One in ten hundred have perfect pitch, Petiron had said in one of his evasive replies. One in ten thousand can build an acceptable melody with meaningful words. Were you only a lad, thered be no problem at all.
Well, were stuck with me being a girl.
Youd make a fine big strong lad, you would, Petiron had replied exasperatingly.
And whats wrong with being a fine big strong girl? Menolly had been half-teasing, half-annoyed.
Nothing, surely. Nothing. And Petiron had patted her hands, smiling up at her.
Shed been helping him eat his dinner, his hands so crippled even the lightest wooden spoon left terrible ridges in the swollen fingers.
And Masterharper Robintons a fair man. No one on Pern can say he isnt. And hell listen to me. He knows his duty, and I am, after all, a senior member of the Crafthall, being taught up in the Craft before him himself. And Ill require him to listen to you.
Have you really sent him those songs you made me wax down on slates?
I have. Sure I have done that much for you, dear child.
Hed been so emphatic that Menolly had to believe that hed done what hed said. Poor old Petiron. In the last months, hed not remembered the time of Turn much less what hed done the day before.
He was timeless now, Menolly told herself, her wet cheeks stinging with cold, and shed never forget him.
The shadow of the two arms of Half-Circles cliffs fell across her face. The barge was entering the home harbor. She lifted her head. High above, she saw the diminutive outline of a dragon in the sky. How lovely! And how had Benden Weyr known? No, the dragonrider was only doing a routine sweep. With Thread falling at unexpected times, dragons were often flying above Half-Circle, isolated as it was by the bogs at the top of Nerat Bay. No matter, the dragon was awing above Half-Circle Hold at this appropriate moment and that was, to Menolly, the final tribute to Petiron the Harper.
The men lifted the heavy oars out of the water, and the barge glided slowly to its mooring at the far end of the Dock. Fort and Tillek might boast of being the oldest Sea-Holds, but only Half-Circle had a cavern big enough to dock the entire fishing fleet and keep it safe from Threadfall and weather.
Dock Cavern had moorings for thirty boats; storage space for all the nets, traps and lines; airing racks for sail; and a shallow ledge where hulls could be scraped free of seagrowths and repaired. At the very end of the immense Cavern was a shelf of rock where the Holds builders worked when there was sufficient timber for a new hull. Beyond was the small inner cave where priceless wood was stored, dried on high racks or warped into frames.
The burial barge lightly touched its pier.
Menolly? The first oarsman held out a hand to her.
Startled by the unexpected courtesy to a girl her age, she was about to jump down when she saw in his eyes the respect due her at this moment. And his hand, closing on hers, gave silent approval for her singing of the Harpers elegy. The other men stood, too, waiting for her to disembark first. She straightened her shoulders, although her throat felt tight enough for more tears, and she stepped proudly down to the solid stone.
As she turned to walk back to the landside of the Cavern, she saw that the other boats were discharging their passengers quickly and quietly. Her fathers boat, the biggest of the Half-Circle fleet, had already tacked back into the harbor. Yanuss voice carried across the water, above the incidental sounds of creaking boats and muted voices.
Quickly now, men. Weve a good breeze rising and the fishll be biting after three days of storm.
The oarsmen, hurried past her, to board their assigned fishing boats. It seemed unfair to Menolly that Petiron, after a long lifes dedication to Half-Circle Hold, was dismissed so quickly from everyones mind. And yetlife did go on. There were fish to be caught against winters hungry months. Fair days during the cold months of the Turn were not to be squandered.
She quickened her pace. Shed far to go around the rim of the Dock Cavern and she was cold. Menolly also wanted to get into the Hold before her mother noticed that she didnt have the drum. Waste wasnt tolerated by Mavi any more than idleness by Yanus.
While this was an occasion, it had been a sad one and the women and children and also the men too old to sea-fish observed a decorous pace out of the Cavern, making smaller groups as they headed towards their own Holds in the southern arc of Half-Circles sheltering palisade.
Menolly saw Mavi organizing the children into work groups. With no Harper to lead them in the Teaching Songs and ballads, the children would be kept occupied in clearing the storm debris from the white-sanded beaches.
