![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalinara posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
i_read_whatSo, we've hit the final chapter. The plague is being dealt with, animals and people being vaccinated, but there's still concern about a potential resurgence. What can be done about that?
We rejoin Moreta as she's chatting with M'barak. For some reason, McCaffrey chooses now to describe him as a "slim, young weyrling", and while that's good to know, the dude has been around for a while. Anyway, he's apparently doing a lot of transport work, which he doesn't mind as it's good training.
He is pretty embarrassed by the way his dragon, Arith, has been acting rude to Oklina but he understands why: Arith is a "Search dragon".
Now THAT is interesting. And not something that I think we see in the Ninth Pass. Then, it seemed like all of the dragonriders, or at least the bronze riders, went out to find candidates, and if F'lar is any example, they chose based on their own personal taste. Now Pern was lucky that F'lar's taste includes "terrifying and powerful" but still.
The idea that a dragon might have a built in radar for such things, particularly a blue rider, who has no stake in the Weyr mating policies, is really interesting. And it's the kind of thing I was hoping to see more of in this book. It's unfortunate, to me, that Pern's society has stagnated so much that the Sixth Pass and the Ninth Pass are virtually the same in so many ways. In real life, even an isolated society changes a lot over time. I do like the elements of knowledge lost though. The Sixth Pass does have a few subtle touches that show their memory of their more sci-fi origins (see: the vaccine concept in general). I just wish we saw more of that.
Anyway, they're going out for a Search at Benden. Apparently they've been promised candidates (vaccinated! M'barak adds hastily).
When they arrive at Benden, the Weyrwoman Levalla greets her mischievously. Moreta is welcome, as long as she arrives without Orlith "to plague Tuzuth". I'm not sure if Tuzuth is her dragon or K'dren's (since she shoots him a sly glance), but I find the idea of inter-dragon rivalry amusing.
Moreta's not just here for the Search though, she's also here to recruit riders. K'dren is leery about asking riders to "time it", but Levalla's on board. They'll only ask those "who do it". (Apparently a brown rider has been recently disciplined for it.)
...seriously? I really do not like the easiness by which folk seem to discover time travel in this era. I realize I was just complaining that the "lost knowledge" and change in society didn't come up enough, but this isn't what I meant. This is a tremendously useful power and it makes no sense that it would have been so thoroughly forgotten by even the Eighth Pass (since IIRC, T'ton and Mardra weren't aware of it) or the Ninth.
And I don't like the way it takes away Lessa's triumph. If it were this easy to discover, then they all should have done it.
K'dren and Levalla banter about a fellow with the stupid name of M'gant, and seriously, does McCaffrey never try to actually pronounce these names??? Hell, if she genuinely can't think of any, she could just recycle names from the Ninth Pass! There are only so many syllables after all.
This is cute though:
“Then we’ll put him in charge of the Benden riders assisting the Healer Hall,” K’dren said with a snap of his fingers. “Just the sort of challenge to keep him out of mischief. He was annoyed, you know”—and he winked at Moreta—“that I recovered from the plague so quickly. He enjoyed Leading to Fall. He’ll make Weyrleader soon enough, won’t he, mate?” He cast such a ludicrously suspicious look at his beautiful Levalla that it was obvious he had no anxieties on that score.
Hee.
Everyone's doing well and looking forward to resuming their traditional regions during Threadfall. They discuss Telgar Weyr, where the Weyrleader will not be cooperative. But fortunately K'dren has advice as to who to contact to arrange things behind the Weyrleader's back.
Benden also has a few good candidates. Moreta asks if they've been searching more among crafts than holds, which apparently they have. They like having men who can occupy their spare time profitably for the Weyr.
...on one hand, I do like this. And while it's not stated, I KIND OF suspect we're looking at F'lar's ancestors in the same way that I assume Alessan is Lessa's.
On the other though, I'm not sure what I think about McCaffrey taking a lot of F'lar and Lessa's individual triumphs and making them commonplace in this earlier setting. I suppose it's common sense really, and I could appreciate the idea that maybe the Eighth Pass folk were a more conservative era than either their predecessors or successors, but...
I don't know. It just sits a bit oddly.
Moreta comments that they receive the tithe either way, but K'dren notes that once a Pass is over, the Lords might not be so generous. Indeed.
So there's more talk about recruitment and contacts at individual Weyrs. Apparently someone at Ista is having "kidney chill", but Moreta has an alternate contact: the father of one of Moreta's sons. (We're told the boy Impressed a brown recently. Nice!) I really do like that Moreta both gets to be an older protagonist (implicitly older than her love interest even!) and have a sexual history.
Her visit to Ista is more troublesome though. Apparently her ex is less cooperative:
As she argued with D’say on the necessity of once again cooperating with the Healer Hall, she wished that he had had the plague; then he would not be so slow to comply. D’say resisted her presentation in such a glum silence that she was becoming depressed when their son M’ray suddenly charged up the steps.
“I beg your pardon, D’say, but my Quoarth told me that Moreta is here.” The boy—in his height he was more manly than boyish—paused just long enough in the threshold to receive permission to enter. Then he rushed to Moreta, embracing her with a charming enthusiasm. He peered anxiously into her face with eyes the color of her own, set in a head with the same deep sockets and arching brows. Yet he was far more D’say’s child in build and coloring. “I knew you were ill. It’s very good to see you well.”
...M'ray? Really?!
Of course, in this case, it's not completely weird. Dragonrider children, as we've seen, tend to incorporate parts of both their parents' names. (I'm still not sure if it's just the first child, or every sibling, as the sibling sets we've met so far were half, not full.) But M'ray, presumably contains "Mor" for Moreta and "ay" for D'say." There may be more syllables in the middle depending on D'say's full name, but maybe not. Moray to M'ray makes sense, but is still pretty stupid sounding.
Anyway, M'ray wants to help. He thinks his wingleader, T'lonneg (JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, MCCAFFREY) will want to know too. He's hold-bred, and knows the rainforest holds. He also had the plague and will want to help. D'say might have been reluctant, but he's clearly proud of their son and seems to be more cooperative.
Meanwhile, Moreta has the realization that, through her children, her bloodline might well be sustained in Keroon. She hadn't thought about it before because as a queen rider, her children got fostered immediately, and she isn't terribly maternal toward them. (Though she's definitely proud of M'ray right now.)
D'say also has advice as to who to contact at Igen and Telgar, and Moreta notes that while he's slow to make up his mind, his loyalty never falters. I'm happy to see a trace of nuance again. There's not enough left of the book for McCaffrey to suddenly make him a puppy kicker, so he might well get to stay complicated and a little difficult.
There's a cute goodbye where both D'say and M'ray warn M'barak to be careful with her as they fly off. Aw.
The next visit is Igen, where she talks to the Weyrwoman, Delova. Delova is definitely on board with helping with the vaccines. She can't give them any candidates though. Igen had been hit hard by plague and there's a mating flight of their own coming up. (Apparently, the Weyrleader, L'bol, is very depressed and guilty because their riders had been the ones ferrying the plague cat around. Aw. I do feel for them. No one knew that this would happen.)
ANYWAY, there's a nice bit where Moreta takes Delova in her arms and lets her cry everything out. Then she gets back to business, albeit in a rambling way. But things go well.
Telgar is trickier. Apparently M'tani (...we've met him before, but fucking still), has now said that no strangers should be in the Weyr. The watchdragon's rider, C'ver, is an uncooperative dick who is contemptuous of Moreta leaving her queen alone. He sneers at her and they part angrily.
