Hidden Empire - Kevin J. Anderson [99]
"Not alone, child. It is an enormous task, and Reynald was granted permission to send two green priests." Otema's face brightened. "Nira, I would like to request you as my personal assistant, companion, and apprentice. We will journey together to Ildira under the light of seven suns."
Nira's family could barely believe their daughter's good fortune, though it took some time for her news to sink in. Her parents, Garris and Meena Khali, had never thought much about other worlds; the thick forest on Theroc already extended farther than their imaginations did.
Nira had trouble comprehending that she would cross the Spiral Arm to the capital of an immense alien empire. She would be gone from Theroc for years, away from the forests, away from other green priests, away from her family. But she had been practicing her telink abilities: As long as she could touch a treeling, she could remain in contact with the entirety of the worldforest. She had no reason to be afraid, only excited.
Nira shared a meal with her family in their cramped living quarters. Garris wanted to call all the neighbors inside the crowded worm-hive rooms so they could wish Nira farewell. It would be a great celebration, a happy opportunity for socializing. But Nira, panicked at the prospect of having to face such a gathering, pleaded that she had too much business to take care of before her departure. The merchant ship would be arriving within a day to take them to Ildira.
Grinning, she looked from the worn and tired face of her mother to the broad, jowly smile of her father. "However, I did request one favor for you. I have a surprise before I go."
With the flush of new importance she'd achieved by being chosen to accompany Otema, Nira had sent a message to Father Idriss and Mother Alexa. The old ambassador had added her approval. Nira had received word back today that her application had been heartily approved.
"Father, I've managed to get our family prime quarters in the new worm hive discovered by Estarra." She smiled as her parents gasped in disbelief. "You'll have your choice of the largest chambers, as soon as you're ready to move in."
Astounded at their good fortune, Garris came forward to give his daughter an awkward hug. Her mother couldn't believe what she had heard. "Thank you! Thank you!"
Embarrassed by their gratitude, her newly green skin flushed dark. Nira said, "I'm glad I could do one last thing for my family before I embark on my great adventure."
46 JESS TAMBLYN
On Plumas, ancestral home of the Tamblyn clan, the Roamers gathered to hold a somber memorial.
Bram Tamblyn looked gaunt and pale. The old man moved like a machine as he performed the formal duties of welcoming representatives of important families. Bram's expression flickered from stony blankness to sudden waves of dismay as guests gave him their sympathy.
Jess, now the only son, stood beside his father, stunned but trying to be strong enough for both of them. He wore a warm parka, a fleece-lined hood wreathing his face. Steam rose with each breath he exhaled, but he felt numb rather than cold. It was his responsibility to be here, to remember his brother Ross. Four of his uncles, Bram's brothers, had also come in their role as Tamblyn clan representatives; from now on, Jess knew they would take a more active role in running the family's water mines.
As he spoke to other clan leaders, accepting their sincere words of consolation, Jess saw more than shared grief in the Roamers' eyes. He also recognized a deep-seated fear. No one knew what had caused the disaster on Golgen. Neither could they guess what had provoked the attack on the Blue Sky Mine...or if such a thing would ever happen again.
Speaker Jhy Okiah did not come to Plumas for the funeral. She was too old, her body frail and her bones brittle from a lifetime in low gravity. In her place she sent her protégée, Cesca Peroni. Jess greeted her after she descended a shaft through the thick ice sheet. His already-distraught heart broke to see her, knowing the tragic reason she had come.
On Rendezvous, the two