CHAPTER 12 Stress and Strains

Segrith grumbled as Talana measured several diameter distances across the hatching ground.

"It's not precisely circular" the girl told her "And I have to find an average to do my best to protect you and your eggs. And you'd be a great help if you stood on this end of my measuring rope to hold it down." She added. Segrith snorted, but complied. Mirrith had been banished outside by the mutual consent of Talana and Segrith; like the firelizards she had lost all interest in helping the moment she noticed striations in the eggs. Segrith had pointed out firmly to Talana that to move the eggs now would probably kill the dragonets.

"Yes, I understand" whispered Talana. "And dear Segrith I know how dreadful it is to lose a baby, so believe me I'll do my best to save your eggs. But you must trust me."

"I do trust you T'lan. I just don't understand what you're doing?" Segrith sounded almost as piteous as Mirrith could; and T'lan took the time to rub her eyebrow ridges. Segrith was upset enough to permit the liberty.

"I have to find out how much the rock is pressing down just where the crack is. If I know that I know how long the crack can get before the cave falls. If it doesn't grow too quickly hatching might be over before it gets dangerous. That's what I'm hoping."

"The crack is already longer."

Talana looked up; Segrith was right. She hugged the big dragon's neck and promised to do her best.

The candidates came to view the eggs under the guidance of T'kil; with his less formal approach to discipline some of them were ripe for tricks. T'lan, her foibles well known, was considered fair game to some; and as she busied herself with her next task of measuring the peaks, walking backwards across the Bowl with her 45 degree angle and plumb bob she failed to notice the hazard behind her. Two of the wilder lads had seized a tub of water and held a rope stretched between them. Talana gave a startled squawk as she lost her balance and fell back into the muddy water.

The boys, doubled up with laughter, failed to take into account Talana's speed; and were surprised to be grabbed by their tunics each by a lean but remarkably strong hand.

"With Segrith and the whole clutch at risk is this any time to lark about?" she harangued them furiously, using their own bodies as levers to topple them to the ground as she pulled herself up. "You really think the idea of Queen sized omelette is funny, huh? You'll not be impressing addled yolks if that cave falls, but believe you me they wouldn't be so addled as the organs you laughingly refer to as your brains!"

And leaving them open-mouthed applied herself once more to her vital task, oblivious of her damp clothes.

This was the last measurement T'lan needed, and she retired to her weyr to make the calculations. Figures spread across the sandy floor and Mirrith huddled on her couch complaining that she dared not move from the spot in case she stood on one of those silly numbers.

"I left you a path" said Talana. "Dear one, you'd be heartbroken if the hatching cavern did fall on Segrith and her eggs." Mirrith replied that that wasn't the point; but couldn't specify what the point was. Talana laughed lovingly; it was a favourite game of Mirrith's to pretend to be hard done by. Half an hour later she was no longer laughing; and was frowning at a table when R'gar came in to ask how things were going.

"I didn't hear you come in" she apologised, after jumping at his light touch on her shoulder.

"I didn't want to interrupt if you were thinking hard." He told her. "I persuaded T'kil to let those dratted boys help him bath and oil Shath so they see for themselves what can happen."

"I'm glad you're here" she said "Not, I'm afraid so much for your own sweet sake" she smiled at him as he drew her into his arms, "but I'm not too sure about a figure."

Immediately he released her and looked to where she pointed on the page.

"What does it mean – work of fracture?" he asked.

"It's how much a material can take before it fails catastrophically – breaks in other word." she explained. "See, this example lumps mortar – they call it concrete – with brick and stone; and it varies from three to forty Joulespersquaremetre. This book isn't intended as a practical handbook, it's only to teach theory. I assume there were proper tables for crafthalls which were more specific. And I've got to extrapolate from generalities."

"I see the problem." He said. "I should have thought that stone would take more to crack it than mortar or brick."

"Good, that's what I thought; but the rock here is fairly brittle. I don't think it would do to be overly optimistic."

"How about a conservative estimate of ten joulesper- whatever it was?"

Talana hugged him.

"That sort of confirms what I was thinking of." She said. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me decide – for being here to discuss it – for being you. There's so much at stake I'd hate to make a mistake. And that means drastic action."

She showed him her working using 10J/m2; and he shook his head.

oOoOo

T'bor had just finished eating when T'lan came in.