“The eggs harden. I call M’tani to honor his promise to S’peren to send us candidates for Impression. I have vaccine with me if it is needed for the weyrfolk I seek.”
“Then have a care, C’ver, when this Pass is over. Have a care!”
“We have all of that we need for those who deserve it.”
“If I were on Orlith, C’ver—”
“Even if you were on your queen, Moreta of Fort, you wouldn’t be welcome here! Take your Search into your own Holds. If there’re any holders left, of course!”
“If those are your sentiments, C’ver—”
“They are.”
C’ver laughed and his brown reared to his hind legs, trumpeting derisively. Arith trembled from muzzle to tail tip.
“Get out of here, M’barak.” Moreta spoke through clenched teeth. Telgar could burn in fever and she’d never answer them. They could be down to the last sack of firestone and she’d not send them a sliver. The Weyr could be full of Thread and she—“Take us to the High Reaches.”
And nuance has left the building, yet again. What a fucking cartoon character.
But you know, both K'dren and D'say had a recommendation of who to talk to at Telgar, and dragons teleport. Can't you guys just go between past the dick and go talk to that person? It seems a bit extreme to abandon the whole Weyr because two people are fucking assholes.
Happily, they get a much better reception at High Reaches. Tamianth, the queen that Moreta helped in earlier chapters, seems to be doing well. B'lerion's there too, and S'ligar's dragon is happy to see them.
B'lerion updates Moreta, he'd taken Desdra and Oklina back to Nerat and gotten all the needlethorn they could need. For some reason, he hasn't mentioned Moreta's search for Weyr candidates or vaccine volunteers to Falga or S'ligar, which seems weird because they'd been cooperative in the past.
Noticeably, there's a big water butt and a lot of buckets near Tamianth. That's B'lerion's idea. Basically, Falga's visitors are tasked to bring a bucket of water from the lake for Tamianth. So the dragon is finally getting what she needs. Moreta checks up on her, and Tamianth tells her that Holth says that Orlith is sleeping.
As it turns out, Falga knows about the Search already, though she wonders if it's not too early to assemble candidates. Moreta fills her in on the vaccine part, and Falga is enthusiastically cooperative, promising her that she can have anything in the Weyr except S'ligar. Aw. B'lerion is tasked with organizing things, and B'lerion pretends dramatically that this is his first time hearing any of this.
Okay, whatever, I'm going to chock it up to folks being mischievous.
Moreta fills them in on what happened at Telgar, and both B'lerion and Falga are aghast in a somewhat classist way ("a mere brown rider!"). Falga thinks M'tani's become completely "soured" and it's affecting the whole Weyr. She wonders if they'll have to "force a change there."
Ooo, Falga has more stones than I expected. I do like the nice theme that the GOOD Weyrleaders get their women involved with the leadership as well. I am still annoyed that in six passes, women haven't seized that right in their own right though.
Then there's this:
Of course, T’grel’s not the only rider who’s dissatisfied with M’tani’s leadership. I told you, didn’t I, Falga, that once those Telgar riders had had a taste of real leadership, there’d be trouble.” He smiled winningly at Moreta. “I actually do defer to Sh’gall’s abilities. He may be a dull stick in other matters—oh, no, you can’t fool your old friend B’lerion—but he is a bloody fine Leader! Don’t waggle your finger at me, Falga.”
...okay, look, I appreciate the ATTEMPT at nuance that comes with the idea that Sh'gall can be a dick and obnoxious but also a good Weyrleader. The problem is, McCaffrey has no real interest in SHOWING us Sh'gall as a good Weyrleader. All we get is his cowardice, whining, bitching, and verbal abuse of the ladies that we're already pre-disposed to like.
If Sh'gall is a leader inspirational enough to reach Telgar folk, then we should see that, at least a little. Otherwise, just make K'dren the inspirational leader instead.
I do like though that it's different Weyrs causing problems in different eras. Telgar's always been a fairly neutral-to-friendly Weyr in the Ninth Pass. R'mart never had an in person appearance, but he was noted as being generally cooperative even when the other Oldtimers weren't. High Reaches, on the other hand, belonged to T'kul of "I killed my dragon because of blue balls" fame.
Maybe some era, Ruatha and Benden will be problem places. I doubt that though.
Apparently Ruatha's doing well too. As mentioned, B'lerion was hanging out with Oklina, so he can reassure Moreta.
And speaking of Sh'gall, he's in fine form:
M’tani sent a green weyrling,” he cried, fuming, “hardly more than a babe, to give our watchrider the most insulting message I have ever received. He has repudiated any agreement made at the Butte, a meeting at which I was not present.” Sh’gall shook his fist first at Moreta and then in the vague direction of the Butte. “And at which arbitrary decisions were made, which I cannot condone, though I’ve been forced to comply with them! M’tani has repudiated any arrangement, agreement, accord, understanding, undertaking. He is not to be bothered—bothered, he says—not to be bothered by problems of any other Weyr. If we are so poor that we have to beg and Search from other Weyrs, then we do not deserve to have a clutch at all.” Sh’gall ended up swinging his arms about like a drum apprentice.
...I mean, Sh'gall's rage is understandable. Someone should shank that dick. But does Sh'gall get to show his purported leadership and go confront M'tani, suborn the younger men of Telgar, or find another solution?
Moreta had never seen him so furious. She listened to what he had to say but offered no response, hoping he would vent his rage and leave. Having repeated himself at length on his displeasure with her shameless venture for the Weyr that had resulted in such an insufferable message from M’tani, he ranted on through his usual grievances, about his illness, about the puny size of the clutch. Finally Moreta could bear no more.
“There is a queen egg, Sh’gall. There have to be enough candidates to give the little queen some choice. I applied to Telgar Weyr as I did to Benden, Igen, Ista, and the High Reaches. No one else thought my appearance or my request importunate. Now leave the Ground. You’ve upset Orlith sufficiently for one day.”
Of course not.
I do like seeing Moreta stand up for herself.
Orlith is also angry, which is surprising, and she starts detailing to Moreta all the damage she'd inflict on Hogarth (presumably M'tani's bronze) in retaliation. Holth chimes in that Orlith has some very good ideas. But per Leri, the rider of Raylinth understands what is necessary.
...I'm not sure who that is. Maybe that T'grel who everyone mentions? Either way. I do like seeing the sense of sorority between the two queens. And speaking of, junior Weyrwoman, Kamiana pops in to commiserate over Sh'gall's irritating personality, vent about M'tani, and report that folk will be flying for Capiam in the morning. She wishes that Moreta could persuade Leri not to go, but apparently Leri knows the hole-in-the-hill places better than anyone. K'lon and S'peren (...I'd bitch about that name but at least it's pronounceable), have already taken a few runs.
One thing I DO like about the timing bit is the various reactions of the leaders as to which of their junior members have stumbled onto the trick. I just wish there wasn't so much stumbling. When Lessa discovered it, it was fucking important.
Okay, that's enough ranting on a theme. You've heard it all before.
ANYWAY, we switch scenes to Ruatha. Everyone's pretty fucking tired, and Alessan's finally got a moment to relax with his "Loyal Crew". Dag's...student? Servant? Fergal is serving the wine. Some of them go off to see a mare about to foal, among them, Nerilka, a woman everyone finds vaguely familiar. (She is, of course, Tolocamp's daughter. But she does not seem to have been forthcoming with this fact. Not that I necessarily blame her. Her dad is a dick.)
