SKENE: CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future. There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
NEW: Map of Bosco
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of All Skene
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Shortly after Mill's first birthday, as The Manage was making dinner, Yerush told her partners and Bux that there had been a murder on Bosco: During a wild argument, a young woman had struck her emma with a pipe while they were working in the tillage, in full view of neighbors. The older woman had died before she could be transported to the hospital. The murderer had been led to a locking storage room at the lumber mill, given provisions and bedding, and confined.

Murders were extremely rare on Skene, only occurring once every few years. These were almost always crimes of the moment, a spike in passion within an existing relationship. This news was met by Yerush's Manage with consternation and shock. Yerush added that she had already sent a note to the hostel on Bosco to reserve a private room for her and whoever wished to attend the trial with her, the following Sju.

Yerush felt obligated to attend, not just as a former Ethicist but also as someone who might run for that office again: Ethicists were who conducted trials and passed sentence on those accused. Yerush wanted to see how someone else would handle this case.

In general, all crime on Skene was low. Provocation certainly existed, growing up in crowded Manages with high community expectations and limited resources, but by the time children reached an age to be a menace, they had learned skills for coping with provocation. Rape existed in the statutes as an offense, but no recorded instance had occurred in centuries. Theft was the most common problem, and when convicted, a thief was no longer allowed to live on the island where the theft occurred. She was forced to relocate, taking whatever job and lodging she could find, existing under a cloud of distrust sometimes for years until slowly she had re-established herself in a community. Her Manage had to make restitution to whomever she had stolen from, and the fines could be heavy. Children were raised with dire warnings about stealing.

The next most common crime was assault, usually spontaneous and instantly regretted. Unless the victim had extensive pleas for lenience from others in her community (which a family member might be expected to do), the assailant was likewise forced to move off island and her Manage was fined.

A second occurrence of either of these crimes could, and usually did, result in exile to Peisuo.

Peisuo was a fling-sized island at great distance from any other island, across waters no ferry could ever safely cross. On clear days, it was visible from the southernmost islands, a desolate rock on the horizon. It had a Manage complete with its own geothermal plant, water supply, electricity, and tillage, along with a stone supply shed and a small landing pad. There was radio contact possible with the Sigrist, and exiles were given the same allotment everyone else received, plus supplies to farm for herself. Exile was permanent, with no parole. Once dropped off on Peisuo, you would die there. Mail was picked up and delivered once a month. Medical help could be summoned, but no other visitors were allowed. It was a dreadful enough fate that sometimes several years went by without anyone going into exile.

Two crimes could result in immediate exile. One was murder, and the other was any kind of sexual contact outside of one's sui. If the sexual contact was between an adult and someone under the age of 16, the ensuing trial was merely perfunctory -- there was no alternative sentence. Even worse, the children who had been born into a Manage where an adult was found guilty of sexual contact with a child would be fostered out, would be watched diligently for signs of having learned this behavior, and it was extremely unlikely they would ever be allowed to aggie as adults. They would have a hard time even finding partners. The penalty for helping to cover up this crime, even if you had not participated in it, was also exile.

For sexual misalliances between adults of too disparate an age, fines would be imposed on the Manage(s) involved, the lovers would be relocated to separate islands, and social ostracism would be extreme. Neither of the parties involved would be allowed to aggie, and if they already had children under the age of 16, their children would be fostered out. Affairs were common on Skene, and gossiped about but not condemned as long as they occurred within sui. This line was seldom transgressed, except sometimes by the elderly where sui was fudged by a year or two -- in those cases, everyone tried to ignore what was going on.

At all trials, but especially murder trials, the proceedings occurred in two phases. On the first day, the evidence was heard, the accused was allowed to make a defense or have someone argue her case, and at dinnertime, everyone went home to talk things over. Letters were given to the members of all involved Manages, the neighbors, coworkers, teachers and other close community members of the accused, inviting them to argue for leniency on the accused's behalf. The following day, which was always Shmonah, the Ethicist did not return to the trial room until noon. Promptly at noon, she sat down in the deliberator's chair and the doors were opened to anyone who wanted to plea for leniency.

The Ethicist's sentence would depend heavily on the number and diversity of such pleas. People did not extend themselves to argue for an accused person unless they felt certain that future misbehavior could be prevented. Community reputations were at stake. If someone had murdered a member of their own family, sometimes not even an emma would show up to ask for mercy on their behalf. In those cases, exile was certain. The accused was sentenced, allowed one last set of goodbyes, and escorted by temporary deputies to a waiting sinner to be carried away from human company.

If an exile became unable to care for herself on Peisuo, either through old age or disability, the Ethicist advertised for a caretaker. The salary was high -- 60 eks, currently -- and upon completion of her self-imposed exile, the caretaker was also guaranteed Leave to aggie and a Manage somewhere on Skene. Usually the people who applied for the job were young and not yet established elsewhere. It was required that they be single and have no children.

Caretakers were expected to radio in to the Sigrist twice a day. They were given a bed in the supply shed, which also had an indoor toilet and a solid locking metal door. It had happened that once, three hundred years ago, a caretaker had been murdered by the feeble exile she had gone to assist. When her second expected radio call had passed without hearing from her, the Ethicist had chosen four yanjangers of particular bulk and crankiness, armed them with lasers, and flown out to Peisuo on a sinner. They had found the caretaker lying on the kitchen floor, the back of her skull caved in, a frying pan missing, and the exile claiming accident. After the body was removed to the sinner, a year's allotment of rice and dried fish -- the equivalent of hard rations if it was carefully meted out -- was left in the kitchen, the radio was removed, and the exile was told they would return in a year to check on her.

When they returned after a year, the exile was dead. Skene children loved to tell each other lurid stories of how she had suicided, overcome with remorse or in a fit of rage that had nowhere to go except against herself. The most popular version was that she had somehow staggered with a hundred-weight of dried fish to a small cliff over deep waters at island's edge, poured the fisk into the water to attract leviathans, then stripped naked and stood shrieking at the precipice until an obliging leviathan leaped up and devoured her. Yerush, who had read the actual record, said the fact of the matter was that when they returned after a year, the exile had been found mummified in her bed, having died in her sleep some months earlier.

What was true, Yerush continued, is that upon returning to Riesig, the Ethicist had gone on the radio and broadcast a crisp warning that the presence of a uncontrolled murderer on Peisuo would not make her hesitate in the slightest to sentence someone else there if the need arose during the coming year. Yerush said this seemed to have acted on quite a deterrent against crime. Bux remarked that may have been so, but she thanked her lucky stars she didn't have be a member of that Ethicist's Manage. Which had earned her a glare from Yerush and an guffaw from Veida.

It sometimes happened that a Skener was sentenced to exile at a time when there was already someone living on Peisuo. The second exile was taken to the island with her allotment and no advance notice to the resident exile. She was left to negotiate her way on Peisuo on her own. Usually, of course, an exile of long-standing would be ecstatic at an end to their dismal isolation, at least for a while. If, as had twice occurred, one exile killed another, the prior punishment of going on hard rations and no radio contact for a year was doled out to the murderer. No one thus far had ever survived this extreme measure.

They were still discussing all this when Halling and Yoj got up from their nap with Mill. Yerush was saying that on Roku, after marketing was done, she and Qen were going to take the ferry to Bosco and stay at the hostel that night.

As Yoj handed Mill to Ng reaching for her, Bux said "You two showing up is going to cause gossip about whether one of you, especially you, Qen, intend to plea for leniency for her."

Qen looked distressed. "I remember her from school but I haven't seen her since. I don't mean to get her hopes up. I'm simply going -- well, for a chance to get away, and to be with Yerush. Is that shallow of me?"

Yerush said "Of course not" but Yerush's reassurance was not what Qen was seeking. She looked at Veida, who said "I think you should go, definitely."

Ng had a bowl full of carrot coins she'd been cutting for dinner, and Mill was gleefully running hands through them.

Halling and Yoj spoke at the same time, Halling to ask "Why aren't you going then, Veida?" and Yoj saying "Who are we talking about? I missed the name -- who committed the murder?"

"Alleged murder" said Yerush, then "Z'bef."

Yoj sat down heavily in her chair. "No" she breathed.

Bux looked shocked. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"No...not friend. But we were in the same grade at school, and I had -- an empathy for her" said Yoj, visibly upset. Halling, too, looked troubled.

"I remember, in third grade" said Halling, "You two used to eat lunch together sometimes."

"She was painfully shy" said Yoj. "And not witty, or what the other kids called attractive. Oh, this is awful."

Yoj looked at Qen. "She had a terrible home life, did you know that?"

Qen sat down now, too. "No. What do you mean?"

"Her emmas were constantly busy, foresters there on Bosco. And they had just her, I don't know why only one. They never praised her, never thought anything she did was right. They didn't hit her, I'm pretty sure, but the ridicule was constant. She -- I wasn't the right person to be her friend, I had my own things to sort out. But we recognized something in each other."

Bux put her hand in Yoj's and said "You weren't responsible for saving her."

"Perhaps not" said Yoj. "But who was? Because clearly it didn't happen. When I heard one of her emmas had died a couple of years ago, I hoped she had left home by that time, found a place for herself elsewhere. Sounds like she didn't, though."

Halling said "Do you want to go and speak on her behalf?"

A deep silence fell over the room. They would all be implicated in this decision: Their entire Manage's word was now bound up in Yoj's word.

Yoj looked around at them. "I don't know what the right thing to do is here."

Ng said "Are you willing to help her start a new life elsewhere, keep her on a clear path?"

"I -- I can't" whispered Yoj. "I'm committed elsewhere."

"Do you think you can find someone who will do that for her?" continued Ng.

Yoj thought. "I have no names to give you." She looked miserable.

"Then you are not the person to step in" said Ng. "Any more than I am."

Veida slammed down a spoon she'd been using to stir. Mill jumped violently.

"So that's the way it gets decided, then?" said Veida furiously. "If you can't do it all, she has nothing to save her from oblivion? Well, I'll tell you right here and now, I will never let any one of you go into exile. I don't care what I have to promise or sacrifice, I would never let them do such an inhuman thing to you!" Her black eyes were wide and fighting back tears, even as her face was enraged.

Qen went to her and put her arms around her. "I know, Veida. I feel the same way about you, about us all. We're bound together, don't worry."

Veida held Qen tightly for a minute, her breathing heavy. Mill was watching them with a serious expression.

Bux looked at Yerush, and Yerush said gently "Veida's habibi's sister was exiled. For a second incident of assault."

