Chapter 8
T'rin had been learning recently to fly Between and came on a visit to his friends, bubbling happily about T'lana's triplets, his foster siblings, and about his own new daughter Tylessa.
"TRIPLETS?" said Kit, shocked. "Does she think she has to lay them a clutch at a time to keep up with the hatchings at High Reaches?"
T'rin roared with laughter over that sally, though it was not the first time clutches had been mentioned in connection with the little weyrwoman's excess of fecundity. Garlan, Talarra and Sarelana – the last named for T'lana's foster father – were all doing well, and at nearly three sevendays old, Calla thought them all likely to live and thrive. Tylessa was just a few days younger than them, though T'rin did confess that, when well-wrapped in furs, he could not tell any of the four babies apart, even his own daughter or the only boy in the group!
The boys laughed, and Kit cried shame on him!
T'rin elected to stay to visit the Gather arranged under the aegis of Fort Hold; and Kit and Horgey had the delight of watching him depress the pretensions of Asrina.
The girl made a beeline for the handsome Blue Rider, and coo'd as best as she knew how.
"Oh Harper Blue Rider!" she said, with a simper "I'd do ANYTHING for a man like you!"
T'rin glanced at her, and up at the watery wintry sun in a calculating way.
"Well, girl, you know the stable at the Gather field?"
"Oh yes, Blue Rider!"
"Be in the hayloft with your clothes off in an hour and I'll try to fit you in between my duties and my other lovers" said T'rin, blandly.
"Oh Blue Rider! What sort of girl do you think I am?" said Asrina coyly.
T'rin looked surprised.
"I thought we'd already ascertained that and were just discussing the when, the where and how much."
Asrina recoiled.
"How dare you?" she cried "I can't believe you've just insulted me so! I have Rank, you know!"
T'rin turned to a grinning Horgey.
"Y'know, brother mine, either you've some strange loving wenches here, or you need to teach the paying students that singing requires the mouth to be opened more than the legs."
Asrina spluttered!
Horgey fought to get himself under contol.
"I'm so sorry about the misunderstanding, T'rin" he said in as bland a tone as he could manage. "Asrina, I wonder if you might not be better to return to Dunca's cot if you can't even get to the Gather without propositioning every proddy dragonrider that crosses your path."
T'rin grinned an acknowledgement of the comment!
Asrina gave both young men her best fulminating stare; and as Horgey had made only suggestion not given her an order she flounced off towards the Gather in high dudgeon.
"You're a bad man, T'rin" said Kit.
He shrugged.
"And did I miscall her?" he asked.
"No" Kit acknowledged.
T'rin kissed her on the cheek.
"I hope you two will be very happy, you know" he said.
"Is it obvious?" Horgey was shocked.
"Only to people that know you both" said T'rin. "Pardon me not kissing you, Horgey; you're not as pretty as Kit."
Horgey grinned, relaxed these days about such teasing.
"That's all right, you're not my type either, T'rin" he returned "You're far too much of a weyrslut."
T'rin chuckled.
"Are you happy to be a father, T'rin?" asked Kit, curiously.
"Oh! Yes! It's a bit strange, they seem to be both more and less trouble than newly hatched firelizards" said the Blue Rider. "I guess I didn't notice it so much when they were only brothers and sisters being born – though Rogan and Rofel were pretty special, because R'gar and T'lana still loved me even though they had them – but I feel quite nervous with Tylessa in case I drop her or anything. Daft, isn't it? I've been heaving the twins and Felgarra around since forever!"
"Yes" said Kit. "It is daft, I mean."
"No, of course it's not, not at all" contradicted Horgey. "I find the whole idea of having children pretty scary; so much responsibility to give them a good start in life, so many ways you can let them down."
T'rin nodded seriously.
"You're quite right" he said "But Allessa's a good mother, and there's my whole fosterkin to muck in too to make sure she has a happy childhood. I guess Tylessa will have as good a start as anyone might get. Weyrbred children get a lot of loving without the spoiling or mollycoddling."
"And you picked a name that will contract too, of course" grinned Horge.
"Of course!" said T'rin.
Kit and Horgey put to T'rin the idea they had discussed of his working on initial tune ideas to make them into viable music.
"It seems hardly fair to pull your ideas about" objected the Harper Rider.
"It's no different to working variations on established pieces" said Horgey "And would give us the vicarious satisfaction of having something of ours live on, if a competent – more than competent – tunecrafter could do anything with them. Otherwise all our half-ideas die before they're even fully shelled because we've not got the skill to form them."
T'rin bit into another bubbly pie – his fifth, if anyone was counting – and nodded, rather crummily.
