Juno of Taris (8 page)

Dad saw me standing alone in the doorway of the Gene Centre. He strode towards me and gathered me up in a hug. ‘It’s okay Juno, he’s not going to die.’

‘Are you sure?’ I stared into his face, searching for the truth. I remembered all too well that Oran, my dear aunt, had been killed on the mountain by a rock fall.

Dad tightened his hands on my shoulders. ‘Yes. I’m sure. You’d best come and see for yourself.’ He kept his arm around me and together we walked towards the group of people surrounding Aspa.

Trebe was speaking to him in that same level tone. ‘It looks like all the bones are fine, Aspa, but you’re going to need extensive patching where the rock hit you. You won’t be able to use the arm for a few days.’ She had her hands pressed over the bleeding wound. Aspa lay still but it was the sort of stillness that takes a great deal of effort to achieve.

Creen raced up, the bag in her hand. She knelt down, her eyes scanning between Aspa’s shoulder and Trebe’s hands. She took a pad of bandages from the bag and slid it in place on the wound as Trebe moved her hands. ‘This will need stitching,’ she told Aspa. She took more bandages from the bag and bound them around his arm and chest to keep the pad tight on the wound. ‘Can you walk to the Medical Centre?’

He nodded and she and Trebe helped him to his feet. He wobbled but managed to walk with them on either side, quietly ready if he faltered.

I took a deep breath. He would recover. I watched the three of them walk into the Medical Centre. How had Creen known what to do? Trebe didn’t give her any orders but she just seemed to know what needed to be done. And she was calm – you could feel it as she worked, a sort of calm confidence. Trebe had chosen well.

The group of people began dispersing. Lenna, who had run from the Governance Office, murmured, ‘How lucky we are that the rock didn’t hit his head.’

That would have left Vima in charge of the island’s technology. I shivered. Dad glanced at me, his eyebrows raised. I gestured around us at the beauty of our island paradise, full of joyful flowers, blue sparkling sea, the mountain, the bountiful gardens. ‘We are only a rock fall away from disaster.’ I whispered the words because the thought terrified me.

Dad shrugged. ‘We’ve lived here for over two hundred years, Juno. There’s no reason for the whole place to collapse now.’

But I remembered Vima’s uneasy words at the party, and I knew he was wrong.

Mother came up to us, dusting her hands but not managing to remove the stains of Aspa’s blood. ‘Wasn’t Creen impressive? She’s going to be as good a physician as Trebe.’ She smiled at us, and her eyes still held the magic of the choosing. ‘Let’s go home. All this excitement – I’m hungry.’

Yes. Life went on. My sister had begun her journey and we walked home to prepare the evening meal. We passed on our news as we made our way home. 

People gasped at the first piece of news and smiled at the second.

I
t was only Leebar’s nagging that kept me training. I moved through the next few days in a haze of guilt and worry. What if I’d scuppered my parents’ chances of having the baby after all? What if Trebe worked out that I’d made a selection too?

News sped round the island.

I relaxed. My choices hadn’t worked. There must have been a step I didn’t complete. I was so deeply thankful that my sadness at having a sister I couldn’t love faded.

The implantation was successful. Mother and Dad’s happiness shone bright.

Silvern needled me. ‘You don’t look happy, Juno. Are you jealous? Afraid of sharing your parents?’

I frowned and rubbed a finger along the desk in front of me. ‘No, Silvern, it’s not that, although I thank you for your concern.’ I smiled at her and tried to look mysterious.

I must have succeeded because she demanded, ‘I don’t believe you! You look as sour as a tamarind.’

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. ‘The parents they chose … I think she’ll turn out like you.’ That shut her up.

She fixed me, though. She said loudly enough for everyone to hear, ‘Shallym, please will you come to my birthday celebration?’

I leaned forward so that I could see them both. ‘I think you should go, Shallym – no doubt you will enjoy it.’

Justa spoke, ‘Girls, do I need to remind you – no gossiping during class time.’

