Canopies

 

Gardens had always been a popular household sight throughout the township. Self-sustenance was an important value among any rural community, even those with as close a relationship to their partner city as Dome Valley had. The resulting abundance of produce kept local markets well-stocked and provided a security for the common good. Rural communities supported connection with the land, and the ensuing practices in turn supported the life of the community.

The villagers knew their small-plants well, engaging with the science of flora cultivation for whatever personal niche befit them. It seemed though that they often forgot the parallels of life between the garden plants and their wild relatives. Sure, everyone vaguely knew the various types of canopy, their respective heights, and the native species one finds in each: it was a standard topic of elementary education. Living down on the ground though, it was easy to take that upper world for granted. Only when one of the large plants fell did people wonder at the natural world that had been suspended in the sky. It was only during rare weather strikes, or in a city work-zone that one was reminded of the secrets of the canopy.

The tops of trees were a world even Kaya knew little about. There were bird species there that she had only read about in ornithology books, that subsisted off of insects also unseen by her or anyone she knew. She was far more drawn to the lower canopy; the waving tips of grass and reed. It was the domain of birds that she did know, and she enjoyed watching their questing and play. She loved the grand flowers that blossomed from thick, almost woody, green stalks. Down below the plant was a mysterious column of cellulose, rising among the lesser grasses, aiming to pierce the sky. Up above however, it was a glory. Insects buzzed over wide plateaus of fragrant color open to the sky, or hummed among towering clusters of bloom. The wild cultivars grew so giant in proportion to the tamed plants of people's backyards that few ever saw the blossoms except at a distance. They rose over roadsides and behind houses like narrow natural skyscrapers, bending and waving gently in the breeze. From a distance the flowers could look like fireworks.

As she gazed from the windows of the fortress tower, Kaya thought it was a shame people forgot about that canopy ecosystem. It was a magical place, right there in their own reality. Land-scholars knew, most of them remembered, and soldiers in towers like these could not help but see. City-folk knew about the canopy life, if they cared to look from their windows, but they existed detached from the world. If they appreciated the views of nature, it was as academic or aesthetic. Even the scholars here at the Sanctuary, she found were slightly removed from the workings of the natural world. They cared of course, but it was not as much an ingrained part of their inner being. The townsfolk lived and breathed the land constantly, and yet were ironically less aware of its wonders.

Kaya inhaled, and exhaled a long breath. She stared at the scene before her; the field and far-off groves. The village looked calm, with the usual wisps of smoke from the usual places. Carts rolled here and there, some speeders in the traffic taking the faster lanes. It was a pleasant town, with few problems save what nature brought them. The field that wrapped it like a blanket was placid too. It was a calm day, with very little wind stirring the grasses. On stormy days the tall stalks tossed and threw themselves around in a sort of uncontrolled ecstasy. They thrashed and strained at the woven fences and braces placed at the edges of development. The morning after a strong blow would often be filled with the working sounds of repair, but still Kaya liked the stormy days. Today though the voices of the field were calm.

The field spoke to her, sometimes. Not in the words of any language, and not always very clearly either. She never told anyone about this because they would at best give back a gentle chuckle. No one, not even one of the sages, would believe the field spoke to her, but it did. If she were alone, and took the time to be both still and silent, the grasses would deliver a message. It would reach her awareness, a touching of one part of consciousness to another. It was as if each individual blade had too little consciousness to speak on its own, but when the whole group were imbued with the power of wind, their voice could appear as one. Usually it was friendly, and of no particular concern.

Sometimes the field could warn her of someone's approach, or if she were headed the wrong direction on her explorations. Today though it was undeniably peaceful. It looked to be a good day for traveling, if that were one's plan. Gentle thick clouds kept the brightness down, but were not heavy with rain. Kaya looked at the trees of the hill to the west, feeling as if she were seeing through them to the valley on the other side. The nagging sensation was still there, the idea that had taken hold in the back of her mind. All her bits of evidence pointed to something being wrong, but she had gotten no interest from the scholarly offices. Receptive as they usually were to concerns about the land, the cold shoulder from Davai's secretary almost bothered her more. Kaya stared out through the rising hillsides. She had friends in a forest not too far from here, by LDT at least, and they might be more receptive to her recent musings than Davai and his cadre.

Kaya left the lookout tower and walked back down the limb of the buck-thorn tree with a brewing purpose. She felt clear-headed now and had a growing optimism around her thoughts. As she walked down the sloping hallway, she passed by a couple men with a young boy. One of the men looked to be the boy's father, and the kid had a look of mild wonder and excitement on his face. They must be taking him up to see the tower room, she thought. In fact, it's probably the first time he's ever seen a view over the field. If there were still any doubt to the confidence that had taken root in her heart, it vanished once she passed them and entered the lift.