"I see your point. All right, people, give me everything you've scribbled and any notes about what was going through your heads, what mood you were looking for; and I'll see what I can do" he said. "I might put several together as a compilation as, oh I don't know, 'the apprentice's workbook' or some such title; others I might get inspired by, or feel fit in with twiddles of my own. Some I might not use. Is that all right?"
"Eminently" said Horgey. "If they're no good at all, there's no point perpetuating rubbish."
"Some might not be poor, but not quite suitable yet" said T'rin. "I don't think you'd submit me something bad, or let Kit; but the moment sometimes needs to be right. Oh, talking of moments being right, is it a good time to ask if you've finished making the xylophone yet? Kullana bade me ask most respectfully, pretty please, with sugar on the top."
Horgey grinned.
"She got that polite?"
"Pretty much. Well, she was hopping around on one foot and abusing me roundly to admonish me not to forget, but her comments to pass on to you are pretty much as I reported" said T'rin cheerfully.
"Well, such politeness is to be rewarded" said Horgey "for I finished it a couple of days ago, and the varnish should be well dried by now. It's a two-bank one, the chromatic notes on the upper bank, a full three octaves and I didn't ask where the sponge-wood came from to cushion the metal notes as it only grows on the Southern continent. I hope the weight of the thing won't weigh poor Renpeth down – it's pretty hefty in its carry case, and those pies you've been eating are going to add to the load!" he added in mock concern.
T'rin grinned.
"I expect the poor little fellow will manage somehow" he said cheerfully, refusing to be drawn!
T'rin suggested that they spent some of the Gather sitting in on the Gather court.
"As Harpers we're required to settle disputes and such" he said "Watching an old hand like Lord Groghe at work will be a good education. I'm surprised Master Robinton doesn't set it as part of the curriculum."
"Most people aren't as keen to work on a Gather day as you, T'rin, that's why; he'd have mutiny" said Kit, mildly. "He is good though, is Grandfather, and he can be quite entertaining when he gets irritated by idiots."
Horgey nodded acquiescence. He did not think T'rin needed much educating in how to settle disputes – but was grateful if it was a tactful way of suggesting he extend his own expertise!
In fact, T'rin was actually eager to see Lord Groghe in action; he had learned that the old Lord Holder had something of a reputation for practical, if not always conventional solutions to problems, an implacable impartiality and a taste for making punishments fit the crime. And as H'llon was starting to print more things, T'rin had a hazy idea that if the judgements of different Lords Holders should be published and widely distributed, it might make them look at each other's ideas of justice and come up with some more unified plan.
It was worth thinking about, anyway. He took notes. The logicators would be interested if nobody else was.
The first case was a simple one of drunken disorderly behaviour; the fellow involved had insulted and then thrown up all over Master Domick. The master had not to appear since there was no dispute over guilt, the culprit admitting it freely and gloomily in his painful sobriety of the morning after.
"Twenty four hours drudging for the Harper Hall to commence immediately in sound of the youngest apprentices practising on horns" judged Lord Groghe.
T'rin winced.
The thought of a hangover during horn practice – which could be excruciating enough without the addition of crapulous miseries – was calculated to discourage any repeat offence!
The second case was brought by a cotholder with a large enough cot to employ several hands, a Holding almost large enough to warrant being a Minor Hold. He brought forward a wall-eyed fellow with a vacant look.
"He been interfering with the ovines, Me Lord" said the Cotholder, named Maler, succinctly. "I got witnesses."
"As in…." Lord Groghe tailed off delicately.
"Ar, thass roight" nodded the cotholder. "And most of un in lamb, and one got roight upset and miscarried twins her did."
Lord Groghe winced.
"Did you do this?" he asked the man.
"Huh?"
"I seen him at ut, me Lord" said another hand.
"Hmm" said Lord Groghe. "I'm not even sure he understands the charge….do you realise, fellow, that the loss of the twins represents a tidy theft of stock as well as the loss of value of the other ovines if they have lost weight through distress?"
The culprit stared vacantly at him, mouth half agape.
Lord Groghe suppressed a shudder. It was plain enough to see why ovines were the only females this one might get any joy out of! Plainly he had not got a clue what he had done wrong! Lord Groghe grimaced.
"Well, Maler, I think the best thing to do is to give you compensation from the Hold fund; and take" he consulted his notes "- Tosk here into the main Hold out of temptation's way: I'll take your fine from his anticipated wages. And I'll keep him drudging within the Hold. Tosk, do you understand? You can't be trusted near animals."
Tosk hawked and spat, to the disgust of the onlookers.