Veida flared again "It wasn't her fault! I mean, yes, she did it, but she didn't have control of her emotions. They kept her on the Fling, and they knew how to deal with her, how to calm her down. But somebody came out there when nobody else was home, and she -- " Veida began crying, then, which was a relief.

Yerush finished softly "She didn't last a full year in exile. She didn't really know how to take care of herself. Veida's habibi, her siba, offered to go into exile with her, to look after her, but they wouldn't allow her. It's been a pain in the family ever since."

Mill picked up one of the carrot rounds and held it in Veida's direction, saying "Abba cookie?" Bux grinned but Veida didn't notice Mill.

"I can see why she perished" said Yoj hotly. "It's bad enough to be held captive on a Fling, but at least she had someone who cared for her there, but then to go -- " Yoj began crying, too. Bux and Halling both moved to hold her. An abba and an emma crying at the same time was too much for Mill to take in. Her face crumpled and she started to wail. Yerush picked her up and walked outside with her swiftly, saying "Let's go feed the chick-chicks, baby love."

After some quiet was restored, Veida said to Yoj, "One thing I know about, you could write a letter to the court. Offering what you know. It will be taken into account by the Ethicist."

"I'll deliver it" said Qen. "And talk with her directly myself."

"A good idea" said Yoj. Halling added "You can write Z'Bef, too, directly." Yoj gazed at her for a long minute, then said "I will."

They got up and began helping with dinner. When Yerush and Mill came back in, Mill looked at Yoj keenly. Yoj walked over and kissed her cheek, saying "Emmas cry sometimes, too, but we're fine. Would you like a cup of milk before dinner?'

Mill accepted eagerly. Yoj pulled Mill's new high-chair up to the table. Bux had recently had another period, her first since Mill was born, as usual in sync with Halling and Yoj's period. They had talked it over and agreed with Bux's next ovulatory cycle, she would try to get pregnant again. She had already contacted the Genist about it. The next day, Bux had brought home the high-chair from the used furniture store, saying with a new baby being considered, it would be better for Mill to adjust now rather than associate it with siblings taking her place.

Mill hated the high-chair, however. She wanted to be fed in a lap. She kicked at the chair wildly as Yoj tried to put her in it and began screaming "Harsh, harsh!" at the top of her range. Harsh was Mill's word when she felt in the grips of injustice. Bux helped Yoj and they managed to get both of Mill's legs under the tray and the harness around her. Mill pounded on the metal tray and continued to scream. It had been like this at every meal for three days now.

Bux could tell from Halling and Ng's faces that they'd give in. She took the cup of milk from Yoj and sat down beside Mill, saying calmly "When you're done being upset, I'll give you a sip of milk. You let me know."

Yoj returned to making dinner as Mill tantrumed. Halling went outside for five minutes and returned with a single cucumber gripped tightly in her hand, which Ng took from her with a grin and cut into very thin slices for the salad. By the time food was ready to set on the table, Mill was done with her outrage. Halling sat down in her own chair and scooted Mill's closer so she could feed her. She put an ikan roll on Mill's tray and Mill began reducing it to crumbs, but some of it made its way to her mouth. She accepted Halling's spoonfuls of soup and rice with good grace.

Watching her, Yerush remarked "Just when you think you can't stand them fighting maturity one day longer, they suddenly flip over and began demanding privileges they aren't nearly ready for."

Veida and Qen laughed. "Remember how Bux came home by herself the third day of school?" said Qen.

"What? said Yoj. "You mean, just walked home?"

"Yeah" said Qen. "When they couldn't find her anywhere, they came to me, frantic. And my heart nearly stopped. But I rushed home, just in case, and she was sitting at the kitchen table with a handful of fisk, feeding it to three katts up on the table in front of her."

"Why did you leave school?" Halling asked Bux. Before Bux could answer, Veida said "She'd decided she had learned what she needed to know. She said she could pick up the rest as she went along."

Everybody began laughing, even Mill after a moment though it was clear she was just playing cool.

"She pitched a screaming, blue-faced fit when I carried her back to school" said Qen.

Bux said, between bites, "You all tell this story on me but I have absolutely no memory of it."

Ng said, "Well, Halling didn't want to give up wearing diapers. The only one of our four who fought potty-training."

Halling's mouth dropped open. "I never!" she said.

"Oh, yes you did" laughed Ng. "We tried giving you special knickers but you just filled 'em, we tried shaming you but you didn't care, we even tried taking your pants completely away from you. You'd blithely squat on the floor and drop a load, then go on playing."

Halling's face was deep dusky red. Bux was now laughing much harder than she had been before.

"She was almost two before we finally got her privy-trained" continued Ng. "And when she decided to play along, it happened overnight."

"What did the trick?" asked Qen.

"Her cousins came for a visit, and the one who was Halling's age told her she smelled bad. Halling adored that cousin, in particular. She came crying to her aggie, who verified that she did in fact smell like poop most of the time, and explained how that could be avoided. She never had a single accident after that."

Halling had her face in her hands. Yoj said "At this moment, I'm really glad I don't have an emma here to share a tale about me."

Bux said confidentially to Halling "And you're so fastidious now, is that why?"

Halling waved her away, giving Mill another bite and saying to her sweetly "I will never, ever tell your partners awful stories about you, my darling". Mill nodded in agreement. Yoj said "Speaking of potty-training, did either of you take her in the last two hours?"

"Uh-oh" said Halling. She swept Mill from her chair and carried her to the bath room where they had a chamber pot set up for her. When she returned, she said "Just in time."

"I pottied!" declared Mill proudly.

"Good, good Mill" came a chorus of voices. Halling washed their hands at the sink and returned them to the table.

On Roku, after school, Qen and Yerush walked to the ferry landing, bags in hand. Everyone else said goodbye to them at the Manage and went on with dinner preparation. Yoj remarked "There's a movie day after tomorrow. At the Lofthall."

"Let's all go" said Bux, and Halling said to Ng "We'll get you there and back."

Ng said "Sounds good" but Veida equivocated. "What's the movie about? I've seen all the old ones."

Yoj grinned at her and said "A first-time filmmaker from Exploit goes down into a phosphate mine and shows how it is quarried, then interviews various workers in the extraction process, then shows some of the things it's used for. It's about an hour long."

Veida burst into laughter. "You've got to be kidding! They've rented the Lofthall for that? Why don't they just show it on Exploit?"

"They have, and it was a rave there" giggled Yoj. "So they want to share. After the movie, there'll be dramatic reading by one of their poets, and then the Cwynfanners are going to play."

"Ah!" said Veida, her eyes lighting up. "Accordions and bodhráns?"

"And pennywhistles" said Yoj appreciatively.

"They do drama and epic poetry so well on Exploit, why would someone try to make a bad movie?" said Veida.

"Hunger for something different" said Ng. Yoj nodded, then said to Veida "How about if you be my date for the evening? There's bound to be a ceilidh, with that band -- I'll save my dances for you."

Veida was genuinely touched. "I accept. Let's dress up, shall we?"

Bux said "You have new shirts from the same moss-green material, you could wear those". Yoj kissed her in thanks.

The movie was actually worse than Veida had feared. Whoever handled the sound had botched it, so the uninspired dialogue was full of pops and feedback. But movies were only a twice-a-month event on Skene, and a good crowd had turned out. They were polite and managed to not laugh much during the hour. The filmmaker, a red-faced 17-year-old, took her bows and got kind applause.

"Let's hope she doesn't decide to do a series, about the minerals of Exploit" whispered Veida to Yoj. Yoj choked back a giggle.

The poet was someone whose work they loved, and she returned energy to the room. The band had already set up their instruments, so the instant the poet stepped down, the Cwynfanners leapt into action, drenching music over the crowd. Yoj and Veida, Halling and Bux rushed to the middle of the floor, leaving Ng at a table full of pilots, Mill being danced around by Qala.

Yoj had danced with Veida before, but tonight she had a new appreciation for her. Veida was about the same height and color as Halling, although her skin was often so dry it seemed to have a film on it. Veida, or her partners, were always rubbing lotion onto the rusty spots at her knees and elbows or around her neck. And although both Halling and Veida were long-boned and muscular, Halling's muscles bulged while Veida's were flat, like her bones. Veida's hands and feet, though, were simply enormous. She was impressively deft with her footwork, and her hands wrapped around Yoj's during a whirl were comforting. Yoj couldn't stop grinning.

After an hour, Bux cut in on Veida, unable to not be in Yoj's arms any longer. Halling was waltzing away with Veida when sigrist radio came over the room's speaker. The musicians stopped instantly -- at this time of night, it would be urgent.

"Call for Veida, comadrona of Riesig: Qiro of Bosco is in labor, needs you right away. Ferries will run for another 45 minutes. Morrie vaseo."

Veida immediately began threading her way to the door. Yoj told Bux "I'm going to see her off" and followed her. Qala went to the dispatch room, to answer Sigrist and tell her Veida was en route.

At the Manage, Veida sponged off and put on fresh clothes while calling out to Yoj what to put in her travel bag. Yoj asked "Is she on this side of Bosco or the other?"

"The other" said Veida, pulling on otos. This meant she'd have to walk the width of Bosco, through the dark forest on a path between rongyan walls to keep the wild pigs off the trail.

Yoj filled a jug with hot tea and added a wedge of cheese between two slices of bread to Veida's bag. Veida pulled on her manteau and burzaka, and Yoj handed her a flash as they walked out the front door together.

"You don't have to walk me to the ferry" said Veida.

"You're still my date until you leave Riesig" said Yoj. "Isn't it funny that you're going to be in the same place at Qen and Yerush this weekend, after all?"

"I won't be going hear the court house" said Veida darkly.

"Nor would I" said Yoj. Veida glanced at her and slid her arm through Yoj's.

"The three of you, you'll look out for Ng, right?" said Veida. "Not just leave her with Mill, as delightful as Mill is."

"Promise" said Yoj. "You know, I don't remember the name of the comadrona who delivered us at Isola, but it wasn't you. She was short and crabby."

Veida smiled at her a little enigmatically. "She was my trainer. And no, it wasn't me there for Myrd or Owera. But I was present at your birth."

Yoj stopped in her tracks, halting Veida with her. "You were?"

"I saw you born, Yoj la Rosz. I was still in training, so I didn't catch you, but I'm the one who wiped you off, swaddled you and handed you back to your ecstatic aggie."

Yoj's eyes were luminous.

"And, may I add, you were quite the singer even then" said Veida. "Your vocal gusto was impressive. Now, come on, I have to hurry."