"Well, lad? And how long can the crack be?" He asked

"By my most pessimistic calculation, less than twice as long as it was when you last saw it." Said T'lan gravely. "Optimistic estimates suggest it could be up to four times that length: but I'm sure you don't want to risk that any more than I do."

"How long is it likely to take before it approaches that?" asked the Weyrleader.

"Sir, I'd call it approaching that now" said Talana reproachfully. "And if there's an overnight freeze, water'll get in there and expand and boom!" she made an expressive gesture with her hands. "Or if there's another earth tremor…there's only one solution."

"Evacuate Segrith and dig a new hatching cavern?"

Talana shook her head.

"No sir, less drastic than that – but I don't think anyone's going to like it."

"What?"

"Sir, a crack can be stopped dead by a deliberately introduced hole." She explained. "It may sound crazy at first, but we have to drill holes at both ends of the crack."

"Sound crazy at first? Sounds crazy full stop!" T'bor cried, leaping to his feet. "Are you sure? I'll have to talk to the Masterbuilder right away and see what he says."

"He'll probably disagree." Said Talana.

oOoOo

The Masterbuilder did disagree. He disagreed loudly and talked about lunacy and crazy youngsters who thought they knew everything because they had read a bit from some fardling rubbish that only had limited applications anyway.

"I don't know everything sir." Talana said firmly. "Nor do I pretend to do so. Yet the ancients must have known a few things to produce such items as the distance viewer and smoother walls than anyone can now and such; and it is stated categorically that a crack can be stopped by piercing a hole. And from my own observations, a crack in the wall at Nabol hold stopped when it reached the window hole and didn't even go any further when the earth trembled."

She knew as she spoke that she was wasting her time; the man was hidebound and would not budge from his position even with the demonstration of a hole drilled in a cracked plate which convinced both T'bor, and more significantly Segrith. She left in disgust as the Masterbuilder started lecturing T'bor on the necessity to build a tower to inspect the damage. On being told that the crack had been measured to one knot he declared pompously that the crack could not possibly constitute a threat. It was at that point that Segrith, who had been watching it grow, hissed aggressively and he lost all his dignity by fleeing incontinently.

oOoOo

Talana reassured Segrith that she would fix things as she mounted Mirrith.

"I told him, the old fool." She muttered grimly to herself. "But all he'll ever do is fill it with fardling mortar." She gave Mirrith the Co-ordinates she had obtained from Laranth; and seconds later they emerged from between over the rolling landscape of Crom. Talana shivered violently; she had forgotten she was still a fraction damp from her earlier wetting. Mirrith coasted in to the Masterminer's hold.

A journeyman supervising the grading of ore came over.

"Can I help you?" he asked, politely; though Talana caught his surprised thought at the sight of a youth.

"Please" said Talana "Would it be possible to see the Masterminer? It's very important."

"I'll go and see." The man promised. "Aren't you the lad with the calculation book?"

"Yes, that's right. And if the Masterminer agrees with my calculations he could be responsible for saving a whole clutch of eggs."

"Shards!" said the journeyman. "I'll get him right away."

Shortly thereafter Masterminer Nicat came out of the hold. His forceful personality seeming to precede him like a bow-wave. Talana held out her hand to have it engulfed in his and shaken forcefully by the great hand of the Masterminer, permanently discoloured by grit ingrained from his own days at the face.

"What's all this about then dragonboy?" he boomed cheerily.

"It's a bit involved, sir. May I explain?"

"I should hope you will!" he said.; and quickly and concisely Talana told him about the crack, and what calculations she had made and about the hidebound scepticism of the Masterbuilder.

"Hmmph." Said Master Nicat. "Can't say I've ever found him much use myself. Tried to get me to redesign pit props to save timber for building frames." He added, "I'd like to see this writing you mention though, before I agree wholeheartedly; you could just have misinterpreted what the ancients meant"

Talana pulled out the book from her tunic and showed him the passage.

"Here sir."

Nicat read it through.

"Seems clear enough." He grunted. "I'm not totally happy but the Ancients seem to have known what they were doing in other respects. And – hold, one moment! I remember many years ago – it was not a dangerous crack but it did stop when it reached our bore hole. And as you say, there is no other way."

"Could you send someone to drill the holes then please sir? It's getting pretty urgent."

"I shall come myself." He declared. "When a Queen dragon's life is at stake there is nothing that can't be postponed." He added, "I'll just get the drill."

Silently Talana asked Mirrith

"Can you manage a passenger and the equipment?"

"Of course. I am very strong."

