Power Play

Clodagh gave a snort, hauling herself and the baby out of the water. 'And you as big as a whale and didn't guess?’

‘How could I guess? I've never been around pregnant women. Oh, he's gorgeous… oh, oh…' and suddenly Yana realized her son was completing his alteration to a totally human baby. Then Clodagh was holding her selkie daughter out of the water and the same phenomenon was occurring on that precious body. Sean selkie was embracing her, and the children,-his silver eyes wide with wonder and blinking water.

They made a tableau then, the mother, father, children and midwife, selkie and human. Then all were totally human as Sean lifted himself out of the water. Now Yana realized why the planet had insisted on this birthplace and how easy it had made what could have been a very difficult session for her. Petaybee was learning, too. Namid said the thing to remember about a planet only a bit over two hundred years old was that it, too, was a baby. Every time it had a conversation or experience, it learned, grew, expanded its potential. As he probed for its secrets, it had questions of its own for him on the nature of what lay beyond it.

By the time the afterbirth had been expelled and Yana was able to emerge from the water, she was flat-bellied and lithe again.

Holding both arms out in gratitude, she thanked Petaybee, her words coming out almost as a latchkay song.

‘Thank you for the birthing. It was painless.

Thank you for my strong son and my fine daughter.

Thank you for their changing. Thank you for everything.’

‘You are welcome, Yanaba. You are welcome.’

Yana couldn't help grinning. Twice welcome for bearing twins? This planet moved in mysterious ways and what had it in mind for her children?

'Welcome!