That night I slept without waking. If I dreamed, I didn’t remember it. Hera, too, must have slept soundly because in the morning she sat up in her bed and said, ‘The bad has all gone away.’ Then, still wearing her nightclothes, she went out by herself into the garden to check for ripe strawberries.
Mother looked at me. ‘You have something to do with this? You look better too.’
‘I am,’ I said. ‘Thanks to Willem.’ I told my family about the long session with him.
Leebar and Bazin wriggled with discomfort but Dad said, ‘I hope Willem will begin those lessons soon.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s far beyond any of us to help either of you.’
‘I just wish I knew where they come from,’ Mother said, ‘these strange abilities you both possess.’
Willem called me into his office that morning, but didn’t ask me to sit. He gave me one of his searching assessments, but I must have achieved the required standard, because he nodded. ‘Good. You are better. Hera, too, I think.’
But he hadn’t called me in to talk about our health, or to give me advice about the trial. He talked about Ivor.
‘Don’t be bitter about him, Juno. He has much to learn, as you can learn much from him – if you choose to.’
What! I could do without such lessons, thanks very much.
‘Is that all?’ I asked. ‘I need to go to class.’
He opened the door for me. ‘A difficult experience is only wasted if you turn your back on the wisdom you could gain from it.’
I stomped off to class. Why shouldn’t I be bitter about Ivor? I felt bitter, I felt ragingly angry too, and I was glad he was too much of a coward to face up to me or dine with the rest of us. Except that – as Willem must have known he would – Ivor was standing outside our classroom at break time, waiting to pounce on me as if nothing had happened.
‘Please Juno, I need to talk to you.’ He seemed so serious, looking at me as if I was the most important person in the world – the one he cared about above all. He didn’t even glance at Ginevra and Noni.
He knew how to hurt.
‘I don’t want to talk to you.’
Ginevra whispered, ‘You might as well get it over with.’ She took Noni’s arm and they walked away.
I folded my arms to stop him reaching out for me. I held my head high and said nothing. He could corner me, but he damned well couldn’t make me talk.
‘I’m sorry.’ At least he didn’t try his charming smile.
I didn’t believe his apology. Words are worthless when they’re only noise.
He looked down, scuffed a foot on the ground. ‘I knew I should have talked to you about … stuff … ages ago. But I just liked having you for a girlfriend.’
That got to me. ‘You what? You went around with me because I’d been on telly?’ My fingers curled into a fist. ‘You’re really that shallow?’
‘No! Of course not.’ He ducked his head sideways and smiled at me with conscious charm. ‘Oh, some of that was attractive, it’s true. I don’t deny it. But there was more. Way more. You’re gorgeous, you’re charismatic and you’re just that bit mysterious. Can you blame me for being enchanted by you?’
Where to start? Then the rage washed out of me, leaving me heartsore and battered. ‘Just go away, Ivor. And don’t you ever, ever do this to another girl again.’
He jumped as if he’d received an electric shock. ‘Did you really think I wouldn’t hear about Ginevra, about the other girls you’ve set out to enchant?’ I threw the words at him, then ran.
I had to work hard to concentrate that afternoon. If only seeing Ivor again had made me hate him, it would be so much easier. But all I felt was hurt, and sickened that I could have been so wrong about him. Willem didn’t understand a thing about the human heart.
The days of the trial ahead began to seem like a respite from Ivor’s hovering presence – as well as from Thomas’s.
The whole family had arranged to see me off at the station. Before we left, Mother handed me a parcel wrapped in rough cloth. ‘From Gilda. And Thomas. With their love.’
‘I don’t want it!’ I shoved it back at her, but she wouldn’t take it.
‘I’m ashamed of you, Juno. Nothing Hilto did was their fault. Would you like somebody to hate you just because they didn’t like your genetic father?’
I glanced at Dad, but there was no help there. He agreed with Mother. ‘Open it,’ he said gently. ‘They made it for you with love. Remember that.’
I complied. They’d given me a beautiful cape woven from multicoloured wool. I’d ruined my only warm jacket on the journey north, so this would be perfect for the train. ‘Please thank them. It’s lovely.’
Mother said, ‘Thomas wants to talk to you, Juno. He asked me to tell you.’
I didn’t answer. I didn’t trust him, and talking wouldn’t help change that.
Callie, the D.I. and a couple of other officers had already settled themselves in a carriage by the time I arrived. Callie seemed relieved to see me, though she didn’t say anything until the D.I. had finished briefing us.
