by Fleur Beale
I arrived home five minutes before my parents. ‘Hello, dear girl,’ Mother said, smiling at me. ‘You’re early.’
I shrugged. ‘I ran all the way.’
Dad grinned. ‘You must have missed a lot of news on the way, in that case.’
I shook my head. ‘I heard that Oban hopes to be chosen to be the atmospherics apprentice. I heard that Arten said his first word today.’
Mother laughed. ‘I heard that too – he said “want”! Reda and Moss are mortified.’
I smiled too, but the truth was I didn’t care. It was driving me out of my mind, the smallnesses of our world. ‘I’m going walking during the recreation hour.’
My parents said nothing for a couple of heartbeats, then Mother sighed. ‘Very well, Juno. You have our permission.’
I hugged her, and then I hugged Dad. I was fortunate that they allowed me so much freedom. Silvern’s parents would not have allowed her to walk by herself during the recreation hour. There was no reason not to do it, no law, no rule – it was just that nobody ever did. If I had wanted to go swimming in the Bay of Clowns with everyone else, it wouldn’t cause gossip. But if somebody saw me walking alone around the mountain, I’d be the subject of gossip for days. And somebody was bound to see me.
‘Thank you.’ I set out the wooden platters on the table and filled a pitcher with water. Silently, I thanked them for not asking why I wanted to do such a wayward thing as walk by myself.
We sat down to our meal – at midday it was some variation on bread rolls filled with whatever salad vegetables were available and cold fish, rabbit, goat or chicken left over from the previous evening. Today we ate rabbit, with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and avocado. There was a dressing of olive oil, lemon and crushed basil leaves. I scarcely tasted any of it.
I helped clear away, bade my parents goodbye and ran off down the path. Should I go to the Bay of Clowns instead? Perhaps I could try to swim out from there? But no, I couldn’t swim that far. Not yet. And what a scandal it would be if I had to be rescued by one of the young men, or by Sarl in his fishing boat.
I climbed up to the base of the mountain and headed west along the rough path. It wasn’t used much because there were no houses along it, no gardens or orchards and only one tiny beach where the stream had cut through the cliffs. I ran, glorying in my solitude. I shouted out a nonsense song of my own making:
I am free
Yo ho ay
Just for today
Free to be me.
But I didn’t sing when I came to where the path narrowed and I had to dodge fingers of vines. The stream was below me, running dark between high rock walls. It wasn’t a place we liked to go.
I hurried on to where the path widened and sloped down to the sea. The stream here was busy and happy as if it was pleased to be out of the narrow dimness of the ravine. I splashed through it to the beach, and stopped at the edge of the sea to stare out to the walls. This was Calico Bay. I could hear swimmers on the other side of the promontory in the Bay of Clowns. Oh, no! I collapsed on the sand. How stupid of me! Those swimmers in the Bay of Clowns would see me if I tried to climb down the cliff at the end of the promontory.
The questions I would be asked resounded in my head. Why, Juno? What were you trying to do? It’s dangerous, that cliff is so steep, what madness possessed you?
And I could almost hear the gossip: Have you heard? Juno tried to climb down the cliff at the end of the promontory. She got stuck. She fell.
I stood up. I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t subject my parents to such distress. But perhaps I could try from here to reach the skin of our world. This bay, a tiny sliver of sand where the stream had cut down through the cliffs, was closer to the walls than the Bay of Clowns was. I stripped off my tunic and waded into the water until it was deep enough for me to swim.
I kept my head down, turning it every second stroke to breathe. I swam until I was tired. Surely I must be nearly there! I trod water and looked up. I was level with the end of the promontory. The edge of our world shimmered beyond it, far away.
I hoped I’d have the strength to swim back. It’s harder to swim with disappointment weighing you down. And I was very tired. By the time my feet hit the bottom, I was shaking with weariness. I staggered from the water and flopped onto the sand.
The promontory. So close. So tantalising. So impossible.
I would have to wait until I was older and stronger, but one day, I promised myself, I would touch the skin of our world.
