"Todd McCaffrey - Pern 19 - Dragonsblood" - читать интересную книгу автора (McCaffrey Todd)

“All the same . . .”

“Are you looking for new blood, C’rion?”

“It’s the job of every Weyrleader to see to the strength of the Weyr,” C’rion
agreed. “Actually, I was thinking that to honor a new queen requires a good
selection of candidates. I’m sure you’ll want to Search for a proper
Weyrwoman.”

M’tal burst out laughing. “It’s J’trel, isn’t it? You want to pawn that old
scoundrel off on us!”

“Actually, yes,” C’rion agreed with a laugh of his own. “But he’s not a
scoundrel.And it’s no lie that his blue has an eye for good riders, especially
the women.”

“Which is odd, considering his own preferences,” M’tal remarked.

“Well, you know blues,” C’rion agreed diffidently. As blue dragons mated with
green dragons, and both were ridden by male riders, the riders themselves
tended to be the sort who could accommodate the dragons’ amorous arrangements.

“And you want to get him away from Ista so he can forget about K’nad,” M’tal
surmised. K’nad and J’trel had been partners for over twenty Turns.

“K’nad went quickly,” C’rion agreed, “it was a blessing. He was very old, you
know.”

Less than a dozen Turns older than you, M’tal thought to himself dryly.
Somberly he also realized: And only fifteen Turns older than me.
Aloud, he said, “So you want J’trel distracted by new duties?”

C’rion nodded. “It would be easier for us at Ista, too. Thread is coming.
It’s going to be hard on the old-timers.”

There was an uneasy silence. M’tal shook himself. “I’ll have to talk it over
with Salina and the Wingleaders.”

“Of course,” C’rion replied. “There’s no hurry.”

Curious, M’tal asked, “Where is J’trel now?”

C’rion shrugged. “I don’t know. He and his blue took off after the ceremony
for K’nad.” He frowned. “He had thatlook in his eyes, the one he usually gets
just before Ista finds itself with a whole bunch of the biggest fresh fruit
you’ve ever seen.”

“He hasn’t been going to the Southern Continent, has he?” M’tal asked with a
frown of his own. Dragonriders were discouraged from venturing to the Southern
Continent with all its unknown dangers.