Back at the dance, Yoj took a long, slow turn with Bux, telling her the revelation she had just found out and murmuring how this was yet again proof they were meant to be. She declined all offers to dance except with her partners, spending most of her time at the table with Ng, pumping her for more stories about Halling's early years. Mill went to sleep being rocked by Qala.


Copyright 2007 Maggie Jochild.

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Summary only...

SKENE -- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

(Mill la Bux na Halling + Yoj)
This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future.

There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
NEW: Map of Faar and Lagoon
Map of All Skene
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Since Mill's birth, Halling had taken to getting up half an hour early and giving Mill her dawn feeding, using milk Bux had expressed into glass bottles. She, Ng and Veida sat in the shadowy, warm kitchen, Mill sucking contentedly in Halling's arms, the two of them gazing at each other. Halling softly sang to her the lullaby every Skene baby heard, the Aga Song:
Aga, aggie, abba, emma
Which one warms your milk?
Aga, aggie, abba, emma
Which one warms your hearth?
Aga, aggie, abba, emma
Which one warms your heart?

Since Mill was not yet old enough to answer the riddle portion of this song, Halling would take her tiny fist and point for her, more than half the time to Halling's own chest, but also pointing out her abbas, the stove, or toward the bedroom of her sleeping emmas. Halling had no doubt Mill understood every word, and agreed completely. With this song, Skene children were introduced to the rich resources of their lives, and usually their first words were one of these endlessly repeated four.

It also gave them a chance to communicate before they could verbalize, answering the question with sign language. And there were no wrong answers -- it could be a different response every time, depending on how they felt -- an empoweringly open-ended give and take.

After a diaper change, Mill would be returned to sleep between Bux and Yoj as Halling headed off to work. This allowed Bux to sleep eight hours without interruption and quickly regain her strength. Halling began going to bed early, to keep her own rest unimpaired. In the afternoons, Mill and often Bux joined her for her naps. After Mill was grown, she would confide to her partner that she had believed Halling was her aggie until solidly contradicted by Bux when she was five.

Bux returned to work part-time when Mill was six months old, leaving Mill in the care of Veida and Ng, or Yoj and Ng two days a week. One day just past lunch, Bux popped into Yoj's cubicle with Mill and said "How's it going?"

"Good. What're you two doing out and about -- what happened to work?" Yoj took a crooning Mill from Bux and let her scribble in her notebook with a pencil. Mill's hand coordination at nine months was allowing her new grips that excited her endlessly.

"We are teething and got so stinking cranky I took the afternoon off, to spare Ng. We thought a walk on this fine day might be diverting" said Bux.

"One of the Manages behind the U has a new batch of baby chicks, let's go over there. Shall we, Mill?" Yoj began making peeping sounds, which Mill thought was hilarious.

They visited the chicks, and on the walk back toward the U, they noticed Halling's sinner buzz by carrying a load of empty pallets toward downtown.

"I bet she's done for the day" said Yoj, "Let's go to the jichang and wait on your flying emma, okay, baby beautiful?"

Yoj was right. Twenty minutes later Halling landed and she let Mill sit in the sinner with her, hatch sealed tight, as Bux washed it down. They could hear the shrieks of delight from Mill inside as jets of water hit the windshield. They walked to the Lofthall canteen, where Halling loaded a tray and Mill got passed from lap to lap among the pilots. Halling ate quickly, but just as she was finishing, Mill started to cry again. Bux took her back and lifted her shati to let her nurse. Halling was stacking her bowls together on the tray when Funa walked into the canteen.

The sudden silence was painful. She was still dressed in lighter blues, although Yoj knew she had not flown since Clun's death. Halling stood up and said "Come sit with us" and Funa, after hesitating, made her way to their table. Yoj let Funa have her seat, moving over one space to sit on her other side. Funa smiled, finally, at seeing Mill and Bux said "When she's done nursing, you can hold her and get drool over your nice clean gilet."

Funa relaxed a little at that. Halling offered to get her a tray but Funa shook her head. She was visibly thinner, and had dark rings around her eyes. Most of the other pilots in the room trailed out, heading for the showers, some of them stopping to say an awkward "Hi" to Funa. Halling looped her elbow companionably around Funa's neck, holding her tea with her other hand and saying "I sure miss seeing you around here."

Funa let herself lean against Halling. Yoj wondered if anyone had touched her in days.

"I went out to Rho for a while. My emmas' Fling" she said hoarsely.

"Been weeding and listening to the same conversation over and over?" said Yoj lightly.

Funa tried to grin. "That's about right."

"Well, I hope you're back to stay with us again" said Halling. "We can -- get you a different bunk, if you'd like."

Funa's dark eyes went dull. "I don't know what I'd like. I don't know if I can do this any more."

"I remember going through that" said Halling in a soft voice. "It passes. Eventually."

Funa looked at her, then at Yoj, then down at her hands. "You found someone to help you pass through it."

"Not right away" said Halling.

Funa looked at Yoj again. "She had gotten over you, you know. Clun, I mean. She really did -- want you, and when you two broke up, she thought it was just that you didn't want to be with a pilot. And then, a year later, there you are with Halling so it wasn't about being a pilot, it was her you didn't want. She -- took it personally. But she did get over it, decided you were a dummy for not wanting her, and once she reached that point, well, I was waiting."

Yoj took Funa's hand and said "She was a good, good woman. And she loved you like nothing else on earth."

"We only had three years together" whispered Funa. "And how she went -- we'd been laughing on the radio about how come -- well, I shouldn't say, it's about someone in the Lofthall. But we were almost done, and we were going to a dance that night. And I was only a few meters higher than her, it could just as easily have been me..."

Yoj wished Funa would let herself cry, the effort to hold it back looked like it was slicing up her insides.

Funa looked at Halling, who now had both arms around her. Bux, across the table, had tears in her eyes. Funa said "If we'd seen it, if I'd seen it I could have done something."

"I don't know what" said Halling.

"Well, and that's the point, isn't it?" said Funa in anguish. "Maybe we're just kidding ourselves, that what we do has any real meaning." The canteen was now empty except for them, and her voice echoed in the room.

Halling said emphatically "We feed the world. We bring life every day."

"Have you ever asked yourself, Halling, what's going to happen when they stop playing the game with us? The levs, I mean -- when they figure out they can just ignore the lighters, shiny and buzzy as we are, and keep going directly for the sinners. Why haven't they done that already?"

Yoj felt slammed against a wall. She'd never considered that idea. She heard Bux's sharp intake of breath. But the look on Halling's face was not surprised.

"Yeah, I've thought about it. It does mess with sleeping soundly, doesn't it?" said Halling confidentially.

"What are we going to do, then?" said Funa. Yoj was glad to hear the "we"; she hadn't completely given up on piloting yet, then.

"Well, I'm pondering it" began Halling. At that moment, the sigrist radio crackled into life and they froze to listen.

"Leviathan breech of lagoon between Faar and Verzin! Repeat, leviathan breech of Faar Lagoon. Ferry currently in transit. All available assistance is requested!"

Halling and Funa were on their feet instantly. Yoj said "What? What are you going to do?" as they began running for the door.

Halling stopped only for a second. "This time of day, that ferry is full of schoolchildren" she said with an intent face, then kept going.

Yoj tried to run after them, but Bux's voice stopped her. "Wait, wait for us!" she cried. Mill didn't want to stop nursing. Yoj felt literally split in two for a moment, then she walked back to Bux and sat down beside her.

"Let her finish" she said almost inaudibly. Her pulse seemed to have dropped to almost nothing. She put her arm around Bux, who had begun wailing. After a minute, Mill stopped nursing and began crying, too. Yoj took her and held her against her chest with her other arm, murmuring "It's all right, darling, everything's going to be okay" into Mill's tight black curls.

When Bux was able to stop crying and blow her nose, Mill calmed down too. "Is there anywhere we can see what's happening?" said Bux.

"Not -- I don't think so. Only if we take a ferry to Verzin, and they won't be running now. Let's go to the radio center next door, we can at least hear the transmissions" said Yoj.

Pilots were still pelting out of the Lofthall, hastily dressed from interrupted showers, as they went down the hall to the radio room. Igoz, the Sheng Zhang was in there, along with a couple of other staff and Qala, the dispatcher. Yoj got chairs for her and Bux. The radio had been turned to broadcast into the room, and they suddenly heard Halling's voice saying "I'm over Verzin, levi spotted, proceeding almost due south from atoll gate on north end of lagoon. Speed is rapid. It's staying in the central channel. There's a crab boat near the Verzin shore, can anybody make contact with them?"

Qala answered "Alert went out on sigrist radio, but doubt if they have one on board. Can you buzz them?"

"I'll do it" said Funa's voice. Igoz reacted with surprise; she hadn't known Funa was around today. She took the transmitter from Qala and said "Who else has a visual of Faar Lagoon?"

Another pilot answered, then a second. Igoz said "Go check the northern atoll wall and gates, find out where the breech occurred. Canvas for other levs." After she got a confirmation from them, she pushed the button again and said "Halling, you're in charge there. Can you see the ferry?"

"Yes" said Halling. "It's only halfway across. Trajectory of the lev is on a direct line to intersect with the ferry."

"Stop it" said Igoz.

"Will do" said Halling.

Yoj didn't think she could bear this. She was frantic for an alternative to what was unfolding. Bux's hand was digging into her knee, and that kept her from running somewhere, anywhere. Mill's face swam into view, sober, a little frightened. Yoj reached with her sleeve and wiped the drool from Mill's mouth, saying with infinite tenderness "Emma loves you." Mill reached out her arms toward Yoj, and Bux reluctantly let her go. With Mill standing on her lap, patting her face, Yoj's dizziness passed.

The Sigrist's voice came in over the pilot's frequency. She said "Sheng Zhang, I witnessed the breech of the lagoon. Tide is not high enough to enable access over the ripwall or gate. The leviathan actually swam back and forth on the surface of East Tendril outside the lagoon three times, which is why I was watching. It then made a submerged run and leaped into the air, clearing the wall with meters to spare. I have seen no other levs in the vicinity, but all ferries have been called in."

"Emma of us all" swore Igoz. "Never in the history of Skene..."

Qala radioed the pilots at the northern end of the lagoon to call off their survey and head south toward the ferry. Funa radioed back in and said "Crab boat is headed for shore. They don't have a trolling motor, only paddles. It doesn't look like the lev is aware of them. Proceeding to assist Halling."

