I Read What?!

Last time, F'lessan actually got some focus and attention! He even made a discovery! Surely he'll get some recognition for this discovery despite the fact that he isn't Jaxom...



Hilariously and sadly, the very first sentence tells us that F'lessan's discovery of Honshu was "partially eclipsed by S’len’s discovery of eighteen usable space suits in the Yokohama EVA ready room. In Master Robinton’s opinion, Aivas had received that news with a great deal more excitement than he had displayed when hearing about Honshu’s state of preservation."

Of fucking course. That poor kid. He gets no credit for anything.

Supposedly the space suits give Aivas's plan schedule more flexibility and safety, which I get, but it's convenient how this doesn't upstage any of JAXOM's triumphs. Fandarel is at least interested in Honshu, and thus Jancis and Hamian are sent to inventory it. Aivas does print out a manual for the shed, but considers it "esoteric" since he can't assist with powering it.

Apparently this leads to a complaint that aerial transportation is restricted to dragonriders and "a chosen few". Which is actually a fair complaint, when you think about it. Sadly, Aivas is now basically McCaffrey's mouthpiece:

Aivas’s rebuttal to that accusation was to enumerate all the skills and technological improvements—which most of those same complainants objected to in theory—that would be necessary to produce powered aerial vehicles, including the development of an alternative and reliable power source.

“The settlers used power packs,” Aivas reminded them. The subject had arisen before. “These units were rechargeable, but no recharging mechanism survived.”

Because of course the only people bitching are the anti-tech people to begin with. None of the characters we like would ever dare question the monopoly of access by the dragonriders or anything. (Of course not. They're part of the "chosen few".)

...why can't Aivas give them schematics to recreate the recharging mechanisms?

(Also 10 bucks says the discovery of Kenjo's fuel, if it happens, will go to an authorial favorite rather than poor F'lessan.)

They apparently ask him if he can tell them how to make the power packs and we get this:

“There are two kinds of science,” Aivas began in his oblique fashion. “Practical and theoretical. With practical, engineers use only what is known—and proved to work in the everyday world—to achieve certain predicted and predictable results. Theoretical science, on the other hand, pushes at the boundaries and laws that are known to work—and sometimes even steps outside of them. For the projects you have been working on, you already had enough background and know-how to learn the necessary science to follow my instructions. But for some things—such as the alien power packs—Pern simply has not the technology or the science to understand the theories well enough to apply them practically.”

This raises an interesting question. How does Aivas know what Pern has in terms of resources? I mean, I guess there's eight years of exploratory data before everyone had to flee the south. But it seems awfully convenient that Aivas knows all of these other things but not how to bypass the chosen characters' hegemony.

So that's all Aivas cares about Honshu. He has new projects now. I suppose I should be grateful that he gave the discovery to the lowly greenrider and not Jaxom. Mirrim and S'len get to hook the Bahrain and Buenos Aires up to the Yokohama systems. They're more damaged but they have life support, and the Plan continues to be fine.

We learn that crafters like Terry, Wansor, Perschar, the Harper Artist from Renegades, and some Glass-smithing journeymen are ferried up to use the Yokohama's telescope to try to map out distinctive features on the Red Star.

Interestingly, the Red Star doesn't rotate or seems to be tidal locked somehow, as they can only study one side of it.

So now we get a lot of information about the Yokohama, and the reclamation of it. It's all very interesting, but not very recappable. Needless to say, folks are exploring and learning lots of new stuff.

Exciting things happen though when Thread attacks the Yokohama. Jancis has to calm down her fire-lizard and keep him from breathing fire on the ship. I kind of love that actually, it's an unexpected downside of cute little pets.

