Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1)

by Anne McCaffrey

ARRHENIUS? EUREKA! MYCORRHIZA….’ Of course, that part doesn’t make any sense at all,” Lessa snorted. “It isn’t even Pernese—just babbling, those last three words.” “I’ve studied it, Lessa,” F’lar replied, glancing at it again and tipping it toward him to reaffirm his conclusions. “The only way to depart for all time between is to die, right? People just don’t fly away on their own, obviously. So it is a death vision, dutifully recorded by a grandchild, who couldn’t spell very well either. ‘Doodling’ as the present tense of dying!” He smiled indulgently. “And as for the rest of it, after the nonsense—like most death visions, it ‘explains’ what everyone has always known. Read on.” “ ‘Flamethrowing fire lizards to wipe out the spores. Q.E.D.’?” “No help there, either. Obviously just a primitive rejoicing that he is a dragonman, who didn’t even know the right word for Threads.”