Anne McCaffrey - Pern 13 - The Dolphins of Pern

The Dolphins of Pern

by Anne McCaffrey

Synopsis:

When humans first settled Pern, intelligence-enhanced dolphins came with

them--to colonize the planet's ocean. Now, centuries later, as the

battle to destroy the deadly Thread nears its end, the colonists renew

their bond with the legendary "shipfish.

Acknowledgements

again I wish to acknowledge the help of Dr Jack Cohen in keeping me on

the straight and not so narrow path of Newtonian physics and common

Terran biology, plus inventing whatever Pernese biology has been

required.

I Would also like to thank Rick Hobson of the Whale Conservation

Institute in Lincoln, Mass., for his review of the material dealing With

dolphins and delphinic behaviour.

It Was through Rick Hobson that my daughter and I met and swam with

Aphrodite and her son, AJ, at the Dolphin Research Center at Grassy Key,

Florida. It was an experience that I shall treasure, as I will the

"visit' we made, to sit on the float and watch Dart, Little Bit, and

other dolphins playing in Sunset waters and "talking' to us.

Those who have had the privilege of Swimming at Dolphin Research Center

will recognize many of the names I have used.

Well, why not? I met and valued their acknowledgement of me, a human.

They meet many of us, and forget. But I do not forget them!

Oceanography Information by P. Burr Loomis Ocean Current Maps by

Marilyn Aim #

DOLL FIN PEOPLE

Adrea, rider of Queen Beljeth at Southern Weyr Aleki, Alemi's son Alemi,

Master Fish man Ademon, Master Farmer Anskono, Readis' baby' brother

Aramina, Readis' mother, the girl who Could hear dragons Aranya, Readis'