"We shall have to hurry." Talana was concerned about the crack. "If I give you the co-ordinates of when we left, can you go between time?"

"I can do anything you need me to." Talana took Mirrith's confidence in her own abilities with a pinch of salt; but she was sure that in this case her confidence was not misplaced. They had after all practised flying Between from the moment she had been well enough; and Ramoth and Lessa had gone between time from the moment they started going between.

Mirrith assured Talana that the drill the Masterminer produced was not too heavy at all; but Talana noticed that she strained a little on takeoff and was out of breath when they emerged at High Reaches. Talana directed her to land outside the hatching grounds cavern. They were unloading the great drill as the Masterbuilder was scrambling away from Segrith's wrath.

oOoOo

The Masterminer ignored the Masterbuilder's gloomy predictions that there was nothing to do about the crack even if it were dangerous. He intimated that any danger lay in the hysterical imagination of broody dragons and her rider and the self-aggrandisement of a weyrbrat. Nicat asked Segrith to let him climb up; and came down shaken.

"Seen a good few cracks in my time. That one's between a third and two thirds of the length at which they usually go in a cavern this size." He said. "Looks like the boy's calculations are pretty close. I'd be willing to try his idea; it's the only chance you've got of saving the eggs."

T'bor looked surprised.

"You really think it will work?"

"I don't see why not. I do know nothing else will. I've been digging underground passages all my life and I know when to quit a dangerous place. That place is dangerous."

T'bor frowned.

"The problem's getting Segrith out while it's done. Losing the eggs would be tragedy enough; losing Segrith too…" he left the horrifying suggestion hang in the air. Talana said,

"Leave Segrith to Pilgra and me…..Pilgra, if you think hard about fat herdbeasts, because it's several days since she ate."

Pilgra pulled a face.

"She's not being very amenable. She suspects me of trying to cozen her."

"Which just goes to prove how intelligent she is." Said Talana. She added, "Segrith dear you need to keep your strength up. It would be a good opportunity."

Segrith hissed.

"You're just trying to get me out. And what are you going to do to my lovely eggs while I'm gone?" she asked irritably.

Talana went up to the angrily hissing Queen, and was joined by Pilgra who rubbed her beloved friend's eyebrow ridges. Talana said,

"You told me that you trust me Segrith. You must do so. We can't move your eggs so we shall have to cover them. When you are out of the way we'll put up a gather tent over them – I've sent M'kel to get one."

T'bor made a slight choking noise; but subsided when both Pilgra and T'lan looked at him. Segrith grumbled, but left, encouraged by Pilgra. Both were much reassured that T'lan had a scheme to protect the eggs; for Pilgra had not honestly been able to counter Segrith's maternal urges even to try to protect her.

"Good job you'll be chewing firestone soon" growled T'lan to Mirrith. "Eggs send people's brains between"

oOoOo

Meanwhile Nicat was working on the logistics of the job, and recruiting strong-arm labour from among the weyrfolk.

"I shall tackle the problem from above." He said. "So I shall have to ask some of you dragonfolk to carry up my equipment."

It was not long before the Masterminer was ready; and after some measuring he commenced to bore. Talana and Mirrith were among the watchers at the cavern entrance, ready to run forward with hide patches should the tent be broached at any time. Fortunately it held through the rain of rock fragments which fell as the great drill came into view.

"One end done!" Masterminer Nicat's voice sounded strange as he called through the crack. The end of the drill disappeared and the performance was repeated.

As the drill appeared again there was a hush which fell over the audience; as, half expecting the roof to fall, they held themselves in readiness to flee.

The ceiling held.

A cheer went up.

"Don't count your hatchlings 'til the crack's been widened by all that and falls overnight" said the Masterbuilder sourly.

oOoOo

T'bor ordered a roof of tiles to cap the region of the crack, and a gulley to carry away any runoff water. The hatching cavern was at least weatherproof now; and everyone watched the development of the crack. Gradually it crept outwards, fingerwidth by fingerwidth. No-one was invited to view the hatching this time, in case of accidents; and a number of candidates asked to be taken home.

"Good riddance" grunted Pilgra.

Talana was aware of a hollow feeling inside her as each day she measured the crack. Suppose the book were wrong – suppose she'd misread it – or suppose she'd miscalculated!

"Suppose you stop pacing up and down and worrying" said R'gar. "You haven't made the situation worse, Master Nicat himself said it would fail if left alone; and he endorsed your suggestion. There's nothing more you or anyone can do."