I rested for a few minutes then ran into the water to wash away the sand sticking to my legs and back. I’d forgotten to bring a towel.
Have you heard? Reda and Moss are teaching Arten to say please.
Have you heard? Majool says there’s a storm Outside and the waves have hit the highest marker.
Have you heard? Arsha found a new orchid on the mountain.
Juno Series, Book One: Juno of Taris
If you haven’t already read Book One of the trilogy, here is the plot summary:
Juno believes she is the only one who hates having her head shaved bare every week, as is the custom on the island of Taris. She has so many questions about life Outside and yearns to leave her home to find out if the world still suffers from the devastation of global warming, if war still rages and if disease is rife. But contact with Outside was lost years before Juno was born and it is dangerous to ask questions on Taris.
Juno wants to make up her own dances, but the five Governance Companions, who are the leaders of the 500-strong community, discourage change or deviation from the rules and her parents forbid her. Juno can’t believe that such innocent changes would jeopardise the stability of the island.
When her sister Hera is born, Juno befriends an older girl Vima, who is prepared to listen to her. As their strong friendship develops, Juno secretly teaches her to read.
Vima agrees that many of the rules are unreasonable and decides to refuse to have her head shaved. To punish her, all except Juno withdraw from her. Then Juno also refuses to have her head shaved. The fallout splits her family and the pressure on her to obey increases.
The thirteen others in her learning stratum tell Juno they too want to rebel and grow their hair. The Governance Companions allow this small subversion, but especially Majool, Hilto and Lenna make sure that nothing much else changes.
Vima confides in Juno that she is in love with Jov, who is married and from a different learning stratum. Juno is horrified – as far as she knows such a thing has never happened before on Taris. But is what they have been told of their history the truth? Because she can now read, Vima has been discovering information on the computers in the office where she works, causing both girls to have their doubts.
Then one day they discover a secret path while taking Hera on a walk to the bay. When Juno and Vima finally get to explore it, the track leads them to a secret communication centre. Vima decides she must try to make contact with Outside.
The first Juno knows of Vima’s mission is when she is woken in the night by a text on the secret phone Vima had found in a storeroom. Vima’s text says she’s on the mountain and that she’s hurt.
Juno enlists the help of her friends Silvern, Paz and Oban, who is in love with Vima, to help her rescue Vima. They climb the mountain and bring her down. She is unconscious and has lost blood. The communication centre has also been wrecked.
The friends call an emergency meeting of the entire community, but they won’t let Vima be taken to the medical centre because they know that whoever smashed the com-munication centre will try to stop her from talking.
While Vima is lying in the middle of the arena being tended to, Hera – who often seems to know things – reveals that the older girl is pregnant. When Jov stands up to say he is the father, Hilto goes into a wild rage with devastating repercussions.
Everyone wants to know if she sent the message to Outside but she can’t remember. Life goes on, but it becomes clear to the Tarians that the protective dome over their isl
and is failing and with no help from Outside they are doomed.
Just when it seems that Taris’s time is up, Hera speaks of people coming in the big boat. Most of the islanders don’t believe her, but Oban prepares the docking gates just in case and keeps watch. Hera is right. But who will choose to go with the Outsiders, and who will choose to stay?
Copyright
The assistance of Creative New Zealand is gratefully acknowledged by both the author and publisher.
A RANDOM HOUSE BOOK published by Random House New Zealand
18 Poland Road, Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand
For more information about our titles go to www.randomhouse.co.nz
A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand
Random House New Zealand is part of the Random House Group
New York London Sydney Auckland Delhi Johannesburg
First published 2010
© 2010 Fleur Beale
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
ISBN 978 1 86979 528 3
This book is copyright. Except for the purposes of fair reviewing no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Design: Carla Sy
Cover design: Katy Yiakmis
Printed in Australia by Griffi n Press an Accredited ISO AS/ NZS
14001:2004 Environmental Management System printer.
The paper this book is printed on is certified by the (c) 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC). Griffi n Press holds FSC chain of custody SGS-COC-005088. FSC promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests.
