Dragonsong (23 page)

‘Menolly. I knew something had broken that girl’s heart, but not what. She may not be able to play, Master Robinton. Mirrim says there’s a dreadful scar on her left hand.’

‘She can, too, play,’ said T’gellan and Elgion together.

‘I heard the sound of multiple pipes coming from that cave,’ Elgion said hurriedly.

‘I saw her hide those pipes when we cleared out her cave,’ T’gellan added. ‘And furthermore, she’s taught her fire lizards to sing, too.’

‘She has!’ Bright sparks lit the Masterharper’s eyes, and he turned purposefully towards the kitchen cavern.

‘Not so fast, Masterharper,’ said Manora. ‘Go softly with that child.’

‘Yes, I saw that, too, when we were chatting this evening, and now I understand what was inhibiting her. So how to proceed cautiously?’ The Masterharper frowned and gazed at T’gellan so long that the bronze rider wondered what he’d done wrong. ‘How do you know she’s taught her fire lizards to sing?’

‘Why, they were singing along with her and Oharan last night.’

‘Hmmm, now that’s very interesting. Here’s what we shall do.’

Menolly was tired now, and most of the visitors had left. Still the Masterharper did not appear to collect his fire lizard eggs. She wouldn’t leave until she’d seen him again. He’d been so kind; she hugged to herself the memory of their meeting. It was hard for her to believe that the Masterharper of Pern had carried her, Menolly of … Menolly of the Nine Fire Lizards. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her head on her hands, feeling the rough scar against her left cheek and not even minding that at the moment.

She didn’t hear the music at first, it was soft, as if Oharan was playing to himself at a nearby table.

‘Would you sing along with me, Menolly?’ asked Oharan softly, and she looked up to
see
him taking a place at the table.

Well, no harm in singing. It would help keep her awake until the Masterharper arrived. So she joined in. Beauty and Rocky roused at the sound of her voice, but Rocky went back to sleep after a peevish complaint. Beauty, however, dropped down to Menolly’s shoulder, her sweet soprano trill blending with Menolly’s voice.

‘Do sing another verse, Menolly,’ said Manora, emerging from the shadows of the darkened cavern.

She took the chair opposite Menolly, looking weary, but sort of peaceful and pleased. Oharan struck the bridging chords and started the second verse.

‘My dear, you have such a restful voice,’ Manora said when the last chord died away. ‘Sing me another one and then I’m away.’

Menolly could scarcely refuse, and she glanced at Oharan to see what she should sing.

‘Sing this one along with me,’ the Weyr Harper said, his eyes intent on Menolly’s as his fingers struck an opening chord. Menolly knew the song, which had such an infectious rhythm that she began to sing before she realized why it was so familiar. She was also tired and not expecting to be trapped, not by Oharan and certainly not by Manora. That’s
why
she didn’t realize at first what Oharan was playing. It was one of the two songs she’d jotted down for Petiron: the ones he’d said he’d sent to the Masterharper.

She faltered.

‘Oh, don’t stop singing, Menolly,’ Manora said, ‘it’s such a lovely tune.’

‘Maybe she should
play
her own song,’ said someone standing just behind Menolly in the shadow; and the Masterharper walked forward, holding out his own gitar to her.

‘No!
NO
!’ Menolly, half-rose, snatching her hands behind her back. Beauty gave a startled squawk and twined her tail about Menolly’s neck.

‘Won’t you please play it … for me?’ asked the Harper, his eyes entreating her.

Two more people emerged from the darkness: T’gellan, grinning fit to crack his face wide open, and Elgion! How did he know? From the gleam of his eyes and his smile, he was pleased and proud. Menolly was frightened and hid her face in confusion. How neatly she had been tricked!

‘Don’t be afraid now, child,’ said Manora quickly, catching Menolly’s arm and gently pressing her back into her chair. ‘There’s nothing for you to fear now: for yourself or your rare gift of music.’

‘But I can’t play …’ She held up her hand. Robinton took it in both of his, gently fingering the scar, examining it.

‘You can play, Menolly,’ he said quietly, his kind eyes on hers, as he continued to stroke her hand, much as she would have caressed her frightened Beauty. ‘Elgion heard you when you were playing the pipes in the cave.’

‘But I’m a girl …’ she said. ‘Yanus told me …’

‘As to that,’ replied the Masterharper somewhat impatiently, though he smiled as he spoke, ‘if Petiron had had sense enough to tell me that that was the problem, you might have been spared a great deal of anguish: and I certainly would have been spared a great deal of trouble searching all Pern for you. Don’t you
want
to be a harper?’ Robinton ended on such a wistful, distressed note that Menolly had to reassure him.

‘Oh yes, yes. I want music more than anything else in the world …’ On her shoulder, Beauty trilled sweetly and Menolly caught her breath sharply in distress.

‘Now what’s the matter?’ asked Robinton.

‘I’ve got fire lizards. Lessa said I belong in the Weyr.’

‘Lessa will not tolerate
nine singing
fire lizards in her Weyr,’ said the Harper in a voice
that
brooked no contradiction. ‘And they
do
belong in my Harperhall. You’ve a trick or two to teach me, my girl.’ He grinned down at her with such mischief dancing in his eyes that she smiled timorously back at him. ‘Now,’ and he waggled a finger at her, in mock seriousness, ‘before you can think of any more obstacles, arguments or distractions, will you kindly bundle up my fire lizard eggs, get whatever you have, and let us be off to the Harperhall? This has been a day of many tiring impressions.’