sister Armald, Ii holder at Paradise River Asgenar, Lord Holder of Lemos

Bargen, Lord Holder of High Reaches Bendarek, Master Woodsman (paper

maker) Begamon, Lord Holder of Nerat Benelek, Master of Computer Hall, a

son of Groghe Boskoney, Harper at Paradise River Camo, halfwit kitchen

boy at Harper Hall, son of Robin ton and Silvina Corman, Lord Holder of

Keroon Curran, Fort Sea Holder Deckter, Lord Holder of Nerat, succeeding

Lord Meron deceased Denol, former South Boll Holder, renegade usurper of

lerne Island D'ram, former Is tan Weyrleader, retired to Cove Hold,

bronze Tiroth Durras, Weyrwoman at Eastern Weyr Xi # Edwinrus, sculptor

Fandarel, Master Smith at Telgar F'lar, Mnementh's rider, Benden

Weyrleader filessan, Golanth's rider Fabry, Journeyman Healer Fair

Winds, two master schooner G'dened, Weyrleader at Ista (succeeding his

father, D'ram) G'narish, Weyrleader at Igen Groghe, Lord Holder at Fort

Hamian, Master Smith at Southern, Toric's brother, plastics maker H'mar,

bronze Janeruth's rider, Weyrlingmaster, Eastern Weyr Horon, younger son

of Lord Groghe of Fort Hosbon, settler at Southern Weyr Jancis, Master

Smith, Fandarel's granddaughter Jarrol, Jaxom/Sharra's eldest son Jaxom,

Ruatha Lord Holder, rider of white Ruth Jayge, Holder, Paradise River

K'din, brown Buleth's rider (T'lion's nasty older brother) Kami, Alemi's

daughter Kern, a younger son at Crom Hold Kitrin, Alemi's wife K'van,

rider of Heat Ii, Southern Weyrleader Larad, Lord Holder of Telgar

Laudey, Lord Holder of Igen Lemsia, Menolly's daughter Lessa, Ramoth's

rider, Benden Weyrwoman Lesselam, apprentice harper soon to walk the

tables Lur, landsman at Paradise River, fire-lizard holder Lytol,

former4' Lord Holder of Ruatha, retired to Cove Hold M'sur, brown rider,

Eastern Weyr Menolly, Master Harper Mirrim, green Path's rider,

T'gellan's mate Mislue, patient Nazer, uncle Nessel, Lord Holder of Crom

Nicat, Master Miner Nika, Alemi's daughter N'ton, Weyrleader at Fort

Weyr Oldive, Master Healer, based at Fort Harper Hall Olos, Menolly's

second son Oly, older crewman Oterel, Lord Holder of Tillek Pardure,

Parren's son, Readis' classmate Parren, Journeyman weaver at Paradise

River Petiron, deceased, harper at Half Circle Sea Hold, Menolly 's

mentor, Robin ton's father Persehar, Master Artist with Harper Hall

Persellan, Eastern Weyr's healer Piemur, journeyman/Master Harper

Pierjan, Jancis/Piemur's son Ramala, Toric's wife Rampesi, Master

Fishman Readis, our hero and first Dolphineer R'mart, Weyrleader at

Telgar Weyr Robina, Curran "5 wife Robinton, Master Harper of Pern

Robse, Menolly's oldest child Samvel, Master Teacher at Landing Sangel,

Lord Holder of South Boll Sehell, Master Harper of Pern Men oIly "s mate

Sharra, Jaxom "5 wife Shawan, Sharra/Jaxom's second child Swacky,

courtesy uncle, old soldier Tagetarl, Master Printer for Harper Hall

Talmor, Journeyman Harper assigned to aid Ben den Weyrleaders in land

distribution T'hor, Weyrleader at High Reaches Weyr, once Weyrleader at

Southern T'gellan, bronze Monarth "5 rider, Weyrleader, Eastern Weyr

T'lion, bronze Gadareth's rider Tomol, apprentice harper, soon to walk

the tables Temma, aunt Texur, Curran's first mate Thella, self-styled

Lady Holdless, enemy of Jayge and Aramina Xii Xiii # Tikini, T'lion "5

younger brother, favourite sibling Toric, Lord Holder of Southern,

brother to Sharra and Ha in ian Toronas, Lord Holder of Ben den,

successor to Lord Raid V'line, dragonrider Wansor, near-sighted Master

of Smith Craft Hall, specializing in glass products Warbret, Lord Holder

of Ista Worlain, Journeyman healer AT EASTERN WEYR Gar Tom Dik Boojie,

who gets sewn up Natua Tana Ala DOLPHINS FIRE-LIZARDS AT MONACO Alta

Dar Bitty, Kitrin's Tork, Alemi's Zair, Master Robin ton's AT PARADISE

RIVER HOLD BEAST Kib, healed slash on lower jaw Delky, Readis' runner

Afo, smallest Mel Jim, most acrobatic Mul, blotchy Temp, fattest Biz Rom

Angie, calf daughter of Mell Cori, calf daughter of Fessi Vina, calf of

Afo Teres AT FORT HOLD Inka, pod leader Flip Bit, healer, scarred jaw

Ayjay Dart Nat AT SEA CAVES - KAHRAIN Cal, pod leader Tursi Loki Sandi,

Tini, Rena, Leta, Josi The Tillek (aka Theresa) AT COVE HOLD Ron Alta

(another one) Fessi Xiv Xv #

PROLOGUE

102 Years After Landing ibbe gave the bell rope one last pull. He and

Corey had been taking turns all morning but now the sun was descending

over the high ground and still no-one answered them. Usually someone

came out of Man's place on the dock: even if only one of the boat

people. But the boats rocked at anchor under the high wharf and it was

obvious that no-one had gone out in them, even to bring in fish, for

some time.

Corey clicked at him in disgust. The others of their pod had long gone

fishing on their own, too bored to see if there might just be humans to

feed them when there were plenty small fish to be gleaned at this time

of year from the rich northern waters.

She "blew' her hunger at him, so annoyed with the lack of human

attention that she refused to speak.

"There has been illness. Ben told us that,' Kibbe reminded her.

He was not well,' Corey replied, reluctantly employing Speech to impart

the concept. "Humans can die."

