amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第47部分

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tar　had　only　shepherded　Thread　close　to　Pern　and　what　was　falling　now　was　what　the　Red　Star　had　dragged　in　behind　it。
　　At　first　he'd　used　diagrams　on　the　sand；　in　the　dirt；　or　on　a　piece　of　paper：　a　big　circle　for　the　Sun；　a　much　smaller　one　for　Pern；　tiny　ones　for　the　two　moons。　He'd　draw　the　orbit　of　the　Red　Star；　and　show　how　it　swooped　down　and　around　Pern；　then　out；　carrying　with　it　the　cloud　of　Thread。
　　〃Why　does　it　take　so　long？〃　he　was　asked。
　　〃Thread's　been　on　its　way　and　it　takes　between　forty…five　and　fifty　of　our　Turns　to　get　past　it　again。〃
　　Then　he'd　be　asked　why　the　Fireball　had　dropped。　He　answered　that　by　saying　it　had　been　a　leftover　fragment　from　the　Turnover　Ghosts；　lost　trying　to　follow　the　others。　（That　might　not　be　exactly　the　truth；　Masters　Wansor；　Idarolan；　and　the　newly　promoted　Master　Erragon　still　had　to　deliver　an　official　verdict；　but　at　least　most　people　had　seen　Ghosts　and　could　accept　the　little　fiction。）　He'd　drop　another　stone…the　Fireball…into　the　water　and　show　them　how　the　tsunami　was　like　the　ripples。　It　was；　he　knew；　an　explanation；　not　an　answer。　He　didn't　know　what　the　answer　was；　especially　for　those　who'd　lost　a　lot　to　〃ripples。〃
　　Back　at　Benden　Weyr；　no　one　had　the　energy　or　the　wish　to　settle　on　a　better　explanation。　Or　an　answer。　The　next　day　Benden　was　flying　Thread　so；　after　eating　quickly　and　checking　on　S'lan　to　be　sure　the　lad　was　holding　up　well；　he　retired　to　his　weyr；　checking　his　safety　harness　and　wondering　if　he　could　afford　new　leather　pants　to　replace　the　ones　the　last　few　days　had　split；　torn；　and　scraped。　F'lessan　remembered　Tai's　fine　pelts。　Well；　there　were　plenty　of　felines　to　be　hunted　near　Honshu。　He　could　probably　trade　such　pelts　for　wherhide　pants　from　the　Weyr's　tanner。　It'd　be　fun　to　hunt　with　Tai　and　Zaranth。　Golanth　agreed。　So　F'lessan　gave　the　drowsing　bronze　an　affectionate　rub　and　went　out　to　the　ledge　of　his　weyr。　He　clasped　his　arms　with　his　hands　against　the　chill。　During　those　earlier　lessons　with　Aivas；　he　had　made　himself　familiar　with　the　names　of　the　brightest　stars　to　be　seen　in　Benden's　wintry　skies。　Canopus　was　low　on　the　horizon；　Girtab　outshining　her。
　　He　really　ought　to　get　to　work　now；　to　make　Honshu　a　viable　part　of　what　dragonriders　could　〃do〃　to　protect　the　planet。　That　was　at　least　obvious　to　him。　He　had　no　idea　how　a　dragon；　or　all　the　dragons　of　Pern；　could　stop　another　fireball…they　didn't　have　any　more　antimatter　engines　to　drop　on　them；　he　thought　wryly…but　it　made　a　lot　of　good　sense　to　find　out　if　anything　else　was　likely　to　impact　any　time　soon。　From　some　scrap　of　those　nearly　disregarded　astronomy　lessons；　he　remembered　that　hazardous　impacts　were　infrequent。　There　were　a　few　documented；　like　the　Circle　Runner　Station　and　the　most　recent　meteorite　that　had　rammed　into　the　prison　yard　at　Crom　Minehold。
