Free Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey Page A

shoulder, in her usual position.
    ‘This is Beauty, the queen.’
    ‘Yes, she is, isn’t she?’ Piemur kept staring as Menolly descended to the floor level.
    Beauty stretched her neck, her eyes whirling gently as she returned his look. Suddenly she blinked her eyes, and so did Piemur, which made Menolly giggle.
    ‘No wonder Camo was cracking his shell over her.’ Then Piemur shook himself, all over, like a fire lizard shedding seawater. ‘I was sent to bring you to Master Shonagar.’
    ‘Who’s he?’ asked Menolly, weary enough from the session with Master Morshal.
    ‘Old Marshface give you a hard time? Don’t worry about it. You’ll like Master Shonagar; he’s my Master, he’s the Voice Master. He’s the best.’ Piemur’s face lit up with real enthusiasm. ‘And
he
said that if you can sing half as well as your fire lizards do, you’re an assss … atest …?’
    ‘Asset?’ It amused Menolly to be so considered by anyone.
    ‘That’s the word. And he said that it didn’t really matter if you croaked like a watchwher, so long as you could get the fire lizards to sing. Do you think she likes me?’ he added, for he hadn’t stopped staring at Beauty. Nor had he moved.
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘She keeps staring at me so, and her eyes are whirling.’ He gestured absently with one hand.
    ‘You’re staring at her.’
    Piemur blinked again and looked at Menolly, smiling shyly and giggling a bit self-consciously. ‘Yeah, I was, wasn’t I? Sorry about that, Beauty. I know it’s rude, but I’ve always wanted to see a fire lizard! Hey, Menolly, c’mon,’ and now Piemur moved off at a half-run, gesturing urgently for Menolly to follow him across the courtyard. ‘Master Shonagar’s waiting, and I know you’re new here, but you don’t ever keep a master waiting. And say, can you keep them from following us, ’cause they might sing, and Master Shonagar did say it was you he wanted to hear sing today, not them again.’
    ‘They’ll be quiet if I ask them to.’
    ‘Ranly, he sat across the table from you, he’s from Crom and he’s so smart, he says they only mimic.’
    ‘Oh no, they don’t.’
    ‘Glad to hear that, because I told him they’re just as smart as dragons, and he wouldn’t believe me.’ Piemur had been leading her towards the big hall where the chorus had been practising that morning. ‘Hurry up, Menolly. Masters hate to be kept waiting, and I’ve been gone awhiles tracking you down.’
    ‘I can’t walk fast,’ Menolly said, gritting her teeth at the pain of each step.
    ‘You sure are walking funny. What’s the matter with your feet?’
    Menolly wondered that he hadn’t heard that tidbit of news. ‘I got caught away from the cave just at Threadfall. I had to run for safety.’
    Piemur’s eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets. ‘You ran?’ His voice squeaked. ‘Ahead of Thread?’
    ‘I ran my shoes off my feet and the skin as well.’
    Menolly had no chance to speak further because Piemur had brought her to the hall door. Before she could adjust her eyes to the darkness within the huge room, she was told not to gawk but come forward at a proper pace, he detested dawdling.
    ‘With respect, sir, Menolly’s feet were injured outrunning Thread,’ said Piemur, just as if he’d always been in possession of this truth. ‘She’s not the dawdling kind.’
    Now Menolly could see the barrel-shaped figure seated at the massive sandtable opposite the entrance.
    ‘Proceed at your own pace then, for surely a girl who outruns Thread has learned not to dawdle.’ The voice flowed out of the darkness, rich, round, with the r’s rolled and the vowel sounds pure and ringing.
    The other fire lizards swooped in through the open door, and the Master’s eyes widened slightly. He regarded Menolly in mock surprise.
    ‘Piemur!’ The single word stopped the boy in his tracks, and the volume, which startled Menolly, caused Piemur to flick her a grin. ‘Did you not convey my message