"They do. It is true." For Kibbe was one of the oldest in their pod and

had had two dolphineers as partners. He still fondly remembered Amy,

his first one. She had been as much fish as he, even if she had to wear

the long-feet and had no fins.

She had given the best chin scratches and knew exactly where she had to

slough off old skin. When he had been injured, she had stayed in the

water by his cradle through the days and nights until she knew that he

would recover. He would never have survived that long gash if she

hadn't sewn it up and given him the human medicines that prevented

infection.

Corey had had only one person and she hadn't seen him in a long time. It

accounted for why she was so sceptical. She hadn't had the long

association with humans that Kibbe had enjoyed. And now missed. They

had worked well together, for there were still many long stretches of

coastline to be mapped, and the locations of fishing schools determined.

The work had seemed more like fun and there had been time for games.

Lately all he had been able to do to keep the Dolphin Contract with men

was to follow the ships, to be sure no-one fell overboard without a

dolphin to assist his rescue. His warnings about imminent storms might

have been heeded but humans sometimes disregarded advice, especially if

the fish were running well.

Kibbe was one of those who had been chosen to serve time up near the

north-western subsidence where lived The Tillek, chosen of all the pods

for her wisdom. The name given the Pod Leader was also traditional. He

had been taught, as had other dolphin instructors, why dolphins had

followed humans to this world, far from the waters of Earth on which

they had evolved: the chance to inhabit the clean waters of an

unpolluted world and live as dolphins had before tech-nol-ogy (he had

learned to pronounce that word very carefully) had spoiled the Old

Oceans of Humankind. He knew, and taught this despite the astonishment

it caused, that dolphins had once walked on land. That is why they were

air breathers and were required by Nature to surface to inhale oxygen.

He listened to tales so old not even those who had taught The Tillek

knew their origins: that dolphins had been special messengers of the

gods, escorting those buried at sea to their special underworld' place.

As dolphins considered the seas to be underworld', this caused some

confusion. The humankind underworld' was where souls' went: whatever

souls' were.

One of Kibbe's favorite tales was the one The Tillek recounted with

great pride: how dolphinkind had once honored those who had died when

one of the spaceships had been wrecked in the sea-sky. Since then, the

dolphins of Pern had honored those burial rites with their escort. It

was a ceremony the humans had not asked the dolphins to include in their

traditions but they always seemed grateful for it.

Learning the Names of the Dolphins who had slept the Great Sleep and

accompanied humankind to these clean new seas of Pern was an important

lesson. From these names came the ones chosen for each new calf, to

celebrate those first Dolphins and those that were born in the Years

Before Thread. The names had been set to dolphin music and could be

sung on longer journeys in the Great Currents. It should always be sung

before the young dolphins attempted to cross the great Whirlpool at the

Northwest Subsidence, or even the Smaller One in the Eastern Sea.

There were some matters taught by The Tillek which simply had to be

learned, because they mattered as details to the whole story. The Great

Sleep, for instance, puzzled even the cleverest calf, male or female,

because dolphins did not require sleep. To have slept for fifteen years

was an incredible thing to have done. Although they knew to call the

sparkling light points in the skies stars', there seemed to be a very

great many of them. The Tillek could not tell them which had been Old

Earth. Humans had had a device which allowed them to see longer.

Because stars were in the air, dolphins could not sound' them. There

were three points of light, at dawn, and again at twilight, which were

constant. The Tillek said those points were the spaceships that had

brought Humankind and Dolphinkind to Pern They must take this on faith,

she said, for she had had to learn these facts from The Tillek who had

taught her. This was fact as well as faith and must be believed, though

never experienced. It was History.

And History was another of the Great Gifts Humankind had given

Dolphinkind: History was memory of things past. To be able to tell

History, Dolphinkind had been given the ability to speak as they did so

that was the Greatest Gift humans had given dolphins. For with the

Greatest Gift they could repeat the words of History: words that were

sounded as Humankind sounded speech, not as dolphins did. And they

could speak to Humans and to themselves the things that were made of

words and not sea sounds.