I turned back to my work. Anyway, my birthday was two weeks before Silvern’s and I wasn’t going to invite her or Shallym. Silvern would invite Shallym and Brex, and she’d make a point of letting me know both her aunts and uncles would be there, and she’d say how she pitied me for my lack of relatives. I wished for a moment that I could go – I’d make her a cake and spice it with finely ground worms.

Nixie opened the door and came in with his shaver and his stupid joke. I jumped to my feet. ‘Please Nixie, could you do me first?’ If I had to wait for everybody else to lose the bristles on their head I wouldn’t be able to stay calm.

I sat still as he worked. He tried to joke with me, but I concentrated on behaving properly.
Mother,
Dad, I’m doing this for you. I’m doing it because I love
you, not because it’s the right thing to do.

Nixie completed his task. He sighed. ‘Very well, young Juno. That’s you for another week.’

I stood up and managed to smile at him. It wasn’t his fault he had this putrid job. ‘Thanks, Nixie – my smooth head will help me power through the water tomorrow.’

He chuckled and his face lost the look of reluctant executioner.

When it was Marba’s turn he said, ‘Shave my head smooth, Nixie. Juno hasn’t a hope of beating me but I don’t want her to have an advantage.’

The rest of the day dragged. Silvern was her usual charming self at lunch. ‘You’re so stupid. Why didn’t you just tell Hilto you were training so you wouldn’t be totally embarrassed at the races – why bring beating Marba into it?’ She tossed her head, and for once I was glad of our lack of hair because I could almost see hers swinging around her shoulders. ‘You’ll be last as usual, and I’ll be first.’

She probably would be. I gave her the sweet smile I kept just for her. ‘Lovely! You’ll adore getting the medal from Hilto.’

That afternoon, Leebar laughed as she pulled me from the water. ‘You might surprise them all tomorrow, dear child.’

I didn’t care, just so long as Marba didn’t beat me by too much.

The whole community gathered at the Bay of Clowns on Saturday. We carried food to the bay and ate on the sand. People teased me gently. ‘I’m going to have to dig Irian’s garden all by myself if Marba beats you, Juno – don’t let me down,’ Jov said.

Sina rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t let him worry you Juno – he can do with the exercise, the lazy lump!’ She laughed at him and ran off as he chased her.

Leebar set down her basket. She was laughing. ‘Would you believe it! The whole island has gone crazy over this race – there are all sorts of wagers being made.’

Marba came strolling up to us, a grin on his face. I called out, ‘Who do you think will win, Marba? You or me? Who is wagering on you?’

He stood in front of us, relaxed and smiling. ‘I will win Juno. Think about it – you are smaller, lighter and weaker. No contest, my friend. And I haven’t heard of one person who is wagering that you will win.’

‘Never mind.’ Leebar patted my hand. ‘It’s no disgrace to lose to a better competitor.’ Marba couldn’t see the twinkle in her eyes.

A flutter of nerves twisted my stomach. But what did it matter if he beat me? All I had to do was not disgrace myself. The nerves settled.

Nixie was in charge of organising the races. He started by announcing a change in the usual format. ‘Friends – because of the interest in the race of Justa’s learning stratum, we are, with the permission of the Governance Companions making a change to the normal order.’

My race would be the last of the day – even after the open races where all the young men and women raced each other, and after the races for any of the older generation who wanted to compete.

I kept my mouth shut and my thoughts to myself. The hypocrites. The blazing, bloody hypocrites. Don’t change anything. Don’t alter the established ways of doing things – unless it suits your purpose. I had no doubt that Hilto’s purpose was to make me a jittering wreckage of nerves so that I’d sink like a new idea.

Grif tapped my knee. ‘Harness the fury to drive your swimming.’ She kept her voice low so that even those nearest us would not hear.

I glanced at her. Yes. I could do that. I would relish doing that.

The afternoon was old by the time Nixie announced my race. ‘This is it, dear child,’ said Leebar. ‘Have faith in yourself. You can do it.’

Grif pulled me to my feet and helped me take off my tunic. She didn’t say anything, just gave me a wicked grin.