Ten seconds later Halling's voice said "Flyby visual of ferry boat. All passengers are in the interior cabin, only faryaste on deck, full throttle. Clearly they know what's up. Lev still quarter mile off and closing fast."

Qala replied "Can you estimate passenger load?"

After a few seconds, Halling said "At least two dozen visible through the windows, at least half children." Then "Attempting diversion maneuver."

"Is she in a sinner or lighter?" asked Igoz.

"Lighter" Qala answered, glancing at her roster for the day.

Yoj began shaking and couldn't stop.

Halling's voice began singing that week's song. Funa's voice joined her, then the other two pilots. Another dozen voices joined, although they were not yet in range to fly the pattern. Despite the chorus, Halling's lovely tenor was clearest and loudest. Bux began crying again. Mill was listening intently, staring at the radio. Yoj sat Mill down in her lap. If she had to cover Mill's ears suddenly...

Qala radioed quietly "One pilot peel off and assume position to report."

After a few seconds, another voice said "Lmape here. Lev has not altered course."

"How close is the ferry to shore?"

"Still a quarter of the distance to go, still over the deeps" Lmape answered. "Halling and Funa are now flying at the 15 meter level, high speed, on a line directly parallel to the ferry and in front of the lev."

Igoz began swearing softly but steadily.

Ten seconds went by, then Halling said "Diversion is failing. Repeat, diversion is failing."

The song broke off, and there were broken sentences from various pilots. Halling said "Lev has rammed the ferry boat. It canted at a 45 degree angle, taking water over near side, but righted itself."

Yoj closed her eyes, imagining what was happening inside the passenger cabin. Halling's voice, now breaking, said "Faryaste washed overboard, swimming for rear of boat. Boat going off course...oh, please, oh, no...The levi got her." A terrible silence, then "A passenger has emerged from the cabin and resumed the tiller."

Funa's voice said "Halling, it's circling back around. Get out of the way, get away from the boat."

Qala pushed her button and said "No risk, Halling. No risk, that's an order."

Halling said "Climbing." Then, suddenly, "What the -- Funa, pull up, pull up!"

There was a momentary something, like a grunt, then static, then yells of anguish from various pilots. Lmape said "Crash and explosion...how did she do that?"

Another pilot said "It's mortal, I think. It doesn't seem to be able to control its movements."

Halling's voice started Yoj's heart again, saying "Stay back, it's going under, may be preparing to leap."

Lmape said "No, it's done for, Hall, it's sinking."

Qala demanded "What is sinking?"

Halling answered "The lev...Not the ferry boat, the ferry boat is continuing on. Funa -- Funa dived into the lev, directly at it. And then her lighter exploded. She must have reversed the battery polarity at the last second, that's the only way she could have -- she blew up her own engine as she made contact with the lev. She killed it."

Qala said, in a tight voice, "Survivors?"

After a very long pause, Halling said "No. Not Funa. Her lighter is -- burning pieces."

Yoj could hear the shock in Halling's voice starting to give way to anguish.

The Sheng Zhang took the radio and said "All craft except Lmape, return to jichang. Lmape, continue surveillance until the ferry docks safely. Report immediately if the lev is sighted again."

Lmape replied "Clear. But that bastard is gone, Funa got it."

Igoz said "Halling, lead the crew back." After a second, she said "Your partners and child are here with me, listening."

Halling answered "We're coming home."

Mill understood that part crystal clear. She clapped her hands together and turned to look at Yoj with a huge grin, pointing her finger toward the door.

Yoj wasn't sure she would be able to stand and walk, but Bux wiped her face and took Mill, saying "Yes, we're going to go watch emma land, and take her home." She kissed Mill's cheeks, then bent over and kissed Yoj on the mouth.

Yoj got to her feet and said quietly "Carynn by." All the others in the room closed their eyes and repeated "Carynn by." The sigrist began broadcasting an account of what had just transpired over her frequency. Lmape broke through on the Loftfall radio briefly to say "Ferry docked."

Qala was answering "Thanks. Continue surveillance for another half hour, please" as Yoj, Bux and Mill left the room, going to meet Halling.

At dinner that night, Veida turned to Halling and said "What's going on out there?"

Halling understood instantly, though the others had to pick it up from her reply.

"We've had a long stretch without any losses" said Halling slowly. "They're not bringing us down, and -- I think it matters to them. The hunt matters. They're looking for other ways to get at us."

Yoj and Bux stopped eating. Yoj felt like her blood had turned to slush.

"You're assuming, then, that they collaborate in some way. Have some kind of -- culture?" Veida asked Halling.

"I think they do. Not like ours, but it's not just animal response or serendipity." Halling paused, then said "I mean -- songs stop being effective after a week, because they memorize what line goes with which motion and begin anticipating what's going to happen next. That means memory, and analysis of some kind."

Qen said quietly, "I never, before now, realized what that must mean."

Yoj said to her "It's more than that. It's not just one cluster of leviathans who figure out a song. Once one group gets wise, they all do, at the same time."

Bux's eyes were huge. "That means -- they can talk to each other."

"Oh, they talk, all right" said Yoj meaningfully. She glanced at Halling.

Veida said "I can remember their wails, coming up into my hatch." She looked haunted. "And that smell..."

"What smell?" said Bux.

"They have the odor of ketone" said Halling. "Part of the reason why their flesh is inedible."

But not the biggest reason, thought Yoj, with a touch of revulsion.

"The more serious question in my mind" said Halling, "is did the one who figured out how to jump the atoll wall do it on its own, or is this a general idea out there among them now? Did it communicate with the others while it was in action?"

"We should be having this conversation with the Sheng Zhang" said Yerush emphatically. "This is -- it threatens us all."

"I'll try" said Halling. "But she adamantly denies they communicate with each other, or that they have anything beyond a chase instinct. She won't hear it, and she forbade me to mention it away from the Lofthall, said it would panic people needlessly."

"But the other pilots?" asked Yoj.

"Yeah, we talk it over. We all agree. And the one bright spot is, if it was in communication with others, then they are going to know that Funa -- killed it. On purpose. Maybe that will act as deterrent. If it was up to me, though, I'd stop the ferries for a few days, handle essential runs between islands by lighter."

"She won't do that, because it would expose the bigger threat" said Yoj. She looked around the table, then at Veida. "So, no ferries for a while, okay? And write letters to our sibs, advising them to lie low for a bit."

"That will dump it into the rumor mills" said Yerush. "But that's a good thing."

"Until I get hauled into the Sheng Zhang's office" said Halling bitterly. "But yes, it's still a good thing, we have to do it."

Ng said "We need a way of tracking them. Can't we install radar under water, such as in the Tendrils?"

Yerush said "I've read, in the original settlers' records, that they did have such a thing. Before we had ferries and morrie vaseos, they used sensors to determine if it was safe to boat between islands."

Halling was astonished. "I never knew that -- what happened to them?"

"I'm not sure" said Yerush. "Perhaps we lost the technology to maintain them? But I can get copies of the records for you, if you'd like."

"Please" said Halling.

"What Sheng Zhang would that sort of a project fall under?" wondered Veida. "Because if it's left up to Igoz, it won't happen."

"Potenza, maybe?" said Bux. "She handles utilities but also radio and ferries. This could go through the Sigrist."

Veida turned to Yerush. "Would you ask the current Ethicist what she thinks about this idea and how to bring it about?"

"I will" said Yerush.

At the end of the meal, Halling said "I need to go back to the Lofthall. They'll all be sharing memories of Funa. Plus we need to talk over -- ideas. And two new lighters are starting on my crew, I want to help them through this transition."

"Can I go with you?" asked Bux uncertainly.

"Of course" said Halling. "You lived through it today, too."

"Let's take Mill" said Yoj. "We may be late, and she'll want nursing, but she'll go to sleep in our arms when she wears out."

Halling looked at Veida and asked "You want to join us?"

Veida hesitated. "No, my time is past. But if there's ever an event that includes pilots from my era, let me know."

"Your time is not past" said Yerush staunchly. Veida smiled at her and said "All right. You know what I meant."

When Halling walked into the main meeting room of the Lofthall, the presence caused a stir of greetings and relief. All the pilots, plus most of the mechanics, were sitting in a circle of chairs. Halling sat down next to Qala and said "Igoz coming?"

"Nope" said Qala. There was a heavy silence after this. Then Lmape leaned toward Halling and said "Funa's emmas are having a memorial service three days from now, here after our shift. We'll walk up to the Shatters together afterward to place her plaque."

"What about the faryaste?" asked Halling. "Has her Manage planned a memorial yet?"

"Her name was Konr, from Verzin. And no, we don't know yet" answered Qala.

Halling thanked her, then said "Before we remember Funa, I'd like to talk for a minute about some implications of what happened today."

Their conversation covered the same ground as had been broached at the Manage dinner. Bux noticed that most of the other pilots had reached the same conclusions Halling had. The only surprise was the news that underwater leviathan sensors had once existed.

Halling asked Qala "Have you ever been allowed access to the Lofthall archives?"

Qala shook her head. "They're under lock and key. To be honest, I haven't seen Igoz go near them in at least half a year."

After a long pause, Qala added with a grin "And no, I don't have a key."

Everyone laughed. Qala stood up then and said "I'd like to officially introduce the two lighters are moving up from training and standby into full duty, on Halling's crew. Please show yourselves, you two."

Hallling had met them both when they started training last year after graduating from school. One, Danaan, was almost as dark as Halling -- Yoj had called her skin "Halling's with a splash of milk in it." Her hair fell in tight ringlets to her collar, and her brown eyes were large and laughing. She was unusually small for a pilot, and at first Halling had wondered if she'd pass the physical. Once she saw her with just her maillot on, however, doing exercises, Halling had realized this 16-year-old was more muscled than she was. Her arms, hands and shoulders were ropy with sinews. Halling eventually asked her about it, and Danaan told her she'd been driving a crawler on Abfall with her aggie, who worked in the compost fields, since she was very small. This gave her not only strength but a head start on the head-hand coordination essential to piloting. She'd turned out to be markedly good at lighting.

Her partner, Rark, also still 16, was tall and lanky, with skin so pale it seemed pink. Rark had blue eyes, though not as blue at Bux's, and short spiky red hair. She and Danaan were not just in love, but had the kind of love that meant they were almost always in some kind of contact, a fierce raw love. They could not officially partner for another two and a half years, yet already their emmas were treating each other as in-laws.