Meanwhile, Tuero and Alessan are having their own bromance going on, and it sounds like Tuero is finally willing to settle down to a permanent Harper position. I'll share the banter because it is cute:
Tuero gave a little chuckle. “My good Lord Holder Alessan, there comes a time in a harper’s life when he decides that the variety and change of temporary assignments begin to pall and he wishes a comfortable living where his capabilities are appreciated, where he can be sure of witty conversations over the dinner table—to save his fingers from the harping—where his energies are not abused—”
“I wouldn’t post to Ruatha in that event,” Desdra remarked caustically, but she smiled.
“You weren’t asked,” Alessan replied, mischief in his eyes.
“It’s no joy to serve a cautious man.” Tuero flung an arm about Alessan’s shoulders. “There is one condition, however, which”—the harper held up a long forefinger, pausing before his stipulation—“must be met.”
“By the first Egg,” Alessan protested, “you’ve already got me to agree to a first-storey apartment on the inside, second tithe of our Crafthalls—”
“When you’ve got them staffed again—”
“Your choice of a runnerbeast, top marks as journeyman, and leave, if you wish, to take your mastery when the Pass is over. What more can you ask of an impoverished Lord Holder?”
“All I ask is what is fitting for a man of my accomplishments.” Tuero humbly put one hand on his heart.
“So what is this final condition?”
“That you supply me with Benden white.” He spoiled the gravity of his pronouncement by hiccuping and gestured urgently for Alessan to fill his cup.
...the banter here is cute, but I think we found Robinton's ancestor. HAHAHA. Isn't alcoholism hilarious???
Eventually, folks start to disperse, while Alessan falls asleep at his table. Rill/Nerilka is back (this isn't a spoiler, she was called Nerilka earlier in the scene, but now she's "Rill", which makes me think McCaffrey's editor was asleep on the job. Rill obviously IS Nerilka, but I'm not sure we're supposed to have noticed that), and the foal is a fine, strong male.
Tuero, who thus far has been unobjectionable, has decided to channel Robinton more by eyeing this woman like a cow at market:
Tuero blinked to be sure it was the wine that had enhanced the tall woman. She had good bones in her face, he decided after making an effort at concentration. With a bit of thought to her clothing, brighter colors, with hair longer than that unattractive crop, she’d be attractive. Unexpectedly her expression altered, and so did the illusion of beauty—once again she bore the resemblance that perplexed Tuero and Desdra.
Anyway, Rill gets Tuero to help her cart Alessan off to bed. (We're told that she's only half a head shorter than him, so it's not that hard a job.). And it becomes very very clear that she has quite a thing for him.
-
So the next morning, Nesso is reporting to Moreta. There's a Fall today, and that's going to mask the real activities. I'm genuinely not sure why this is such a big secret. Maybe they're trying to avoid hysteria by not telling people the plague could return? I suppose that's plausible, though looking back on it from the perspective of COVID-19, I bitterly laugh at the idea that anyone would actually let the idea of a resurgence spoil their fun.
Orlith is taking care of her legs. Leri's grumpy with joint pain. Moreta's stuck dealing with Sh'gall. We get a nice moment of maybe foreshadowing when Moreta worries about Holth's habit of flipping between so soon after takeoff. Moreta contemplates trying to talk Leri and Holth into settling in Ista, where they would be able to use her, and the climate would be kinder to an old dragon and rider.
Not everyone is fooled though. The herdsman, proving that you don't need an apostrophe to have a stupid name (Peterpar), is asking questions. He knows that Queens don't go on Search, but Moreta plays it off: Queens Search when a Weyrwoman has been treated as uncivilly as Telgar treated her. It's enough to shut the man down.
Moreta then visits with Jallora, the healer who replaced Belchar. She's vaccinating folks and she takes the time to give Moreta her second dose. (Dragonriders apparently get two, because they travel so much.) Jallora seems to have some idea about the queens' "errand". And eventually Holth updates Orlith: the "errand" is proceeding well.
Oh, hey, we're never too busy to take potshots at Sh'gall:
Moreta was very grateful that Kadith still slept. Inevitably Sh’gall would discover that Fort Weyr riders had taken part in Capiam’s vaccine distribution—preferably after he had recovered from the wine and when he had calmed down over M’tani’s insult. Moreta could have been mistaken, but she had a fleeting thought that Sh’gall was obscurely pleased by M’tani’s attitude toward her.
Of course. Of fucking course.
But, uh oh. Something is going wrong at Telgar. M'tani apparently found out what's going on, and somehow the senior queen, Dalgeth, is restraining everyone. Can queens DO that? Apparently. A much lower ranking queen is the one updating Orlith. The bronze dragons aren't going to be able to help.
This is a problem. Keroon and Telgar need the vaccine.
So incomes Levalla from Benden. She already knows about the problem. The other Weyrs are working to cover Telgar, but they don't have anyone to cover Keroon. Ah. Here we go. She asks if Moreta can fly out on one of the blues.
She won't have to, because Holth and Leri have arrived. It doesn't take long to fill Leri in, and she immediately volunteers to stay behind with Orlith. Moreta will once again ride Holth.
...though one might suggest that it'd be better to ride a fresh blue than an old queen who'd just been flying and might be tired. But well...
So they go to Keroon Beasthold. Moreta gets the vaccine and starts going to each subordinate Hold. Keroon River, High Plateau, et cetera. She's timing it hard, and it's exhausting.
...which of course raises obvious issue with time travel as its used in the Pern series: why doesn't Moreta zip off to the past or future and take a fucking nap?
Time travel, in Pern, is very exact. We've seen riders able to leave and come back within very close intervals. Even if she's off and comes back fifteen minutes or an hour later than she should, she could make up that time.
Honestly, with time travel being what it is, there isn't really any reason for any of this frantic dealing. They could have a handful of riders, set up an exact schedule, and time it in shifts. Resting as needed.
I will give McCaffrey credit in that she is good at making us feel Moreta's frantic exhaustion. And to be fair, she does ask Holth if she wants to take time to rest and Holth says she can continue.
But even so, I don't really buy it. I don't buy that people who know about time travel, have known about it for a long time apparently, wouldn't already have considered how to manipulate it for REST. It's been a well-established fact since the very beginning that, even if the extra strain in time travel didn't exist, a dragon and rider can get lost between. IIRC, one of the very first dragon riders suffers that fate. So this is a very real, very known risk. And time travel is a very known concept in this time period.
It could have worked for me if Moreta had only JUST learned about time travel. If she'd been in the dark until now. Because then, I could accept that she got overwhelmed and forgot how it worked. I still think the story would have worked fine without time travel at all. I mean, yes, the characters keep saying they need to time things and make sure it happens RIGHT THIS MOMENT. But viruses aren't instantaneous and dragons teleport. So I think she could have written it without that aspect. And then we have a reason for frantic urgency, and as we know, things can still go wrong.
But anyway, we've got an ending to get to. People don't write operas about happy stories.
Moreta and Holth drop off the last of the vaccine in a small western hold. The holder offers her hospitality, but no. Moreta waves him off, he's got to go vaccinate folks and this was their last stop.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't find a quiet corner and take a nap, Moreta...
But no. And I'm not going to judge that part. Moreta, and Holth, are clearly too exhausted to think clearly. Holth can't even check in on Orlith. She can't think that far.
Moreta looked at the midafternoon sun over Keroon plain and wondered with a terrible lethargy exactly what time it was.
“One last jump, that’s all we have to take, Holth.”
Wearily the old queen gathered herself to spring. Moreta gratefully began her litany.
“Black, blacker, blackest—”
They went between.
We shift scenes to Fort Weyr. K'lon is worried. He thinks Moreta should be back by now. Leri is calm and relaxed. She tells him to take a hint from Orlith, who is also unbothered. She doesn't want to break Moreta or Holth's concentration at the wrong moment. They'll be very tired. Leri, for her part, is planning how to rend M'tani of Telgar limb from limb.