S'len gives us some interesting info here:

“It’s Thread, Jancis, I’m sure of it,” S’len replied. “Not space debris. There’s this flood of egglike things of varying sizes streaming toward us. Looks just like the stuff Aivas described to us in his lecture. Space debris wouldn’t come in a steady flow, would it? This stuff goes back as far as we can see from the window. Only none of them ever hits the window, and the pilot’s board is all lit up and the engineer’s station is beeping at us.” His words came tumbling out in his haste to describe the situation. Then his voice became agitated. “Bigath and Beerth are demanding that we go outside. They say it’s Thread. I never should have even thought what I thought it is!” Then in an explosive aside: “No, Bigath, we can’t fly this sort of a Fall. It’s not Thread yet, if that’s what it is! We haven’t any firestone, and there’s no air out there, and you wouldn’t fly outside anyway— you’d float, just like in here. Shards! Jancis, I can’t make her understand!”

And more interesting downsides of dragons.

Now, of course, we have to shill an authorial favorite. Aivas is trying to help talk them down via S'len, but they don't listen. Jancis says to tell them that RUTH says not to go. Apparently the greens obey Ruth.

...why? And since when?

I mean, authorial favorite, of course. But this has never been established. Jaxom and Ruth have always been outside of the standard command structure. Ruth is smaller than any green as well. He's influential over fire lizards, sure. But there's never been any indication of more than that.

Except Ruth must be special. As must Jaxom.

“When is Ruth coming, Bigath wants to know!” S’len’s tone had altered from dismay to desperation. Aivas’s calm voice continued to exhort the green dragons to listen to reason, but he was using reason that the dragons were not in a state to hear.

Jancis was scribbling a note to Jaxom to come at once when S’len, with a cry of relief, said, “Ruth’s here and everything’s under control!”

Jancis looked at the note and then at her fire-lizard, who cocked his head at her quizzically. She considered the matter for a moment longer and then made a decision. There was absolutely no way in which Jaxom and Ruth would have known to come to the bridge. He was in Ruatha today, and Aivas had no way of communicating with him there. She checked the exact time on her watch and wrote it down on the note. She added a final phrase in big letters: “TIME IT!” Then she sent Trig off to Ruatha and Jaxom.

The timing it is pretty clever, but since when do non-riders know about that?

I suppose that it IS reasonable that it came out during the classes together, but I'm annoyed that Jaxom gets this random heroic moment when poor F'lessan couldn't get an acknowledgment for more than a paragraph or two of having done something cool.

You know, I know Skies of Pern isn't McCaffrey so much as her kids, but I'm kind of inclined to read it just to see F'lessan get SOMETHING.

(I know I praised this book for letting greens be useful, but a part of me kind of thinks that the ONLY reason greens get to be useful in this book is because Ruth is small, and F'lessan has a bronze, which is large. And thus she devised a scenario where only small dragons are useful.)

(I mean, it does make sense as spaceships are cramped, but I'm inclined to be irrational.)

Fandarel asks, if Ruth and Jaxom are here, why send the note now? Jancis just says that he needs the practice. So that implies that Fandarel doesn't know about timing. I feel like sharing that information might have actually been an interesting and dramatic bonding moment between these characters. Certainly an indicator of close trust. It might have been worth seeing?

I do like Jancis though, and she decides to challenge them all with this opportunity to see a Thread attack. She's never had the opportunity.

Oh hey, look, Jaxom's a dick for no reason:

The view—or the part of it that was not blocked by green and white dragon bodies—was awesome: the objects blanketed the entire panorama. Jancis had to exert a firm control over an urge to recoil as the shapes, zooming straight at Yokohama, were deflected at seemingly the last moment before impact by the ship’s shields. But gradually, she and the smiths became accustomed to the spectacle and could appreciate it with detachment. Not that any of them found it as amusing as Jaxom did. He was clutching the pilot’s chair in one hand to prevent himself from floating off, but he was nearly doubled up with laughter. S’len and L’zan, hovering circumspectly out of reach of furiously swishing dragon tails, looked on in chagrin and embarrassment.