"Ar, ovines wriggle better nor wenches" he said.
Groghe shut his eyes and composed himself.
"Take him away" he said to a guard "And keep him WELL away from any of my stock!"
The next case was a plaint from two cotholders over which side of the river formed the boundary between their respective lands.
"He been fishing and it's MY river!" declared one.
"The boundary is YOUR side, I be entitled!" shouted the other.
Groghe frowned.
"Are there any deeds or documents to the land?" he asked the Hold Harper, seated at his side.
The Hold Harper was a grizzled journeyman with acidulated features and an air of competence.
"None so far as I am aware, My Lord" he said, carefully. "When the plaint was first lodged I went through all the documents I could find, but to no avail; only the mention of the founding of the cotholds on each side of the river. No mention of one bank or another forming a boundary line."
Groghe nodded.
"If YOU found none, then there are none lodged in our archives here. Have either of you two cotholders got any documents?"
Both men shook their heads, each glaring at the other as though it were his fault.
Groghe nodded.
"Very well, I will make a ruling that shall be inscribed, and a copy to each of you as well as one for my own records" he said "For when a son of mine has the dealing with sons of yours."
As the entire families of each had turned out and were glowering at each other from opposite sides of the spectators' staging this was not likely to be an idle speculation. Two small boys of about eight turns each bore the bruises that spoke of a bitter boyish fight. Groghe went on,
"And your boys will listen to this too most carefully because they will be bound by it! I say that the boundary runs down the middle of the river. Both may fish it; a fish hooked on one side is not under trespass if it strays to the other once it is on the line. And if I hear of any line cutting or trap spoiling to the opposite side, I will withdraw all fishing rights from the culprit. Do I make myself clear?"
There were some guilty shuffles over the latter part of the ruling! However, both cotholders nodded, and on being glared at by the Hold Harper muttered their thanks for Lord Groghe's fairness!
"He is good, isn't he?" said Horgey in the brief recess that followed this case.
"Yes, a treat to see in action" grinned T'rin. "I WISH I had Geriana to record his expression over the ovine case, it was a priceless series of grimaces!"
"What was all that about the ovines?" asked Kit "What exactly had the man Tosk done?"
T'rin and Horgey exchanged glances.
"She's your girl, you explain" said T'rin hastily.
"Coward" said Horgey amicably. "Er, well, it's like this, Kit: he, er, he'd been doing with the ovines what a man normally does with a woman."
Kit stared aghast as that sank in.
"EUYEW!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, it was the Ewes caused his downfall" quipped T'rin.
Kit thumped him.
"And you brought THAT on yourself with that awful pun" said Horgey unsympathetically to the Blue Rider.
Next up after the recess was the Holder of a Seahold that produced salt as well as its fishing profits.
"My Lord, some of the salt I make was stolen, and I believe it can only be one of three people that did it; and that was the men who were bagging it. That's my own steward, who I hesitate to accuse; and these two itinerant workers. And apart from wanting my salt back, I don't want to condemn an innocent man by refusing him a Warrant of honesty as well as the guilty one. And I haven't any admissions, so I've brought the case to you."
Lord Groghe did not look terribly gratified; though he did grunt,
"Your feelings to preserve the good name of the innocent do you credit; I'll remember that. I take it you've questioned them all?"
"Yes, My Lord. Whichever it is must have hidden it, for I've searched all their sleeping areas; in fact my steward suggested it to clear himself. But these two shared a cavern and the salt was nowhere in their room or his."
"He might have suggested it to shift suspicion if he took it and hid it" whispered Kit.
"Or just because he felt injured at being suspected. Shh!" whispered back T'rin.
Groghe was frowning in concentration.
"With neither witnesses nor one prepared to admit to his deed this becomes quite troublesome" he growled.
T'rin rose.
"Excuse me, My Lord, would it be impolitic of me to make a suggestion or two?"
Groghe looked at him, visibly brightening.
"I'll happily hear a dragonman any time" he said. "It's young T'rin, isn't it? T'lana's fosterling?"
"Yes sir, that's right" said T'rin.
Groghe's face cleared completely and he gave T'rin a beatific smile.
"A logicator for such a case is right welcome, you and any of your unnaturally clever friends."
T'rin grinned, and led Kitiara wheeling Horgey up to the Dais.
"Seaholder, if they were bagging salt, they'd be stripped to the waist and no convenient way of carrying it out save in a belt pouch, am I correct?"
"Yes, Blue Rider" said the Holder politely, if a little dubiously. "I can't ban a man from wearing his pouch, he may not trust his valuables to any other man."