K'lon had thought Sh'gall would handle it. No, K'lon, remember? Sh'gall isn't allowed to be anything but useless. Leri agrees. HER weyrmate, L'mal, wouldn't have been "discussing" the matter with K'dren or S'ligar. He'd have demanded satisfaction. NO Weyrleader is allowed to disregard a continental emergency. The queen, Dalgeth, will also answer. K'lon will see when Moreta comes back.
...
But then:
Afterward, K’lon realized that both the rider and the dragon knew in the same instant. But Orlith’s reaction was vocal and spectacular. Her scream, tearing at his taut nerves, brought him round to witness the initial throes of her bereavement. Orlith had been lying at the rear of the Ground, her eggs scattered on the sand before her. Now she neared up on her hind legs, her awkwardly coiled tail all that prevented her from crashing backward as she arched her head back, howling her despair. The sounds she emitted were ghastly ululations in weird dissonances, like throat-cut shrieks. Then, in an incredible feat, Orlith launched herself from that fully extended posture, over her eggs, missing them by a mere handspan. She sprawled, muzzle buried in the sand as all color faded from her golden hide. Then she began to writhe, thrashing her head and tail, oblivious to the fact that she had caught her right wing under her, flailing the air with the left.
Oof. Leri's not much better:
K’lon whirled. Leri lay against the cushions, gasping, her mouth working, her eyes protruding. One hand was pressed to her chest, the other clawed at her throat. K’lon leaped toward her.
Oh honey.
K'lon's Rogeth, in a curiously composite voice, explains. They were too tired. They went between...to nothing.
K'lon's managed to save Leri's life. And Orlith is still here. But only temporary. Only long enough for the eggs to hatch. Then they'll go together.
And I admit, for all my angry quibbling about time travel, this is very effective. And it's very sad. And a part of me is pretty fucking bitter that McCaffrey finally gave us a female lead that broke the young virgin ingenue mold only to fucking kill her off. Or, more likely, she knew that she was killing off Moreta already (since, again, there's an opera), so why not take a few more risks?
But we get a lovely group moment:
Her words would forever remain in his mind, K’lon knew, as indelible as the nest of the terrible scene. S’peren and F’neldril stood beside him, drooping in grief, their faces suddenly aged. Haura and Lidora clung to each other weeping, while Kamiana stood to one side, her figure taut. Beyond them, the arched entrances to the Hatching Ground framed the press of dragons, all gray in sorrow, and the silent cluster of weyrfolk bewildered by the grievous loss. Just then there was a stir and three riders slowly moved onto the Ground, Sh’gall escorted by S’ligar and K’dnen. Sh’gall continued forward alone; his body bowed with grief. He fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands, unseen by the inconsolable Orlith who writhed in the soul-rending agony of separation from her beloved rider, Moreta.
...and of course Sh'gall doesn't get any dignity here either.
--
So the last bit is Aftermath. It's the Hatching. Capiam's our viewpoint character and he notes that it's not exactly a joyous occasion. The masterharper, Tirone, announces that he'll be singing his new ballad, composed in celebration of Moreta.
This offends Capiam. A celebration! But, honestly, I think Moreta would have rather had a celebration than a dirge. (But Tirone is not Robinton and thus not beloved.)
Desdra, by the way, is newly named Masterhealer herself. Good. She's deserved it.
Leri and Orlith are gone. They left before dawn. The Weyrfolk watched, to see them go. K'lon, who is filling them in, is an utter mess. Poor kid.
Desdra gives a nice speech of comfort for K'lon, that works as a pretty good eulogy in general:
“Orlith could not have gone till the eggs were hard,” Desdra said. “Leri stayed with her. They had a purpose and now it is accomplished. Today must also be a glad day, for dragons will hatch. Surely that is a good day for going. A day that had begun in unmeasured grief will end in great joy. A new beginning for twenty-five—no, fifty—lives, for the young people who Impress today begin a new life!”
It helps.
Dragons don't weep, we're told, but they do get a gray tinge to their eyes and hides. K'lon's Rogeth is mourning too.
I wonder if we'll ever find out what happened with Telgar Weyr and their stray leadership.
So anyway, it's time for the Hatching. Major players are here. Lords and riders. K'dren, Levalla and M'gent (fuck you, McCaffrey, seriously) are here from Benden. Balfor the herdsman who'd managed Keroon's vaccine has apparently declined a promotion to Masterherdsman. Possibly due to guilt.
Oh, and then there's this bullshit:
Desdra’s hand tugged at his and he followed her gaze to see Alessan entering the Hatching Ground with Lady Nerilka. They were a striking pair, Alessan a half head taller than his consort, but, even at this distance, Capiam could see that Alessan was pale. He walked steadily, if slowly, his arm linked through Nerilka’s. Tuero was on his right side, Dag and little Fergal a respectful pace, for once, behind their Lords Holder. Capiam had been surprised by Alessan’s choice of wife, but Desdra said that Rill would support Alessan and he needed that.
Look, I get that there's a whole other story here that we're getting a glimpse of. "Nerilka's Story" is a book in its own right and is coming up, I think after Dragonsdawn. But this? Right here and right now? Is gross, McCaffrey.
You can't spend a book building up a tragic romance, have one of them die heroically, and have the other show up to what is, emotionally speaking if not literally, their FUNERAL with a DIFFERENT SPOUSE.
I KNOW that the story is going to be more complicated than that. That it'll start as a convenience and become more later on. And there's probably some legitimate reason why Alessan had to marry right now. But McCaffrey isn't sharing that with us, so this just looks gross.
It's a very bad narrative beat, and makes me think, yet again, that the only reason that Moreta was allowed to be casually sexual, non-monogamous, have children out of wedlock without being maternal and so on was because she was doomed. She could be a "bad girl" because her comeuppance was pre-determined.
Hey, just in case we forgot who we're supposed to hate:
Master Tirone arrived, with Lord Tolocamp and his ridiculous little wife. Capiam wasn’t certain if the emergence of Lord Tolocamp from his self-imposed isolation was a tribute to the occasion or would be a trial, but he had made the effort today. As Nerilka had noted to Capiam, the man had never known he had a daughter missing. When told that Nerilka had become Alessan’s wife, Tolocamp had remarked about Ruatha swallowing up his women, and that if Nerilka preferred Ruathan hospitality to his, that was the end of her in his eyes.
Tirone, I genuinely believe, is the narrative's whipping boy solely because he's not Robinton. (As opposed to Tuero, who is of course the much better, and alcoholic, Harper.)
Oh, hey, that other asshole Ratoshigan is here too. Nothing much to say about him. S'ligar and Falga (he's supporting her - we're told she still has a limp but she's able to fly every Fall). B'lerion's alone. Lots of non-riders wearing Keroon badges.
Like I said, this is as much a funeral for Moreta as it is a Hatching.
Oh, hey, Sh'gall!
Sh’gall escorted the candidates in their white robes, the four girls leading. Sh’gall fussily motioned for the boys to walk on while he deferentially led the girls to the queen egg. Capiam rapidly counted the boys: thirty-two. Not as much choice as usual but then . . .
"Fussily", because again, the man isn't allowed any dignity ever. Because McCaffrey has never met a nuance that she didn't want to hammer flat with a croquet mallet.
Anyway, the ellipses is for Oklina. She's standing for the queen. And of course, she'll get her. And B'lerion too, by the look of it:
Capiam turned to embrace Desdra in celebration. Clinging together, they watched Oklina lift shining eyes, her gaze instinctively finding B’lerion in the mass of faces confronting her.