Why is this funny? Is it just because the real dragonriders are embarrassed, because you know, dude, they risk their lives all the time, not just when they're bored living in a palace...

Anyway, Fandarel asks if it's a meteor shower, but Aivas does confirm that it's Thread, and it'll land on Nerat in forty-six hours.

Fandarel has an interesting thought here:

“Hmmm,” Fandarel said, moving closer to peer out the window. “Fascinating! To be amid Thread and unharmed by it. Truly astounding. It’s a great pity we can’t do something to stem the tide here, before it reaches the surface.”

Oh, hey, some actual recognition of some of McCaffrey's non-favorites:

“Attempts were made by Nabhi Nabol and Bart Lemos to secure specimens, but their ship disintegrated before they were able to return with them.”

Um, no it didn't. They crashed in the ocean. Is this a retcon to explain why Sallah Telgar, who ended up in space accidentally, due to kidnapping, and was dying anyway while being useless, gets a funeral when the two men who were actually trying to accomplish something and died for it get zippola?

I mean, you COULD have written that, McCaffrey. I'd probably have accepted it. But you didn't.

Jaxom has the brilliant suggestion of trying to get a thread egg. Aivas and Jancis are NOT on board with that. Ruth offers to go catch one, but Jaxom vetoes it, saying no one else can keep the greens under control. (Yeah, yeah, whatever.)

Jancis suggests letting Trig go, apparently forgetting all her misgivings entirely. Jaxom reminds her what Aivas said. And we know he'll end up right, because he's Jaxom. But maybe I'm not being fair, because everyone's actually on board with Trig making the attempt. Even Aivas.

Ruth briefs Trig, while he keeps trying to volunteer himself. Because he's not Jaxom, I'm not going to accuse him of wanting recognition. And here we go:

“You’re sure you can do this, Trig? You don’t have to, you know,” she said, but Trig’s eyes were orange-red with challenge and confidence. With a sigh, she bounced him off her arm. He disappeared. A moment later they all saw him through the bridge window, catching an ovoid nearly as large as himself. Briefly, the force of the capture sent him spinning backward, but before he hit the window, he abruptly flipped out of sight again. Three heartbeats later, he reappeared on the bridge, chittering with satisfaction.

Trig's hide is cold, but he seems okay. Everyone (except the sullen greens) makes much of him. And the ovoid is, indeed, in the airlock.

We're told that Lytol is mobilizing a team to examine it. That's awesome. Lytol is the best. Jaxom just wonders who Lytol will tag with "the unenviable task". Um, there are a lot of people who wouldn't find it "unenviable" you git.

I don't know why I'm so mean to Jaxom this chapter. He just aggravates me. I think I'm just #TeamF'lessan. And I'm sure McCaffrey will ruin that kid eventually too, but he's clearly the unfavorite so I'm rooting for him.

Aivas walks Jancis through scanning the ovoid with the council. Jaxom banters with Aivas in a way that seems much more suited to Piemur, to be honest.

“It occurs to me, Aivas,” Jaxom began, winking at Jancis, “that this phenomenon was not on your agenda for today in space?” He was amused to see Fandarel regard him with astonishment for such an impudent question.

There was so profound a silence from Aivas that everyone on the bridge exchanged amused glances. Twice in one day they had confounded Aivas? Fandarel began to chuckle, a deep rolling sound, when an answer finally came.

“Regrettably, this facility did not compute that possibility, though calculations now indicate that the Yokohama and her sister ships have been in the line of Thread showers every fourth Fall.”

“Well, imagine that!” Jaxom remarked, his eyes glinting with mischief. He had never thought to catch Aivas unprepared.

But maybe Piemur just rubbed off on him.

Aivas then asks if the shields of the ship are deflecting or destroying the ovoids. Jaxom notes that it's deflecting then asks about the destructive mode. Jaxom likes the idea, they can decrease the thread that will fall on Nerat, and maybe win Begamon over.