"I'm so worried about Segrith" she said.

"The hatching will be soon and she'll return to her own weyr."

"And if the roof falls before that?"

R'gar sighed.

"If runnerbeasts had wings they'd aspire to be dragons." He said. "Come to bed, love, you're only upsetting Mirrith by worrying." He added craftily. Talana reacted as he had expected with contrition; and after half an hour of fussing a surprised and sleepy Mirrith she came to bed for his comfort and reassurance.

oOoOo

Talana inspected the crack the next day. It had lengthened – and continued to creep gradually out. She had faith in the knowledge of the Ancients – but could not suppress some concern. As the days passed tensely, even the news of Lord Holder Meron's death and the masterly handling of him by Master Robinton over the naming of his heir did not distract Talana. She just kept watching. Two days later the crack had reached one of the holes; and the dragons started humming, indicating the imminent hatching.

Quickly the candidates who had had the courage and determination to stay hurried to the hatching grounds. Two of them took one look at the crack, and promptly bolted; several others looked nervous; but for the majority the hopes of Impressing a dragon overcame their fear.

"Pared them down a bit." R'gar murmured cynically to Talana.

She nodded.

"I hope there's enough for the dragonets to choose from." She said, voicing the unspoken thoughts of several other riders. R'gar snorted.

"We've only lost the ones that wouldn't be chosen anyway. What's the use of having the easily frightened flying Thread?"

Privately Talana agreed; but she said,

"It's less cowardice than common sense to stay out of here."

"I see you staying well out." Said R'gar dryly.

"That's different – oh look, the first shell has cracked!"

Segrith did not go through her usual ritual of intimidating the boys at this hatching; she wanted all her offspring hatched, Impressed and taken to safety. It was the quickest, quietest hatching that any present had been to – quiet enough to hear the CRACK! As the rock under tension gave and in one release of tension the crack finally reached the other drill hole.

"Dragon humming set it off." Murmured Talana, surprising herself at her calm. The boys had looked up fearfully – and one unlucky lad was struck by a falling stone, cutting him above the left eye. He stumbled and fell to the hot sands.

The last dragonet, who had been bawling piteously, altered course towards him, worry in his swirling eyes; and the watchers heard the boy assuring the little Brown that he was all right. A sigh of relief went round; Impression was over. The remaining lads – only seven of them – left disappointed, but assured by R'gar that their courage had certainly earned them the chance to stay on and try again. Calla hustled the injured lad away to be treated. Segrith marched majestically to her own weyr; and as the other riders left R'gar and Talana were left alone. He asked,

"Are you planning on moving in to prove your point?"

Talana shook her head.

"I did think of going ahead between time but really we'll find out soon enough so there's no point. Other than satisfying curiosity, and time always cures that."

R'gar snorted.

"I never knew a weyrling yet who failed to satisfy his curiosity." He said. Talana smiled at him sweetly.

"But in this case it's HER curiosity, so your statement still holds true." She said.

R'gar laughed, but immediately became serious.

"Promise me you won't go experimenting going between time?" he asked , turning her face up to his with one finger.

"I did go between time to bring Masterminer Nicat back." She confessed. "I thought I needed to. But I won't go between time unless I think it's necessary. I can't promise not to do it at all; I can't predict what might come up."

R'gar smiled down at her.

"Well you and Mirrith seem to have got the idea; and at least you're honest with me. Well, I know you well enough to know that you'll be cautious; and if something comes up you'll go ahead regardless so long as you think you're right."

"You mean I'm stubborn." She grinned.

Amid scepticism, Talana inspected the crack daily – and there was no further spreading! After a month had gone, even the Masterbuilder said grudgingly that he 'supposed it might have worked.' Masterminer Nicat shook Talana firmly by the hand and boomed his congratulations. He returned to his hold with a copy of the stress calculation tables and a promise to test out the work of fracture for various materials so that there would be a more extensive and accurate table in case anything else of the kind occurred – in mines if not in living caverns.

"For" he said "If I can relieve a crack by drilling holes, we could then work galleries that would otherwise have to be abandoned as dangerous." He added, "I hope you'll be able to give me some help when you have time, young T'lan."

Talana was glad to agree after his prompt aid; and moreover she had rather come to liking the Masterminer, whose no nonsense approach she approved of. Besides, although she was glad that someone else was taking on some of the experimental work that took up so much of her time, she did not want to be entirely left out!