Kibbe had been very good at learning all the words that Humans had used

with dolphins, and all their special underwater signals. He was good at

singing the words, too, so that the young ones of his pod were familiar

with them should they be chosen to go to the waters of The Tillek and

complete their training. Kibbe knew the traditions by which humans and

dolphins lived in a special relationship: that dolphins would protect

humans on or in the water to the best of their abilities, in whatever

weather and unsafe conditions, even to the giving up of dolphin life to

save the frailer humans; they would apprise humans of bad weather

conditions, show them where the schools of preferred fish were running

and warn them of sea hazards. The humans promised, in return for these

services, to remove any bloodfish that might attach themselves to

dolphin bodies, to float any stranded dolphin, to heal the sick and

treat the wounded, to talk to them and to be partners if the dolphin was

willing.

In the early days on Pern, humans and dolphins had taken great pleasure

in the exploring of these new seas and those had been momentous years:

the years of the life of The Human Tillek whom all had revered. A

Dolphins' Bell had been sited at Monaco Bay and land and sea beings had

promised to answer the Bell whenever it was rung. In those days the

young dolphins had each had a human partner, to help with the

exploration, to explore the seas and the deep abysses and the Great

Currents, the Two Subsidences, Greater and Smaller, and the Four

Upwellings. There had been courtesy, each to the other, land and

sea-faring humans.

The Tillek always spoke respectfully of humans, and severely disciplined

any calf who used the term long-foot' or finless' as some dolphins now

were impudently describing them. When the silly fins complained that

humans no longer kept their end of the ancient agreement, The Tillek

would tell them, at her sternest, that that did not absolve dolphinkind

from practising theirs. Humankind had had to stop exploring Pern to

guard the lands against the Thread.

This would set the silliest to clicking nonsense noises of amusement.

Why didn't humans eat Thread the way dolphins did?

The Tillek's reply was that humans wore different flesh and had to live

on land where Thread did not drown but attacked human flesh like

bloodfish, sucking life out of it. And not over a long period of time

but immediately so all life was gone from the body in the course of

several breaths: indeed the flesh of the human body was consumed.

This was another matter that all dolphins must believe as surely as they

believed Thread was good to eat.

Then The Tillek would speak History and tell of the Day Thread Fell on

Pern, and how it fed on the flesh of humans.

How the humans had battled hard with flame - a source of heat and light

that coastal dolphins could recognize but had never felt - to burn

Thread in the skies before it could fall on land and eat it or on humans

and human animals and eat them. When all the things that humans had

brought with them from Old Earth had been used up, the dolphins had

helped the humans sail the many ships of the Dunkirk to the north where

they could shelter in great caves, forsaking the pleasant warm southern

waters. Kibbe had always loved hearing how the dolphins had helped the

small ships make the long journey, despite storms and having to cross

the Great Currents. There had been a Dolphins' Bell at Fort, too, and

there had been many good years of partnership for dolphins and partners.

Until the Sickness.

Kibbe knew that all humans had not died: ships still sailed with human

crews and, on land, people could be seen working - when it was not the

Time of Thread.

Since Kibbe had had a partner, he knew of humans, and their frailties

and their skill at relieving the few illnesses to which dolphins were

prone. But the young in his pod did not and questioned why dolphins

should bother.

"It is tradition. We have always done as we do now. We will always

obey the Traditions."

"Why do humans want to come into water? They cannot surrender

themselves to the currents as we can."

"Once humans swam as well as dolphins,' Kibbe would reply.

"But then we cannot walk on land,' the calves would say.

"Why would we want to?"

"We are of different flesh, with different needs: dolphins to the water,

humankind to the land."

"True, my son. Each to his own ways.

"Why do humans want to come into water? Why do they not stay on land

and leave the water for us?"

"They need the fish in the seas, as we do,' Kibbe would tell them. One

had to tell the young the same words many times before they understood.

