Hidden Empire - Kevin J. Anderson [161]
Upon hearing of her brother's imminent departure, Estarra was deeply hurt. With a sad expression, Beneto gave her the news directly, rather than letting her learn from her parents or from gossip. She would miss the times she had spent with him out in the forests, talking about native plants and towering worldtrees and any other thoughts that came into her head. But she could see in Beneto's face that this volunteer assignment was truly a dream that had captured his heart.
"I'll think about you often, Beneto," she said, already lonely. "Maybe someday I'll be able to travel and see you on Corvus Landing."
He laughed. "From what I can tell, there isn't much of a tourist industry, but old Talbun seems to enjoy living there. I look forward to taking his place, so that he can move on."
On the day of the farewell celebration, Estarra wanted to contribute in a way that would make her brother proud. She considered helping with the banquet preparations, but decided instead to gather Beneto's favorite delicacy: slices of the tender outer skin of the reef fungus, found only at the topmost, uninhabitable layers of their city.
Estarra and her sister, Celli, climbed to the upper chambers of the fungus reef where the walls were too young and soft to support permanent dwellings. The girls strapped pouches to their waists and lashed spikes onto their thick boots, ready to climb out onto the sloping soft layers.
"You're too old to do this," Celli said, looking at her sister. Estarra had just turned thirteen, an awkward age that placed her among the full-grown women half the time, while at other times she was reluctant to sever her ties to childhood.
"I am not," Estarra said, ready to punch her sister. "Besides, I'm doing this for Beneto, and you aren't going to stop me."
"I'll gather more mushroom meat than you will," Celli said. "He's my brother too."
Yes, he is, Estarra thought, and we'll both lose him when he leaves tomorrow.
With Celli breathing down her neck, Estarra pushed through the rubbery-lipped opening of a natural window. Using a support hook, she clawed her way onto the outer roof. Celli scampered over the hardening mushroom to the fresh, expanding growth, her boot spikes giving her traction. The girl pulled out her knife while searching for a good spot far from scars where other children had cut the fungus. "Careful!" she cried in a singsong voice.
Estarra climbed straight up to the highest point of knobbly growth, where she would find the tenderest flesh. "Mind your own business." She knew that Celli just wanted to win some imagined race, while she herself thought only of Beneto. She wanted her brother to have a good memory of her whenever he got lonely for Theroc on Corvus Landing.
Estarra pounded a metal stake at the end of her arm's reach to pull herself higher. She spread herself flat on the delicate skin of the fungus and crawled upward, planting the heel of her foot against the stake for support. It wobbled beneath her weight.
Estarra began cutting meaty chunks and stuffing them into the pouch at her waist. She gritted her teeth with the effort, but thought of the great feast she would make for Beneto. Sarein would no doubt frown at her sister for climbing up and doing a child's work, suggesting that Estarra should find more mature responsibilities. But Estarra bit her lower lip and climbed even higher, assuring herself that no one else would do this for her brother.
She balanced precariously and leaned forward to cut another slice, though her pouch was already mostly full. Then, accidentally, she triggered one of the spore nodules, which unleashed a shower of pebbly white powder into her face.
Estarra sneezed violently as the spores caught in her nose