There might be sun in the sky, and the dragonrider still circling on his brown, but the wind was frigid and Menolly began to shiver violently. She wanted to feel the warmth of the fire on the great Holds kitchen hearth and a cup of hot klah inside her.
She heard her sister Sellas voice carrying to her on the breeze, Shes got nothing to do now, Mavi, why do I have to.
Menolly ducked behind a group of adults, avoiding her mothers searching glance. Trust Sella to remember that Menolly no longer had the excuse of nursing the ailing Harper. Ahead of her, one of the old aunts tripped, her querulous voice raised in a cry for help. Menolly sprinted to her side, supporting her and receiving loud protestations of gratitude.
Only for Petiron would I have dragged these old bones out on the cold sea this morning. Bless the man, rest the man, the old woman went on, clinging with unexpected strength to Menolly. Youre a good child, Menolly, so you are. It is Menolly, isnt it? The old one peered up at her. Now you just give me a hand up to Old Uncle and Ill tell him the whole of it, since he hasnt legs to leave his bed.
So Sella had to supervise the children and Menolly got to the fire: at least long enough to stop shivering. Then old auntie would have it that the Uncle would be grateful for some klah, too, so when Mavi entered her kitchen, her eyes searching for her youngest daughter, she found Menolly dutifully occupied serving the oldster.
Very well then, Menolly, while youre up there, see that you set the old man comfortably. Then you can start on the glows.
Menolly had her warming cup with the Old Uncle and left him comfortable, mournfully exchanging tales of other burials with the aunt. Checking the glows had been her task ever since she had grown taller than Sella. It had meant climbing up and down the different levels to the inner and outer layers of the huge Sea Hold, but Menolly had established the quickest way to finish the job so that shed have some free time to herself before Mavi started looking for her. She had been accustomed to spending those earned minutes practicing with the Harper. So Menolly was not surprised to find herself, eventually, outside Petirons door.
She was surprised, however, to hear voices in his room. She was about to charge angrily through the half-open door and demand an accounting when she heard her mothers voice clearly.
The room wont need much fixing for the new Harper, so it wont.
Menolly stepped back into the shadow of the corridor. The new Harper?
What I want to know, Mavi, is who is to keep the children up in their learning until he comes? That voice was Soreels, the wife of the First Holder and therefore spokeswoman for the other Hold women to Mavi as Sea Holders lady. She did well enough this morning. You have to give her that, Mavi.
Yanus will send the message ship.
Not today, nor tomorrow he wont. I dont fault Sea Holder, Mavi, but it stands to reason that the boats must fish and the sloops crew cant be spared. That means four, five days before the messenger gets to Igen Hold. From Igen Hold, if a dragonrider obliges by carrying the messagebut we all know what the Old-timers at Igen Weyr are like so lets say, Harper drums to the Masterharper Hall at Fort is another twothree days. A man has to be selected by Masterharper Robinton and sent overland and by ship. And with Thread falling any time it pleases, no one travels fast or far in a day. Itll be spring before we see another Harper. Are the children to be left without teaching for months?
Soreel had punctuated her comments with brushing sounds, and there were other clatters in the room, the swishing of bed rushes being gathered up. Now Menolly could hear the murmur of two other voices supporting Soreels arguments.
Petiron has taught well
He taught her well, too, Soreel interrupted Mavi.
Harpering is a mans occupation
Fair enough if Sea Holderll spare a man for it. Soreels voice was almost belligerent because everyone knew the answer to that. Truth be told, I think the girl knew the Sagas better than the old man this past Turn. You know his mind was ranging back in time, Mavi.
Yanus will do whats proper, The finality in Mavis tone firmly ended that discussion.
Menolly heard footsteps crossing the old Harpers room, and she ducked down the hall, around the nearest bend and down into the kitchen level.