"Very well; My Lord, there are three witnesses who I beg you will question under duress" he grinned as Groghe started to protest. "I suggest you take and empty all their pouches now, in front of all, that their possessions can be seen not to be interfered with; turn them inside out and beat them hard onto a cloth. By tasting what comes out, the one who carried salt in his pouch will be revealed. The pouches are our witnesses."
Groghe slapped his knee and gave a bark of laughter.
"Excellent! Perfect! And so simple. As most perfect things are. You logicators are a real boon, m'boy, have you any available for placing out? I'd like one on hand all the time if you have."
"Most of us are Impressed or in a second craft, sir" said T'rin "But you have only to send Merga with a note, or a drum message, and one of us will come as quickly as possible. Which, emergencies our end excepting, will be immediately. And if there's a real emergency YOUR end, sooner than immediately, Between time to the instant of you sending."
"Excellent, excellent!" approved Lord Groghe. "Will you sit in on this case?"
"If it pleases you, My Lord" said T'rin, politely. "We were here to learn from you – your judgements are famously fair, so we're picking your brains, and I've notes to take back to the Weyr too."
Lord Groghe roared with laughter.
"Well, I'll not deny being flattered" he said "Though I got some of my lessons from Robinton – you ask him some day to tell you how come a wall has two sides!" he laughed again "And we can all learn from each other, hmm?"
"Absolutely!" said T'rin enthusiastically. "Only a foolish man thinks that he has learned all there is to learn!"
The Lord Holder accordingly demanded the belt pouches of all the accused.
"Ar, we'll all have salt in un, acoss we wuz workin' with ut" said one. "That don't prove nuffink!"
Groghe glanced at T'rin who was unperturbed.
"All will have salt on the outside; not deep inside" said the young Dragonrider. "That is why they are to be turned inside out. If none taste of salt, something else was used to transport and we go further. We have all day."
The belt pouches were duly emptied, turned inside-out, and beaten.
Lord Groghe pulled a wry face at the piles of assorted dust and fluff; but he was not a man to shirk his duty. He moistened a different finger for each pouch, dipped it into the grey pile and touched it to his tongue.
He took a long swallow of wine a drudge waited to proffer to him; and he nodded thanks to the elderly woman for her initiative. Then he pointed at one of the itinerants.
"This is the man who filled his pouch with salt to secrete it. If you will tell where you hid it, fellow, I shall be more lenient with you" the Lord Holder said, regarding the man sternly with his protuberant blue eyes.
The man, who was the one who had protested that their pouches would all be salty, gave T'rin a poisonous look.
"Fardling dragonman; too clever by half!"
T'rin shrugged.
"Lord Groghe could equally have asked for the favour of having my dragon read your minds to find the culprit. As he can also do to find where you hid it. Why not come clean?"
The man shrugged but looked scared at the idea of having his mind read.
"It's in the little cave down the coast a hundred paces or so" he said "Where the fellis and numbweed and such are prepared."
"Excellent decision" said Lord Groghe, dryly. "This Holder suffers no loss, but you shall pay him a fine for his inconvenience, which he may take in unpaid labour for three months from you; or the marks in lieu and you work for me instead. And you will have no warranty nor any endorsement to any warranty you might already hold. Honesty is the best policy; you gained yourself nothing but a bad reputation."
The Seaholder decided to take the marks in lieu; rather than have a dishonest man who also harboured a grudge for having been caught!
"Can Renpeth read minds?" asked Horgey.
"All dragons are telepathic" said T'rin "and can talk to anyone and gain some knowledge from their minds. Golds and Bronzes do it best, Greens can be a bit too flighty to concentrate or to put two and two together from disjointed thoughts. Renpeth COULD find out; but I'm not sure he'd much appreciate me asking it of him. Searching through the thoughts of a man filled with resentment would hurt his feelings; dragons don't like being feared and disliked. Also, possessions are not important to dragons at all; he might have difficulty looking for something he has little understanding of. But the thief didn't know that."
Horgey grinned.
"In other words, you bluffed it."
T'rin shrugged.
"Sure. Sometimes you have to."
"I've still a lot to learn about being a harper."
T'rin laughed.
"I think that's you have a lot to learn about being a rogue. But then, we all have a lot to learn – all our lives. Every experience helps" he said. "Want to listen to any more or shall we go find something to eat?"
"Go find something to eat" said Kit "I'm starving."
"Ah, these apprentices! Always thinking of their stomachs!" grinned T'rin.
There was a brief altercation on who had scoffed the most bubbly pies earlier; and the three friends went off amicably in search of the rest of their friends and a gather pie stall!