Chap. 120 AWOL

Chap. 120  AWOL 

I don't need this aggravation first thing in the morning, D'nis thought. He hadn't slept well.

He, and D'mitran, K'ndar and Greta, was going over what they intended to do today. They were not the source of his irritation.

"If I'm right, we should be reaching the rift valley sometime today," he was saying. But in his mind, he was wondering, where was T'ovar. Not that the High Reaches brown rider had contributed much in the way of work, or help. But as team leader he felt a responsibility for everyone on the team.

"I'm looking forward to it, sir, so little is known about it."

"If we do reach it today, then, it will probably be a big day for you, Greta, in the way of sampling and collecting rocks," he said. 

She nodded. But she was annoyed. She wanted to get on with it and T'ovar was going to be late to the meeting. Again. 

"Where's T'ovar?" she asked, "I'd like to get rolling."

"Don't rightly know," D'nis said, "as you probably know, he's been commuting from his weyr at Tillek Sea Hold to here. Can't blame him, honestly, if it were feasible I'd be doing the same thing. But, that's no reason for his not being here. He knows what time our meetings are."

He didn't continue. T'ovar didn't contribute much of anything to the team meetings.  

None of them were quite sure what purpose he was serving. He'd not provided any leadership or guidance. In fact, K'ndar reflected, it was almost as if T'ovar had heard of the survey and decided to tag along out of boredom rather than any interest in science. 

But…hadn't Rahman decided who was to be on the team?

He voiced that, knowing that D'nis was bothered by the High Reaches rider's attitude.

"That was my impression, K'ndar. At least, when it was first proposed at Landing. Rahman insisted on us doing the survey. How T'ovar came to be involved, I'm sorry to say that I don't really know. "

"Um, what, precisely, is T'ovar's specialty?" D'mitran asked. 

Greta snickered. "Boasting? Because he does a LOT of that," she laughed.

K'ndar snickered, too. 

D'nis frowned, not wanting to create problems in the team. But, he realized, T'ovar already had, by his lateness, and now, absence.

"I have no answer for that. Nor do I want to create friction between the team."

Greta took the bit. "It's already happened, sir. If it were my decision, I'd just say, let's go, leave him behind. If he wants to come along…well, I'd rather he didn't, sir. I see him standing around doing a lot of nothing, but I haven't felt it was my place to say anything."

D'mitran stepped in. "On this team, everyone has an equal say. We've all got tasks to accomplish, and when one person doesn't pull his weight, the others have a right..no, the responsibility…to make his..or her opinions and observations known. When I was wingleader, when I saw someone shirking, which wasn't often, mind you, I didn't let it wait. The others in the wing depended on everyone doing their job, their share, and you didn't let shirking go on for more than a minute. It was bad for morale, not to mention putting everyone at risk for being scored."

You're still my wingleader, K'ndar thought. 

The Weyrleader in D'nis was dismayed at what appeared to be dissension, but, D'mitran was right. This wasn't fighting Thread, this was doing science. He felt odd, considering the concept of taking Greta's voicing what everyone had felt. Ordinarily, a junior rider would have been very careful in how she phrased such a topic.  But..he'd always, even as Weyrleader, listened to others, took what they said into account and treated them with respect.  Part of him was relieved in knowing that the rest of the team felt the same way he did. He also had a way of finding out where the tardy T'ovar was.

Corvuth? Where is T'ovar?

His bronze dragon was quiet for several seconds.

His dragon says, "drinking with several other men"

Drinking? At this early hour? D'nis couldn't imagine drinking anything other than klah until late in the afternoon.

Nevertheless, it made his job easier.

"T'ovar has made his decision," D'nis said, getting up. The rest of the team looked at him.

"And now I've made mine. T'ovar has, apparently, found something more interesting than doing science, so, let's go to work. Tonight, I'll go back to the observatory and let Rahman know we no longer require T'ovar's services."

The others all grinned. 

D'mitran said, "D'nis, why don't you go talk to Rahman NOW. The three of us can go out, I can take the readings you usually do, and you can check them later."

D'nis looked at D'mitran with appreciation for the man's support. "That's a good idea, D'mitran. I trust you to get the readings right, we've done it together often enough. I don't ever recall being told we HAD to have T'ovar, it was more a case of him being the contact at Tillek Sea Hold. Let's do this: it shouldn't take me too long to talk to Rahman. I'll have Corvuth contact your Careth when I'm done, and he can tell Corvuth where you are. I'll join you."