Halling was glad to have these two on her crew. They were good pilots and quick to learn, and they got along well with everyone else. Danaan, in particular, brought out a maternal impulse in Halling. Now, being introduced, they did not demonstrate any particular awkwardness or apprehension. They both made a point of shaking hands with Bux, as if she was especially important to the Lofthall. Which Halling thought was only proper.


Copyright 2007 Maggie Jochild.

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Summary only...

SKENE: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future. There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
NEW: Map of Faar and Lagoon
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of All Skene
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

It was a gorgeous late summer day, when light reflected off all smooth surfaces and the garden smelled every kind of ripe. Yoj had been sitting by Yerush's tomatoes, letting four-month-old Mill crawl around on their patch of grass and snatch at the tails of curious katts. It was Iki already, and she had an idea for this week's song, a few lines of possible lyric and several different ways the meter could go, but the melodic line was so far eluding her. She hoped letting sun bake her brain would give her inspiration.

Shortly before noon, Bux poked her head out the back door and announced lunch was ready. Yoj waved okay, then picked up Mill against her protests, saying "Lunch, sweetest. We're having baked zucchini, and I'm going to mash some up with a little bit of milk, see if you like eating that." Mill's face registered interest. Yoj walked around the back of the tillage to Ng's studio and, leaning against the doorway, said "You at a stopping point? It's lunchtime."

Ng looked up at her, smiled hugely at Mill, and began struggling to her feet. Yoj and Mill waited on her as she got both canes in her hands, then walked with her slowly around the house, Yoj leaning Mill over so she could put chubby fists on her abba's arm and burble gibberish at her. Despite shortness of breath from the effort, Ng always answered Mill, acting interested and entertained. Mill pulled from Ng social niceties no one else in the Manage ever witnessed.

Inside, Ng struggled on to the bathroom to scrub the slip and dust off her hands. Yoj floated her zucchini idea to Bux, who agreed and gave Yoj a small bowl of the steamed squash to mash for Mill. Qen set a big tureen of soup on the table. A plate of fried ricecakes and a luxurious salad was already out. Veida carried in a massive jug of tea which had been chilling at the back of the larder, and as Ng returned from the bathroom, Yerush came in the front door, her linen shirt loose over her breeches, no gilet today because of the wonderful warmth.

As they all sat down, Mill already trying to reach for the small red saucer of squash she knew was her feeding dish, the radio crackled and the sigrist's voice began "It's noon up and down. Temperature -- " The transmission ended abruptly, and everyone turned to stare at the radio. Veida stood to go turn the knob, but before she had taken a step, the sigrist said in an urgent voice "Lighter down, lighter down. Crash in the East Tendril!"

Yoj thought she might pass out. She tightened her grip on Mill, closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again to look at Bux. Halling would be running loads by now around Skene, and she often got switched over to a lighter, depending on that day's schedule and needs. Bux scooted her chair loudly over right next to Yoj, and Mill crowed delight. Everyone else at the table was frozen, as if sheer will could resurrect the fallen pilot.

The radio crackled again. The sigrist's voice was ragged. "The craft is lost, under the water. The lighter is Clun. Repeat, the lighter is Clun. Carynn by." Then, after a pause, "Details in a minute."

Yoj still thought she might pass out. She handed Mill to Qen, on the other side of her, and wrapped her arms around her middle, her stomach roiling in a terrible mixture of relief and grief. She could feel Bux weeping against her.

Qen said "Are they all hearing this announcement? Wherever they are?"

Yoj answered "No, their radios on a different frequency. It's up to the Lofthall whether this gets broadcast. Depends on -- " Her voice failed. Veida finished for her "If...Clun's radio was on when she went down, then they will have heard." The horror of that sunk in on everyone else. "If it wasn't, they may not tell the pilots until they land. To avoid -- accidents."

"But they will call them all in" added Yoj. She stood up suddenly and got her boots and pack from the front room. Everyone else began adjusting their clothing, preparatory to leaving the house. Bux washed her face and strapped on her kayeem, then slid Mill into it. Mill was confused, pointing at her red bowl of squash.

"We need to wait for the next announcement" said Yoj, as Qen rushed to put soup back in the pot on simmer. Yerush stashed salad and ricecakes in the larder, and Ng fed Mill a bite of squash. Mill expressed smacking approval and smeared squashy saliva across her own cheek in excitement.

Yoj had her notebook and fountain pen out. When the radio crackled again, everyone stopped breathing and the sound of Yoj uncapping her pen was very loud. The sigrist said "Clun, in her 6-year-old lighter, was making runs with her partner Funa, carrying loads of glass between Yanja and Verzin. They were on their third run, over the deep section of the central waters of the East Tendril, when a leviathan submerged below visibility leaped and caught the landing gear on Clun's craft. There was nothing her partner could do. The estimated altitude for Clun's craft was 27 meters. All coastal areas and faryastes are now advised, known leviathan activity within the East Tendril. All flights have been cancelled. Point of impact was -- " and the sigrist read off a series of numbers which Yoj jotted into her notebook. She recapped her pen and said "Okay, that's it. Let's go."

They all started for the door, except Ng who said, with real anguish on her face, "I don't think I can make it."

Yoj turned back to her and said "We'll carry you. Me and Veida, we'll do a basket carry -- "

"No" interrupted Ng. "You need to worry about Halling. I'll wait here."

Yoj, then Qen, gave Ng a tender kiss. Yoj said "She'll be all right, I promise."

"I know" said Ng. "You make sure of that."

They scrambled out the door, finding the streets full of people also heading for the jichang. A small lighter buzzed the main street as they walked urgently past the fish docks. A jam of lighters and sinners circled overhead, and hundreds of people ringed the tarmac. Yoj pushed through the crowd, claiming right of sinner's Manage and clearing a path for Bux and the rest of her family. They reached the front and watched as a young lighter set down, a trifle clumsy. A group of about ten already-landed sinners and lighters stood knotted together, weeping and hanging onto one another. The young lighter yelled "What happened?" to them as soon as she was free of her craft. Someone yelled back "Clun!" and she ran to them, crying "No, no, no!"

They weren't telling the pilots until they were on the ground, then. Bux and Yoj found Halling in the sky, and Yoj gave her a big wave. Halling must be frantic; she would know what the crowds meant. Yoj kept alternating her gaze between Halling and the throng of pilots grieving beside the watertanks. She could see, sometimes, a glimpse of Funa's face in the middle of the group of pilots.

Bux saw her, too. "How will her partner bear this?" she whispered to Yoj. Yoj answered "I don't know. They'll put her on suicide watch."

Bux looked at Yoj. "Did Halling, after Xaya -- ?"

"Yes" said Yoj. "I was one of the ones who sat with her, slept with her. We were still just friends, of course."

"What about Clun's Manage?" asked Bux, looking for non-pilots in the grieving cluster.

"She didn't have one" answered Yoj. "I mean, she came from a fling on the far edge of the West Tendril, and I'm sure they're on their way in. But she wasn't close to them any more. What she had was the Lofthall." Yoj wasn't sure why the tears weren't coming for her yet. Probably because she was too concerned for Halling.

Finally Halling's turn arrived in the landing rotation. They kept the most experienced pilots for last, because maturity meant they were safer in the air. She set down with her usual effortless perfection, but before the engine was turned off, Yoj had broken into a run across the tarmac, dodging the exhaust of another sinner angling in to land. Halling jerked open her hatch, her face on Yoj, and as her feet hit the ground, she said "Who?"

Yoj reached her then, and answered "Clun" as she put her arms around Halling. Halling's body arced backward in pain, her face contorted, and a wail burst from her. Yoj held her tight as Halling pounded on her shoulders and back, rage and agony making her momentarily oblivious. Yoj helped her over to the crowd of pilots, who absorbed them both into their ranks. Halling made her way to Funa and they wept together. Yoj thought Funa drew a little comfort from Halling's arms; Halling knew what Funa was feeling.

Bux stood with her rest of her family, holding Mill, a tortured expression on her face. She had been told she was a part of the Lofthall, but she knew she wasn't, not at this moment. Mill had spotted Halling as soon as she landed and kept saying her version of Halling's name now, waving her small open hand in her direction, clearly asking Bux to take her to her emma. Bux tried to reassure her, saying "Emmas will be here soon." She didn't actually know that, though.

When the last sinner had landed, the pilots began shuffling toward the Lofthall. Yoj and Halling were moved along in the crowd. Then Halling said suddenly "Bux -- and the others, where are they?"

Yoj pointed, and Halling tried to see through tear-swollen lids. Pilots jostled past them. Halling said "I want to go home."

"You sure?" asked Yoj.

"Yes" said Halling, turning back toward the tarmac. Yoj put her hand in Halling's and they went to join Bux.

The Manage stood together for a few minutes, Halling hugging everybody, starting to cry again, and dragging the details from Yoj one more time. Finally she asked "Where's emma?" and then, before Yoj could answer, "Oh, crap, she couldn't walk it, could she? She's at home alone?"

When Bux nodded, Halling plunged into the bystanders around them, heading for home. Her Manage followed. People reached out to pat Halling on the back, saying "I'm so sorry" over and over. Halling acknowledged them but didn't slow down until she reached the street and the rest of her Manage caught up with her.

They walked back home in a quiet cluster. People on the main street looked at Halling with compassion, then looked away. Yoj had her arm tight around Halling's waist. Bux carried Mill in her yameen, pressing her close. At the house, Ng was still sitting at the kitchen table, her eyes on Halling's face as Halling went to her and hugged her fiercely. Veida retrieved the jug of tea and began pouring glasses for everyone. Halling stood upright and looked around her, taking in the colors and comfort slowly. Bux said "Shall I draw you a bath?"

"Not yet" said Halling. Her gaze finally settled on Yoj, and Yoj said "Now?" Halling nodded.

Yoj went to the sink and got a soapy dishrag to wash down their big dining table. She rinsed it and dried it carefully as Halling retrieved a long plastic tube from Yoj's study. In her other hand she had her fountain pen. Qen had begun warming up their interrupted lunch, but Yoj said "Please leave that for the moment". Everyone else came into the kitchen to see what was going on. Bux pulled up her shati and let Mill nurse.

Halling slid a large roll of paper from the tube. It was yellow, not pale green, and Bux realized this was old-fashioned paper, made from wood fibers and silk, fabulously expensive. It was almost as wide as the table, and when Halling unrolled it, weighing down the corners with heavy mugs that Yoj handed her to keep it flat, it was a bit longer than it was wide. Inside an ornate black border was a map of Skene -- not just the islands, but all the charted ocean beyond it, as far as lighters had been able to fly. Yerush let out a low whistle. This was as good a map as she had ever seen.