‘What will happen to the workers?’ Callie asked. ‘The others like me?’
‘You’ll all get justice,’ the D.I. said.
Callie looked worried.
The train pulled out from the station and we spoke no more about the trial. I went to sleep after we’d passed through Whanganui, and didn’t wake until we’d reached Wellington at midnight.
I jumped from the carriage and ran, yelling Vima’s name. People stared. I didn’t care. I knew she’d be there to greet me, and I couldn’t wait to see her.
She raced up the platform, grabbing my hands to swing me around and around before she hugged me. ‘It’s so good to see you,’ she kept saying. ‘I’ve been starved of Taris people.’
I kept one arm round her and scrubbed at my eyes with my other hand. ‘Yeah. I know. Weird, eh? We so wanted to escape from there. Never wanted to see any of them ever again.’
D.I. Whitely called out, ‘Remember, Juno. Ten sharp at court in the morning.’
I wouldn’t forget.
We had to sprint to catch the last train up the hill to where Vima and James lived. When we were settled in a pod, I sat back and sighed. ‘I miss you, and I want to see Wilfred. And James of course.’
She laughed. ‘Well, I know James is looking forward to seeing you. Can’t answer for Wilfred though.’
We chatted about gentle things – her uni course, Fairlands, news of other Taris people. We didn’t talk about the deep stuff such as Hera’s kidnapping, or whether Vima was happy, whether she regretted her hasty marriage to James, who was an Outsider. She said she’d seen Camnoon briefly once, but neither of us spoke of Sina and Jov who, along with Sina’s parents, were the only other Taris people in Wellington.
‘Cool jackety thingy you’re wearing,’ she said. ‘Leebar been busy, has she?’
‘I wish.’ I told her about Gilda and Thomas. ‘He keeps pestering me to talk to him. I told him I’d ask Oban to tell him all he’d ever want to know about his disgusting father. But no, he wants me to. No way.’
‘Well, why don’t you?’ She cocked her head on one side. ‘There’s more to this than meets the eye. Why are you being so unreasonable, young Juno?’
I pulled the cape around me, glad of its warmth. ‘Smart ass, aren’t you! You’re right, though. I don’t trust him. I think Hilto got at him. I think he poisoned him. It’s going to show up more and more the older he gets.’ I was shivering. ‘The truth is – I’m scared, Vima. Really scared of what’s inside his head.’
She thought for a moment, then said, ‘Well, your family has a better reason than anyone else to distrust Hilto. But Thomas is just a kid, Juno. Why not talk to him? You might be able to change him.’
‘No. Nobody could have changed Hilto, and it’ll be the same with his son. Let’s not talk about it.’ Give me the gentle topics any day.
She smiled, making it clear she was indulging me. I didn’t care, I was grateful.
James greeted me with a bear hug that lifted me off the ground. ‘Welcome, Juno. You mover and shaker, you!’
Still the same James – funny, kind and with a searingly sharp mind. His hair still did the mad professor look.
They gave me supper, then showed me to my room. The window looked out across hills and the harbour, a blanket of dark in contrast to the dotted lights of the city. What was waiting for me out there? I didn’t think the Children of the Coming Dawn would give up without a fight. They must have followers living outside the Mokau complex. I tried to still my mind, to search for danger, but my thoughts skittered off sideways. I wished my family was with me, longed for the support of my learning stratum. Wishes – useless things. Vima and James were here and I was lucky to have them.
I got into bed and slept until Vima woke me in the morning. ‘You’re sure good at sleeping!’ She poured tea and shoved hot toast in my direction.
James came in with Wilfred tucked into the crook of one arm. Last time I’d seen Wilfred he’d been a tiny baby; now he was bigger, rounder. He chuckled and waved a fist at James.
‘He’s gorgeous!’ I held out my arms to take him.
He gazed at me for about a minute before he decided I merited a smile, then his whole face lit up.
‘He’s coming with us today,’ Vima said. ‘We’ll all be there.’
‘Sina, Jov and Jovan will be there too.’ James’s voice was even.
Vima sent him a look, her mouth compressed, but she said, ‘We all want to support you, Juno. This should be the end of the fight. A fight involving everyone from Taris. We’re just sorry it all seems to have fallen on your shoulders.’
Which was a neat deflection of the undercurrent of tension between them. I just said, ‘Thanks for coming. It’s going to be great to have you there.’ I was sorry for their pain, deeply sorry. I wished there was something I could do to help.
