"Does that mean we're to time it?" Mirrim asked T'gellan in a hushed tone as soon as they were past Tunge, who had not recovered from the multiple shocks.

"What else?" F'lessan asked, right behind her, hauling Tai along beside him.

"How else could we do what is to be done?" T'gellan added as he dragged his weyrmate into a near run. "Yes, Ramoth just confirmed it to Monarth."

"But what do we do first?" Mirrim demanded in a scared voice.

"Monarth's bespeaking Talina's Arwith. I've told her to take four wings at once to Monaco Bay, to warn Portmaster Zewe and to start moving people to safety."

"The dolphins will be safe?" Tai asked.

Mirrim shot her a furious look. "We have to think about the Weyr. It's spread out all over!" Despair made her flush. "So many people."

"The dolphins will know what to do," F'lessan said, taking a firmer grip on Tai's arm, hurrying her along. "If we can time it," and he couldn't resist grinning at the permission, "we will makethe time we need."

"But our Weyr's no more than fifty meters from the sea," and Mirrim's voice rose with anxiety, her face pale under her tan. "On low-lying ground."

"Weyrfolk are a lot better at taking orders than holders or crafters," Tai said, for once the one to reassure.

"And all those seaholders?" Mirrim gasped at the enormity of the task ahead of them.

"I've maps in my office of every holding that looks to Monaco," T'gellan said as they strode, ever faster under the impetus of their anxieties, toward the back door. The guards at the front entrance were now shouting that there was an emergency: specialists to stand right, other volunteers muster to the left. Landing itself was completely safe here in the foothills. Except from the shock wave. When would that be hitting them? "We'll warn them all."

"How long ago did you leave?" F'lessan asked as T'gellan straight-armed the door open, holding it for the others to exit. "We can go back as soon as you've left. Get a bit of a head start."

"I don't know," T'gellan said, startled. "When we finally made it into the office, Time Remaining stood at 4870.1 remember that!"

"An hour and a half ago? As well as the time we wasted talking," F'lessan said. Had so little time elapsed? And yet it had seemed so long-watching the stunning visuals as mere curiosity in a bright point in Benden's morning sky turned into a planetary disaster at midday in Landing.

Ramoth says only bronze riders are to manage the timings,Golanth said, his tone awed.

T'gellan gave a sharp bark of laughter, glancing over his shoulder at the Benden Wingleader. "So which of us has more experience timing?"

"Not a point to argue," F'lessan said. "Let's do it. All we need are our dragons."

There wasn't enough room for four dragons, even if two were green, to land on the area outside the rear door, and the guard was goggle-eyed at the flurry of so many wings.

Next avenue over,F'lessan told his bronze. Tell Zaranth."This way, Tai, between the buildings. Meetcha there!" He raised his voice so T'gellan would hear over the noise of Monarth's descent. Path crammed herself against one wall to drop as close as she could to Mirrim. He glanced at his watch before he drove his fist into the sleeve of his flying jacket. "Golanth! See the comet as we saw it coming in to land."

F'lessan and Tai ran through the space between buildings that had become classrooms for the many youngsters studying at Landing. Golanth was in the act of putting his feet down when F'lessan leaped to his forearm and vaulted astride. As the bronze immediately began to ascend, F'lessan caught sight of Tai astride Zaranth's back.

Golanth, tell Zaranth to take her coordinates from you,F'lessan said, not even bothering to close his flying jacket or jam his helmet on his head. Maybe the seconds betweenwould cool him down from the heat that he hadn't even noticed in the Interface office. He concentrated on timing it and Golanth took them between.

Once again Landing had become a command center, Lessa thought. Though she could wish it otherwise, she would be happier, as well as more useful, here than at Benden Weyr. It had been Ruth's query to her through Ramoth that made her wonder if perhaps that bright spark in the sky, still hanging overhead at Benden, was dangerous. Tiroth had already brought Wansor, Lytol, and D'ram to Landing. Maybe the Benden Weyrleaders should join them, if only to see what the old Star Master had to say about this intruder. Stinar was quite willing to turn on the screen in the conference room so that Lytol and D'ram could describe what was happening to Wansor. He could still distinguish light from dark but no details. Despite his blindness, he had cultivated an uncanny ability to locate other people in the same room with him, sometimes calling them by name when they came near.

His round face with its opaque eyes had lit up with an extraordinary smile when Lessa and F'lar entered. "Lessa!"

"How did you know?" Lessa asked, swiftly moving to take both his hands in hers. She had half a mind to give him a kiss for his unqualified welcome.

"My dear Lessa, wherever you go there is a vibrancy that is unmistakable. And then," he chuckled, "you wear a fragrance that is unique." He held out his right hand toward F'lar and returned the strong grip.

Craggy-faced Lytol and D'ram, whose weathered skin was nearly the color of his bronze's hide, had risen at their entry and now Lytol was holding a chair for her, one facing the screen with its view of what the Yokowas seeing.

"Is all this serious?" Lessa asked, taking the seat and noting a bewildering amount of information scrolling down one side of the monitor. The fireball that had seemed almost directly overhead was now coming straight at them, even from Yoko'saltitude above the surface.

"It could be." Wansor said. "Erragon is watching with Stinar-and, of course, we now have you here." He smiled. "Do go on, Lytol. Any new information on that error ellipse?"

"Some of this will be very technical, Lessa," Lytol said courteously, reseating himself before he leaned close to Wansor to describe the scene and recite the numbers that were flowing down the side of the monitor.

Beside her, F'lar gave it his attention, though he, too, she noticed, scowled subtly; the complicated astronomical data was beyond him. Someone brought in a tray of klah and meatrolls and, eyeing the screen warily, departed as quickly as possible. There was a degree of fear in the girl's manner that troubled Lessa. She was accustomed to listening to her instincts. As she served D'ram a cup of klah, she bent close to his ear.

"What would happen if that fireball came down anywhere?"

Clearly that possibility had occurred to the old bronze rider.

"It could be a miss," he whispered softly.

"A near one?" Lessa said, hazarding her opinion.

"We can hope so," he replied, shifting his position in his chair. "Yokohasn't displayed any information about its size, but it's clearly a large object."

"Flaming," she said sardonically. "So it will make a large hole and shake the surface."

D'ram gave her a startled glance. "We don't know that it will impact, Lady Lessa."

"Let's think of the worst that could happen and then we can be pleasantly surprised."

"Fortunately there's a lot of sea for it to cross," he murmured.

"Then it's best if it falls into water and does no harm."

His eyes widened. "It will cause harm! If it falls, there will be tidal waves of tremendous force, flooding all low coastal areas and surging inland. You remember the high waves caused by the last eruption of Piemur's volcano?"