"They need to travel to other land places and the only way is by water."

"They have dragons who fly."

"Not everyone has dragons to fly."

"Do dragons like us?"

"I believe they do though lately we have seen few of them.

Once, I was told, they would swim in the sea with us."

"How can they swim with those great wings?" "They fold them to their

back."

"Odd creatures.

"Many creatures of the land look odd to us, Kibbe would say, undulating

through the water gracefully and effortlessly beside the calves he was

teaching.

Kibbe privately thought that humans were clumsy, awkward creatures, in

the water or out. They were, however, slightly more graceful in the

water, especially if they swam as dolphins did, by keeping their legs

together. The way some of them thrashed about with their limbs moving

separately wasted much energy.

Nowadays, humans did not follow the forms laid down by the ancestors of

both species but that did not mean that the dolphins should be any the

less heedful of keeping the traditions.

Very few captains leaned over the side of their ship when dolphins

appeared to accompany it and asked how the pod was faring and how the

schools were running. Very few would give their escort a token fish for

the assistance. Of course, it had been many seasons since dolphins had

found and brought any drowned human boxes to their attention. As it had

been many seasons since dolphineers had swum long distances with their

partners. Sad the way tradition declined, Kibbe thought.

Like not answering the Bell.

He did one last pass in front of the wharf, eyeing the deserted

structure. He tolled the bell one last time, thinking it sounded as

mournful as he felt for the silence that had once been filled with human

noises, the fine work they had done together and the games they played.

With a final flip of his tail, he turned and started his long journey to

the Great Subsidence in the Northwest Sea to inform The Tillek that,

once again, no-one had answered the Bell. The humans who sailed in the

ships would not learn of the latest hazards the dolphins had dutifully

come to report. Even the waters of Pern changed the land of Pern but

that was the natural way of things. Or so The Tillek said. The

dolphins would keep to their patrols of the coastline and, when, if

ever, a human would listen to them, at least they could tell him what

had changed, and save his ship from being broken on unexpected reefs or

rocks: or where the Currents had altered and might provide a hazard to

the ships and the humans who sailed on it.

Chapter One

hen Master Fishman Alemi came by Readis' hold that morning, he found his

fishing crony ready and waiting.

"I thought you'd never come, Uncle Alemi,' Readis said in a tone that

was a thin line away from accusatory.

"He's been on the porch, Aramina told Alemi with a

solemnhiding-a-smile-face, "for the last hour. He was up in dawn's

dark!" And she rolled her eyes at such eager anticipation.

"Uncle Alemi says the fish bite best at dawn,' Readis informed his

mother in a condescending tone as he jumped down the three steps to take

a firm hold of the callused hand of his courtesy uncle.

"I don't know which excited him more: fishing with you or being allowed

to attend Swacky's gather this evening." Then she waggled a finger at

her small son. "Remember, you have to take a nap this afternoon.

"I'm all ready to go fishing now,' Readis said, ignoring the threat. "I

got my snack,' and he brandished the net sack laden with his water

bottle and wrapped sandwich, "and my vest." The last was added in a

contemptuous tone.

"You will note that I'm wearing mine, too,' Alemi said, giving the

trusting little paw a shake.

Aramina chuckled. "That's the only reason he's wearing his.'

"I swim good!" Readis announced in a strong loud voice. "I swim as good

as any shipfish!'

That you do,' his mother agreed equably.

"Don't I know that as I taught you?" Alemi replied cheerfully.

And 1 can swim that much better and still use a vest in a small boat."

"An' in stormy weather, Readis added to prove that he knew the whole

lesson on safety vests. My mother made mine,' he said proudly, puffing

out his vested chest and grinning up at her. "With love in every

stitch!'

C'mon, lad, time's a-wasting,' Alemi said.

With a farewell wave of his free hand to Aramina, he led his small

charge down to the beach and the slab-sided dinghy that would convey

them out to where Alemi felt they would likely find the big redfins that

were promised for grilling at the evening's festivities.