D.I. Whitely was at the courthouse to meet us. Callie was there too, looking tired and frightened The trial, the D.I. told us, would be conducted in front of five judges, a system reserved for the most serious offences.
‘You can’t get more serious than this,’ she said as she led us into the waiting room where we were to stay until we were called to give our evidence.
‘Can’t we listen to what’s happening? Watch it on a screen or something?’ I didn’t want to be shut away and prevented from hearing the whole story.
The D.I. laughed. ‘Why doesn’t that question surprise me? But no, I’m afraid not. What happens first is that the charges will be read out.’
Callie took a stumbling step towards the door, only stopping when she saw there was a guard outside. The D.I. frowned but she continued with the briefing. ‘Callie, you’ll be called first to give your evidence. Juno, you’ll be straight after Callie. Both of you then stay in the courtroom in case they need to ask more questions.’
We had about forty-five minutes to wait before Callie was called. She was a mess of nerves. Her whole body shook, and her skin was so pale I expected her to fall down in a faint at any moment. I tried to distract her by talking about her family, about where she was staying. Nothing worked. She looked like she was going to totally freak out when she got into the courtroom. I squatted down in front of her and took her hands.
‘Callie. Look at me.’ I had to repeat it several times before she took in what I was saying. I kept my voice calm and tried to surround her with friendship. ‘Breathe in. Good. Now out. Slowly. Excellent.’ I held tight to her hands. ‘Keep breathing, and talk slowly. You need to tell the court what you know, but you must remember you’re safe now. Can you say what it is you’re scared of?’
It took her ages to get the words out and she spoke in gasps as if she was snatching gulps of air. ‘Secondus. He kills those who go against the Leader. He killed Mira – she tried to run away.’ Tears poured down her face.
‘She was your friend?’
Callie nodded. ‘They killed her. I couldn’t stop them.’ She gulped. ‘I didn’t even try to stop them.’ She pulled her hands free to hold them over her face, and she keened, a high, eerie sound full of grief.
I took hold of her shoulders and shook her. ‘You have to help her now. You have to tell her story. Do it for Mira, Callie.’
Eventually the wailing stopped, and when she took her hands away her face was calmer. ‘Yes.’ She took a great, shuddering breath. ‘I will do it. For Mira. Her death will not go unpunished.’
I got up to sit beside her on the bench. ‘He killed others?’
She shrugged. ‘I heard the stories. But I only saw him kill Mira.’
I felt sick. ‘He made you watch? All of you?’
‘Yes.’
We sat without talking again. Every so often her whole body trembled, but I could feel her determination growing.
At last the clerk of the court called her name. She got up and walked out of the room without looking back at me.
I could hear nothing from the courtroom. The clock on the wall had a loud tick. I found myself counting each one. I vowed not to watch the minutes creep by, but it was impossible not to keep checking the time. What was happening out there? Had Callie fallen to pieces? Not been able to tell what she knew?
The door opened and I sprang up.
‘Court’s adjourned for lunch,’ the clerk said. He looked shaken. Callie must have told her story, told how her friend had died. I went to leave, but he barred the way. ‘Sorry, but you’ll have to have your lunch in here.’
More than an hour passed before the clerk escorted me to a courtroom much grander than the one I’d been in a few weeks earlier. Its curved ceiling and decorative walls were impressive. Five judges sat up high behind a long bench.
Secondus was in the dock. He used his mind to zap me with hate and threat. I shut him out and looked for familiar faces among those who had come to watch.
I blinked and stared again – I wasn’t looking at a mirage. Shallym was sitting in the front row with Biddo and Jidda.
They beamed at me, delighted by my stunned expression. Thank you, I mouthed. I felt lighter. My friends had come to help me.
Vima and James, Sina and Jov were all there in the front row with their babies. Camnoon, dressed in his orange robes, sat between the two couples. Sina’s parents, Zill and Harl, were beside their daughter. I felt the love and support of all of them, and of those who watched from afar. Between us, we would free Taris from the taint Secondus and his tribe had tried to stain us with.
My experience of this trial was so different from the previous one. This time I felt approval from the people in the gallery. The five judges asked their sharp questions kindly. I told my story as well as I could, and when I’d finished I asked if Biddo could tell the court whom we believed Secondus and the leader to be.
The judges didn’t even take a moment to confer. They granted permission, and Biddo bounded up to the witness box. When he said the names Bradwell Zagan and Samson Hainsworth, Secondus broke his silence.
