Fierce September Read Online Free PDF Page B

small smile appeared. ‘I’m afraid we’re bringing you out into a most fierce September.’
    ‘May we see Taris one more time?’ Nixie called.
    Leng switched off the view of Melbourne, and again we were looking at clouds.
    ‘Can you leave the camera on?’ Bazin asked.
    Willem nodded. ‘As you wish.’
    And so we were left alone to endure the storm. Those of us who hadn’t yet set up hammocks did so. I climbed in and lay down, relieved to find that the strange, swinging bed made it slightly easier to cope with the movement of the ship. I was grateful my grandfather had asked to keep the image of Taris on the screen, for it gave us something to focus on, rather than dwelling on the reason we’d been delayed and thrust into the eye of the storm.
    I wished I could go to check on Vima, but I was too ill. I didn’t know where she was, and I had no desire to wander the ship in search of her. Willem’s controlled rage wasn’t something I wanted to experience again.
    The hours passed, punctuated by Dr Fellowes making his rounds and Fergus’s regular appearances to bring water, and food for those who could stomach it. Of my learning stratum only Wenda, Shallym and Rynd seemed unaffected by the bucking ship. Silvern’s face had lost all colour and she clamped her mouth shut as if to overcome the nausea by sheer willpower. Paz lay in his hammock, his eyes closed. Marba was probably taking note of how he felt and of how we were all reacting. I couldn’t summon the strength to look.
    It must have been nearly nightfall when Hera began whimpering. She held out her arms to me. ‘Juju.’
    Mother murmured, ‘No, darling. Juno’s sick.’
    I spoke before I thought of Willem saying how Hera had to learn to do as she was told. ‘I’ll take her. You’re sick as well.’ Too late now. Besides, what would it matter if we were all going to drown anyway?
    Dad swung himself out of his hammock, took Hera from Mother and settled her in next to me. ‘I’ll take her when you get tired.’
    Hera clung to me and kept up the whimpering.
    ‘Hush, Hera.’
    She just huddled in closer, nearly strangling me.
    We were going to die. She must have seen us falling into the turbulent water, seen us being sucked down and down and never coming up. I felt too sick to care.
    The next time Fergus came around, he had better news for us.
    ‘Vima has given birth to a son. The news is good, they are both well.’
    It was indeed good news – as long as we managed to survive long enough to see Vima and her son with our own eyes. Hera was growing more and more distressed, and I feared we would founder at any second.
    Hera released one of her hands so that she could pat my face. ‘Juju good ,’ she said. ‘The peoples is mean .’
    That caught my attention. ‘The Outside people, Hera? Are they mean?’
    ‘No,’ she sobbed. ‘Taris people. They shouting Bad Juno .’
    It was the first time she’d said my name properly. My mind stuck on that – easier than trying to work out what she meant. I certainly couldn’t hear anyone shouting.
    ‘Hush, little one. It’s all right. Go to sleep.’
    She yawned, and after a few more hiccupping cries fell asleep. I wanted to do the same but feared I’d be awake all night, rocking and swinging with the pitching of the ship. I fell into a half sleep and that’s when I heard it – the meanness Hera had wept over. Just fragments of sentences, or words.
    A pity Fisa died instead of Juno …
    We should have stayed on Taris. Juno had better watch her step from now on.
    Juno’s fault. We’re going to die. She shouldn’t have …
    Bloody Juno …
    I wish Irian had done what Majool ordered …
    My arms tightened around Hera. Majool and Irian were both dead, but people hadn’t forgotten that Majool had ordered Irian to kill me. It was warm in the big room, but I shivered and felt a sickness other than that caused by the motion of the sea. How was it possible to feel so alone in the midst of five hundred people?