Hm. I don't remember Begamon being one of the really obnoxious ones, so maybe they've got a chance. Aivas walks him through how to switch the functions. THIS time, I don't begrudge Jaxom his satisfaction. Even the greens are delighted. Sadly, there's no way to extend it past the ship, but it does lead Aivas into explaining a little of how the Plan will work:

“Then how, Aivas, do you propose that we shall destroy this menace—as you promised we would?” Jaxom demanded.

“By removing the vector that brings Thread to Pern. That should have been obvious to you all by now,” Aivas chided them. “The path of the eccentric planet must be altered sufficiently so that it does not come close enough to spin Thread into Pern’s orbit.”

Rather understandably, Fandarel would like to know how the fuck they're supposed to do that. But Aivas just says it'll become apparent as they continue with the Plan. Aivas is kind of a dick.

The other guy there, Belterac, gets to be weirdly sexist now, when Jaxom asks if the Buenos Aires and Bahrain have similar shields and Jancis asserts that she wants a turn at destroying Thread.

“It would be a dangerous task for a young woman, a young mother,” Belterac said, glancing anxiously at Fandarel to support him.

The fuck? You're INSIDE, you goober. For some reason, Jaxom has to pull rank:

“Cease!” Jaxom said, throwing up his hands and nearly propelling himself out of the pilot’s chair by mistake. “As Lord Holder, I outrank everyone else, so I will make the decision. Master Fandarel deserves the chance for many reasons, and Jancis, too. However, Bigath and Beerth brought all you Smithcrafters up here, so they can just haul you across to the other ships, as well. You—” He pointed at Belterac. “—can be trusted with switching the screen from deflect to destroy. And you—” He indicated Fandarel. “—can then engage. Jancis, you reprogram the shield, and Evan, you can hit the ENTER key. So you’ll all take part.”

This seems really unnecessary. Also, you DON'T outrank anyone. Pern's society makes it clear that Crafters are autonomous. This should have been Fandarel's moment.

Eventually they ask the green riders if they're on board, fortunately, they are. This leads to a really interesting subject though:

“Jaxom,” Aivas began, “how much weight can the green dragons carry? Their burdens today weigh more than their body weight.”

“A dragon is capable of carrying as much as he thinks he can,” Jaxom replied with a shrug.

“So if the dragon thinks he can carry any object, irrespective of its actual weight, he will?”

“I don’t think anyone’s actually tried to overload a dragon. Didn’t you tell me that the earliest ones were used to transport loads out of Landing following the eruption?”

“That is true. But they were never, as you surmised, permitted to carry great weights. In fact, Sean O’Connell, the leader of those early riders, resented the fact that the dragons were used in such a capacity.”

“Why?”

“That was never explained.”

Okay, so quick question. How does Aivas KNOW this? He's talking about the eruption and loads being transported out of Landing.

That means no one would have come back to TELL Aivas this was happening. And assuming he observed it somehow, through sensors and cameras, then he'd have HEARD why Sean was upset by this. Sean was a very vocal guy. This doesn't make sense at all.

That said, the draconic ability is plot relevant, clearly.

...okay, now I'm very lost:

Jaxom smiled to himself. “Dragons can do a lot of inexplicable things.”

“For instance,” and Aivas’s voice altered subtly, “arriving in very timely fashions?”

Jaxom chuckled. “That’s one.”

“How did you contrive such a serendipitous entrance?”

“Jancis was clever enough to put down the time. When I visualized the bridge for Ruth, I also visualized the bridge clock”—Jaxom pointed to the digital face—“at a minute before the one she gave. So, of course, we arrived—” He chuckled again. “—in time!”

Tell Aivas that I always know where in time I am, Ruth said, and Jaxom duly repeated the message to Aivas.

...if Jancis knows about timing it, shouldn't Aivas?

