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permanent Thread-Fall warning device, he opted for the
latter. Of course, his role was supervisory, as the more precise
location had to be conducted by teams of astronomers,
engineers and Weyrleaders on the eastern rim of all six estab-
lishments. He, Jemmy and Kalvi were to set the mechanism
at Benden, the first Weyr to 'see' the phenomenon, then
skedaddle on dragonback to each of the other five Weyrs to
be sure all went smoothly.
It was imperative that the first installation, at Benden, had
to be spot on in case there might be a distortion at any other.
Though Clisser doubted it, not with Kalvi fussing and fussing
264
over the components. Clisser had been over and over the
requisite steps to pinpoint the rise of the Red Star. Once that
circular 'eye' was set on the Rim, they could install the pointer,
the finger. But the 'eye' had to be spot on! The teams had
been in place for the past week, with pre-dawn checks on the
Red Planet's position at dawn. All that was necessary now
was a clear morning, and that seemed to be possible across
the continent which had enjoyed some bright clear, if wintry,
skies. Fine weather was critically important at Benden, for the
other Weyrs could take adjusted measurements from that
reading if necessary.
Kalvi was still fiddling with the design of what he was calling
the Eye Rock, which would bracket the Red Planet at dawn
on Winter Solstice. His main problem was adjusting the
pointer... the position at a distance from the Eye itself at
which the viewer would stand to see the planet. The pointer
had to accommodate different physical heights. Old diagrams
of Stonehenge and other prehistoric rings had surfaced.
Actually Bethany's students had found them after an intensive
search of long-unused documents. Fortunately for Clisser's
peace, Sallisha had gone to Nerat for the Turn's End celebra-
tion, ready to start her next year's teaching Contract. He was
spared any reminder from her of how important it was to keep
such ancient knowledge viable. He had rehearsed arguments,
in case he had a letter from her, about the fact that, in the
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crunch, someone had remembered.
He was quite excited - if freezing - to be on Benden Weyr's
Rim with the others, telescopes set up, aimed in the appro-
priate direction while Kalvi and Jemmy fiddled with their
components. Kalvi had put up a cone for the pointer; the
notion being that a person resting their chin on the cone's tip
would see the Red Planet brackete~ just as it cleared the
horizon. They'd have to try it with folks of various statures
to be sure that the device worked, but technically, Clisser
thought it would. Kalvi was the shortest, he was tallest, M'shall
was a half-head shorter, and Jemmy between the Weyrleader
and Kalvi. If all could see the Red Planet in the Eye, the
device would be proven.
265
Well, it would really be proven in another two hundred and
fifty years or so with the Third Pass!
But this moment was exciting. He slapped his body with his
arms, trying to warm himself. His feet, despite the extra lining,
were frozen; he could barely feel his toes, and his breath was
so visible he worried that it might cloud his chance to see the
phenomenon.
'Here it comes,' said Kalvi, though Clisser could see nothing
in the crepuscular dawn light. Kalvi was looking at his
instrument, not the sky.
A tip of red appeared just over the bottom of the Eye a
breath or two later. A redness that seemed to pulsate. It wasn't
a very large planet - from this distance, it wouldn't be, Clisser
thought, though they had the measurements of it from the
Yokohama observations. It was approximately the same size
as Earth's old sister, Venus. And about as hospitable.
Somehow, Clisser thought - and told himself to breathe -
as he watched, the wanderer managed to look baleful in its
redness. Hadn't one of the other Sol satellites been called the
'red planet'? Oh, yes, Mars. Suitable, too, since it had been
named after a war god.
And equally a suitable colour for a planet that was about
to wreak havoc on us. How could such an avaricious organism
develop on a planet that spent most of its orbit too far away
from Rubkat's warmth to generate any life form? Of course,
he was aware that very odd 'Life' forms had been found by
the early space explorers. Who had blundered into the Nathi,
to name another vicious species?
But the reports on this mycorrhizoid gave it no intelligence
whatsoever. A menace without malice. Clisser sighed. Well,
that was some consolation: it didn't really mean to eat
everything in sight, people, animals, plants, trees; but that was
all it could do.
Which was more than enough, Clissser thought grimly,
remembering the visuals of recorded incidents. That's another
thing he ought to have done - a graphic record - even a still
picture would make vividly plain how devastating Thread
could be. Iantine's sketches done at the Bitran b~)rders had
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impressed the Teacher immensely. Though it was a shame to
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waste Iantine's talents on a copy job. Anyone could copy; few
could originate.
Meanwhile, the red edge crept up over the Rim of Benden
Weyr.
'THAT'S IT!' Kalvi cried. He was lying on his stomach,
the iron circle in his hands. 'I got it. Cement it in place
now. Quickly. You there at the Finger Rock. Eyeball the
phenomenon. All of you should see it bracketed by this
circle.'
The viewers had lined themselves up and each took a turn
even as Kalvi raced back to grab a look from this vantage
point.
'Yup, that'll do it. You got that solidly in place? Good,' and
the energetic engineer turned to M'shall. 'As you love your
dragon, don't let anyone or anything touch that iron rim. I've
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