“Her name is Hannath!”
And here, our story ends.
We rejoin Moreta as she's chatting with M'barak. For some reason, McCaffrey chooses now to describe him as a "slim, young weyrling", and while that's good to know, the dude has been around for a while. Anyway, he's apparently doing a lot of transport work, which he doesn't mind as it's good training.
He is pretty embarrassed by the way his dragon, Arith, has been acting rude to Oklina but he understands why: Arith is a "Search dragon".
Now THAT is interesting. And not something that I think we see in the Ninth Pass. Then, it seemed like all of the dragonriders, or at least the bronze riders, went out to find candidates, and if F'lar is any example, they chose based on their own personal taste. Now Pern was lucky that F'lar's taste includes "terrifying and powerful" but still.
The idea that a dragon might have a built in radar for such things, particularly a blue rider, who has no stake in the Weyr mating policies, is really interesting. And it's the kind of thing I was hoping to see more of in this book. It's unfortunate, to me, that Pern's society has stagnated so much that the Sixth Pass and the Ninth Pass are virtually the same in so many ways. In real life, even an isolated society changes a lot over time. I do like the elements of knowledge lost though. The Sixth Pass does have a few subtle touches that show their memory of their more sci-fi origins (see: the vaccine concept in general). I just wish we saw more of that.
Anyway, they're going out for a Search at Benden. Apparently they've been promised candidates (vaccinated! M'barak adds hastily).
When they arrive at Benden, the Weyrwoman Levalla greets her mischievously. Moreta is welcome, as long as she arrives without Orlith "to plague Tuzuth". I'm not sure if Tuzuth is her dragon or K'dren's (since she shoots him a sly glance), but I find the idea of inter-dragon rivalry amusing.
Moreta's not just here for the Search though, she's also here to recruit riders. K'dren is leery about asking riders to "time it", but Levalla's on board. They'll only ask those "who do it". (Apparently a brown rider has been recently disciplined for it.)
...seriously? I really do not like the easiness by which folk seem to discover time travel in this era. I realize I was just complaining that the "lost knowledge" and change in society didn't come up enough, but this isn't what I meant. This is a tremendously useful power and it makes no sense that it would have been so thoroughly forgotten by even the Eighth Pass (since IIRC, T'ton and Mardra weren't aware of it) or the Ninth.
And I don't like the way it takes away Lessa's triumph. If it were this easy to discover, then they all should have done it.
K'dren and Levalla banter about a fellow with the stupid name of M'gant, and seriously, does McCaffrey never try to actually pronounce these names??? Hell, if she genuinely can't think of any, she could just recycle names from the Ninth Pass! There are only so many syllables after all.
This is cute though:
“Then we’ll put him in charge of the Benden riders assisting the Healer Hall,” K’dren said with a snap of his fingers. “Just the sort of challenge to keep him out of mischief. He was annoyed, you know”—and he winked at Moreta—“that I recovered from the plague so quickly. He enjoyed Leading to Fall. He’ll make Weyrleader soon enough, won’t he, mate?” He cast such a ludicrously suspicious look at his beautiful Levalla that it was obvious he had no anxieties on that score.
Hee.
Everyone's doing well and looking forward to resuming their traditional regions during Threadfall. They discuss Telgar Weyr, where the Weyrleader will not be cooperative. But fortunately K'dren has advice as to who to contact to arrange things behind the Weyrleader's back.
Benden also has a few good candidates. Moreta asks if they've been searching more among crafts than holds, which apparently they have. They like having men who can occupy their spare time profitably for the Weyr.
...on one hand, I do like this. And while it's not stated, I KIND OF suspect we're looking at F'lar's ancestors in the same way that I assume Alessan is Lessa's.
On the other though, I'm not sure what I think about McCaffrey taking a lot of F'lar and Lessa's individual triumphs and making them commonplace in this earlier setting. I suppose it's common sense really, and I could appreciate the idea that maybe the Eighth Pass folk were a more conservative era than either their predecessors or successors, but...
I don't know. It just sits a bit oddly.
Moreta comments that they receive the tithe either way, but K'dren notes that once a Pass is over, the Lords might not be so generous. Indeed.
So there's more talk about recruitment and contacts at individual Weyrs. Apparently someone at Ista is having "kidney chill", but Moreta has an alternate contact: the father of one of Moreta's sons. (We're told the boy Impressed a brown recently. Nice!) I really do like that Moreta both gets to be an older protagonist (implicitly older than her love interest even!) and have a sexual history.
Her visit to Ista is more troublesome though. Apparently her ex is less cooperative:
As she argued with D’say on the necessity of once again cooperating with the Healer Hall, she wished that he had had the plague; then he would not be so slow to comply. D’say resisted her presentation in such a glum silence that she was becoming depressed when their son M’ray suddenly charged up the steps.
“I beg your pardon, D’say, but my Quoarth told me that Moreta is here.” The boy—in his height he was more manly than boyish—paused just long enough in the threshold to receive permission to enter. Then he rushed to Moreta, embracing her with a charming enthusiasm. He peered anxiously into her face with eyes the color of her own, set in a head with the same deep sockets and arching brows. Yet he was far more D’say’s child in build and coloring. “I knew you were ill. It’s very good to see you well.”
...M'ray? Really?!
Of course, in this case, it's not completely weird. Dragonrider children, as we've seen, tend to incorporate parts of both their parents' names. (I'm still not sure if it's just the first child, or every sibling, as the sibling sets we've met so far were half, not full.) But M'ray, presumably contains "Mor" for Moreta and "ay" for D'say." There may be more syllables in the middle depending on D'say's full name, but maybe not. Moray to M'ray makes sense, but is still pretty stupid sounding.
Anyway, M'ray wants to help. He thinks his wingleader, T'lonneg (JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, MCCAFFREY) will want to know too. He's hold-bred, and knows the rainforest holds. He also had the plague and will want to help. D'say might have been reluctant, but he's clearly proud of their son and seems to be more cooperative.
Meanwhile, Moreta has the realization that, through her children, her bloodline might well be sustained in Keroon. She hadn't thought about it before because as a queen rider, her children got fostered immediately, and she isn't terribly maternal toward them. (Though she's definitely proud of M'ray right now.)
D'say also has advice as to who to contact at Igen and Telgar, and Moreta notes that while he's slow to make up his mind, his loyalty never falters. I'm happy to see a trace of nuance again. There's not enough left of the book for McCaffrey to suddenly make him a puppy kicker, so he might well get to stay complicated and a little difficult.
There's a cute goodbye where both D'say and M'ray warn M'barak to be careful with her as they fly off. Aw.
The next visit is Igen, where she talks to the Weyrwoman, Delova. Delova is definitely on board with helping with the vaccines. She can't give them any candidates though. Igen had been hit hard by plague and there's a mating flight of their own coming up. (Apparently, the Weyrleader, L'bol, is very depressed and guilty because their riders had been the ones ferrying the plague cat around. Aw. I do feel for them. No one knew that this would happen.)
ANYWAY, there's a nice bit where Moreta takes Delova in her arms and lets her cry everything out. Then she gets back to business, albeit in a rambling way. But things go well.
Telgar is trickier. Apparently M'tani (...we've met him before, but fucking still), has now said that no strangers should be in the Weyr. The watchdragon's rider, C'ver, is an uncooperative dick who is contemptuous of Moreta leaving her queen alone. He sneers at her and they part angrily.
“The eggs harden. I call M’tani to honor his promise to S’peren to send us candidates for Impression. I have vaccine with me if it is needed for the weyrfolk I seek.”