　　Wansor；　old　Lytol；　and　D'ram　were　certainly　working　all　out　on　updating　orbits　with　Erragon　down　at　Cove　Hold。　The　skies　currently　above　Pern　had　altered　within　Rukbat's　system　since　the　colonists　had　first　surveyed　it　twenty…five　hundred　and　fifty…three　Turns　ago。　Asteroids　had　collided；　broken　up　into　different　pieces；　spinning　into　new　orbits。　Perhaps　one　of　them　had　been　the　Fireball。　Others；　like　the　erratic　wanderer　inaccurately　called　the　Red　Star　had　entered　the　system　as　ets　or　fragments。　In　the　spare　moments　F'lessan　had　had；　he'd　reviewed　his　old　astronomy　notes　from　his　classes　with　Aivas。　A　long…forgotten　lesson　reminded　him　that　the　Yoko　got　its　information　from　what　the　Ancients　had　called　〃a　southern　array　of　satellites。〃　Aivas　had　once　mentioned　the　absence　of　a　northern　array；　which　would　have　given　a　much　clearer　picture　of　minor　planets；　ets；　and　other　orbiting　bodies。　He　remembered　that　there　were　more　telescopes　stored　in　the　Catherine　Caves；　which　probably　would　have　been　set　up　in　observatories　to　keep　track　of　such　objects。　Old　Earth　certainly　had　known　exactly　what　was　in　its　solar　system。　But　no　one　had　anticipated　the　Red　Star　and　Thread　falling　on　Pern。
　　Thread　must　have　sharded　a　lot　of　the　colonists'　plans；　F'lessan　thought　to　himself。
　　To　identify　what　now　circled　in　Pern's　spatially　near　vicinity　would　need　more　than　however　many　apprentices　and　journeymen　currently　worked　at　Cove　Hold。　The　telescope　in　the　ingenious　observatory　that　old　Kenjo　had　contrived　was　the　type　that　required　a　puter　and　a　screen　to　display　what　it　saw。　The　l0x50mm　binoculars　he　had　wheedled　out　of　Jancis　worked　well　enough。　With　these　he　had　been　able　to　spot　what　were　marked　in　the　Aivas　charts　as　minor　planets　and　the　larger　objects　in　the　asteroid　belt。　But　to　have　an　instrument　that　would　produce　images　that　one　could　study　in　detail！　That　would　help　enormously　in　charting　the　skies。　He　grinned；　rubbing　his　cold　arms。　And　maybe　he'd　get　Tai　to　help　him。　Ah！
　　When　the　entire　furor　over　the　Flood　had　eased　down；　he　was　sure　he　could　now　get　authorization　from　Master　Wansor　to　withdraw　the　appropriate　boards　and　crystals　out　of　storage　at　Admin　to　be　able　to　focus　the　primary　mirror。　Aivas　had　taught　him　how　to　assemble　a　puter。　Benelek；　another　of　his　old　friends　and　now　Master　of　the　puter　Hall；　could　probably　be　talked　into　helping　him。　Screens　were　harder　to　e　by；　but　he　might　just　cajole　Stinar　into　giving　him　a　spare　one；　if　he　promised　regular　reports　of　what　the　ancient　Schmidt…type　telescope　detected。
　　Enough　stargazing。　He　had　a　tiring　day　ahead　of　him。　He　hadn't　had　a　chance　to　show　Tai　where　he　kept　the　binoculars　or　the　stand。　Much　less　the　glory　of　the　Honshu　observatory。　As　he　turned　on　his　heels　and　walked　quickly　back　into　his　weyr；　out　of　the　cold；　he　smiled　to　himself：　she'd　like　that！
　　
CIRCLE　RUNNER　STATION…1。18。31
　　〃Not　the　first　time　things　have　fallen　on　Pern　that　weren't　Thread！〃　Chesmic；　Circle's　garrulous　Stationmaster；　said　to　the　two　men　who　had　asked　for　a　night's　shelter。　Since　it　was　extremely　cold　and　there　was　enough　in　the　stew　pot　for　two　more；　Chesmic　allowed　them　in。　Besides；　he　could　use　a　new　audience。　Every　other　Runner　gathered　for　a　warm　meal　before　continuing　their　runs　had　already　heard　his　usual　tale。
