Of Fire and Night - Kevin J. Anderson [19]
Estarra found Nahton in one of the mesh-enclosed butterfly pavilions on the roof. The court green priest stood alone in the sunlight, letting the butterflies flit around him, their wings like kaleidoscopic jewels. Seeing him, she remembered how on Theroc she and Beneto had watched a worm hive hatch, how Rossia had told her of his encounter with a terrible wyvern.
Nahton was her only source of news from home; he gave her updates about her parents, about her tomboy sister Celli, about how the forest had resurrected a copy of her brother Beneto. Sarein had only recently returned from Theroc, but Estarra had not yet had a chance to meet with her. Sarein would not tell her anything that Nahton had not already described, though.
The court green priest was a tall man with a long face and a quiet disposition. His face and shoulders were embroidered with tattoo symbols that indicated the training he had completed before being sent to Earth. "Queen Estarra! It always pleases me to see a fellow child of Theroc."
"It would please us both even more to see Theroc itself. It's been so long." She let beautiful orange and yellow butterflies cluster around her, drawn to her perfumes and skin oils as if she were a particularly attractive flower.
Estarra missed the worldforest, her expansive fungus-reef home. Right now, with the weight of humanity on her shoulders and the baby coming in three months, she wanted her mother to hold her. How could she explain about the butchered dolphins, about the numerous veiled threats on her life and Peter's, about how the Chairman wanted to kill her baby just because it didn't fit with his plan? Father Idriss and Mother Alexa could not help from far-off Theroc. Sarein was here on Earth, and she might be Estarra's last resort, but the Queen worried about her sister's loyalties.
Instead, with no one else to turn to, Estarra expressed her fears to Nahton. He looked unsettled but not surprised by her revelations. "I am a green priest, a son of Theroc. My loyalty is to the worldforest, and then to you, Estarra--and the King. The Chairman, though . . . the Chairman has not earned my trust." He then turned a reassuring smile toward her. "But take heart. Something remarkable has happened at Theroc, summoned by your brother Beneto. They have traveled for thousands of years, giant tree--"
Suddenly, blond Mr. Pellidor marched out onto the rooftop. His face was flushed, his eyes narrowed with edgy impatience. "Queen Estarra, it is not safe for you to wander by yourself."
"I am perfectly safe with Nahton." His concern for her was as false as the smile she gave him in return. Had he been eavesdropping?
"It is not the green priest we are worried about. I will escort you back to the Royal Wing. Now."
"I thank you for your concern for my safety." Her voice was clipped, her eyes flashing with clear skepticism about Pellidor's true reasons for pursuing her. With a sniff, Estarra stepped past him. She knew he was the man who had killed her dolphins, on the Chairman's orders.
Before leaving, she glanced at the green priest. Their eyes met, but she didn't dare ask out loud what message he would send to her parents. She had told him enough. There was nothing Pellidor or the Chairman could do to prevent Nahton from communicating, short of removing all the treelings from the WhisperPalace. She never got to ask him about the marvelous surprise the worldforest and Beneto had brought to Theroc.
Pellidor took the Queen by the arm. Though revolted by his touch, she made a conscious effort not to brush his hand away. He walked her briskly from the roof.
11
CELLI
When the majestic verdani battleships landed on Theroc after their long journey, the people stared in awe. Celli grabbed her friend Solimar's hand and squeezed so hard she nearly broke his fingers. The jagged shadows of the enormous trees cast a hush over all the forest wildlife.
The nearest treeship filled much of the blue sky. As it lowered itself, the long bottom branches bent to the ground like thin, delicate legs; the rest of the incredible boughs stretched