“Then have a care, C’ver, when this Pass is over. Have a care!”
“We have all of that we need for those who deserve it.”
“If I were on Orlith, C’ver—”
“Even if you were on your queen, Moreta of Fort, you wouldn’t be welcome here! Take your Search into your own Holds. If there’re any holders left, of course!”
“If those are your sentiments, C’ver—”
“They are.”
C’ver laughed and his brown reared to his hind legs, trumpeting derisively. Arith trembled from muzzle to tail tip.
“Get out of here, M’barak.” Moreta spoke through clenched teeth. Telgar could burn in fever and she’d never answer them. They could be down to the last sack of firestone and she’d not send them a sliver. The Weyr could be full of Thread and she—“Take us to the High Reaches.”
And nuance has left the building, yet again. What a fucking cartoon character.
But you know, both K'dren and D'say had a recommendation of who to talk to at Telgar, and dragons teleport. Can't you guys just go between past the dick and go talk to that person? It seems a bit extreme to abandon the whole Weyr because two people are fucking assholes.
Happily, they get a much better reception at High Reaches. Tamianth, the queen that Moreta helped in earlier chapters, seems to be doing well. B'lerion's there too, and S'ligar's dragon is happy to see them.
B'lerion updates Moreta, he'd taken Desdra and Oklina back to Nerat and gotten all the needlethorn they could need. For some reason, he hasn't mentioned Moreta's search for Weyr candidates or vaccine volunteers to Falga or S'ligar, which seems weird because they'd been cooperative in the past.
Noticeably, there's a big water butt and a lot of buckets near Tamianth. That's B'lerion's idea. Basically, Falga's visitors are tasked to bring a bucket of water from the lake for Tamianth. So the dragon is finally getting what she needs. Moreta checks up on her, and Tamianth tells her that Holth says that Orlith is sleeping.
As it turns out, Falga knows about the Search already, though she wonders if it's not too early to assemble candidates. Moreta fills her in on the vaccine part, and Falga is enthusiastically cooperative, promising her that she can have anything in the Weyr except S'ligar. Aw. B'lerion is tasked with organizing things, and B'lerion pretends dramatically that this is his first time hearing any of this.
Okay, whatever, I'm going to chock it up to folks being mischievous.
Moreta fills them in on what happened at Telgar, and both B'lerion and Falga are aghast in a somewhat classist way ("a mere brown rider!"). Falga thinks M'tani's become completely "soured" and it's affecting the whole Weyr. She wonders if they'll have to "force a change there."
Ooo, Falga has more stones than I expected. I do like the nice theme that the GOOD Weyrleaders get their women involved with the leadership as well. I am still annoyed that in six passes, women haven't seized that right in their own right though.
Then there's this:
Of course, T’grel’s not the only rider who’s dissatisfied with M’tani’s leadership. I told you, didn’t I, Falga, that once those Telgar riders had had a taste of real leadership, there’d be trouble.” He smiled winningly at Moreta. “I actually do defer to Sh’gall’s abilities. He may be a dull stick in other matters—oh, no, you can’t fool your old friend B’lerion—but he is a bloody fine Leader! Don’t waggle your finger at me, Falga.”
...okay, look, I appreciate the ATTEMPT at nuance that comes with the idea that Sh'gall can be a dick and obnoxious but also a good Weyrleader. The problem is, McCaffrey has no real interest in SHOWING us Sh'gall as a good Weyrleader. All we get is his cowardice, whining, bitching, and verbal abuse of the ladies that we're already pre-disposed to like.
If Sh'gall is a leader inspirational enough to reach Telgar folk, then we should see that, at least a little. Otherwise, just make K'dren the inspirational leader instead.
I do like though that it's different Weyrs causing problems in different eras. Telgar's always been a fairly neutral-to-friendly Weyr in the Ninth Pass. R'mart never had an in person appearance, but he was noted as being generally cooperative even when the other Oldtimers weren't. High Reaches, on the other hand, belonged to T'kul of "I killed my dragon because of blue balls" fame.
Maybe some era, Ruatha and Benden will be problem places. I doubt that though.
Apparently Ruatha's doing well too. As mentioned, B'lerion was hanging out with Oklina, so he can reassure Moreta.
And speaking of Sh'gall, he's in fine form:
M’tani sent a green weyrling,” he cried, fuming, “hardly more than a babe, to give our watchrider the most insulting message I have ever received. He has repudiated any agreement made at the Butte, a meeting at which I was not present.” Sh’gall shook his fist first at Moreta and then in the vague direction of the Butte. “And at which arbitrary decisions were made, which I cannot condone, though I’ve been forced to comply with them! M’tani has repudiated any arrangement, agreement, accord, understanding, undertaking. He is not to be bothered—bothered, he says—not to be bothered by problems of any other Weyr. If we are so poor that we have to beg and Search from other Weyrs, then we do not deserve to have a clutch at all.” Sh’gall ended up swinging his arms about like a drum apprentice.
...I mean, Sh'gall's rage is understandable. Someone should shank that dick. But does Sh'gall get to show his purported leadership and go confront M'tani, suborn the younger men of Telgar, or find another solution?
Moreta had never seen him so furious. She listened to what he had to say but offered no response, hoping he would vent his rage and leave. Having repeated himself at length on his displeasure with her shameless venture for the Weyr that had resulted in such an insufferable message from M’tani, he ranted on through his usual grievances, about his illness, about the puny size of the clutch. Finally Moreta could bear no more.
“There is a queen egg, Sh’gall. There have to be enough candidates to give the little queen some choice. I applied to Telgar Weyr as I did to Benden, Igen, Ista, and the High Reaches. No one else thought my appearance or my request importunate. Now leave the Ground. You’ve upset Orlith sufficiently for one day.”
Of course not.
I do like seeing Moreta stand up for herself.
Orlith is also angry, which is surprising, and she starts detailing to Moreta all the damage she'd inflict on Hogarth (presumably M'tani's bronze) in retaliation. Holth chimes in that Orlith has some very good ideas. But per Leri, the rider of Raylinth understands what is necessary.
...I'm not sure who that is. Maybe that T'grel who everyone mentions? Either way. I do like seeing the sense of sorority between the two queens. And speaking of, junior Weyrwoman, Kamiana pops in to commiserate over Sh'gall's irritating personality, vent about M'tani, and report that folk will be flying for Capiam in the morning. She wishes that Moreta could persuade Leri not to go, but apparently Leri knows the hole-in-the-hill places better than anyone. K'lon and S'peren (...I'd bitch about that name but at least it's pronounceable), have already taken a few runs.
One thing I DO like about the timing bit is the various reactions of the leaders as to which of their junior members have stumbled onto the trick. I just wish there wasn't so much stumbling. When Lessa discovered it, it was fucking important.
Okay, that's enough ranting on a theme. You've heard it all before.
ANYWAY, we switch scenes to Ruatha. Everyone's pretty fucking tired, and Alessan's finally got a moment to relax with his "Loyal Crew". Dag's...student? Servant? Fergal is serving the wine. Some of them go off to see a mare about to foal, among them, Nerilka, a woman everyone finds vaguely familiar. (She is, of course, Tolocamp's daughter. But she does not seem to have been forthcoming with this fact. Not that I necessarily blame her. Her dad is a dick.)
Meanwhile, Tuero and Alessan are having their own bromance going on, and it sounds like Tuero is finally willing to settle down to a permanent Harper position. I'll share the banter because it is cute:
Tuero gave a little chuckle. “My good Lord Holder Alessan, there comes a time in a harper’s life when he decides that the variety and change of temporary assignments begin to pall and he wishes a comfortable living where his capabilities are appreciated, where he can be sure of witty conversations over the dinner table—to save his fingers from the harping—where his energies are not abused—”
“I wouldn’t post to Ruatha in that event,” Desdra remarked caustically, but she smiled.