Also, I really wish McCaffrey would stop having Jaxom and Ruth brag about something that doesn't seem to mean anything. Every dragon can time travel and none of them seem to have an issue going and coming back. There's been no indication of confusion in any of them when it's happened.

It'd be one thing if we ever saw Ruth USE it somehow, to do a flight no one else could do. But that's never happened. Everything Ruth has ever done is something another dragon could do.

...well, maybe. There is one thing that I think McCaffrey COULD have given Ruth - saving Jaxom and getting him to the Southern Continent when he had fire-head. At that point, Jaxom didn't seem coherent enough to fly. And it's not been so long since we saw how Moreta died. THERE, I can buy Ruth's different perspective actually mattering, because he could get them somewhere even without his rider being conscious. But that's it.

Anyway, Aivas notes that it's an interesting ability, and Jaxom says it's for his ears only, because of course he does.

Fucking Jaxom. Notice how Mirrim and Piemur don't get to take part in the festivities today either. Just the less defined side characters and the craftsfolk who aren't Jaxom's rival in attention or status.

Anyway, Fandarel suggests they keep the whole Yokohama (and apparently other ships) being able to destroy thread thing quiet until they can discuss it further. Jancis points out that it might just convince the doubtful that the projects are useful. Fandarel just says that's what they have to discuss.

You know how it is, Jancis. The common folk can't be trusted with knowledge. Or aerial travel. Or unfettered access to Aivas or his databanks.

Jaxom decides to go to Benden. And this is silly:

Ramoth and Mnementh are happy to see me, he told his rider as they circled in to land at the queen’s weyr. Lessa and F’lar are within. Then he turned his head up to Mnementh, and the two dragons touched noses. Mnementh says that F’lar will be very pleased to hear what we did on the Yokohama. He and Ramoth are.

...why wouldn't Mnementh and Ramoth just pass it along? Oh right, they can't ruin Jaxom's moment.

(Did poor F'lessan get any kind of triumphant moment with his own parents? We will never know.)

Hey, Jaxom's still an idiot.

“And what surprise is that?” Lessa asked, looking up from reinforcing a join on a long strap. F’lar had his harness stretched from a peg set high on the wall and was rubbing oil into the thick neck strap.

These reminders of his near escape from cold-damaged leather sobered Jaxom. He had seen no further indication that the conspirators at Tillek were carrying out their threat against him. But then, he had been careful not to provide opportunities.

Don't you think it'd be useful to let them know this is happening? Especially since their plans include Lessa and/or Lessa's son. Or distant family. Also, what if they decide to target someone else?

“Oh,” he began casually, “just that the Fall over Nerat won’t be as heavy as usual day after tomorrow.”

“How’s that?” F’lar swiveled about, giving Jaxom his complete attention. Lessa’s stare suggested that the young Holder had better be quick with his explanation.

Grinning because it wasn’t often that he could astound this pair, he related what had happened. When he had finished, and the two Weyrleaders had questioned him closely on details, Lessa looked less than pleased.

“I’d say we were very lucky not to have lost two green dragons. And don’t tell me you didn’t time it, Jaxom.”

“Then I won’t,” Jaxom replied. “Bloody lucky Ruth’s so clever at it.

So one thing I didn't recap is that Aivas even said, right after Jaxom's pulling rank moment, that the fall over Nerat would only be reduced by .09 percent. That doesn't seem like it will be enough to give the wings a "brief breather" like F'lar is thinking.

Also, will Jaxom be flying in this one? Somehow I doubt it. And really, he shouldn't, considering he has a Hold to rule. But it's not like he's been ruling that...ever. So why start now?

Jaxom invites Lessa up to watch Thread destroyed next time. Then cheerily reveals that they've captured larval thread. Lessa hates this idea and worries about danger. F'lar reassures her that Aivas wouldn't expose them to danger. I feel like it would be really interesting though if Aivas could be mistaken for once. But somehow I doubt McCaffrey will let that happen.

