Children of God

"Help. I don’t know. Just—some new idea, some way to make them listen! We’ve tried everything we can think of, but…. Sandoz, we are no danger to anyone anymore," Shetri cried, too desperate to be ashamed. "We wanted you to see that, to tell them that! We’re not asking them for anything. Just leave us alone! Let us live. And—if we could just move a little farther south, where the cranil and piyanot are, I think we could feed ourselves decently. We’ve learned ways to take wild meat — we can support ourselves without taking any Runa. We could even teach Athaansi’s people, and then they’d stop the raiding! If we could just get someplace warmer — if we could keep the women better fed! The mountains are killing us!"

Nico was singing now: "Un bel dì," the notes lifting on the night breeze.

"Shetri, hear me. The Runa love their children, as you do," Sandoz said. "This war began with the slaughter of Runa infants by Jana’ata militia. How do you answer this?"

"I answer: even so, our children are i

There was a long silence. "All right," Sandoz said at last. "I’ll do what I can. It probably won’t be enough, Shetri, but I’ll try."

"GOOD MORNING, FRANS," EMILIO SAID THE NEXT DAY, AS THOUGH nothing much had occurred since his last transmission. "I’d like to speak to John and Da

There was a slight delay before John’s voice was heard. "Emilio! Are you safe? Where the hell have you—?"

"Listen, John, about that extra mile I was prepared to walk," Emilio said lightly. "If you and Da

"Not without an explanation, ace," said Da

"Good morning, Da

Carlo cut in. "Sandoz, I’ve had quite enough of this. Mendes will give us almost no information and I’m certain she’s lying when she does!"

"Ah, Don Carlo! I trust you slept better than I did last night," Sandoz said, ignoring the sounds of irritation. "I find that I must ask you for the loan of a lander. There’s no money in this venture, I’m afraid, but I can get a very good poet to write an epic about you, if you like. I don’t want the drone. I want the ma

"What’s the ammunition for?" Da

"First principles, Da

Frans said, "Sandoz, I’ve got a fix on your transmission site near what looks—"

"You needn’t mention the coordinates, Frans. We may be overheard," Emilio cautioned. "I need an answer, gentlemen. There’s not a lot of time to waste.’’’

"An epic, you say?" Carlo asked, self-mockery plain. "Well, perhaps I can work out something more lucrative later. I’ll send the lander, Sandoz. You can pay me back when we get home."

"Don’t tempt me," Emilio warned him with a small laugh, and they made arrangements for the landing.

HA’ANALA HAD TWO DREAMS THAT NIGHT. HER THIRD CHILD—THE u

She roused briefly, with a sensation of tightness across her belly, but the visit from her dream son was reassuring and she drifted back to the heavy sleep that had characterized this pregnancy. The second dream was also of a dead child but, this time, she relived the last few minutes of Urkinal’s life and awoke with a start, the hiss and rattle of his tiny lungs in her ears.

Suukmel, who had moved in with her while Shetri was gone, came awake in an instant. "Is it time?" she asked quietly in the thin light of dawn.

"No," Ha’anala whispered. "I had a dream." She sat up with a graceless lurch but as carefully as she could, not wanting to wake Sofi’ala, sleeping in the nest beside her. Another gray day, she noted, peering out through cracks in the stonework. There was no sound yet from the other houses. "The children came to visit again last night."

"Someone should tie ribbons on your arms," Suukmel said, smiling at the superstition.

But Ha’anala shuddered, as much from the chill of the sunless morning as from the memory of a small rattling chest. "I wish Shetri hadn’t gone. Was Ma with you when your daughters were bom?"

"Oh, no," Suukmel said, getting to her feet and begi

"I don’t want an audience, I want company!" Ha’anala shifted her position and rested her back against her husband’s rolled-up sleeping nest. She felt vaguely uneasy, despite the fact that they’d received good news directly from Shetri, via the Bruno. He and the others were well and would be arriving today, with the foreigners, in an extraordinary craft that could bring them home quickly and without detection. "Even if Shetri can’t stand to be here when the baby’s born, I’ll be glad—"

She stopped, face still. At last! she thought, welcoming the wave of cramp, rolling from top to bottom. When she raised her eyes, Suukmel was watching knowingly. "Don’t tell anyone else yet," Ha’anala said, glancing significantly at Sofi’ala, who was begi

"I’m hungry!" Sofi’ala whined, eyes still closed. It was the inevitable morning greeting, this time of year.

"Your father’s bringing wonderful things to eat," Suukmel told the child gaily, and smiled a little sadly when the child’s glorious lavender eyes snapped open at that news. They could hear other households awakening nearby, and the first wisps of smoke from Runa dung fires were begi

"Wait—" Ha’anala called as Sofi’ala ran out to join the other children, who spent their mornings dashing around the village, peering into pots, hunting for the most abundant or tastiest meal available. "Sipaj, Sofi’ala! Don’t be a nuisance!" Suukmel chuckled at that, but Ha’anala insisted, "She is! She is a nuisance! And I hate the way she orders the other children around."

"You see yourself in her," Suukmel told her. "Don’t be hard on the girl. It’s natural for her to try to dominate them."

"It’s also natural to defecate whenever and wherever the urge arises," said Ha’anala in riposte. "That doesn’t make it acceptable behavior."

"But even the Runa children resist her! It’s good training," Suukmel parried. "They all gain strength."

They spent the morning jousting like this, enjoying the mental combat, but the tempo and strength of the contractions were constantly on their minds. "They should be quicker now, and stronger," Ha’anala said, when all three suns were up, the brightest a flat, white disk burning through the cloud cover overhead.

"Soon enough," Suukmel said, but she, too, was concerned, watching with some dismay as Ha’anala curled up in her nest and fell silent.