The Children Star by Joan Slonczewski Page B

Helicon.”

FOUR

    O n returning to the colony, Rod distributed a bag of sweets from the lounge. The children crowded around, then all but the twins and Gaea went off to the sapphire mine. Mother Artemis nursed the twins from two of her breasts, while Rod mended a strap of a llama’s harness and tried not to let his foot go to sleep in Gaea’s grasp. “Is it true,” he asked the Reverend Mother, “that the Elysians want to terraform Prokaryon?” He pulled the heavy needle through the thick tumbleround hide. He never had the heart to kill a tumbleround, but one that had died naturally provided enough cured hide for a year’s worth of harness straps and children’s shoes.
    â€œSome would wish to terraform,” she said. “Too few humans can live here.”
    â€œSo, to fill our colonies faster, they would kill all this?” The singing-trees—the helicoids—so many creations, unique to this world.
    â€œThe Sharers won’t allow terraforming.” The Sharers had dwelt in Elysium’s ocean, long before the Elysians built their cities. “They have Elysium in their power. Their lifeshapers could easily make all the floating cities uninhabitable.”
    Rod thought this over. “But it’s not only up to Elysium. The Free Fold—other worlds could vote to repeal the ban.”
    â€œSecretary Verid will never allow it.” The Reverend Mother spoke with confidence, for she had once worked closely with the Elysian leader Verid
Anaeashon
, years before, during the early sentient uprisings. Now Verid was Secretary of the Fold Council.
    Pima and Pomu were scrambling down from the Reverend Mother’s lap. On her skirt a bear came alive and made faces at them; they hurried over to watch and laugh. The laughter of children was worth more than gold.
    â€œFor Haemum, I’ve checked out the New Reyo Branch of the Interworld Free School,” Mother Artemis told him. “Would it meet your requirements?”
    â€œIt’s a good start.” New Reyo was a larger L’liite colony on another continent, where the farming was better. The Spirit Callers had received a cheaper tract in Spirilla.
    â€œShe can enroll at any time. We’ll let her try it out and see.” There was a prayer answered. Mother Artemis added, “I’ve also been thinking of T’kun’s arm. We need to have it checked, to make sure the bone is healing straight.” She paused. “We’ll have to call Sarai.”
    Rod tensed inwardly, but if the Reverend Mother had decided, so be it.
    Their first call produced a stall of spattering light on the holostage. Perhaps Sarai had jinxed her connection again, to ward off offending callers. But after a few minutes, the connection held. The Sharer lifeshaper emerged from the surrounding vines of enzyme secretors and other leafy assistants,all native to the ocean world from whence she came. Her skin was smooth, hairless, and purple all over, from the symbiotic breathmicrobes that stored oxygen for swimming. The effect was especially striking since, according to the custom of her aquatic race, she wore no clothes.
    â€œYou share good timing, Sister.” Sarai’s webbed hand held up a large pear-shaped pod, one of the living instruments of her lifeshaping. “You’re just in time to see me commit genocide.”
    â€œGood evening, Sarai,” said Mother Artemis, ignoring her remark. “My deep apologies for disrupting your work. Please help us. Brother Patella had a mishap and had to leave us, and now one of our children needs attention. If ever we can return assistance . . .”
    Sarai plunged the pod into a vat of unknown liquid. “There—a billion microzoöids meet their death, that I may study their chromosomes. Who will sing their deathsong?”
    â€œThe Spirit Callers built a shrine for microbes,” Mother Artemis told her. “For all the microbes killed in the