“You weren’t asked,” Alessan replied, mischief in his eyes.
“It’s no joy to serve a cautious man.” Tuero flung an arm about Alessan’s shoulders. “There is one condition, however, which”—the harper held up a long forefinger, pausing before his stipulation—“must be met.”
“By the first Egg,” Alessan protested, “you’ve already got me to agree to a first-storey apartment on the inside, second tithe of our Crafthalls—”
“When you’ve got them staffed again—”
“Your choice of a runnerbeast, top marks as journeyman, and leave, if you wish, to take your mastery when the Pass is over. What more can you ask of an impoverished Lord Holder?”
“All I ask is what is fitting for a man of my accomplishments.” Tuero humbly put one hand on his heart.
“So what is this final condition?”
“That you supply me with Benden white.” He spoiled the gravity of his pronouncement by hiccuping and gestured urgently for Alessan to fill his cup.
...the banter here is cute, but I think we found Robinton's ancestor. HAHAHA. Isn't alcoholism hilarious???
Eventually, folks start to disperse, while Alessan falls asleep at his table. Rill/Nerilka is back (this isn't a spoiler, she was called Nerilka earlier in the scene, but now she's "Rill", which makes me think McCaffrey's editor was asleep on the job. Rill obviously IS Nerilka, but I'm not sure we're supposed to have noticed that), and the foal is a fine, strong male.
Tuero, who thus far has been unobjectionable, has decided to channel Robinton more by eyeing this woman like a cow at market:
Tuero blinked to be sure it was the wine that had enhanced the tall woman. She had good bones in her face, he decided after making an effort at concentration. With a bit of thought to her clothing, brighter colors, with hair longer than that unattractive crop, she’d be attractive. Unexpectedly her expression altered, and so did the illusion of beauty—once again she bore the resemblance that perplexed Tuero and Desdra.
Anyway, Rill gets Tuero to help her cart Alessan off to bed. (We're told that she's only half a head shorter than him, so it's not that hard a job.). And it becomes very very clear that she has quite a thing for him.
-
So the next morning, Nesso is reporting to Moreta. There's a Fall today, and that's going to mask the real activities. I'm genuinely not sure why this is such a big secret. Maybe they're trying to avoid hysteria by not telling people the plague could return? I suppose that's plausible, though looking back on it from the perspective of COVID-19, I bitterly laugh at the idea that anyone would actually let the idea of a resurgence spoil their fun.
Orlith is taking care of her legs. Leri's grumpy with joint pain. Moreta's stuck dealing with Sh'gall. We get a nice moment of maybe foreshadowing when Moreta worries about Holth's habit of flipping between so soon after takeoff. Moreta contemplates trying to talk Leri and Holth into settling in Ista, where they would be able to use her, and the climate would be kinder to an old dragon and rider.
Not everyone is fooled though. The herdsman, proving that you don't need an apostrophe to have a stupid name (Peterpar), is asking questions. He knows that Queens don't go on Search, but Moreta plays it off: Queens Search when a Weyrwoman has been treated as uncivilly as Telgar treated her. It's enough to shut the man down.
Moreta then visits with Jallora, the healer who replaced Belchar. She's vaccinating folks and she takes the time to give Moreta her second dose. (Dragonriders apparently get two, because they travel so much.) Jallora seems to have some idea about the queens' "errand". And eventually Holth updates Orlith: the "errand" is proceeding well.
Oh, hey, we're never too busy to take potshots at Sh'gall:
Moreta was very grateful that Kadith still slept. Inevitably Sh’gall would discover that Fort Weyr riders had taken part in Capiam’s vaccine distribution—preferably after he had recovered from the wine and when he had calmed down over M’tani’s insult. Moreta could have been mistaken, but she had a fleeting thought that Sh’gall was obscurely pleased by M’tani’s attitude toward her.
Of course. Of fucking course.
But, uh oh. Something is going wrong at Telgar. M'tani apparently found out what's going on, and somehow the senior queen, Dalgeth, is restraining everyone. Can queens DO that? Apparently. A much lower ranking queen is the one updating Orlith. The bronze dragons aren't going to be able to help.
This is a problem. Keroon and Telgar need the vaccine.
So incomes Levalla from Benden. She already knows about the problem. The other Weyrs are working to cover Telgar, but they don't have anyone to cover Keroon. Ah. Here we go. She asks if Moreta can fly out on one of the blues.
She won't have to, because Holth and Leri have arrived. It doesn't take long to fill Leri in, and she immediately volunteers to stay behind with Orlith. Moreta will once again ride Holth.
...though one might suggest that it'd be better to ride a fresh blue than an old queen who'd just been flying and might be tired. But well...
So they go to Keroon Beasthold. Moreta gets the vaccine and starts going to each subordinate Hold. Keroon River, High Plateau, et cetera. She's timing it hard, and it's exhausting.
...which of course raises obvious issue with time travel as its used in the Pern series: why doesn't Moreta zip off to the past or future and take a fucking nap?
Time travel, in Pern, is very exact. We've seen riders able to leave and come back within very close intervals. Even if she's off and comes back fifteen minutes or an hour later than she should, she could make up that time.
Honestly, with time travel being what it is, there isn't really any reason for any of this frantic dealing. They could have a handful of riders, set up an exact schedule, and time it in shifts. Resting as needed.
I will give McCaffrey credit in that she is good at making us feel Moreta's frantic exhaustion. And to be fair, she does ask Holth if she wants to take time to rest and Holth says she can continue.
But even so, I don't really buy it. I don't buy that people who know about time travel, have known about it for a long time apparently, wouldn't already have considered how to manipulate it for REST. It's been a well-established fact since the very beginning that, even if the extra strain in time travel didn't exist, a dragon and rider can get lost between. IIRC, one of the very first dragon riders suffers that fate. So this is a very real, very known risk. And time travel is a very known concept in this time period.
It could have worked for me if Moreta had only JUST learned about time travel. If she'd been in the dark until now. Because then, I could accept that she got overwhelmed and forgot how it worked. I still think the story would have worked fine without time travel at all. I mean, yes, the characters keep saying they need to time things and make sure it happens RIGHT THIS MOMENT. But viruses aren't instantaneous and dragons teleport. So I think she could have written it without that aspect. And then we have a reason for frantic urgency, and as we know, things can still go wrong.
But anyway, we've got an ending to get to. People don't write operas about happy stories.
Moreta and Holth drop off the last of the vaccine in a small western hold. The holder offers her hospitality, but no. Moreta waves him off, he's got to go vaccinate folks and this was their last stop.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't find a quiet corner and take a nap, Moreta...
But no. And I'm not going to judge that part. Moreta, and Holth, are clearly too exhausted to think clearly. Holth can't even check in on Orlith. She can't think that far.
Moreta looked at the midafternoon sun over Keroon plain and wondered with a terrible lethargy exactly what time it was.
“One last jump, that’s all we have to take, Holth.”
Wearily the old queen gathered herself to spring. Moreta gratefully began her litany.
“Black, blacker, blackest—”
They went between.
We shift scenes to Fort Weyr. K'lon is worried. He thinks Moreta should be back by now. Leri is calm and relaxed. She tells him to take a hint from Orlith, who is also unbothered. She doesn't want to break Moreta or Holth's concentration at the wrong moment. They'll be very tired. Leri, for her part, is planning how to rend M'tani of Telgar limb from limb.
