"No, though I daresay it wouldn't taste any worse than some of the concoctions you've insisted I swallow. No, this must be injected into the vein."

She gave him a long thoughtful look. "So that's why you needed the syringes." She gave her head a little shake. "We don't have enough of them. And I think you better see Master Fortine."' "Don't you trust me?" Capiam was hurt by her response. "Completely. That's why I suggest you go to Master Fortine. With your serum. He has been too frequent a visitor at our cautious Lord Holder's internment camp. He's coming down with the plague."

When Moreta woke, she felt Orlith's joyful presence in her mind.

You are better. The worst is over!

"I'm better?" Moreta was annoyed by the quaver in her voice, too much a remnant of the terrible lassitude that had enervated her the day before.

You are much better. Today you will get stronger every minute. "How much of that is wishful thinking, my love?"

Even as Moreta spoke in her usual affectionate way, she realized that Orlith would know. During Moreta's illness, the queen had been as close in her mind as if the dragon had changed mental residence. Orlith had shared every moment of Moreta's discomfort, as if, by sharing, the dragon could diminish the effects of the plague on her rider. They, who had been partners in so much, had achieved a new peak of awareness, the one in the other. Orlith had dampened the pain of the fierce headache, she had eased the stress of fever and depressed the hard, racking cough. All she could do was comfort Moreta during the fourth day of physical and mental exhaustion. But by then the dragon queen had every right to rejoice.

Holth says there is other good news! Master Capiam has a serum which prevents the plague.

"Prevents it? Can he cure it?" Moreta had not been so detached in the course of her illness that she had not known that others in Fort had sickened-or that dragons and riders had died in other Weyrs. She was aware as well that two Fort Weyr wings had risen the day before to meet the Fall on Igen's behalf. That Berchar and Tellani's new babe had died. She knew as well that the epidemic had extended its insidious grip on the continent. It was time and enough for the healers to have found some specific means to control it. The plague has a name. It is an ancient disease.

"What name do they give it then?"

I can't remember, Orlith said apologetically.

Moreta sighed. Naming was a dragon failing. Yet Orlith remembered quite a few, Moreta thought fondly.

Holth asks are you hungry yet?

"My greetings to our good Holth and our gracious Leri, and I think I am hungry," Moreta said with some surprise. For four days any thought of food had caused nausea. Thirst she had suffered, as well as the hard throat-searing cough, and a weakness so deep she feared at moments that she would never shake it. That was when Orlith had been closest to her mind. Had there been space enough, the queen would have forced her swollen body into Moreta's quarters to be physically near.

"How's Sh'gall?" Moreta inquired. She had been feverishly ill by morning when Kadith had mournfully roused Orlith and Holth with the news of his rider's collapse.

He is weak. He doesn't feel at all well.

Moreta grinned. Orlith's tone was tinged with scorn as if the queen felt her own rider had been more valiant.

"Do remember, Orlith, that Sh'gall has never been ill. This must come as a terrible shock to his self-esteem."

Orlith said nothing.

"What news from Ruatha Hold? You'd better tell me," Moreta added when she felt Orlith's resistance.

Leri comes. Relief marked Orlith's manner. She knows. "Leri comes here?" Moreta tried to sit up, but gasped at the dizziness the sudden movement occasioned. She lay where she had flopped as she listened to the approach of shuffling steps and the tap of Leri's cane. "Leri, you shouldn't-"

"Why not?" Leri projected her voice from the larger weyr. "Good morning, Orlith. I'm one of the brave. I've lived my life so I'm not afraid of this 'viral influence,' as the Healers have styled it." Leri pushed back the bright door curtain, peering brightly at the younger woman. "Ah, there-you have color in your face today." A covered pot and the thong of a flask swung from her left hand. Two more containers had been stuck in her belt to allow her to use her right hand for her stick. As Leri entered the room, Moreta noticed that the old woman's gait seemed more fluid. She deposited her oddments on the chest that was now drawn to Moreta's bedside and then allowed herself to drop onto the space by Moreta's feet. "There now!" she said with great satisfaction, tucking her gnarled stick beside her. "Yes, you should do very well."

"Something smells good," Moreta said, inhaling the aroma from the pot.

"A special porridge I concocted. Made them bring me supplies and a brazier so I could nurse you myself. Nesso's finally down with it and out of my hair for a bit. Gorta's taken charge-rather well, I might add, in case you're interested." Leri looked slyly at Moreta as she spooned porridge in two bowls. "I'll join you since it's my breakfast time as well, and this stuff is as good for me as it is for you. By the way, I made Orlith eat this morning before she wasted away to nothing but the eggshells. She had four fat bucks and a wherry. She was very hungry! Now, don't look dismayed. You've scarcely been able to do for yourself, let alone her. She didn't feel neglected. She minds me very well, Orlith does, since she knows me so well. After all, Holth laid her! So she did as we told her and she's feeling better. She had to eat, Moreta. Her next stop is the Hatching Ground, and we had to wait till you recovered for that. Won't be long now."

Moreta did some swift adding. "She's early. She shouldn't clutch for another five or six days."

"There has been some stress. Don't fuss. Eat. The sooner you've got your strength back, the better all round."

"I'm much stronger today. Yesterday ..." Moreta smiled ruefully. "How have you managed?"

"Very easily." Leri was serenely smug. "As I said, I had them bring me a brazier and supplies. I made your potions myself, I'll have you know! With Orlith listening to every breath you made and relaying the information to Holth, I'll wager you couldn't have been better cared for if Master Capiam had been at your bedside." "Orlith says he's discovered a cure?"

"A vaccine, he calls it. But I'll not have him after your blood." "Why should he be?" Moreta was startled and Orlith gave a bellow at Leri's protectiveness.

"He takes the blood of people who have recovered and makes a serum to prevent it in others. Says it's an ancient remedy. Can't say I like the notion at all!" Leri's short upright figure shuddered. "He practically attacked K'lon when he reported for conveying." Leri gave a chuckle and smiled with bland satisfaction. "K'lon was doing too much flitting between on Healer Hall errands. I've appointed weyrlings to the duty. Didn't like to but ... they've followed orders well. Oh, there's been so much happening I hardly know where to begin!"

Beneath Leri's glib manner, Moreta could discern worry and fatigue, but the older Weyrwoman seemed to be thriving on the crisis.

"Have there been more . . . Weyr deaths?" Moreta asked, bracing herself for the answer.

"No!" Leri gave a defiant nod of her head and another pleased smile. "There shouldn't have been any! People weren't using the wits they were born with. You know how greens and blues panic? Well, they did just that when their riders got so sick and weak, instead of supporting them. In fact, there might be something to Jallora's theory that the one caused the other. . . ."Leri stared off for a moment in deep thought. "Jallora's the journeywoman healer sent with two apprentices from the Healer Hall. So we keep in touch with the sick riders. You were very ill, you know. Exhausted, I think, after the Gather-no sleep, all the excitement, then Fall and that repair on Dilenth. He's fine, but Orlith is so strong and her need of you so great that you hadn't a chance of dying! You and Orlith as a healing team were the inspiration"-Leri fixed Moreta with a mock stern gaze-"so we just told the other Weyrwomen to have their queen dragons keep watch on the sick and not let the riders die. It isn't as if the Weyrs had the crowding that's causing so much concern in the Holds and Halls. It's ridiculous for dragonriders to die of this vicious viral influence."