Swacky had been part of Readis' life since he could remember.

The stocky ex-soldier had joined Jayge and Aramina when Aunt Temma and

Uncle Nazer came from the north. He lived in one of the smaller holds

and turned his hand to any one of a number of chores necessary in

Paradise River Hold. Swacky had guard stories of all the Holds he'd

served in to tell a small and fascinated boy. Readis' father, Jayge,

never talked of the renegade problem which was when he had come to know

Swacky. And Swacky never mentioned exactly what Jayge had done in those

days, though he was real fierce and unforgiving of the renegades for

"slaughtering innocent folk and animals just to see their blood run' -

except it had to do with the particular renegades who had attacked the

Lilcamp wagon train which was Jayge's family business.

If Readis had been asked which man he loved best - apart from his

father, of course - Swacky or Alemi, Readis would have been hard pressed

to make a choice.

Both men figured largely in his young life but for different reasons.

Today Readis was going to have the best of both: fishing for Swacky in

the morning with Alemi, and feasting to honour Swacky's seventy-five

Turns of living tonight!

Pushing together, they eased the skiff down the sandy shore and into the

gently lapping water. When they had waded out until the water was

mid-thigh on Readis, Alemi gestured for him to jump in and take up the

paddle. That was the main difference between Readis' two idols: Swacky

talked a lot; Alemi used gestures where the other man would have used

sentences.

With one mighty last push, Alemi sent the skiff forward over the first

of the little combers and jumped in. At another familiar gesture,

Readis moved to the stern and skulled his paddle to keep the forward

movement while Alemi unfurled the sail and let the boom run out. The

inland dawn breeze filled the canvas and Readis stowed the paddle and

reached for the keelboard, sending it home into the stern slot and

shoving the cotter-pin through to lock it firmly in place.

"Hard a-port,' Alemi sang out, accompanying his command with appropriate

gestures. He ducked agilely as the boom swung over, playing out the

lines until he had moved into the seat beside his shipmate. He

shortened sail and then put his free arm behind Readis, noting the lad's

instinctive handling of the rudder.

Alemi's good wife had given him three fine girl children and was

carrying a fourth which both devoutly hoped would be a son. But until

that time, Alemi "practised' with Readis. Jayge approved since it would

stand a shoreside holder in good stead to appreciate the moods and

bounty of the sea and Readis would profit by knowing more than one

skill.

Alemi sniffed at the off-shore breeze, redolent now of vegetable and

exotic blossoms. He judged the wind would turn once they got out beyond

the Paradise River channel. He didn't intend to sail far from land but,

on the landside of the Great Southern Current, they were sure to find

the redfins which frequented this part of the sea in great schools.

Yesterday, Alemi had sent out the two smaller ships of his little fleet

to meet those schools. As soon as the repairs to his bigger yawl had

been completed, he and his crew would be join them.

Alemi was just as pleased to be on shore for Swacky's gather.

He might miss a day's fishing but until the main's'l had been mended, he

was shore-bound.

As they hit the rip at the channel mouth, the little skiff bucked and

bounced. Readis' merry laugh burbled out of him, delighted with dipping

and dumping. Not much phased the lad and he'd never fed the fishes

once. Which was more than could be said for some grown men.

Then Alemi caught the sparkle and shine on the surface and, touching

Readis' shoulder, pointed. The boy leaned against him and cast his eye

along the extended arm, nodding excitedly as he, too, saw the school. So

many fish trying to occupy the same space that they seemed to be

flippering on each other's backs.

In a single-minded action, both reached for the rods that had been

stowed under the gunnels. These were sturdy rods of the finest bamboo,

with reels of the stoutest tight-stranded line, and hooks handfashioned

by the Hold's Smithjourneyman, barbed to hold once sunk in the jaw of

the wiliest redfin.