Yet it was more than a map of Skene. Colored in scarlet on the open ocean were all the known Morrie Strati, the reddish, viscous patches where leviathans congregated. These patches of red were outlined in blue ink, and had apparently been updated every few years, so the Morrie Strati's movements were notated. Bux was appalled to see that they were a circle of bloodstain blotches around the islands, like a perimeter, and while their borders shifted from side to side, they had never been noted to move farther away from Skene. Only narrow margins of blue ocean existed between them, safe paths that Halling must have to fly every day. Bux had had no idea they were so surrounded; she wondered if anybody besides pilots did know.

The second most striking feature of the map were hundreds of small blue X's that dotted the seas, both outlying and within the skein of islands, a few of them over land masses. Each X had a name next to it, and Bux realized these were the places where pilots had gone down. Following each name was a number.

In the one-inch margins of the map, beyond the black border, written in three different sets of minute handwriting, was each number attached to an X, with a date, a set of coordinates, and a brief description. Veida had come to stand beside Halling, her arm over Halling's shoulders, her other hand not quite touching the map as she traced some of the X's. After a minute, she looked into Halling's face and said "This goes back well over a hundred years. Where did you get this?"

"Mayim" answered Halling. Mayim was the sinner whom Xaya had died saving. Mayim was also who had tracked Halling down on Abfall and persuaded her to reel in her kite, return to flying as a sinner. Halling explained "She retired not long after -- I started sinning. This map had belonged to her habibi, a lighter and sinner, and she'd kept it updated when her habibi retired. She handed it on to me after I promised to keep it going."

Bux was trying to find Xaya's name on the map. Yoj followed her eyes, and came to stand next to Bux, pointing gently to a spot beyond the outermost fling where Yoj had grown up. Xaya's name was in black, not blue.

Halling looked at Yoj, and Yoj picked up her pack, pulling her notebook. "I wrote it down when it came over the radio" said Yoj, opening her notebook and reading a set of numbers to Halling. Halling used faint lines gridding the map to locate the exact coordinates. The spot was three squares on the grid north of Beras and one square east. Only a mile from a ferry line. Bux shuddered as Halling bent over the map with her uncapped fountain pen and made a neat X in the new spot, writing "Clun" and the next unused number. She then inked that number in the margin -- two sides of the map's margins were already filled -- and today's date, the coordinates Yoj had given her, and the words "Ambush from depth, routine haul". Her hands were shaking a little, and the letters were not quite true. But none of the entries were in a firm hand.

Yerush, who had been intently studying the map, asked "Why are there so few -- losses -- on the western side?" She pointed to the relatively clear ocean beyond the West Tendril.

Halling began tracing features she could see in her mind's eye onto the map with her forefinger. "The main fish migrations go here, from north to south along the eastern edge. The best fishing zones are north and especially east. The best kelp beds are south, with only a few west."

"So, you have more craft going down there in the east because you simply have more craft there?" persisted Yerush. Qen moved to stand on the other side of Bux and put her arm around Bux's waist. She looked down into Mill's face, pressed against Bux's breast, and gave her a reassuring smile.

Halling didn't answer immediately. Ng was sitting in the chair on Halling's right side, and Halling put her hand on Ng's shoulder for a moment, as if to steady herself, before she said "I think there's more leviathans north and east, and that's why we die there. The east is just crawling with them. Maybe because of the fish, maybe because we go there. Or maybe just -- the Morrie Strati is thickest there. I don't know for sure."

Veida said "This should be on the wall of the Lofthall. Does the Sheng Zhang know about it?"

"I showed it to her, yes" said Halling. There was bitterness in her tone, and she looked at Yoj, a shared anger in their glance. "She told me it was macabre and would just upset people, to keep it to myself."

Yerush made a clicking sound with her tongue against her teeth. It reminded Yoj of the scuttle a shu's claws made just before it lunged to bite.

Ng said "Halling, you need to eat. The ink is dry, can we roll this back up for now?"

Yoj helped Halling return the map to its tube. Qen began setting the table and Veida brought tea to everyone. Mill was done nursing, and when Halling saw that, she offered to take her from Bux. Bux handed her over, then helped the emmas get lunch served again. She sat down close to Halling and fed her bites while Halling murmured to Mill. Yoj sat down across from them, watching them with a full heart.

All of a sudden, Yoj remembered when she and Clun had been lovers, Clun delighted in bringing her honeycakes from a shop on the main street and feeding them to her bit by bit. She could recall the teasing look on Clun's face, the feel of Clun's fingers on her lips. Caught unaware, she burst into tears.

It was Yerush who reached her first, Yerush the distant who put her arms around Yoj from behind and held her close, whispering "It's as wrong as it can be. A wrong way to die, and a wrong reason to die." Yoj couldn't stop her sobs, and didn't try. When she finally calmed again, Yerush stepped away from her and went back to her own plate as if she'd never touched Yoj.

Halling finished eating, her face increasingly exhausted. She smiled sweetly at Yoj and said "I'm going to take a bath now, then rest. You need to lie down with me?"

Bux clearly wanted to be with Halling. Yoj, feeling better since her cry, said "No, you and Bux go nap. I'll stay with Mill." She knew the fear Bux was contending with. Bux went to fill the tub, then stripped down and joined Halling in the hot water, scrubbing her back and pulling Halling to lean against her, solid and alive in her arms. Yoj played with her baby and chatted with the emmas about the garden as dishes were washed and leftovers stored. Ng did not return to her studio; instead, she labored to Mill's toy basket, returning with Mill's favorite stacking rings and focusing completely on Mill's experiments with coordination. Veida went out to harvest green beans, more squash, and some chard for dinner. She sat at the table with Yoj and they snapped beans together. Yerush asked to use the study, and Yoj nodded. Qen did a load of diapers, then a load of shati, hanging them out in the still perfect sunshine.

When Qen came back in the house, she had an armload of new potatoes she'd just dug. Halling's favorite non-dessert dish of all time was potatoes baked with milk and cheese. Qen began scrubbing their pale red skins at the sink. Yerush returned from the study, her fingers ink-stained, and stood in the larder door for a moment, then turned to look at Ng and Yoj, asking "Shall I bake the last ham?" Yoj nodded at her. After tonight's meal, there would be enough left over to make sandwiches for Halling for the next two or three days. Bux and Halling did not emerge from the bedroom.

At 5:00, when the radio crackled into life, everyone went silent to listen to the forecast. It was a double crescent moon tonight. Tomorrow was going to be clear, with massing in the east. Yoj met Ng's eyes for a moment. Then she returned to playing with Mill.


Copyright 2007 Maggie Jochild.

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Summary only...

SKENE: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

This is draft one of my sci-fi novel Skene. To read earlier chapters, go to LABELS in the right-hand column on this page, scroll down to the Skene tags and click on the one you want to read. Skene is set on a human-habitable planet in the Alhena star system at least 500 years in the future. There's a considerable amount of appendix material and diagrams also available here as needed:
Map of Riesig (the main island)
Map of The Manage on Riesig
Skene Glossary (Skenish to English)
Skene Cast of Characters
Skene Culture, Calendar, Clothing, and Islands
Map of All Skene
Map of The Lofthall on Riesig

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A week later, Yerush went to Yagi for the weekend, booking a bed at the hostel "so as not to crowd Culisa", as she put it. She took silk and bread, and returned with a pot of herbed goat cheese plus two velvety kid-skins to make shoes for Bux's baby. She said the first talks had been extremely hard, but it had gotten better. She declined to elaborate to the entire Manage: "It's for me, Qen and Veida to ponder." Still, she said she was sure the "rumors" about their Manage would end.

A few months later, autumn underway, Bux was approaching quickening and beginning to have trouble finding a comfortable position in which to sleep. When Yoj walked over from the University in early afternoon, she found Bux already at the jichang, her kaidang ku let out to the extent of its drawstring to accommodate her belly. Yoj thought maybe she looked bigger than she had when Yoj left the house after breakfast.

"How's life with your Sheng Zhang?" asked Yoj, giving her a kiss.

"She spends all her time talking with administrators" said Bux. "I'm doing the real work, and I keep telling her we have to have another secretary to take my place for six months -- but she's so worried about re-election, she can't think straight."

"Fake going into labor early one afternoon, see what that does for her priorities" suggested Yoj.

Bux laughed gaily, leaning rather heavily on Yoj's arm. Yoj wanted Bux to ask about how the song was going -- she needed to talk over one section with somebody -- but Bux said "There's Halling!" and instead they watched her circle in.

After she landed, Bux announced "I've got to find the nearest privy."

"That'll be the Lofthall" said Halling.

"You go on with her" said Yoj, "Go eat. I'll wash Xaya down."

They walked off together and she turned over her song problem in her mind as she ran the jet, hoping it would rinse out her blockage as well. When she got to the canteen, Bux had finished one bowl of chicken stew and Halling was getting them each seconds. "My second lunch" said Bux, a little embarrassed.

Qala was eating at the same table and said "Hey, no worries. Halling's baby knows a good meal when she sees one."

"Who's at the radio?" asked Yoj, sitting down.

"A trainee, with the Sheng Zhang standing over her" said Qala. They both grinned at what wasn't being said: The Sheng Zhang's hands-on experience with most aspects of work at the Lofthall was notoriously skimpy. A favorite lighter joke was that the Sheng Zhang was best at making paper airplanes.

"How goes the song?" asked Qala.

Yoj began explaining just as Halling returned. Bux and Halling broke into conversation about what fish to pick up at the docks, as if Yoj wasn't talking. Yoj lowered her voice and focused on Qala. Qala immediately understood the problem and began offering suggestions around it. None of them were quite right, but the fresh vantage helped Yoj see a different angle. Qala watched her face for a minute, then said "You got an idea?"

"Maybe" Yoj grinned. "Thanks."

"Glad to do it" said Qala. "I don't know how you pull it off every week. When they're in range, I hear the songs and I can see what they're doing on radar, and it's pure beauty, every single time. Not just saving their skins, which would of course be enough."

The sincere admiration in her voice brought tears to Yoj's eyes. She didn't know what was going on with her -- maybe she was having hormonal changes, too, along with Bux.

Having guzzled their seconds, Bux and Halling now stood up, saying to Yoj "Coming?"

Qala joined them, busing her dishes and walking to the front door with them. At the entry, Yoj said "I need to go work some more. I'll be home for dinner."

