A furred face stroked hers from out of the mist and she laughed when she realized that it was Nanook-yes, and there was Marduk, too, and the G.o.ds knew how many more purring mightily in the cave, for it echoed of purr purr.
Another ma.s.sive contraction came, which Yana, for one second apprehensive, thought much too soon in a normal delivery. Then she found herself wanting to push and panted as she"d been taught.
"It"s much too soon for this stage," she said between pantings.
"Well, you never know," Clodagh said comfortingly. "We"ve been here longer than you might realize."
"But we-just-got-here."
Clodagh chuckled again and then was very busy between Yana"s legs underwater. The water itself was bright, so Yana was able to view her upheld legs on Clodagh"s shoulders and know that the woman was submerged. Sean"s furred flipper hand was on her knee and then there was a mighty convulsion and Clodagh came up out of the water, holding her hands up, and Yana saw a silvery furred baby body in the capable palms.
"Your son, Shongili," Clodagh cried, and the cats gave voice to the most musical caterwaul possible.
"Oh my G.o.d!" Yana"s body wanted to repeat its previous confusion.
A naked furry wet body was thrust into Yana"s hands as Clodagh ducked under the water again while Yana, consumed with a second mighty pushing, realized she was delivering a second selkie child.
"How did that happen?" she exclaimed as Clodagh surfaced with yet another squirming baby, this one already squalling at its lack of precedence.
"You"ve a fine family all in the one go," Clodagh said, water sheeting off her smiling face.
"Did you know I"d be having twins?" Yana exclaimed, half of her appalled that that information had been withheld, while the other half of her was marveling at the perfection of her selkie son, who, minutes old as he was, was already altering his form to human now that he was out of the water.
Clodagh gave a snort, hauling herself and the baby out of the water. "And you as big as a whale and didn"t guess?"
"How could I guess? I"ve never been around pregnant women. Oh, he"s gorgeous... oh, oh..." Suddenly Yana realized her son was completing his alteration to a totally human baby. Then Clodagh was holding her selkie daughter out of the water and the same phenomenon was occurring on that precious body. Sean Selkie was embracing her and the children, his silver eyes wide with wonder and blinking water.
They made a tableau then, mother, father, children, and midwife, selkie and human. Then all were totally human as Sean lifted himself out of the water. Now Yana realized why the planet had insisted on this birthplace and how easy it had made what could have been a very difficult session for her. Petaybee was learning, too. Namid said the thing to remember about a planet only a bit over two hundred years old was that it, too, was a baby. Every time it had a conversation or experience, it learned, grew, expanded its potential. As he probed for its secrets, it had questions of its own for him on the nature of what lay beyond it.
By the time the afterbirth had been expelled, Yana was able to emerge from the water, flat-bellied and lithe again.
Holding both arms out in grat.i.tude, she thanked Petaybee, her words coming out almost as a latchkay song:
"Thank you for the birthing. It was painless.Thank you for my strong son and my fine daughter.Thank you for their changing.Thank you for everything."
"You are welcome, Yanaba. You are welcome."
Yana couldn"t help grinning. Twice welcome for bearing twins? This planet moved in mysterious ways- and what had it in mind for her children?
"Welcome!"
Books by Anne McCaffrey
Decision at Doona
Dinosaur Planet
Dinosaur Planet Survivors
Get Off the Unicorn
The Lady
Pegasus in Flight
Restorree
The Ship Who Sang
To Ride Pegasus
Nimisha"s Ship
Pegasus in s.p.a.ce
THE CRYSTAL SINGER BOOKS.
Crystal Singer
Killashandra
Crystal Line
THE DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN BOOKS BOOKS.
Dragonflight
Dragonquest
The White Dragon
Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern
Nerilka"s Story
Dragonsdawn
The Renegades of Pern
All the Weyrs of Pern
The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall
The Dolphins of Pern
Dragonseye
The Masterharper of Pern
The Skies of Pern
By Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough:
Powers that Be
Power Lines
Power Play