Juno of Taris Read Online Free

Juno of Taris
Book: Juno of Taris Read Online Free
Author: Fleur Beale
Pages:
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announced it. ‘Because the swimming races are coming up, we have decided to show a documentary of an Olympic swimmer and the preparation he went through.’ She smiled at us. Sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn’t – but I always respected her. All the years of my life, she’d stood on the stage every Wednesday evening and conducted the meetings that ordered the business of our lives and kept Taris functioning – not an easy task when the world outside had fallen into chaos and abandoned us generations before she was born. I knew that whoever the vicious words had come from, they had not come from her.
    Fisa called now for the reports. Trebe, our physician, ran to the stage and leapt up the steps. She paused at the death flowers and bowed her head, then she walked to the lectern. ‘You will be pleased to know we’ve made a breakthrough in the selection process for character traits.’ She paused as if weighing whether to speak the next words. ‘The parents of the next child to be conceived will be able to choose the character of their child much more precisely.’
    The murmur that rustled through the tiers of adults had an odd quality – there was interest, and excitement that quickly dampened. It was because of the death flowers. When somebody died, they made room for a child to be born but the person who was about to die was still alive in our midst.
    Fisa stepped forward and spoke to Trebe, her voice ringing out so that all could hear. ‘Who is your chosen apprentice, Trebe? We ask you to choose wisely, for the health and survival of our people depend upon you, your knowledge and your skill.’
    Trebe looked out at us. ‘I have chosen wisely, my people. I choose an apprentice who has a love of medicine in her heart that is equal to the love she has for Taris. I choose Creen.’ She looked to where Creen sat on the ground behind me. ‘Will you join me as a physician, Creen?’
    Creen stood up and ran to the stage. She climbed the steps, bowed her head as she passed the death flowers and bowed again when she reached Trebe. Trebe stood aside for her to speak into the microphone. ‘My people of Taris,’ she said, her voice shaking slightly, ‘I pledge to you the service of my life. I accept the apprenticeship Trebe has offered. I accept it with joy and with thanks for it has been my dearest wish to become Trebe’s apprentice.’
    Lenna, who was Hilto’s wife and a Governance Companion just as he was, walked forward with a wreath of brilliant red hibiscus which she put around Creen’s neck. They looked beautiful against the warm tones of her skin. I wondered what colour her hair would be if she were allowed to grow it – black or a rich brown like her eyebrows most likely.
    Trebe took Creen’s hand and led her to her new seat on the top row of the arena.
    The ritual was repeated by Aspa. As expected, he chose Vima. ‘My people, I choose Vima as my apprentice. I choose her because of the expertise she already has in working with the computer systems.’ He paused then spoke slowly as if he too had hard words to say. ‘You must know, my people, that our systems are old. They are in need of components we cannot manufacture from the resources we have on Taris. It is, therefore, a heavy burden I lay upon my apprentice. Do you accept, Vima?’
    She ran up the steps and onto the stage, paused at the death flowers, raised her hands above them as if in a blessing, then stepped around them and took her place at the lectern. ‘I accept the apprenticeship Aspa offers. You have my promise that I will serve you, my people, with integrity and with all the power of my heart and mind.’
    The flowers for Vima were orange hibiscus. I would have chosen cream to contrast with the darkness of her skin, but I was glad the choice hadn’t been left to me for the colour would have been too close to the white death flowers glowing softly at her feet.
    Aspa escorted her to her new seat in the top tier.
    And so all that
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