Bux and Halling gave her perfunctory kisses and walked on, arm in arm. Qala said "I'm heading back to dispatch, and everyone else is going to leave, I'll be on my own in there with the headset on listening to two last hauls and the scouter lighter. There's a free desk and it's kinda peaceful, after the rush. You wanna come work there? In case you need to run an idea past someone?"

Yoj was again touched by the interest. "You know, I'll give it a try" she said gratefully. She put her arm over Qala's shoulder and they turned together, heading back into the Lofthall. She didn't see Bux at the corner stop and turn back to wave one last time at Yoj, or the expression on Bux's face when Yoj disappeared into the Lofthall with Qala.

Yoj was late for dinner. She came in singing, her spirits high -- she'd broken through and all but finished the song. Qala's occasional murmur at the radio had been comforting rather than distracting, and the big clear desk was a nice change.

She washed quickly and slid into her chair, accepting the basket of riceballs Qen handed her. "I apologize for being late" she said, serving herself.

"What kept you?" asked Bux, a slight chill in her voice that Yoj didn't notice, but Halling did.

"I was so stuck, and Qala helped me. I hung out in the dispatch room while she worked, and it made all the difference, I tell you. I'm going to try that again" burbled Yoj. She took a bite, and after swallowing she intended to go on with an explanation of her breakthrough, but Bux interjected "I don't like the way she looks at you."

Everyone went still. Yoj stared at Bux. "Who -- Qala?"

"Who else?" said Bux.

"What's wrong with how she looks at me? She's extremely nice to me" objected Yoj. Halling was trying to catch her eye, but Yoj was focused on Bux in her surprise.

"That's pretty much the point. I think she's got her eye on you" said Bux bitterly.

"Oh, that. Yeah, she'd like to have an affair" answered Yoj matter-of-factly. She pointed to the salad dressing by Veida, and Veida handed it to her with wagging eyebrows whose meaning Yoj didn't comprehend.

Bux's shock registered on Yoj. When she looked at her, Bux said "She told you? Just like that?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Yoj belatedly decided to leave out the small kiss.

"Today?" Bux's voice had gone up several tones in pitch.

"No, a couple of months ago" said Yoj, dressing her salad. "I told her 'No, thanks.' She's fine with it" she added reassuringly. But Bux was definitely not reassured.

"Why, may I ask, didn't you see fit to mention it to us?" demanded Bux. Yoj looked across at Halling -- she had told Halling. But Halling wasn't going to meet Yoj's eyes. Her face begged Leave me out of it.

"I guess I forgot. It's no biggie, Bux" said Yoj.

Now Ng was trying to get Yoj's attention. Bux did see that, which made her even madder.

"And why, exactly, did you turn her down?" Bux asked, deathly quiet.

Halling and Veida, had they only known it, were saying the same prayer inside their heads.

"My plate is full" said Yoj simply. If she had left it at that, Bux would have interpreted it in a way that gave her ease. But Yoj was verbal before all else. "I mean, she's extremely attractive, and another time or place, who knows? But I'm barely meeting my obligations as it is."

Bux rose a trifle clumsily, dropping her fork onto her plate, and strode from the kitchen. The slam of the bedroom door was deafening, solid metal on metal frame.

Halling leaned forward and put her head in her hands. "Sometimes you are dim as a shu" she said to Yoj with resignation.

Yoj began to realize what might have gone wrong. Her emphasis on extremely and use of the word attractive, for one thing, to a woman seven months pregnant. Plus describing the richness of her life as obligations.

"I thought the three of you had no promise not to sleep with others" said Yerush acerbically.

"We don't" said Yoj. "I mean, none of us has, not yet, but the option is there."

"Then she's being unfair. Let her figure it out for herself" said Yerush. "Eat your meal. When she gets hungry enough, she'll come back out."

Qen gave Yerush a furious glare. Halling kicked Yoj hard under the table.

"That's not how we do things" said Yoj gently. She excused herself and went to the bedroom. Qen got up to put both their plates in the warmer.

When Yoj and Bux emerged half an hour later, both had been crying but were now grinning in relief and bumping against each other as they walked. Halling jumped up to get their plates from the warmer, serving them with a soft "Thanks for whatever you did" and a kiss on both their heads.

The emmas were done but had not managed to leave the table. Bux looked at them and said with a laugh, "Qala may be attractive but I am the star in the West and a double full moon. I am a reason for existence and the hope of all tomorrows."

Everybody cracked up, even Yerush. She stood up and began clearing their end of the table.


Bux's due date came and went. By working herself ragged, Yoj had two weeks' worth of songs ready for when the baby came. Every morning when Halling left for her job, she made Veida promise she'd call on the radio to the Lofthall the instant anything began. Veida stopped answering requests for her services elsewhere.

Four days past her due date, Bux was headachy at breakfast and asked Veida for something to help it. Veida looked at her closely and said "I don't feel good about giving you any herbs at this point. Drink two glasses of water and go for a long walk. Yoj, you go with her."

"Is it time?" said Yoj urgently.

"If it was time, I'd tell you" said Veida. "Exercise will help, and fresh air. If it was warm weather, I'd have you go wade in Bohaira. That baby will come when she's ready."

Yoj handed Bux her manteau, the only coat that would fit her now, and they walked up the lane toward one of the two bridges over North Rambla. At the middle of the span, they stopped to look down into the water. Bux leaned heavily on the stone railing and said "I get so short of breath these days." Yoj stood beside her, one arm around her.

After a minute, Bux said "She keeps rolling over in there, banging against my bladder. It feels like I might need to pee again."

Yoj looked around. "I don't see a privy nearby. We could head back down the lane for home."

"No, that's five minutes away. Maybe it'll pass. Let's go up the trail toward the Poke" said Bux, pushing herself off the stone. But at the end of the bridge, she said "Oh, no, I guess maybe I can't wait." She looked urgent.

"Here -- there's no one looking, and a bush, you can squat here" said Yoj. "You're a woman about to give birth, it's all right."

She helped Bux untie her kaidang ku, but before Bux could squat, a torrent of hot liquid gushed from her over Yoj's hand and down the inside of her pants.

"Whoa" said Yoj. Bux stared down at herself and said "That wasn't pee. It came from -- a different place."

Yoj grinned. "Here we go, then. How are you feeling?"

"Scared" said Bux. "And -- weird."

"Heading home" said Yoj. They walked slowly back down the hill, Bux leaning on Yoj. As they went by the schoolyard, children poured out the doors for play period. Qen was one of the teachers who followed them. Yoj waved at her and Qen came to the fence. When she got close enough to see the stain on Bux's pants, she registered first shock, then her face lit up.

"My water just broke" said Bux unnecessarily.

Qen leaned over the fence to give her a smacking kiss. "I'll be home right after work" she said in a thrilled voice, "Don't you dare have it until I get there. If it's really coming, you send a neighbor to get me."

"We will" said Yoj. They walked on. At the Manage, Veida had gone out to the tillage. Yoj sat Bux down at the table -- "Don't worry about the chair, it'll wipe off" she commanded -- and went to the back door, calling Veida's name. When Veida came in, she sniffed the stain, pulled down Bux's pants and examined her, and said "Yes, she's knocking at your door. Come lie down, I need to see where she is."

But after putting her fingers inside Bux, with no embarrassment that Yoj could see, and pushing on her amazingly bulbous belly, Veida's face grew serious.

"She's breech" she said, standing back and wiping her hands on a towel. She thought for a minute, then said "You want to have her at home, if at all possible, right?"

"Yes" said Bux, her face frightened.

"All right, then, let's get some help. Yoj, get her some tea while I use the radio."

Yoj left the door open and when she got back with the tea, they heard Veida rouse the Sigrist, saying "We're going into labor here at the Manage of Veida, comadrona on Riesig, and I'm requesting Jyoti of Verzin to come assist me in delivery. Also, please notify all family members listening to this."

Veida had their radio turned off, to make the call, but then she turned it back on and they heard the Sigrist say "We hear you, Veida. Good luck on your new arrival. Please call to tell us when she's here."

Veida came back to the bedroom and said "Jyoti won't make it for at least an hour. When she arrives, we're going to turn that baby. In the meantime, you go take a bath while you can. I'm going to put together a tincture for you, and start some soup. Yoj, you need to stock this bedroom with towels and a chamber pot."

Ten minutes later, Yerush came in the door, breathless. She barged into the bathroom and said "How are you?" Yoj had never seen Yerush this flustered.

"I feel like I need to move my bowels, but that doesn't work" said Bux. "Otherwise, I'm fine."

Yoj told Yerush the facts so far. Yerush sat down on the cabinet and said "I stopped by the Lofthall, Qala's going to call Halling once she's safely on her way back from sinning."

Ten minutes later, Qen burst in the front door. "I got the third grade teacher to take my class into hers" she said. Then, "Where's Ng?"

"Oh my word" said Yoj, "We forgot to tell her. She's out in her studio."

"I'll go get her" said Qen. She helped Ng back into the house. Bux was now out of the bath, in a schmatta and sitting wide-eyed at the table. Ng walked to her, using both canes, and kissed her sweetly on the forehead. "By this time tomorrow, we'll have a baby in this Manage" she said softly. Bux's face flushed, and she hugged Ng.

"Do you have a name picked out yet?" asked Qen.

"We do, but we want to wait until she's here" said Bux.

Yerush turned to Veida. "All right, my love, what do we do now?"

"We wait on Jyoti. If this goes long, we're going to need a bed for her -- can we set up a cot in the living room?"

"I'll take the cot" said Ng, "Give her my bed so she can rest in peace."

"I'll change your sheets" said Qen.

"I'll get the cot" said Yerush.

"Should I make more food?" said Yoj.

"My guess is that neighbors will be dropping dishes by, and we've got soup and bread for the moment, let's hold off on cooking" said Veida. She came to Bux and put a few drops of something from a bottle under her tongue, then cupped Bux's face between her hands, smiling down at her with utmost tenderness. "You have your aggie's hips, this is going to be a good birth" she said reassuringly.

Bux kissed Veida's palms, then shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "I feel like I might have pulled a muscle somewhere along the way" she said, "I have a slight backache."

Veida grinned at her. "That's your first contractions" she said.

"Oh, wow" said Bux, her expression one of wonder.

Veida turned to Yoj. "I know you don't want to leave her side, and except for this errand, your job will be to stay with her in every way. But right now, I need you to go to the Lofthall and tell the Sheng Zhang or Qala or whoever's appropriate that we need a standby crew of six strong women. In case we have to rush her to the hospital. It may be an all-nighter. Tell them to eat and shower before they come over here."

