"They continue to improve?" Menolly asked anxiously,

Sebell close behind her. Sebell was rather spectacular in dark Harper blue, wearing the sapphire pendant of his rank. His eyes were tired and he was as eager to be reassured as Menolly.

"Yes, yes. It was sheer luck that both Oldive and Crivellan have been studying the Aivas files on perforated intestines-such accidents occur often enough to warrant study," Lessa said. "Once again we can be grateful to reacquire the skills that save lives."

Menolly pursed her lips. "Those wretched, narrow-minded, deceitful misfits. They really are abominable!"

"Are they making life miserable for harpers, too, Menolly?" Lessa saw the tension in Sebell's manner. Music might be Menolly's life but she no more liked Sebell distressed than she had Master Robinton.

Just then, trying to look completely at ease and not quite managing, G'bear came in with Neldama and smiled with great relief to be met by friendly faces and congratulations. Once again Lessa gave reassurances about the invalids' progress and then had it all to do again when K'van and Adrea walked in. G'dened and Cosira arrived, N'ton and Margatta, too, escorting Lady Janissian who halted, looking about her. Menolly went right up to the girl, putting an arm around her.

"You came!"

"I couldn't not come, could I?" Janissian replied, and then caught Lessa's eyes, relaxing when the Weyrwoman gave her an encouraging smile.

"No, you have to be here," N'ton said, grinning, "to get there," and he pointed to the closed door of the room where the Council would be held. "I'll get you some wine. Lessa, what would you prefer? You've had a rough few days."

"I'd prefer the klah. I suspect we must all keep our wits about us in this Council," she replied.

"Yes, I expect we will," N'ton agreed, his smile now for Janissian as he gestured for one of the servers to approach with the tray of drinks.

To Lessa's surprised gratification, fifteen minutes later the entire Council was in their spaces around the U-shaped table in Telgar's vaulted Hall. Toric was, as usual, the last to arrive. There were seventeen Lord Holders, sixteen Master-craftsmen and -women (since Joetta had replaced old Zurg as Masterweaver and Ballora was the new Beastmaster), and eight Weyrleaders and six Weyrwomen. Nadira and Talina rarely attended. The heavy sky-broom doors shut behind Toric with a resounding thunk.

Lips pursed, scowling, the Southern Lord Holder strode past Sebell, directly to K'van and planted his hands on the table, leaning aggressively toward the Weyrleader.

"Why wasn't I informed that dragons had been badly injured by felines?" he demanded.

"Because it doesn't affect Southern Weyr nor your interests," K'van said, blandly, not intimidated.

"Well?" and Toric swung round toward Lessa and F'lar.

Lessa gave him a bland look. Toric must have enjoyed hearing that F'lessan had been injured but it was in his usual bad taste to try to make it appear an omission on K'van's part.

"It's scarcely a Council matter," F'lar said. "Kind of you to be concerned."

"I'd like to know the details. It's seldom dragons are attacked, much less injured, by lesser beasts."

"As I'm sure the rest of the Council is already aware, Lord Toric, the injured are recovering. Now, do take your seat," Larad said with firm courtesy. "There is much official business to discuss."

Toric looked irritated but as no one would meet his eyes, he did take his chair. Immediately Sebell rose.

"We will deal first with the matter of Southern Boll's Holdership."

"Let us discuss the anarchic behavior," Lord Kashman said, speaking rapidly and angrily, rising from his chair so fast it crashed backward to the flagstones, "of Lord Jaxom, Weyrleader N'ton, and Masterprinter Tagetarl who arbitrarily exiled twelve people, alleged to be Abominators."

Larad looked up with surprise, and not a little annoyance, at Kashman's complete disregard for protocol. Newly appointed Lord Holders should not be so presumptuous.

"Yes," drawled Toric, smiling with considerable relish, "let's hear about this latest of the exiles so enthusiastically perpetrated by Lord Jaxom and Weyrleader N'ton."

"The Abominators did the perpetrating, Toric. Jaxom, N'ton, and Tagetarl followed precedent," Groghe said, slapping one hand down hard on the table. "I was present for two of those judgments. I was the one who passed sentence at Turnover. Furthermore, this Council decreed-you were actually present for that meeting," he pointed a thick, unwavering finger down the table at Toric, "don't deny it-when we all decided that exile was an appropriate deterrent for any more wasteful acts of vandalism."

"Thisissue will be discussed later," Sebell said, raising his trained voice that overwhelmed the beginning of a three-sided shouting match by Toric, Groghe, and Kashman. Old Lord Corman seemed to have passed his contentiousness on to this sixth son of his, who was not much past his thirtieth birthday.

"I came to discuss that,"Toric cried.

"The first matter is, and will be, the confirmation of a new Holder for Southern Boll!" Sebell said in clarion tones.

"Why don't you just agree to the girl and let us get to the realissues?" Toric demanded.

"But she's a woman!" Kashman protested. "There hasn't been a Lady Holder, except in a temporary capacity for…"

"Not since Lady Sicca ran Ista," Groghe said. "My grandfather had great respect for her.For that matter, all of us here, bar you who are new come to the Council honors," and Groghe emphasized that, "know that Lady Marella's been running Boll for the past five Turns since Sangel began to deteriorate. Lady Janissian has been her steward and she certainly proved her worth to me during the Fireball Flood. Those cousins of hers removed themselves and their belongings to high ground and stayed there without lifting a finger. Neither of them should hold."

"For that matter," Lessa said, "Emily Boll held those lands in her own right. As I see it, that Holdership has come full circle and about time."

Lady Dulsay, Adrea, Master Ballora, and Palla were bold enough to second her.

"Shall we confirm Lady Janissian then?" Asgenar asked, looking around, a sly smile on his face, "And save time for the really important matters?" He glared at Toric.

"Like what the Weyrleaders are going to do to prevent more fireballs?" Toric demanded, glaring across the floor at Lessa and F'lar.

"Now, just a minute," Bargen said, annoyed, "that isn't as critical a problem-"

"I should hope it is," Toric interrupted at his most obnoxious.

Bargen gave him a furious glare and, raising his harsh baritone voice, continued, "as choosing a Bloodline successor, Lord," and he closed his lips for a moment, catching Lady Sharra's reaction, "or Lady."

"There are two males in the Bloodline, aren't there?" Lytol asked, supporting Bargen in order to keep to the agenda.

"Vormital, a great nephew of Sangel," Sebell said, eyeing Toric, "and Warlow, a first cousin. Sangel's sons died in the plague and there is no other male issue in the direct Bloodline."

"Never heard of Vormital or Warlow," Bargen said. "There has to be more."

"Not surviving," Sebell said. It was the Harper Hall's duty to check.

"There was, there was. I knew him when I was in High Reaches Weyr. Hillegel. Big man. Half brother to Sangel," Bargen insisted.

"He thought he'd go south," Toric said, grinning smugly. "I heard he went down one of the rivers and never a word since."

N'ton got to his feet. "When approached by the Weyr to help evacuate the vulnerable coast from the Flood, Vormital informed me that this was Sangel's problem, not his."

"Dismiss him from consideration," Groghe said, bringing his fist down on the table. "In my hearing, on five separate occasions, Sangel said the man was a fool and couldn't hold a cup without help."