Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [119]
They reached the spot that had been previously picked, and the bedding and other necessities were there. They had no need of the extra lights, for the cavern was radiant.
Clodagh helped Yana slip out of her flannel nightgown, and then the first of the strong contractions caught her.
“Breathe as you’ve been taught,” Clodagh said, waiting until the contraction had eased before she led Yana to the water’s edge.
Sean dove in and broke the water as a selkie, coming to the two women, both of whom were now in the warm comfort of the water. Yana slipped down into it and found the ledge that seemingly had been created to cushion her, while Clodagh made herself secure just below Yana.
The mist began to rise then, but only on the ground behind them. Yana inhaled deeply of the scented, comforting moist air. The next contraction was harder, yet she didn’t feel it as “hard,” only as a working of muscles. She could relax. Petaybee was all around her, and her husband was as he wished to be at this propitious moment in his life, this miraculous moment of hers, and Clodagh would see to everything healing as she always did.
A furred face stroked hers from out of the mist and she laughed when she realized that it was Nanook—yes, and there was Marduk, too, and the gods knew how many more purring mightily in the cave, for it echoed of purr.
Another massive contraction came, which Yana, for one second apprehensive, thought much too soon in a normal delivery. Then she found herself wanting to push and panted as she’d been taught.
“It’s much too soon for this stage,” she said between pantings.
“Well, you never know,” Clodagh said comfortingly. “We’ve been here longer than you might realize.”
“But we—just—got—here.”
Clodagh chuckled again and then was very busy between Yana’s legs underwater. The water itself was bright, so Yana was able to view her upheld legs on Clodagh’s shoulders and know that the woman was submerged. Sean’s furred flipper hand was on her knee and then there was a mighty convulsion and Clodagh came up out of the water, holding her hands up, and Yana saw a silvery furred baby body in the capable palms.
“Your son, Shongili,” Clodagh cried, and the cats gave voice to the most musical caterwaul possible.
“Oh my God!” Yana’s body wanted to repeat its previous confusion.
A naked furry wet body was thrust into Yana’s hands as Clodagh ducked under the water again while Yana, consumed with a second mighty pushing, realized she was delivering a second selkie child.
“How did that happen?” she exclaimed as Clodagh surfaced with yet another squirming baby, this one already squalling at its lack of precedence.
“You’ve a fine family all in the one go,” Clodagh said, water sheeting off her smiling face.
“Did you know I’d be having twins?” Yana exclaimed, half of her appalled that that information had been withheld, while the other half of her was marveling at the perfection of her selkie son, who, minutes old as he was, was already altering his form to human now that he was out of the water.
Clodagh gave a snort, hauling herself and the baby out of the water. “And you as big as a whale and didn’t guess?”
“How could I guess? I’ve never been around pregnant women. Oh, he’s gorgeous . . . oh, oh . . .” Suddenly Yana realized her son was completing his alteration to a totally human baby. Then Clodagh was holding her selkie daughter out of the water and the same phenomenon was occurring on that precious body. Sean Selkie was embracing her and the children, his silver eyes wide with wonder and blinking water.
They made a tableau then, mother, father, children, and midwife, selkie and human. Then all were totally human as Sean lifted himself out of the water. Now Yana realized why the planet had insisted on this birthplace and how easy it had made what could have been a very difficult session for her. Petaybee was learning, too. Namid said the thing to remember about a planet only a bit over two hundred years old was that it, too, was a baby. Every time it had a conversation or experience, it learned, grew, expanded its potential.