Twelve redfins, the length of a grown man's arm, were required for the

evening's feasting. There would be roast wherry and succulent herdbeast

but redfin was Swacky's favorite. He'd wanted to come along, Swacky had

told Readis the night before, but he had to stay about and organize his

gather or no-one would do it the way he wanted.

Alemi let Readis bait his own hook with the innards of the shellfish

redfins loved best. The boy's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as

he manipulated the slimy mess securely on to the hook. He looked up at

Alemi and saw the nod of approval. Then, with a deft cast for a boy his

age, he sent the weighted hook, bait still attached, out across the

starboard wake of the skiff. To give the boy a chance to make the first

catch of the day, Alemi busied himself furling the sail and other

chores. Then he, too, hunkered down in the cockpit, bracing his rod on

the port side.

They didn't have long to wait for a bite. And Readis was first.

The rod bent, its tip almost touching the choppy waves as the redfin

fought its ensnarement. Readis, biting his lip, his eyes bugged out

with determination, set both feet on the seat and hung on to his rod.

Grunts came out of him as he struggled to reel in this monster. Alemi

had one hand, out of the boy's line of sight, ready to grab the rod

should the fish prove too strong.

Readis was panting with effort by the time the equally exhausted redfin

was flapping feebly in the starboard side.

With one deft swoop, Alemi netted it and hauled it aboard; Readis

whooped with glee as he saw the size of it.

"That's the biggest one yet, isn't it, Uncle Alemi? That's the biggest

one I've caught. Isn't it? A real good big "un!'

"Indeed it is,' Alemi replied stoutly: the fish was not as long as his

forearm. But a good prize for the boy.

Just then his line tugged.

"You gotta bite, too. You gotta bite!'

"That I do. So you'll have to attend to this one yourself."

Alemi was amazed at the pull of his hooked fish. He had to exert

considerable force to keep the rod from being pulled out of his hand.

For a startled moment, he wondered if he had inadvertently hooked a

shipfish which no fishman in his right mind ever did. He was immensely

relieved as he saw the red fins of his captive as the fish writhed above

the surface in an attempt to loosen the barb in its mouth.

That's ginormous!" cried Readis and looked up at the Master Fishman with

an awed expression.

"it's a big "un all right,' Alemi said, jamming his feet under the

cockpit seat to get more leverage against the pull.

"And it's dragging the skiff!'

That, too, was obvious to Alemi, dragging them toward the edge of the

Great Southern Current. He could even discern the difference in colour

between current and sea.

And we're right in the middle of the school!" Readis cried, lurching

from port to starboard to look down at the darting bodies that

surrounded the little ship.

"Best knock your catch on the head before it flips overboard,' Alemi

said, noting the flapping of the landed fish and not wanting its oil to

coat the deck. He managed to reel in a good length though the tip of

his rod went briefly underwater. He hauled mightily and got enough play

in the line to reel in again.

"That is the fightingest fish you've ever hooked,' Readis said.

He'd knocked his redfin smartly on the head and tossed it in the

catch-tank, remembering to fasten the lid with a deft turn of the

fastener.

One eye on the drift toward the Great Current, Alemi hurried the process

of reeling the redfin in. Readis was cheering him along with reports of

the immense size of the fish so Alemi hoped that he would win the

battle.

"Get ready with the net, boy!" he called as he manoeuvered his catch

close to the port side of the skiff.

Readis was ready but the struggling fish was too much for his young arms

and Alemi flung the rod aside to help. They got the fish aboard, Alemi

clouted it on the head, and then stepped over it to get to the tiller

and alter their course away from the Southern Current.

They were close enough for him to see the rapid stream, making its

inexorable way through waters crowded with fish attempting to reach its

safety.

"Wheee, look at that, Unclemi!" Readis cried, pointing a blood-smeared

finger at the school of redfin. "Can't we fish here?"

"Not in the Current, boy, not unless you want to take a much longer

voyage and miss tonight's gather."

"1 don't want to do tha Readis' eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he

Anne McCaffrey - Pern 13 - The Dolphins of Pern

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