lust。 〃It's not bloody gratitude I want from you; my dear Tai!〃 He loosened his hold when he felt her resist with a hint of the panic she had shown on the terrace。 He made his body relax beside hers; looked down into her eyes; wishing he could see the expression in them; the color they were right now。 〃I liked you when we first met。 In the Archives。 I know you knew who I was; that Mirrim had probably prejudiced you against me。 Had probably said I was reckless。 I'm not。 I'm a good Wingleader。 Riders trust me。 So do their dragons。 I want you to choose me; of your own free will; Tai。 I'd like to choose you; too; as a person I want to know better; not just because your green went into heat and Golanth was the only dragon available。〃
  She looked up at him for a long time and then; tentatively; curled one hand around his bare shoulder。
  〃How did you manage it?〃 Her voice was low; even。
  〃How did I manage…?〃 His voice broke in surprise。 She meant Zaranth challenging Golanth。 〃Believe me; it is not something even I could manage!〃 A laugh burst from him。 〃Your dragon wanting mine!〃
  And then he wondered。 Dragons could be very cunning。
  〃Wasn't there one dragon in Monaco Zaranth liked?〃 he asked quickly。 〃Didn't Mirrim tell you to decide which rider you preferred and latch on to him?〃
  Her eyes slid from his and she swallowed hard。 〃Don't go after Mirrim; F'lessan。 She said… something like that。 But I didn't… didn't prefer any of them。〃
  〃He didn't have to be Monacan; you know。〃
  〃You're angry with me again。〃 Her body was stiff beneath him。
  〃With you? Again? When have I been angry with you; Tai?〃
  〃When you got back from Fort。〃
  He blinked。
  〃When you found me swimming after…after…〃
  〃When you were injured;〃 and he stressed that word; 〃trying to stop those sharding vandals。〃 He got angry just thinking about that attack。
  〃You're angry with me again。〃
  〃No; I'm…〃 He closed his lips on 〃not〃 and saw that; unaccountably; she was smiling a little; that her body had relaxed; that both her hands were lying loosely on his back。 He took a deep breath and made taut muscles loosen。 〃I'm not angry with you; my dear Tai; I'm angry for you。〃
  〃I'll have to get accustomed to the difference。〃
  〃Will you; my very dear green?〃 he asked very gently。
  〃Will I what?〃
  〃Want to get accustomed to the difference? To me?〃 He searched her face; rubbing his thumbs gently from her temples to her cheeks。 〃I do so very much want to know you better。〃 He kissed her lightly at the corner of her mouth; felt her lips twitch under his。 Then; carefully; he moved to one side of her long body and pulled her against him; pressing her head against his chest。
  〃They're lying just like this; you know;〃 she murmured。
  He smoothed her hair back and settled his cheek against it。 〃Hmm。 I know。 On the ledge。 But they're almost asleep。〃
  〃Aren't we?〃
  〃We。〃 He liked the sound of that and especially the idea of sleep。 Of sleeping with her in his arms。
  I told you I would hunt well; he thought he heard his dragon say。 Had Golanth been planning a very subtle courtship after all? Just as his rider had?
  
HARPER HALL…1。28。31
  〃You wanted to see me?〃
  Sebell gave a start。 Pinch closed the door that he had opened so quietly that his Masterharper had not even heard it。 He grinned。
  〃Losing the old skills; are you; Sebell?〃
  〃So long as you don't;〃 Sebell said and flipped a piece of paper across the table; nodding for Pinch to read it。 〃From Crom's harper。〃
  〃Serubil? Sensible man。 Knows endless verses to that dreadful 'Down the Shafts。' 〃 Pinch gave a revolted shudder as he stepped forward to take the note。 His eyes brightened as he scanned it。 〃So if the body was never found; even if the trackers were delayed looking; Serubil says the man must have escaped。 Possibly taken the river down to the plains。〃
  〃Read on。 There's bad news; too。〃
  〃Oh。 The prisoner did have a missing finger joint。 No facial scar though。〃 Pinch sighed。 〃Well; he could have got the scar on one of those early forays the Abominators made。 Or even during or after his escape; you know;〃 and Pinch eased his butt to the edge of Sebell's desk; not quite disturbing the piles of papers as he continued to read。 〃Didn't we send every harper a copy of the sketch I made?〃
  〃Thought we had。〃
  〃Ah!〃 Pinch's somewhat sleepy expression brightened as he read further。 〃The prisoner…did the man have no name at all?…was sentenced for life to the Crom mines with several others for attacking Aivas。〃
  〃While I was waiting for you to arrive;〃 and Sebell adroitly teased Pinch though; indeed; Master Mekelroy must have hurried to the Masterharper's door before pausing to slip inside in a stealthy fashion。 That was often how Pinch entered this office; in stealth and at night or other inconvenient hours。 〃I had time to review Master Robinton's report of that incident。〃