‘The witch who stands before you killed my father-in-law! She brought down destruction on my son. Kill her!’
He strained to break away from the guards who held him, shouting out curses. I didn’t look at him and I called on my defences to shut him and his words out.
They wrestled him from the courtroom, and the clerk escorted me to a seat beside Callie. She reached for my hand and squeezed it.
Next the court called D.I. Whitely to the stand. She reported that the police now had forty-six people in custody, fifteen of whom had been on the boat, while the others had been found in the bush around the Mokau buildings. ‘Those on the boat, from what we’ve been able to establish, were the elite in the organisation. They are refusing to talk. The other thirty-one were the workers. By what they say, they were kept ignorant of the purpose of the group. They were controlled by fear. The man known as Secondus was assiduous in carrying out the leader’s instructions to prevent any escape.’
‘It was a religious cult?’ Judge Maliano asked.
The D.I. shook her head. ‘Despite the name, it doesn’t appear to have been. From what we’ve been able to piece together, though, it sounds as if the workers regarded the leader in the light of a harsh god figure who possessed both uncanny knowledge of the future and the power to wreak vengeance on them for any wrongdoing. Occasionally he would talk about the deities but everyone was uncertain as to what these were. All agreed, however, that they had to work hard so as not to displease them and the leader.’
The judges conferred, then Judge Maliano asked, ‘And you’ve no idea still about why these people released the pandemic virus and spread it? Who any of the leaders really are? You don’t know if the young man from Taris is right about their identity?’
‘No, Your Honour. The elite group refuse to talk, and the workers simply don’t know.’ The D.I. sounded frustrated.
‘If I may be permitted to speak, Your Honour? I believe I can throw some light on the puzzle.’ It was Camnoon who spoke.
The judges frowned, fearing perhaps that the trial was getting out of hand, heading off in directions they hadn’t expected, but they gave permission and Camnoon was sworn in. He chose to swear to tell the truth by oath, although he didn’t put his hand on a Bible.
Judge Maliano regarded him as he stood in the witness box, dressed as he always was now, in his orange robes.
‘Camnoon of Taris, a Buddhist monk in a community of humanists who didn’t believe in god?’
Camnoon bowed his head and smiled. ‘Indeed, Your Honour.’ He didn’t offer an explanation. After a moment, the judge signaled for him to continue.
Camnoon’s voice was soft, maybe with age or maybe because he didn’t often speak. ‘I am now the only Taris resident left of the original group who formed the first working party on the island. It was more than fifty years ago, and some years before the settler population was chosen.’
I stared at him. This quiet man held the stories of our past, of a history we hadn’t known to ask about.
‘There were thirty of us,’ he went on. ‘Some of us knew from the start that we wanted to be among those chosen to stay, but for others it was enough to be part of building the island’s infrastructure. We’d been there for about six months and the project was nearly finished when one man almost wrecked it. You will have guessed that Bradwell Zagan was that man. He began preaching – that isn’t too strong a word for it – that a community such as this would need one strong leader. He had proved himself, he said, and he wanted all of us to persuade the participating countries that he should be the sole leader.’
‘He did not succeed, I take it?’ Judge Maliano asked.
Camnoon shook his head. ‘No, but it was close. He was very persuasive, very charismatic. He’d worked so hard too, been such an effective leader under often very trying conditions. Except for two people, those who didn’t intend to stay on Taris voted for Zagan to be the sole leader. Those of us who were to stay – only three of us – voted against it. The matter became an international incident, but the governments who had put money into the project had the final say. They vetoed the idea of a single leader.’
‘Zagan’s reaction?’ the judge asked.
Camnoon looked back into his memory, and we heard the sadness in his voice as he said, ‘He vowed we would live to regret it. He said, You have crossed me at your peril. I shall not forget. I shall not forgive.’
Nobody broke the silence for ages. We watched Camnoon return to his seat.
Finally Judge Maliano said, ‘We thank you, Camnoon of Taris.’ He shook his head. ‘So much has been lost, so much knowledge we’re now missing. A nation needs its archivists, its historians.’
Then he became brisk again and adjourned the trial for the day.
Have you been watching? That Secondus guy – how could somebody do that?
Have you heard? Sheen fainted when she heard how he killed that other girl.
Did you know about the early days of Taris? And what’s a Buddhist monk? Is that why Camnoon wears that funny robe? There’s so much we don’t know.