__________________________________________________________________________

"I didn't assign T'ovar to your team," Rahman said. "I thought YOU had requested his presence."

D'nis was in a small office with the elderly astronomer. He shook his head. 

"No, sir. I'd never met him in my life. I have no idea what his purpose was. He hasn't contributed a thing in the week that we've been surveying. He's been late every morning before we head out, and now, my dragon tells me he's drinking. I assume that means alcohol. That's why I am asking you, sir, I was under the assumption that you had been charged to assemble the team by someone at Landing, and thus were 'in charge'. 

"Nay, D'nis. During the discussions on installing the second observatory, it was found that no one had any idea where to put it on the western island. It would have been the height of stupidity to just throw up the observatory 'somewhere' without knowing a thing about whether that somewhere was suitable!

 We all knew of your team's work surveying the steppe, and thus your team was the natural choice. I was asked to act as liaison by Raylan, as he was hip deep in the recovery of a skeleton. As for being 'in charge'? The only power I have in this situation is being the final authority to approve or disapprove whatever sites you find. That's why it was so important to get a good geologist on the team." 

"Do you know what T'ovar's specialty is? And do you remember who suggested he be part of the team?"

Rahman shook his head. "No. Again, I thought it was you who'd asked for him. And, to add to the problem, the planning meetings were many and long winded. I was required to be there but my input was seldom asked for other than the technical parts of the scope. Sometimes, I confess, I fell asleep when they got too mundane."

D'nis laughed. 

"For the most part, do you remember who was in on the meetings?"

"That, I can say yes. All of them were scientists, or members of the Council, or…well, wait. Let me backtrack. There were a few people there who, I always thought, were more interested in what the team could do for THEM rather than for scientific knowledge, or the new observatory. It usually involved money in one way or another. I don't like this new thing, this insistence on money changing hands. I still think the barter is the most civilized way of transacting."

D'nis nodded in agreement. The old man scratched his head, trying to get it to give him the data he wanted.

"There was one man, from Southern Hold. His name…oh, my mind is so full, these days, his name escapes me at the moment, but he was trying very hard to convince the council to include someone from Southern to go with. 

We tried to tell him that no place in the Southern continent was being considered for this new observatory. He was allowed to be there out of..well, respect, I suppose. He was insistent that Southern have someone on the team. But he couldn't name a one from that Hold that had any scientific credentials or interests, or provide a valid reason why."

Something went 'ping' in D'nis's mind. Then it began to ring as the pieces began to fit. 

He couldn't be certain as to who, as he hadn't had any dealings with them, but he'd knew that  several High Reaches riders had been at Lord Toric's Southern Hold Gather. That Gather had been one where Toric's goons had searched high and low for K'ndar, because Toric had wanted to punish K'ndar.

"Did you know that Lord Toric wanted to punish K'ndar for turning the artifacts in to Landing?"

Rahman looked very troubled. "I heard enough to know that Toric has some nerve, he does.  That's outrageous. First he has no jurisdiction over K'ndar or anyone else outside his Hold, for that matter. Secondly, K'ndar…and you..did the right thing. Those artifacts belong to all of us, not just that sod at Southern Hold."

"I feel exactly the same way." D'nis said. Should he trouble the old man with the thoughts that suddenly sprang into his mind. Maybe not, but he should at least give the old man some warnings.

"Sir, I am officially, then, cutting T'ovar from my team. I don't need him, nor do I want him."

Rahman nodded. "You have that right, you needn't ask my permission."

"It's a courtesy you're due, sir. I would appreciate it if you would notify Landing of my decision. Tell them it's final. If T'ovar comes here, wondering where we are, you may tell him we've cut him from the team.  

 If you will excuse me for just a few moments, I am going to ask my dragon a question. But before I do, I must warn you. This is just my opinion, but I believe that T'ovar is being paid by Lord Toric to spy on us. Should my team find something of value or artifacts, I bet my boots T'ovar would find some way to 'acquire' them."

Rahman shook his head and sighed.

Corvuth, I should have asked this earlier. WHERE is T'ovar's dragon?

Corvuth, again, was silent for a moment.

It looks like Southern Hold