"Okay" said Yoj, a little reluctant. Bux kissed her fiercely and said "Hurry back."

Yoj began running once she was out the front door. Qala thumped her on her shoulders repeatedly, her face beaming, while she relayed her request. "You got it" she assured her. "And I expect to be talking with Halling in another half hour. She should be home in, oh, an hour or so."

It was actually an hour and a half. By that time, Bux had had her first real pain, a short spasm that surprised her and left her a little pale. It wasn't the intensity of the pain, she said, just the inevitability of it.

Halling literally hurtled in the front door, almost running down Qen who was coming out of Ng's room which had been turned into a guest room. Qen set some clothes and Ng's pillow on her cot in the corner of the living room as Halling barreled by her toward the kitchen. She kneeled in front of Bux's chair and said, out of breath, "What's happening? Are you okay?"

"Give me a kiss" said Bux. Halling leaned up to kiss her, breathless, and then kissed Yoj sitting next to Bux.

"The baby is breech" said Yoj, "But Veida and another comadrona are going to turn her around."

"I just had a real labor pain" said Bux, still impressed with herself. Halling looked around for Veida, a little wall-eyed.

Veida laughed and said "Pace yourself, it's early days yet."

Ng put her hand on Halling's shoulder and said "You know, your aggie was in hard labor with you for 26 hours." After a horrified pause, Veida and Yerush both burst into laughter.

"What is so funny?" demanded Halling. Then, to Ng, "That didn't reassure me, you know."

Qen, coming into the kitchen, said "Do you want soup or some of this potato-cheese custard the folks next door just brought over?"

After a few seconds, Halling stood up and said "Both." She shrugged out of her guibba, hung it over the back of her chair, and pulled it over next to Bux's other side. Yoj told her about their walk, Bux's water breaking and every minute so far as Halling ate quickly. Bux sat with her eyes closed, her hands on her belly.

Just as Halling was finishing, Bux said "Oh -- oh, I think it's another one."

Veida glanced at the clock as Yoj and Halling each took one of Bux's hands. The contraction rolled on through, and Bux said "All right, then. I think I can do this."

Veida grinned to herself. A knock came at the front door, and Veida went to answer it. Leading a 40-something brown woman into the kitchen, she introduced Jyoti to Bux, then the rest, and began telling her details of Bux's condition. Yerush served Jyoti lunch as another knock came at the front door, which Qen answered. She returned with a dish of fried fish cakes. She set it on the table, and Halling took one to eat, watching Bux intently as Bux began talking with Jyoti about what she was feeling and what she hoped for in the birthing.

"Halling, honey, you need to bathe" said Ng with a pointed sniff. Halling looked at Veida, who said "You've got time, we won't do anything until you're with us again."

Halling got a fresh set of clothes and went into the bath room. When she emerged, Bux was sprawled back in her chair and Yoj's mouth was in front of her crotch, singing lighter songs. Halling stopped in mid-step, and Veida walked over to her to explain: "We're trying to persuade the baby to turn back around, put her head down at the birth canal. Singing often lures them."

Halling said "I want a turn", and at the end of her song, Yoj stood up and gave her place to Halling. After one song, Bux said "She's moving around in there, I can feel it." Jyoti put her hands on Bux's belly and examined her, then said "Not quite." Yoj kneeled beside Halling and they did another song together, beginning to laugh halfway through, Halling's arm slung over Yoj's shoulder.

"Oh -- wow" said Bux. "I'm having another contraction, but something else is happening."

Veida kept her hand on Bux's stomach through the contraction, and afterward she grinned and said "She's turned. She's trying to get closer to her emmas."

Tears were standing in Yoj's eyes. She and Halling looked at each other, a new emotion gripping both of them, then they leaned up and kissed Bux's cheeks tenderly. Qen emerged from their bedroom, telling Veida "I put down protection under the sheets, she can go in there if you need."

Veida gathered up several of the pillows on the couch, plus towels to cover them, and called Bux to follow her. On her bed, Bux was positioned with her head at a 40 degree angle lower than her feet. "This will encourage the baby not to turn back" said Veida. Jyoti added "Tell us right away if you feel her shift again."

There was a knock at the front door, and it was another neighbor from the street with a dish for the Manage. The woman came in and chatted with them all for a bit. As she was leaving, an expanse of blue and yellow uniforms filled the doorway: Pilots come to carry Bux if she needed to be rushed to the hospital. They had a stretcher from the Lofthall. Qala was among them, saying she had turned over the radio to the Sheng Zhang, she wasn't going to miss this.

Awkward and excited, they clustered around Bux and took turns feeling of her belly, stealing glances around them at the bedroom: This was where Halling and Yoj slept. Eventually Yerush chased them all into the kitchen, where they sat at the table with Ng and ate a great deal of the food already brought by neighbors. But more food kept appearing, and the singing and laughing from the kitchen seemed to help ease the slow, inevitable progress toward pain in the bedroom.

Bux kept drinking the teas Jyoti and Veida gave her, and after the first couple of hours, she gave up trying to reach the privy when she needed to pee, instead leaning on Halling and Yoj to balance over the chamberpot. Dinner was a vast buffet where Halling and Yoj ate in hurried shifts and Bux did not eat at all. After dinner, the pilots went to their dorms and returned with rolled mattresses, blankets, pillows, and fresh clothes for the morning. They lined up along the living room floor, leaving a path for the comadronas and going completely silent when Bux's moans emerged from the bedroom. Ng settled on her cot among them and listened to their stories as they drifted off to sleep, one by one.

By midnight, Bux was having contractions less than three minutes apart and was soaked in sweat, her face contorted in pain. Yoj and Halling sat on either side of her, murmuring love and encouragement. Ng had a cushioned perch on a clothes chest. Jyoti sat between Bux's legs, and when she said "She's dropped", Veida bent over to look with her. Then Veida said "She's crowning" and motioned for Yoj, then Halling in turn to come look. Yerush and Qen stood behind Veida, arm in arm with tears on their cheeks. Halling saw her child tumble out of Bux with a gush of fluid and a flail of her tiny arms. At Bux's scream, she moved back to her side, but everyone was looking at the baby, even Bux.

Veida cut the cord and handed her to Qen, who cleaned her. Yerush wrapped her and returned her to Bux's belly. Jyoti was delivering the afterbirth, and she and Veida were discussing whether to stitch up two small tears in Bux's vagina. Finally deciding yes, Veida gave Bux an injection of local anesthetic, then Jyoti did the suturing while Veida held a flash so she could see.

But even Bux didn't notice their activity. Everyone was meeting the newest member of the Manage, who was yelling loudly and protesting even the dim light in the room. Yoj announced, "Emmas, this is Mill", and her abbas cried joy at her name.

Mill was creamy dark, though not as dark as she would become in a few days. She had a coating of vernix on her face creases, knuckles, elbows and knees. Her eyes were unfocused but hinted at darkness, too. Her hair was black and lay in thick tight curls to her beautiful head. She looked amazingly like Halling. Ng confirmed her resemblance to Halling at birth, which everyone took as a powerfully good sign.

After Bux was cleaned, clad, and repositioned on fresh sheets, she fell into an exhausted sleep, held on either side by Halling and Yoj. Mill was passed from abba to abba for several minutes.

Qala woke up in the living room and came to the door, asking if she could see the baby, and was also allowed to hold her briefly. Then Mill was put to drowsy Bux's breast, and she nursed like a champion, as if there was no trick to it, one of her emma's hands behind her head, another holding her rump.

At 4:30 in the morning, Qen and Yerush made a huge breakfast while Veida radioed the Sigrist and informed her of the birth in whispers. The main announcement would go out after people were awake: The arrival of Mill la Bux na Halling + Yoj, a Green 60, to the Manage of Yerush, Qen and Veida in Riesig Pliss.

The pilots were awakened, went to the privy in relays and ate quietly but heartily. Halling and Yoj had fallen asleep next to Bux, Mill cradled between pillows on Bux's belly, and did not wake up when Veida came in silently to pick up Mill and introduce her to the pilots. More than one pilot wept, and every one of them exclaimed "She's exactly like Halling!"

After they left, the house breathed out. Jyoti was long asleep. Veida sent Qen and Yerush up to their loft, saying she'd take the first two-hour shift. After Halling woke up, in full daylight, she sent Veida up to bed as well and handled diaper changes (with Ng's instruction) and receiving neighbors with more gifts of food, holding Mill in her arms with incandescent pride.

When Mill was returned to Bux to nurse, Yoj got up and quietly cleaned the kitchen while Halling grabbed a nap with Bux. Bux was in a haze, starting to feel residual pain but mostly not able to look at anything except Mill when she was awake. She ate whatever was brought to her and continued to use the chamberpot. She showed Mill, with an incredulous expression, to the steady stream of visitors who came by. Paha and Tlochin arrived from Beras, and Lawa took the day off from the ejida to visit.

That afternoon, Yoj was doing her first load of diapers and the linens used in delivery when almost every pilot in the Lofthall showed up to meet what they were calling "the most famous newborn flyer on Skene". The pilots who had been in the Manage during the birth lorded their status over the rest. Mill's blinks, sighs, and one hiccough were treated as signs of genius. When Halling changed a diaper in front of them, they didn't laugh or tease, but instead acted like they were watching a new aerial technique. They all had sibs, diaper changing was not new to them -- but this was Halling's baby, and Yoj's baby, and Bux their secret sweetheart's baby, an exalted presence.

Over the next few days, Moasi, Ktiva and Tu visited from Seda, and even Culisa came for a day. Nilma wrote Yoj a congratulatory letter and asked for a photo. Yoj did not hear from Myrd or Owera, although she wrote them and sent them photos as well.

After five days, Halling reluctantly returned to sinning and Yoj discovered she had a song inside her head, a hymn to new life. Bux got out of bed and spent her mornings with Yoj, Ng and Mill, a peaceful, joyous existence of baby-watching. The extra work was easily absorbed among the Manage, even when Veida had to leave for two days for a birth elsewhere. Mill was almost never placed in her cradle; she slept in the arms of an emma or abba, and when she was awake, she was talked or sung to with adoration. She still cried at least once a day, long spells of screams that left the younger women besides themselves with worry. The older women knew crying is just what babies need to do sometimes, and if nothing else was wrong, the best course was to hold her and let her scour it out. Ng and Qen were especially relaxed with a wailing Mill.


Copyright 2007 Maggie Jochild.

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