His hand pressed hers reassuringly, and his kind eyes urged her acquiescence. All Menolly’s doubts and fears dissolved in an instant.

Beauty bugled, releasing the stranglehold of her tail about Menolly’s neck. Beauty called again, rousing the rest of the fair, her voice echoing Menolly’s joy. She rose slowly to her feet, her hand clinging to the Harper’s for support and confidence.

‘Oh, gladly will I come, Master Robinton,’ she said, her eyes blurred by happy tears.

And nine fire lizards bugled a harmonious chorus of accord!

THE END

Also by Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey’s books can be read individually or as series. However, for greatest enjoyment the following sequences are recommended:

The Dragon Books

DRAGONFLIGHT

DRAGONQUEST

DRAGONSONG

DRAGONSINGER: HARPER OF PERN

THE WHITE DRAGON

DRAGONDRUMS

MORETA: DRAGONLADY OF PERN

NERILKA’S STORY & THE COELURA

DRAGONSDAWN

THE RENEGADES OF PERN

ALL THE WEYRS OF PERN

THE CHRONICLES OF PERN: FIRST FALL

THE DOLPHINS OF PERN

RED STAR RISING: THE SECOND CHRONICLES OF PERN

(published in
US
as
DRAGONSEYE
)

THE MASTERHARPER OF PERN

THE SKIES OF PERN

and with Todd McCaffrey:

DRAGON’S KIN

DRAGON’S FIRE

DRAGON HARPER

DRAGON’S TIME

SKY DRAGONS

by Todd McCaffrey:

DRAGONSBLOOD

DRAGONHEART

DRAGONGIRL

Crystal Singer Books

THE CRYSTAL SINGER

KILLASHANDRA

CRYSTAL LINE

Talent Series

TO RIDE PEGASUS

PEGASUS IN FLIGHT

PEGASUS IN SPACE

Tower and the Hive Sequence

THE ROWAN

DAMIA

DAMIA’S CHILDREN

LYON’S PRIDE

THE TOWER AND THE HIVE

Catteni Sequence

FREEDOM’S LANDING

FREEDOM’S CHOICE

FREEDOM’S CHALLENGE

FREEDOM’S RANSOM

Individual Titles

RESTOREE

DECISION AT DOONA

THE SHIP WHO SANG

GET OFF THE UNICORN

THE GIRL WHO HEARD DRAGONS

BLACK HORSES FOR THE KING

NIMISHA’S SHIP

A GIFT OF DRAGONS

The Petaybee novels
written in collaboration with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

POWERS THAT BE

POWER LINES

POWER PLAY

CHANGELINGS

MAELSTROM

DELUGE

The Acorna Series

ACORNA
(with Margaret Ball)

ACORNA’S QUEST
(with Margaret Ball)

ACORNA’S PEOPLE
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S WORLD
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S SEARCH
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S REBELS
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S TRIUMPH
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S CHILDREN: FIRST WARNING
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S CHILDREN: SECOND WAVE
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

ACORNA’S CHILDREN: THIRD WATCH
(with Elizabeth Ann Scarborough)

and published by Corgi Books

TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS
61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA
A Random House Group Company
www.transworldbooks.co.uk

DRAGONSONG
A CORGI BOOK : 9780552106610
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781448127931

First publication in Great Britain

Corgi edition published 1978

Copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1976
The Estate of Anne McCaffrey, Literary Trustee, Jay A. Katz

Anne McCaffrey has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Addresses for Random House Group Ltd companies outside the UK can be found
at:
www.randomhouse.co.uk
The Random House Group Ltd Reg. No. 954009

About the Author

Auspiciously born on April Fool’s Day, 1926, Anne Inez McCaffrey was the second of three children and the only daughter.

She, like so many of her time, was shaped by the two World Wars and the Depression. Her father, George Herbert McCaffrey had served as a lieutenant in the First World War and after the war helped the Polish set up their government before returning home to marry Anne Dorothy McElroy.

Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey was a very talented woman with a decent touch of what the family came to call ‘the Sight’. Just before the very worst of the stock market Crash in 1929, she pulled all her money out. Her husband, less trusting of such things, did not.

When not drilling the children in the backyard or maintaining his reserve status with the Army, the ‘Kernel’ – as he called himself – indulged in gardening. He was also a great reader and one of Anne’s first memories was of him at the far end of the hallway reading Kipling’s Barrack-room Ballads while she was sick with scarlet fever.

As Anne got older, she learned to ride horses and thus began a lifelong equestrian love affair.

When the Second World War broke out, the Kernel reported immediately to the draft board, offering his services. Elder brother Hugh had already joined the Army and was stationed in Hawaii, desperately trying to get off the island and go to Officer Candidate School.

During the worst of the Battle of Britain when ‘the Few’ were all that stood between the English and imminent invasion, Anne developed a sense of rapport with the plucky young Princess Elizabeth who, with her family, endured the German ‘Blitz’ on London – Anne being just twenty days the Princess’ elder. And with that was planted the seed that would grow into
Dragonflight
.

Anne’s little brother, Kevin, was not expected to live. He’d contracted osteomyelitis and had, for several years, been at death’s door. Anne’s mother took charge of caring for ‘Kevie’ which left Anne herself to be sent down south to Stuart Hall School for girls. As a Yankee, and a Catholic to boot, Anne found Stuart Hall not the best of matches. She turned heads and gained the ire of the Dean by insisting on being allowed to go to the local movie theater to see Edgar Rice Burroughs’ ‘Tarzan’.