K'lon had thought Sh'gall would handle it. No, K'lon, remember? Sh'gall isn't allowed to be anything but useless. Leri agrees. HER weyrmate, L'mal, wouldn't have been "discussing" the matter with K'dren or S'ligar. He'd have demanded satisfaction. NO Weyrleader is allowed to disregard a continental emergency. The queen, Dalgeth, will also answer. K'lon will see when Moreta comes back.
...
But then:
Afterward, K’lon realized that both the rider and the dragon knew in the same instant. But Orlith’s reaction was vocal and spectacular. Her scream, tearing at his taut nerves, brought him round to witness the initial throes of her bereavement. Orlith had been lying at the rear of the Ground, her eggs scattered on the sand before her. Now she neared up on her hind legs, her awkwardly coiled tail all that prevented her from crashing backward as she arched her head back, howling her despair. The sounds she emitted were ghastly ululations in weird dissonances, like throat-cut shrieks. Then, in an incredible feat, Orlith launched herself from that fully extended posture, over her eggs, missing them by a mere handspan. She sprawled, muzzle buried in the sand as all color faded from her golden hide. Then she began to writhe, thrashing her head and tail, oblivious to the fact that she had caught her right wing under her, flailing the air with the left.
Oof. Leri's not much better:
K’lon whirled. Leri lay against the cushions, gasping, her mouth working, her eyes protruding. One hand was pressed to her chest, the other clawed at her throat. K’lon leaped toward her.
Oh honey.
K'lon's Rogeth, in a curiously composite voice, explains. They were too tired. They went between...to nothing.
K'lon's managed to save Leri's life. And Orlith is still here. But only temporary. Only long enough for the eggs to hatch. Then they'll go together.
And I admit, for all my angry quibbling about time travel, this is very effective. And it's very sad. And a part of me is pretty fucking bitter that McCaffrey finally gave us a female lead that broke the young virgin ingenue mold only to fucking kill her off. Or, more likely, she knew that she was killing off Moreta already (since, again, there's an opera), so why not take a few more risks?
But we get a lovely group moment:
Her words would forever remain in his mind, K’lon knew, as indelible as the nest of the terrible scene. S’peren and F’neldril stood beside him, drooping in grief, their faces suddenly aged. Haura and Lidora clung to each other weeping, while Kamiana stood to one side, her figure taut. Beyond them, the arched entrances to the Hatching Ground framed the press of dragons, all gray in sorrow, and the silent cluster of weyrfolk bewildered by the grievous loss. Just then there was a stir and three riders slowly moved onto the Ground, Sh’gall escorted by S’ligar and K’dnen. Sh’gall continued forward alone; his body bowed with grief. He fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands, unseen by the inconsolable Orlith who writhed in the soul-rending agony of separation from her beloved rider, Moreta.
...and of course Sh'gall doesn't get any dignity here either.
--
So the last bit is Aftermath. It's the Hatching. Capiam's our viewpoint character and he notes that it's not exactly a joyous occasion. The masterharper, Tirone, announces that he'll be singing his new ballad, composed in celebration of Moreta.
This offends Capiam. A celebration! But, honestly, I think Moreta would have rather had a celebration than a dirge. (But Tirone is not Robinton and thus not beloved.)
Desdra, by the way, is newly named Masterhealer herself. Good. She's deserved it.
Leri and Orlith are gone. They left before dawn. The Weyrfolk watched, to see them go. K'lon, who is filling them in, is an utter mess. Poor kid.
Desdra gives a nice speech of comfort for K'lon, that works as a pretty good eulogy in general:
“Orlith could not have gone till the eggs were hard,” Desdra said. “Leri stayed with her. They had a purpose and now it is accomplished. Today must also be a glad day, for dragons will hatch. Surely that is a good day for going. A day that had begun in unmeasured grief will end in great joy. A new beginning for twenty-five—no, fifty—lives, for the young people who Impress today begin a new life!”
It helps.
Dragons don't weep, we're told, but they do get a gray tinge to their eyes and hides. K'lon's Rogeth is mourning too.
I wonder if we'll ever find out what happened with Telgar Weyr and their stray leadership.
So anyway, it's time for the Hatching. Major players are here. Lords and riders. K'dren, Levalla and M'gent (fuck you, McCaffrey, seriously) are here from Benden. Balfor the herdsman who'd managed Keroon's vaccine has apparently declined a promotion to Masterherdsman. Possibly due to guilt.
Oh, and then there's this bullshit:
Desdra’s hand tugged at his and he followed her gaze to see Alessan entering the Hatching Ground with Lady Nerilka. They were a striking pair, Alessan a half head taller than his consort, but, even at this distance, Capiam could see that Alessan was pale. He walked steadily, if slowly, his arm linked through Nerilka’s. Tuero was on his right side, Dag and little Fergal a respectful pace, for once, behind their Lords Holder. Capiam had been surprised by Alessan’s choice of wife, but Desdra said that Rill would support Alessan and he needed that.
Look, I get that there's a whole other story here that we're getting a glimpse of. "Nerilka's Story" is a book in its own right and is coming up, I think after Dragonsdawn. But this? Right here and right now? Is gross, McCaffrey.
You can't spend a book building up a tragic romance, have one of them die heroically, and have the other show up to what is, emotionally speaking if not literally, their FUNERAL with a DIFFERENT SPOUSE.
I KNOW that the story is going to be more complicated than that. That it'll start as a convenience and become more later on. And there's probably some legitimate reason why Alessan had to marry right now. But McCaffrey isn't sharing that with us, so this just looks gross.
It's a very bad narrative beat, and makes me think, yet again, that the only reason that Moreta was allowed to be casually sexual, non-monogamous, have children out of wedlock without being maternal and so on was because she was doomed. She could be a "bad girl" because her comeuppance was pre-determined.
Hey, just in case we forgot who we're supposed to hate:
Master Tirone arrived, with Lord Tolocamp and his ridiculous little wife. Capiam wasn’t certain if the emergence of Lord Tolocamp from his self-imposed isolation was a tribute to the occasion or would be a trial, but he had made the effort today. As Nerilka had noted to Capiam, the man had never known he had a daughter missing. When told that Nerilka had become Alessan’s wife, Tolocamp had remarked about Ruatha swallowing up his women, and that if Nerilka preferred Ruathan hospitality to his, that was the end of her in his eyes.
Tirone, I genuinely believe, is the narrative's whipping boy solely because he's not Robinton. (As opposed to Tuero, who is of course the much better, and alcoholic, Harper.)
Oh, hey, that other asshole Ratoshigan is here too. Nothing much to say about him. S'ligar and Falga (he's supporting her - we're told she still has a limp but she's able to fly every Fall). B'lerion's alone. Lots of non-riders wearing Keroon badges.
Like I said, this is as much a funeral for Moreta as it is a Hatching.
Oh, hey, Sh'gall!
Sh’gall escorted the candidates in their white robes, the four girls leading. Sh’gall fussily motioned for the boys to walk on while he deferentially led the girls to the queen egg. Capiam rapidly counted the boys: thirty-two. Not as much choice as usual but then . . .
"Fussily", because again, the man isn't allowed any dignity ever. Because McCaffrey has never met a nuance that she didn't want to hammer flat with a croquet mallet.
Anyway, the ellipses is for Oklina. She's standing for the queen. And of course, she'll get her. And B'lerion too, by the look of it:
Capiam turned to embrace Desdra in celebration. Clinging together, they watched Oklina lift shining eyes, her gaze instinctively finding B’lerion in the mass of faces confronting her.
“Her name is Hannath!”
And here, our story ends.