Authors: Anne McCaffrey
Books by Anne McCaffrey
Decision at Doona
Dinosaur Planet
Dinosaur Planet Survivors
Get Off the Unicorn
The Lady
Pegasus in Flight
Restorree
The Ship Who Sang
To Ride Pegasus
Nimisha’s Ship
Pegasus in Space
THE CRYSTAL SINGER BOOKS
Crystal Singer
Killashandra
Crystal Line
THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN
®
BOOKS
Dragonflight
Dragonquest
The White Dragon
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
Nerilka’s Story
Dragonsdawn
The Renegades of Pern
All the Weyrs of Pern
The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
The Dolphins of Pern
Dragonseye
The Masterharper of Pern
The Skies of Pern
By Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough:
Powers that Be
Power Lines
Power Play
With Jody Lynn Nye:
The Dragonlover’s Guide to Pern
Edited by Anne McCaffrey:
Alchemy and Academe
A FRIENDSHIP BEGINS
Killashandra watched as the stranger pressed a code, then stepped back before the screen. She politely moved back.
“Control? The shuttle that just landed can’t be permitted to take off. Half the crystals in the drive must be overheating. Can’t you tell from the ejection velocity monitor? . . . Well, now that’s more reasonable,” he continued after a moment. “I’m Carrik of the Heptite Guild, Ballybran—Yes, that’s what I said. I could hear the secondary sonics right through the walls, so I damn well know there’s overheating.” Another pause. “Thanks, but I’ve paid my bill already. . . . Oh, as you will.” He glanced at Killashandra. “Make that for two,” he added, grinning at her as he turned from the console. He cupped his hand under Killashandra’s elbow and steered her toward a secluded booth.
“But, I’ve a bottle of wine at my table—” she said, half protesting, half laughing at his peremptory escort.
“You’ll have better shortly. I’m Carrik and you’re . . . ?”
“Killashandra Ree.”
He smiled, gray eyes lighting briefly with surprise. “That’s a lovely name.”
It looked as if her luck was about to change.
To learn more about other great ebook titles from Ballantine, please visit
www.randomhouse.com/BB/ebooks.htm.
To enjoy other great science fiction and fantasy titles visit
www.delreydigital.com.
THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN is a trademark of Ann McCaffrey. Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.
A Del Rey
®
Book
Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group
Copyright © 1982 by Anne McCaffrey
All rights reserved under international and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited Toronto.
Del Rey and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 82–4009
eISBN: 978-0-345-45745-5
v3.0