"With us? Why? We're keeping him completely occupied at a sedentary task."

"Stop mumbling, Sharra. Jaxom, come over here and add your mark to what the others have told me," Robinton said, skewing his body about to frown at them.

"Sir, Piemur, Menolly and Sharra have done a lot more exploring than I have."

"Yes, but they don't have Ruth and his way with fire-lizards. Can he help us sort out their conflicting and confusing images?"

"I'm certainly willing to help. Master Robinton," Jaxom said, "but I think you might be asking more of Ruth and those fire-lizards than they can do."

Master Robinton straightened up. "If you'd explain?"

"Granted that the fire-lizards seem to share violent mutual experiences like…" Jaxom pointed in the direction of the Red Star, "and Canth's fall, and now, of course, the mountain. But these are all momentous events . .. not everyday routine."

"You did locate D'ram here in the Cove," Robinton said.

"And lucky at that. If I'd asked about men first, we'd never have got an answer," Jaxom replied with a grin.

"There was scarcely more detail to go on in your first venture."

"Sir?" Jaxom stared in stunned amazement because the Harper's drawl had been so deceptively mild, with just a slight emphasis on "first," yet the implication had been unmistakable; somehow the Harper knew Jaxom had rescued the egg. Jaxom shot an accusing glance at Menolly, whose expression was slightly perplexed as if the Harper's subtle reference surprised her, too.

"Come to think of it, I had much the same information from Zair," Master Robinton continued smoothly, "but not the wit to interpret it as cleverly as you did. My compliments, however belated," he inclined his head and went on as swiftly as if this were just some passing matter, "on the way you handled the feat. Now, if you and Ruth can turn your fine perceptions to today's problem, we can save ourselves endless hours of vain effort. As before, Jaxom, time is against us. This Plateau," Robinton tapped the sketches before him, "cannot remain a secret. It is the heritage of everyone on Pern-"

"But it's in the east. Master Robinton, which is to be dragonrider land," Mirrim said, her tone almost belligerent.

"Of course it is, my dear child," the Harper said soothingly. "Now if Ruth could charm the fire-lizards enough to focus their memories…"

"I'll certainly try, Master Robinton," Jaxom said when the Harper regarded him. expectantly, "but you know how they are about…" and he pointed skyward. "They're nearly as incoherent about the eruption."

"As Sharra put it, the dream eye is unfocused," Menolly said, grinning at her friend.

"My point exactly," the Harper said, bringing the flat of his hand down hard on the table. "If Jaxom, through Ruth, can sharpen the focus, maybe those of us with fire-lizards can get distinct and helpful images from their minds, instead of this confusion of perspective."

"Why?" Jaxom asked. "We know the mountain erupted. We know the settlement had to be abandoned, that the survivors came north…"

"There's a lot we don't know, and we might find some answers, perhaps even some equipment left behind, just as the enlarging viewer was left in those deserted rooms at Benden Weyr. Look how that instrument has improved our understanding of our world and the heavens above us. Maybe even some models of those fascinating machines the old Records mention." He pulled the sketches over the map. "There are a lot of mounds, great and small, long and short. Some would have been for sleeping, storage, general living: some quite likely workhalls . .."

"How do we even know that the ancients did things the way we do?" Mirrim demanded, "storage, and workhalls and such."

"Because, my dear child, neither human nature nor human needs have changed since the earliest Records we have."

"That doesn't mean they left anything in the mounds when they left the Plateau," Mirrim said, frankly dubious.

"The dreams have been consistent in some details," Robinton said with more patience for Mirrim's obstructionism than Jaxom would have accorded him. "The fiery mountain, the molten rock and lava raining down. People running…" He paused, looking expectantly at the others.

"People in a panic!" Sharra said. "They wouldn't have had time to take anything with them. Or very little!"

"They could have come back after the worst of the eruption was over," Menolly said. "Remember that time in western Tillek-"

"That's precisely what I had in mind," the Harper said, nodding approval.

"But, Master," Menolly went on, confused, "the ash spewed out of that volcano for weeks. The valley was eventually level with ash," she made a flat gesture with her hand, "and you could see nothing of what had been there for the debris."

"The prevailing wind on that plateau is southeast, and strong," Piemur said, and his gesture was one of sweeping clear. "Didn't you notice how strong it is?"

"That's precisely why something was left for us to see from the air," the Harper said. "I know it's just an off-chance, Jaxom, but my feeling is that the eruption caught the ancients completely unaware. Why, I can't comprehend. Surely people who could hold the Dawn Sisters in the sky in a stationary position for who knows how many Turns ought to be wise enough to identify an active volcano. My surmise is that the eruption was spontaneous, totally unexpected. The people were caught going about their daily tasks in cot, hold, crafthall. If you can get Ruth to focus those disparate views, perhaps we could identify which of the mounds were important from the numbers of people coming from it, or them.

"I am not able to get to the Plateau to do my own exploring, but nothing prevents my brain from suggesting possibilities of what I'd do if I were there."

"We'll be your hands and legs," Jaxom offered.

"They'll be your eyes," Menolly added, gesturing to the fire-lizards on the crossbeams.

"I thought you'd see it my way," the Harper said, beaming fondly on them all.

"When would you like us to try?" Jaxom asked.

"Would tomorrow be too soon?" the Harper asked plaintively.

"All right by me. Piemur, Menolly, Sharra, I'll need you and your fire-lizards!"

"I can arrange to come, too," Mirrim said.

Jaxom caught Sharra's closed expression and realized that Mirrim's presence would be as unwelcome to her as to himself.

"I don't think that would work, Mirrim. Path would scare the Southern fire-lizards away!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Jaxom," Mirrim replied, brushing aside that argument.

"He's right, Mirrim. Look out in the Cove right now. Not a single fire-lizard that isn't banded," Menolly said. "They all disappear the minute they see any Other dragon but Ruth."

"It's ridiculous. I have three of the best-trained fire-lizards in Pern…"

"I must agree with Jaxom," the Harper said, smiling with sincere apology to the Benden dragongirl. "And, though I quite agree that yours are undoubtedly the best-trained fire-lizards in Pern, we don't have time for the Southern ones to get used to Path."

"Path needn't be in evidence-"

"Mirrim, the decision has been made," Robinton said firmly, with no trace of a smile now.

"Well, that's plain enough. Since I'm not needed here .. ." She stalked out of the hall.

Jaxom noticed the Harper's gaze following her, and he felt acutely embarrassed by her display of temperament. He could see that Menolly was also disturbed.

"Is her Path proddy today?" the Harper asked Menolly quietly.

"I don't think so. Master Robinton."

Zair chittered on the Harper's shoulder and his expression changed to chagrin. "Brekke's come back. I was supposed to rest."

He half-ran out of the hall, turning briefly at the door to put his finger to his lips as he quickly ducked into his room. Piemur, his expression bland, took a step sideways to fill the space so precipitously vacated. Fire-lizards zipped into the room. Jaxom spotted Berd and Grall.