It distressed Menolly to think of anyone, even another Harper, in Petirons room. Obviously it distressed others that there was no Harper. Usually such a problem didnt arise. Every Hold could boast one or two musically able men and every Hold took pride in encouraging these talents. Harpers liked to have other instrumentalists to share the chore of entertaining their Holds during the long winter evenings. And it was also the better part of wisdom to have a substitute available for just such an emergency as Half-Circle was experiencing. But fishing was hard on the hands: the heavy work, the cold water, the salt and fish oils thickened joints and calloused fingers in the wrong places. Fishermen were often away many days on longer hauls. After a Turn or two at net, trap and sail line, young men lost their skill at playing anything but simple tunes. Harper Teaching Ballads required deft quick fingers and constant practice.
By putting to sea to fish so quickly after the old Harpers burial, Yanus thought to have time enough to find an alternative solution. There was no doubt that the girl could sing well, play well, and shed not disgraced Hold or Harper that morning. It was going to take time to send for and receive a new Harper, and the youngsters must not lose all progress in the learning of the basic Teaching Ballads.
But Yanus had many strong reservations about putting such a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of a girl not fifteen Turns old. Not the least of these was Menollys distressing tendency toward tune-making. Well enough and amusing now and again in the long winter evenings to hear her sing them, but old Petiron had been alive to keep her to rights. Yanus wasnt sure that he could trust her not to include her trivial little whistles in the lessons. How were the young to know that hers werent proper songs for their learning? The trouble was, her melodies were the sort that stayed in the mind so a man found himself humming or whistling them without meaning to.
By the time the boats had profitably trawled the Deep and tacked for home, Yanus had found no compromise. It was no consolation to know that he wouldnt have any argument from the other holders. Had Menolly sung poorly that morningbut she hadnt. As Sea Holder for Half-Circle, he was obliged to bring up the young of the Hold in the traditions of Pern: knowing their duty and how to do it. He counted himself very lucky to be beholden to Benden Weyr, to have Flar, bronze Mnemenths rider, as Weyrleader and Lessa as Ramoths Weyrwoman. So Yanus felt deeply obliged to keep tradition at Half-Circle: and the young would learn what they needed to know, even if a girl had the teaching.
That evening, after the days catch had been salted down, he instructed Mavi to bring her daughter to the small room off the Great Hall where he conducted Hold business and where the Records were stored. Mavi had put the Harpers instruments on the mantel for safekeeping.
Appropriately Yanus handed Menolly Petirons gitar. She took the instrument in a properly reverential manner, which reassured Yanus that she appreciated the responsibility.
Tomorrow youll be excused from your regular morning duties to take the youngsters for their teaching, he told her. But Ill have no more of those finger-twiddlings of yours.
I sang my songs when Petiron was alive and you never minded them
Yanus frowned down at his tall daughter.
Petiron was alive. Hes dead now, and youll obey me in this
Over her fathers shoulders, Menolly saw her mothers frowning face, saw her warning headshake and held back a quick reply.
You bear in mind what Ive said! And Yanus fingered the wide belt he wore. No tuning!
Yes, Yanus.
Start tomorrow then. Unless, of course, theres Threadfall, and then everyone will bait longlines.
Yanus dismissed the two women and began to compose a message to the Masterharper to go when he could next spare the sloops crew. Theyd sail it to Igen Hold. About time Half-Circle had some news of the rest of Pern anyway. And he could ship some of the smoked fish. The journey neednt be a wasted trip.
Once in the hallway, Mavi gripped her daughters arm hard. Dont disobey him, girl.
Theres no harm in my tunes, mother. You know what Petiron said
Ill remind you that the old mans dead. And that changes everything that went on during his life. Behave yourself while you stand in a mans place. No tuning! To bed now, and mind you turn the glowbaskets. No sense wasting light no eye needs.
Chapter 2
Honor those the dragons heed
In thought and favor, word and deed.
Worlds are lost or worlds are saved
From those dangers dragon-braved.
Dragonman, avoid excess:
Greed will bring the Weyr distress:
To the ancient Law adhere,
Prospers thus the Dragonweyr.
It was easy enough, at first, for Menolly to forget her tuning during the Teachings. She wanted to do Petiron proud so that when the new Harper came, hed find no fault in the childrens recitations. The children were attentive: the Teaching was always better then gutting and preserving fish, or net mending, and longline baiting. Then, too, winter storms, the severest in many Turns, kept the fishing fleet docked and the Teaching eased the boredom.