This is interesting though:

“Aivas would not expose us to danger,” F’lar said, giving her a soothing smile. “I find Jaxom’s comments on Aivas’s mandates extremely perceptive.” He settled in a chair and, cradling his klah cup, leaned across the table. “I’m curious, Jaxom, and you’re more in Aivas’s company these days than we are: This dissection business makes me wonder if Aivas’s basic imperatives conflict with ours.”

“Not where the annihilation of Thread is concerned. Though sometimes I don’t understand at all why he has us doing some of those endless drills and exercises. Especially now that he has been revealed as fallible.”

F’lar grinned. “Did Aivas ever say he was not?”

It'd have been interesting if Aivas were revealed to be "fallible" in a way that mattered, not just the kids running amuck.

I'm also not sure what's so "extremely perceptive" about Jaxom's mandate, but I get it F'lar. You're going to stay on your author's good side by shilling the favorite. You don't want to risk another random White Dragon moment where you and Lessa are suddenly declared to be irrational loons, right?

Oh, okay, apparently Aivas's "fallability" is actually about not knowing that Thread descended so close to the Yokohama. Apparently none of the ancients knew that. I...am a little bewildered by this, because Thread comes from the Red Star. And the Yokohama is between Pern and the Red Star. Since it doesn't appear like there's a specific PLACE on the Red Star that Thread comes from, then passing something that is in between, seems very logical?

F'lar and Jaxom find it reassuring that Aivas and the ancients aren't inhumanly perfect. Lessa does NOT like the idea, because they've been believing Aivas all along. That's a fair point. And I appreciate that Lessa is the ONE character allowed to express this kind of thing.

But hey, Jaxom has to show the political and psychological insight he's never shown once in the book that was actually about him, and we never saw him grow and develop:

“I’m beginning to figure out what that’s going to be,” Jaxom said so confidently that Lessa gave him a long look. “Aivas is obviously teaching us at the rate at which he feels we’ll be able to absorb the revolutionary ideas; these exercises are what we have to perfect before we can achieve his goals, which are ours, and were our ancestors’.”

“And will you let us in on your conclusions?” Lessa’s tone was as caustic as Jaxom had ever heard it.

“It has to do with having a Thread in the airlock and being able to analyze it unemotionally, the way Sharra, Oldive, and the others can identify bacteria and develop ways of combating infection. It has to do with becoming accustomed to moving in free-fall or in airless space, in using sophisticated equipment as if it were a third arm or an extra set of brains. That’s all Aivas is, you know. An extra set of brains with a phenomenal, and infallible, memory.” As Jaxom spoke, F’lar regarded him with growing respect. “And possessing a knowledge of the advanced technology we have lacked, so we couldn’t do more than hold Thread at bay. But it’s the dragons, and their riders, that Aivas needs to demolish Thread.”

Lessa thinks that's obvious actually, which I like. But she'd be happier if she knew what roles the dragons will have. And when the larger dragons will be let up there.

Jaxom grinned at Lessa. “Now, Lessa, don’t be mean. It’s not often that the greens get the jump on their bigger clutch-mates. Allow them their moment of glory. At any rate, your chance comes soon. Sharra and Mirrim are monitoring the oxygen levels in the cargo bay, and as soon as the atmosphere’s at the proper consistency, you’ll be very welcome. Of course, you can always ask a green to fly you up there.”

Yeah, whatever. We all know this is the greens' day only because RUTH must be important. Because YOU must be important.

Ramoth, by the way, is very NOT on board with Lessa flying anyone else. But of course...

“There! You know what Ramoth thinks of that idea,” Lessa replied with a glint of amusement. “As if I’d consider for one moment being conveyed by a green,” she added to soothe her weyrmate.

“A white?” Jaxom offered slyly.

Ramoth rumbled again, but not quite so angrily, and sneezed. I’d be exceedingly careful carrying Lessa, Ramoth, Ruth said. I fit on the bridge, which is warmer than the cargo bay, and Lessa would see much more on the bridge than in that dark cavern.