  Sebell stroked the blue leather cover of the journal and opened it with gentle fingers to the place where he had left a slip of paper。 〃Aivas thwarted the attack with what he called a 'sonic barrage'…a noise so fierce and penetrating that it rendered the intruders unconscious。 Aivas said that some aural damage might be permanent。 When we expressed amazement that he would retaliate; he remarked that; and I quote him; 'These units are programmed with industrially and politically valuable information。 Unauthorized access and/or destructive actions must; therefore; be actively discouraged; and this has always been a minor function of an Aivas facility。' 〃
  Sebell looked up from the open pages to regard Pinch。
  〃Well; yes。〃 Pinch scratched the back of his head。 〃 'Some aural damage might be permanent。' According to Serubil…〃 and Pinch rattled the message in his hand; 〃…this prisoner was deaf。 Maybe he recovered his hearing? Convenient and useful to pretend not to hear if someone wanted to escape。〃
  〃Yes; in the next paragraph; Serubil says this wasn't the man's first attempt。 However…〃 Sebell held up a finger; 〃neither this one or the others ever gave their names。〃
  〃If they were deaf; how would they hear even that question?〃 Pinch asked。
  Sebell grimaced。 〃Usually there are ways to get across as simple a question as that。 Me;〃 and he punched his chest with his thumb; 〃Sebell。 You?〃 He widened his eyes; assumed an interrogatory expression; and pointed at Pinch。
  〃Having failed to crash or crush Aivas; the last thing I would want to tell was my name。〃
  〃Good point; but…〃 And Sebell looked down the closely written; beautifully inscribed handwriting to the paragraph he wanted; planting his finger on the margin。 〃…while the men carried no identification whatever in their clothes; one of them had been a glassblower; judging by the pipe calluses on his hands and burn scars on his arms。〃 He regarded Pinch with an anticipatory expression。
  〃And Master Norist was one of the most outspoken adversaries of Aivas and his new techniques。 He was also exiled for his part in the abduction of our Master Robinton。〃 Pinch's face went as bleak as Sebell's at that reminder of the man both had respected; admired; and loved。
  〃Three of Master Norist's sons were journeymen in the Glasscrafthall。 All were very much under their father's control。〃
  Pinch considered this。 〃Mind you; after thirteen Turns in a mine; pipe calluses might not last but burn scars made by hot glass do not fade。〃 He cocked his head at his Craftmaster。 〃So I should take a sketch of our good friend up to Serubil and maybe question some of the prison guards about those burn scars。 Someone must have noticed them in thirteen Turns。〃
  〃And if he regained his hearing。〃
  Pinch gave a snort。 〃He'd have to be able to talk if he's been plotting raids and selective booty。〃
  〃Find out; too; will you; Pinch; in your delightfully subtle way; how long it was before they went after the escaped prisoner? I'd heard tell the Smithcraft gave them twenty marks for that meteorite。〃
  Pinch gave an appreciative whistle。 〃No wonder the latest ones have made such a stir。〃
  Sebell shifted uneasily; his mouth pursed with annoyance。
  〃No matter how much they're worth; they're causing more trouble than they could possibly be worth to the Smithcraft。〃
  〃Oh?〃
  Sebell gave him a sharp look。 〃The one on the Keroon plains has the hillmen certain they'll have a fireball next and aren't the dragonriders going to blast it out of the sky before it falls on them and burns up all the fodder。〃
  〃I thought the one in Paradise River Hold only fell through a roof?〃
  〃It harmed nothing and Jayge got fifteen Smith marks for it。 He also said;〃 and the expression on Sebell's face suggested to Pinch that the Masterharper wished that Jayge had not been so garrulous; 〃that the dolphins had seen several 'hissy hot' objects sink into the sea and they'd be happy to dive for them。〃
  Pinch gave an indifferent shrug。 〃From what I remember; meteorites are more often apt to e down at sea than on land since we have so much more water on Pern。〃
  〃That's not the problem。 Even people who should know better are demanding that the Weyrs send out more sweep…riders to prevent more objects falling out of the sky。〃
  Pinch gave a bark of laughter。 〃Dragons can move fast but not as fast as a meteorite。 And meteorites are so hot when they hit the atmosphere that however hot dragon flame is; it couldn't stop a meteorite…even if a dragon could match its speed。〃
  〃I know; I know。〃 Sebell sighed gustily。
  〃Now…〃 Pinch rattled Serubil's message。 〃Why don't I do something useful; like go to Crom Minehold?〃
  〃I've asked N'ton to have you conveyed。 You've about time to get your sketch of that Abominator and change into riding gear。〃
  〃Good。 Bista loves going a…dragonback。〃 Pinch neatly folded Serubil's message and put it in a thigh pocket。 〃I shan't be long。〃
  〃I hope not。〃
  He was back by late evening。 This time he knocked discreetly at Sebell's office door and entered; carrying a tray with a klah pot; cups; and a plate of sweet biscuits。
  〃1 do not e empty…handed;〃 he said and strode to set the tray down on Sebell's desk。 He gave the piles of papers a quick appraisal: Sebell seemed to have made little headway with the stacks。 〃Did you do nothing today about all those petitions?〃
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