I ran down to the sea, dressed in my swimming gear of short top and pants. Glory be! The entire community were on their feet and heading for vantage points along the beach. They cheered and called out, jostling and laughing.

‘I hope you’re happy with all the attention,’ Silvern snapped.

I ignored her. Hilto had done all this, of that I was certain. He aimed to shame me, to shut me up, to make me crawl into a dark hole and never show my face again. I couldn’t wait to get into the water, to power my way through it, to kick and swim and feel nothing but determination and red-hot rage.

Nixie lined us up in order of age along the jetty. Marba was on the far side, away from the beach. Next to him was Silvern, then the other eleven of us, and then me – nearest to the beach and the eyes of the watching community.

Nixie raised his hand, a whistle in his mouth. His hand dropped, the whistle shrilled and we were off, diving into the clear water. I swam, concentrating on legs, arms and breathing. I unleashed the fury I’d held all day about Hilto and his sneaky campaign against me. Each stroke through the water was a stroke slicing down on his head. Each kick of my feet battered his twisted mind. I didn’t know where my classmates were, they could be behind me, they could be leaving me in a wake of frothy bubbles. I didn’t know, all I knew was red-hot rage and so I swam.

My hand hit the rope. I grabbed it, trod water and swiped at my eyes. Silvern was hanging on at the other end, puffing. Marba? He grasped the rope at that very moment. The others arrived over the next few seconds. Biddo was last. He wouldn’t have been expecting that.

I gasped for breath, then grabbed the rope with both hands. A charge of cheering people splashed into the water, took hold of the rope and towed us into the beach. We staggered out but my grandfathers and Dad picked me up and carried me high. They laughed and cheered. Grif, Leebar and Mother ran towards us, grins splitting their faces.

Marba ran up. ‘Congratulations, Juno. You won, I lost. Well done.’

I looked around. It was easy to see who had wagered on me, and who on Marba. Jov looked very smug. Lif, Oban and Vima all wore huge grins but it seemed to me that everyone else had backed Marba.

The men lowered me to the ground and I disappeared under an avalanche of hugs. Nixie blew his whistle again. Time for the winners’ ceremony.

I sat down on the sand next to Silvern. ‘Congratulations,’ I said, smiling at her. Hilto would have to present her with the winner’s medal.

Fisa, as was the normal custom, handed out the medals to the winners. We clapped and cheered each winner just as we always did. Fisa left us till last. ‘Friends, this has been a most unusual race day. Hilto has taken a particular interest in the final race, and so I hand the ceremony over to him.’

Was her tone just slightly wry? I stared hard at her, but her face was as serene as ever. Hilto stomped up to the dais. His mouth was pinched as thin as a flax thread. He called Silvern’s name.

She got up, dusted the sand from her behind and walked towards him, her face wary. Fisa always kissed the winner on both cheeks, but who would want to be kissed by Hilto? I hoped he would kiss her. I was so glad it wasn’t me.

He put the medal over her head. She moved back before he could lean towards her. ‘Thank you, Hilto. It’s an honour to receive my medal from you.’

She sauntered back to her place. People began moving, preparing to go home, but Fisa’s voice rang through the chatter, silencing us. ‘One last presentation, friends.’ She smiled at Hilto, but the smile didn’t show in her eyes. ‘You wanted to make a presentation to the loser of the final race.’

A stillness fell over us. This was way outside all tradition and it was clear that Fisa disagreed with his motives, which – it was also clear – had been to shame me.

Hilto snarled at her. ‘I don’t have it.’

She bent down and picked up a basket. Without speaking, she handed it to him, her eyes hard.

He snatched it from her. ‘Biddo. Please step forward.’

Biddo ran to the front, grinning. He waved to the crowd and we applauded him. Hilto forced a smile onto his face. ‘Biddo, I present you with this bouquet to tell you there is no shame in losing if one has tried one’s hardest.’ He took the cover from the basket, plucked out a bunch of white roses and pushed them at Biddo.

We stared at them. White flowers. The bouquet was a death wish.