See? It's never been about the greens, many of whom are Ramoth's daughters, as much as Ruth is her genderless offspring generally referred to as male. Of course Ramoth isn't as angry about RUTH carrying Lessa.

Hmph.

Jaxom does state that Aivas wants the bronze and brown dragons to get used to freefall, so it should be soon, now that the bay is available and the algae-farm is developing.

Lessa, who McCaffrey may have just remembered is brilliant as well as slightly prone to erratic emotions, asks if Aivas is planning for the dragons to move the ships.

She reminds the startled men about Aivas's insistence that the dragons should be able to move things telekinetically.

“Dragons can only move themselves, their riders, and what they carry,” F’lar said categorically. “They cannot move things they’re not holding. And what good would come of moving the ships? If his plan is somehow to use the ships to blow up the Red Star, I don’t see what good that would accomplish. Not as I understand his lessons in spatial mechanics.”

F'lar's question is valid, but I wonder if he isn't being a bit too confident about the limits to draconic ability. Remember, they once believed queen dragons couldn't fly.

Jaxom gets up to go, gets a bit more praise and banter. And we do get to see some of F'lar's confidence when Jaxom asks if he has concerns about Aivas's fallibility.

“Me? No, certainly not,” the Weyrleader assured him. “We’ve learned so much already from Aivas that, even if his vaunted Plan fails, we’ll surely find our own ways of ridding Pern of Thread by the next Pass. But, somehow, Jaxom,” F’lar said, gripping Jaxom’s arm hard to show his implacable resolve, “I know we’ll manage to do it in this Pass! Make no mistake about that! We’ll do it in my lifetime!”

Now that, I can believe.

--

We switch scenes to when the Smithcrafters returning to Landing. Apparently I was right, and a LOT of people want to dissect the Thread. Lytol actually is willing to leave it up to them to choose, pointing out that many folk believe just being in the presence of Thread will lead to horrible death.

That seems like a reasonable superstition to have, though characters like Menolly and Piemur could say otherwise. (Piemur, by the way, has baby Pierjan asleep in his backpack. Which seems like questionable childcare, but I note that Jaxom has never once indicated that HE ever took care of his own kids so that Sharra could do something cool.)

(Hey, the narrative keeps favoring Jaxom, so I'm going to keep taking potshots at him. Fuck that guy.)

Robinton's happy to volunteer to go, which of course leads to everyone protesting. But he DOES want to go up there eventually, and I don't really blame him for wanting to do something cool, even if he is kind of dramatic about it.

And of course, we learn that Lessa and F'lar report favorably on the reduction of Thread density. Apparently a .09 decrease means three long columns entirely free of Thread. That makes no sense, but fuck it.

Lessa thinks it's time that they go up to the Yokohama. Aivas agrees that the cargo bay is big enough for both Ramoth and Mnementh. (You might have seen that I didn't bitch about Lessa thinking she's too good for greens the way I do for Robinton. The reason is simple: Lessa is awesome and saved the world. She could decide she was too good for oxygen and I'd applaud her figuring out a way to breathe carbon dioxide instead.)

Aivas tells them when the next time Thread should intersect with Yokohama's orbit, and they make plans to fly straight from Benden which leads to:

“Who’s going to take me then?” Robinton asked, sitting straight up in his chair and looking aggrieved.

“I will,” D’ram said. “Surely there’s enough air for three big dragons, isn’t there, Aivas?” The old Weyrleader’s tone implied that there had better be.

Fuck off, Robinton. These people who risk their lives have better things to do than be your taxi service. Also, shut up, D'ram. Aivas can't control the size of the bay, and you're retired, so you get less priority.

Also notice, Robinton could go up there on a green RIGHT NOW. Fuckhead. (see above.)

The chapter ends here.