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With luc# thought Menolly, she could get her sack down to the water rooms...
"Where did you go for those greens, MenoHy? Nerat?" Her mother appeared in
front of her.
"Almost"
Immediately Menolly saw that her pert words were ill-timed. Mavi roughly
grabbed the sack and peered inside critically.
"If you'd not made the trip worth tie while . . . Sail's been sighted."
"Safl?"
Mavi closed the sack and shoved it back into Me-nolly's hands. "Yes, sail You
should have been back hours ago. Whatever possessed you to take off so far
with Thread.. /'
There weren't any greens nearer..."
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"With Thread due to fall anytime? You're a fool twice over."
"I was safe enough. I saw a dragonrider doing his sweep..."
That pleased Mavi. "Thank heavens we're beholden to Benden. They're a proper
Weyr." Mavi gave her daughter a shove towards the kitchen level. "Take those,
and be sure the girls wash every speck of sand off. Who knows who's sailing
in?"
Menolly slipped through the busy kitchen, countering orders flung at her by
various other women who saw in her a capable assistant at their own tasks.
Menolly merely brandished the sack and proceeded down to the water rooms.
There some of the older but still able women were busily sandscouring the best
metal plates and trays.
"I must have one basin for the greens, auntie," said Menolly, pushing up to
the rank of stone sinks.
"Greens is easier on old skin than sand," said one of the women in a
quavering, long-suffering voice and promptly deposited her pile of plates into
the sink beside her and pulled her plug.
"More sand in greens than cleaning," another woman remarked in an acid tone.
"Yes, but take it off greens," said the obliging one. "Oh, what a lovely mess
of yellow-veins, too. Where did you find them this time of year, daughter?"
"Halfway to Nerat." Menofiy suppressed her grin at their startled shrieks of
dismay. The furthest they'd stir from the Hold was the ledge in front on a
sunny day.
"With Thread falling? You naughty girll" "Did you hear about the sail?" "Who
do you suppose?" "The new Harper, who else?" There was a wild chorus of
cackling laughs and great wonderings about the appearance of the new Harper.
"They always send a young one here."
"Petironwasoldr
"He got that way. Same as we did!"
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"How would you remember?"
"Why not? I've lived through more Harpers than you have, my girl."
"You have notl I came here from Red Sands in Ista..."
"You were born at Half-Circle, you old fool, and I birthed you!"
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"Ha!"
Menolly listened to the four old women arguing back and forth until she heard
her mother demanding to know if the greens had been washed. And where were the
good plates and how was she to get anything done with all the gossip?
Menolly found a sieve large enough to hold the washed greens and brought them
up for her mother's inspection.
"Well, thatTl be enough for the head table," Mavi said, poking at the
glistening mound with her fork. Then, she stared at her daughter. "You can't
appear like that Here you, Bardie, take the greens and put the dressing on
them. The one in the brown flask on the fourth shelf in the cool room. You,
Menolly, have the goodness to get yourself sandfree and decently dressed.
You're to attend Old Uncle. The moment he opens his mouth, shove something
into it or well be hearing him all night long."
Menolly groaned. Old Uncle smelled almost as much as he chattered.
"Bella's much better handling him, Mavi..."
"Sella's to attend head table. You do as you're told and be gratefulP Mavi
fixed her rebellious daughter with a stern eye, tacitly reminding her of her
disgrace. Then Mavi was called away to check a sauce for the baking fish.
Menolly went off to the bathing rooms, trying to convince herself that she was
lucky she hadn't been banished completely from the Hall this evening. Though
tending Old Uncle came as close as could be
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to banishment. Honor obliged the Sea Holder to have all his household there to
greet the new Harper.
Menolly shucked off the dirty tunic and breeches, and slipped into the warm
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