　　〃Why　d'you　think　we　call　this　place　Circle？〃　he　went　on；　glancing　first　at　one　and　then　the　other。
　　〃Do　tell　us；〃　the　younger　man　said；　his　tone　so　close　to　downright　rudeness　that　Chesmic　almost　didn't　continue。
　　〃Do　tell　us。〃　The　older　man　with　the　scarred　face　spoke　more　courteously；　in　a　deep；　oddly　muffled　voice。　When　he　broke　off　a　piece　of　bread　from　the　big　loaf　in　the　center　of　the　table；　Chesmic　noticed　that　he　was　minus　the　top　joint　of　the　first　finger　on　his　left　hand。
　　〃Not　because　it's　built　round。〃　As　he　took　up　his　tale　again；　Chesmic's　penetrating　glare　included　everyone　at　his　table　and　their　quiet　conversations　stopped。　〃Which　it　ain't。　But；　'cos　o'　that　great　hole　out　there！〃　He　pointed　in　the　appropriate　direction。　〃Twenty　good　paces　from　the　front　door　and　twice　as　deep　as　the　tallest　man　ever　growed。　'Cos　that's　where　that…〃　and　now　he　pointed　to　the　twisted　black　fragment　displayed　in　a　niche　in　the　stone　wall；　〃…landed！〃
　　Of　the　two　guests；　only　the　older　man　looked　at　it。　His　panion　assumed　a　supercilious　smile　as　he　continued　to　spoon　stew　into　his　face。　At　least；　Chesmic　thought；　they　won't　plain　they　hadn't　been　well　fed　at　Circle。
　　〃Nothing　pared　to　what　the　Fireball　did；〃　the　younger　man　said；　openly　contemptuous。　〃Never　should　have　messed　with　the　Red　Star。〃
　　〃That…〃　Chesmic　waggled　his　hand　toward　the　crater；　〃fell　over　a　thousand　Turns　ago　before　Aivas　had　the　dragonriders　push　the　Red　Star　out　of　harm's　way。〃　He　rushed　on　before　the　arrogant　young　man　could　do　more　than　open　his　mouth。　〃So　it　stands　to　reason　there　ain't　no　connection　twixt　it　and　the　thing　what　plowed　through　Crom　Minehold。　Both　of　them　are　meteorites。〃　He　pronounced　each　syllable。　〃Ain't　the　first　that　have　fallen。　Fireball　was　a　different　thing　altogether。　Right？〃　he　asked　the　Runners。
　　They　murmured　agreement　with　him。
　　〃Does　Crom　Minehold　display　its　meteorite　as　you　do？〃　asked　the　older　man　in　his　odd　speech。
　　Chesmic　couldn't　quite　place　the　man's　accent。　He　was　certainly　not　from　Keroon；　Keroonians　drawled…that　is；　when　they　spoke　at　all。　Nor　was　he　from　the　eastern　coast。　Runners　bred　there　spoke　in　crisp　tones。　West　coasters　did；　too；　though　they　accented　some　words　differently。　That　was　it。　The　man　had　no　accent；　no　tone　to　his　words：　he　just　spoke　them　and　sometimes　blurred　the　t's　and　d's　and　n's。
　　〃Naw；　sold　it　to　the　SmithCraftHall　for　more　marks　than　the　mines've　earned　in　Turns。〃　Chesmic　did　not　wholly　approve　of　that　sale　but　it　had　been　their　meteorite。　Not　that　he　couldn't　have　sold　his　to　the　SmithCraftHall；　if　he　felt　like　it；　but　you　couldn't　sell　something　that　had　been　in　his　family　so　long。　Wouldn't　be　right！
　　〃I　heard　that　they　think　it's　part　of　the　Red　Star；〃　the　young　man　said；　a　sly　gleam　in　his　eyes。
　　〃That's　a　bundle　of　snake　wallop；〃　Chesmic　replied　contemptuously。　He　pointed　skyward。　〃Iffen　the　Red　Star　had　broke　up…which　Masters　Erragon　and　Stinar　and　Wansor　has　seen　through　Cove　Hold　that　it　hasn't…we'd　have　rocks　falling　down　all　over　the　plan