Juno of Taris by Fleur Beale Read Free Book Online Page B

by then? Isn’t there much to learn?’
    ‘The baby will come whether she’s learnt enough or not,’ Vima said. ‘And you know what Trebe’s like – her apprentice will have to be perfect.’
    Creen screwed up her dainty nose. ‘Better than perfect. But I’m learning so much. More than I did at school.’ She dug Vima in the ribs. ‘You must find the same?’
    Vima laughed at her. ‘We’ve been apprentices for less than a week! Personally, I’m already missing the freedom of school.’
    Creen stared at her. ‘It’s not so different. What do you mean?’
    Vima sighed. ‘It’s the responsibility, I guess. I know that if I don’t learn all I can, if I don’t master the technology, then Taris could fail. And …’ She stopped and shrugged. ‘This is a party; let’s party.’
    Creen poured more wine for her. ‘And what, Vima? Tell me.’ They’d forgotten me. I sat still and breathed shallow breaths.
    ‘We’re going to need different systems soon,’ Vima said, almost to herself. ‘What we have is old and tired. And it’s not doing the job as well as it should. Aspa wants me to work on creating something new.’ She stared at Creen, her face bleak. ‘It’s a heavy responsibility, Creen. What if I can’t do it?’
    Creen put down her beaker and hugged her. ‘You will! You’re brilliant.’ She pushed the wine flask at Vima. ‘Drink up. Forget your troubles.’ She leapt up and ran to talk to Mother.
    I touched Vima’s arm. ‘Maybe it can’t be done. Not by anybody.’
    She jumped and her wine spilled. She stared at me, her eyes drilling into me. ‘Interesting,’ she murmured.
    ‘What?’
    ‘How old are you? Eleven? Any other kid on this godforsaken island would have fainted from fright to hear all that. But you offer me comfort.’ She shook her head. ‘All the same, you weren’t meant to hear it.’
    ‘Okay,’ I agreed. ‘I didn’t.’
    She chuckled. ‘Judging by the wine sloshing down your throat, you’ll have forgotten it by tomorrow anyway.’
    *
    But I hadn’t. In the morning, at the same time as usual, Dad woke me up. He was red-eyed and half asleep himself.
    ‘My head hurts,’ I groaned. ‘I’m staying in bed.’
    Mother came in and she laughed. ‘Too much celebrating is what’s made your head hurt, my child. Up you get.’
    I muttered and grumbled all through breakfast. What was it about wine, anyway? It tasted foul and then it made your head ache. I hoped this sister would be worth it. And worth all the compliance I was going to have to practise for the rest of my days.
    I hoped it wouldn’t kill me to be a model citizen of Taris.
    That girl is dangerous. I’ll have to …
    I shivered. Maybe it would kill me not to be a model citizen.
    Have you heard? Lerick is very disappointed but she says she can bear it because Sheen and Zanin deserve another child.
     
    Have you heard? Kalta kissed Creen.
     
    Have you heard? The Governance Companions suggested a way to control the wheat rust. Zanin says it looks as if it will work.

WRITTEN WORDS
    I plodded along the path towards the schoolrooms. Never party on a school night – that should be one of the unbreakable rules of Taris. I climbed the four steps at the bend and there ahead of me, gossiping flat out, were Silvern and Brex. Good. I forgot my aches, put on a burst of speed and caught them up. ‘Have you heard?’ I asked. ‘Are you pleased?’
    Brex hugged me. ‘Very pleased. We’ll be able to play with her. Share her. You’re so lucky.’ Her brother was three years younger than she was and she couldn’t really remember him as a baby.
    ‘Silvern?’ I asked, determined to make her say something.
    ‘I think you’re very lucky too.’ Her words had a whole different emphasis from the way Brex had said them.
    ‘Thank you.’ I took them at face value which made her flounce. I ran ahead of them into the schoolroom.
    Justa came and hugged me. ‘I’m very happy for your family. You deserve it. All of you.’ She