The Glass Ceiling

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 26th May 2026

Characters: Jisalle, Gellan
Description: Jisalle discusses fixing the greenhouse roof with a workman.
Location: Healer Hall
Date: month 3, day 11 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: Laithan
Follows 'Vitriol, In Green'

"Two months!?"

"Hey now, don't get hysterical! They're just windows," Gellan said, holding his hands out palms up as if to ward her off.

Jisalle took a deep breath, then another. In a very quiet, controlled voice she said, "That won't do, Gellan. It's got to be sooner." The seasons were changing and the aloe wouldn't last the fall beneath the open sky, let alone some of her other tropical plants.

Gellan shook his head sadly. "I know you think you understand how building things works, but you don't, Jisalle."

"The Healer Hall needs the greenhouses working."

The builder shrugged. "I'm sorry, but the windows are a special order from the Smith Hall. Then the glass has got to get transported, and installing them isn't easy. It's finicky work. Delicate work. There's only a few people I'd trust to even do it."

She took another slow, even breath. **Patience.** "How do I place a special order with the Smith Hall?"

"Aw, I can do that for you," Gellan said with a smile. "I'll write to them. I know what to do since I helped build the greenhouses in the first place."

She pressed her lips together. "The dragonmen broke the windows, so you can make _them_ pay the Smith Hall. And carry the glass, instead of shipping it by boat."

"It's not that simple," he said again. "The glass comes in big sheets and it's way more likely to get broken carried dragonback than by boat. And I ain't going to bill the Weyr. If you want the Weyr to pay, your Hallmaster can negotiate that with them."

Laithan would do more than write to them, Jisalle was sure. Whether or not his approach would result in the outcome they wanted was debatable. "The Weyr will provide the marks for the glass," she said with more confidence than she felt. "But this needs to be fixed in days, Gellar. Not months."

He made a face. "I understand you're upset--"

"I am _not_ upset," Jisalle said sternly. "I am _planning_ahead_. The plants in here are the type to die when the weather changes, and the Healer Hall depends on them." The Healer Hall depended on the greenhouses, which in turn depended on her. Her niece's apprenticeship was funded by her work. It hadn't felt like a burden until now.

"I know you're trying real hard, Jisalle. And I'll help you how I can. But things take _time_," Gellan said again. He put a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I see that you're doing the best you can to fix this place, but this is a man's work. Leave it to the men, alright? I think it was unfair of the Hallmaster to even put you in this position in the first place."

Faranth help her, but she found herself nodding. It was easier to let him think that she was acquiescing then to let the fury simmering just beneath the surface loose. It would do more harm than good. Hallmaster Laithan could yell and swear and stamp his feet and he merely had a 'temper,' but if she did the same, she'd be 'overly emotional' and banished to the fringes of society.

Jisalle murmured the appropriate responses to soothe Gellan's ego and sent him on his way. As soon as he left, she sank into the nearest stool and buried her head in her arms. The scarred greenhouse tabletop smelled of earth and fresh wood.

Tears pricked her eyes. Jisalle pressed her fingertips against her eyelids and promised herself a cry later, once the day was over and her children were asleep in their beds. **The Head Gardener doesn't cry,** she told herself as a gentle breeze from the broken roof stirred her auburn hair. **In public, anyway.**

She had a problem to solve, and tears would just get in the way.

Last updated on the June 4th 2026

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Glass Ceiling