Chapter 16

Cobweb glanced over to Lisia as he toweled himself off. They had just taken a bath together and his chesnari's backache was only a distant memory. Now Lisia was humming softly, loosely fastening the belt on his robe. It was almost hard to imagine that they had only been together for a year and a half; it seemed they had been joined far longer than that.

"I'm glad we could enjoy this night together," Cobweb said, reaching for his own robe. "The calm before the storm."

"What storm?" Lisia scoffed, stepping into his slippers and entering the bedroom. "The weather looks fine to me."

Cobweb followed him to the bed. "You know what I mean. Things won't be the same once the pearl is born."

"No, they'll be better." Lisia sat down on the bedspread. "Truly, I hope you're not actually worried."

Cobweb kneeled on the rug at Lisia's feet, resting his head in his chesnari's lap. "No... but it will be different." He tilted his head so that his ear pressed right on top of where the pearl lay hidden. He could hear the unborn harling's heart beating. "Anyway, giving birth is no small matter, however many times you've done it."

"True, but--" Lisia's words were interrupted by a sharp rap to the door.

"Yes, Morro, what is it?" Cobweb called out.

"There's a call coming in on the thought transference unit for Lisia." Morro, used Cobweb's ability to identify him through the door, had replied to the question without hesitation.

"Ah, well, I had better answer that then," Lisia sighed, rising up from the bed and heading to the door. "Come with me."

Together they followed Morro down the stairs to Swift's office. "I set the status to hold, just switch to receive," the servant said before withdrawing back into the hall.

Lisia approached the unit and touched the control panel. He smiled and glanced to Cobweb. "It's Pansea," he said, mind to mind. For a few minutes he was absorbed in mind conversation, obviously light and enjoyable. Finally Lisia nodded to Cobweb to step in and talk with Pansea on his own.

"Almost a father," Pansea said. "How does it feel?"

"Good," Cobweb replied, pouring out some of the warm feelings in his heart. "Lisia is doing very well."

"You are taking wonderful care of him, I'm sure. Thank you. I just wanted to say hello. Best of luck in the coming days."

"Thank you," Cobweb answered, drawing the communication to a close. He touched the panel and switched the status to idle.

Lisia was waiting at the door, his expression wistful. "Remember when Pansea...?"

Of course Cobweb remembered. It had been a memorable time in all of their lives.

It all began with a letter. In the three years that followed Lisia's trip to Galhea, he and Cobweb had exchanged numerous letters, as usual about once a season, sometimes a bit more frequently. This letter, however, was a bit different; unlike all previous ones, it contained an invitation.

Dear Cobweb,

I was going to write you a letter this week, but just now I decided I absolutely had to, as I have wonderful news. As you know, Branad and Effrana had their first harling six months ago. Well, just now after dinner, Pansea and Ivy came to me and told me that Pansea is hosting his first pearl! I'm so happy, almost like I'm going to be a grandhostling! I've got letters from some of the other harlings saying they've become parents, but as you know Pansea has been very special to me over the years and this is the first time a har raised here has hosted a pearl here since -- well, since you know when!

So that's happy news but actually it's not the only happy news. I know I've kept you up to date about Harling Gardens and how we're about to become a teaching facility like I've planned all along, but now it's really about to happen. Our first classes are scheduled for three months from now. I've been planning things for several years, getting organized, and now we're starting to get very serious about exactly what will be taught, what the schedule will be like, what activities we'll do, where and how the guests will sleep, etc. Our first class will probably only have about a dozen hara, since this is our first session ever, so we don't have to work all the time on it, but still, we have to be disciplined. I want to make this first year perfect so that all the hara who come will tell their families and friends how good it was. Right now I'm just starting on organizing the second session, as we're going to try to fit in five sessions this summer.

One more bit of happy news. I think that I am finally feeling ready enough to really invite you to come up to visit! Would you like to? I know before I was so busy I couldn't have been a good host, but now it will be much easier. Also I know you are free to visit now that Tyson is out of the house. I really hope you can visit. I was thinking a good time would be two months from now right when Pansea's pearl has come. He remembers you from all those years ago, of course, and would love to see you again, especially at this special time. Please let me know if you're coming. Send a message back or use the thought transference unit before you leave.

Grateful for present happiness,
Lisia

For Cobweb it was perfect timing, with spring just around the corner and his feet feeling itchy for travel. Tyson had gone on an extended tour of Megalithica and with nothing out of the ordinary happening politically or otherwise, Galhea was seeming a little boring. Moreover, reading Lisia's letters over the years, Cobweb had become curious to see how Harling Gardens had developed. The facility would be lovely in springtime, he was sure. Overall, a trip to the northwest seemed to fit his mood exactly. He did decide, however, to wait the two months Lisia had indicated. He sent off a reply letter giving the approximate time of his arrival and promising to send a thought before his departure.

Spring arrived in Galhea as it had every year Cobweb had lived there and although it was lovely, as the weeks went by, thoughts of travel began to make him more and more restless. It was with great anticipation that at long last he entered Swift's office to use the thought transference unit to contact Lisia. The school master was delighted to hear from him and in his thoughts there came across a strong sense of excitement and joy. Was this really all in anticipation of his visit? It was when he posed this question to Lisia that he got an inkling that perhaps there was something more to his mood. By the time Cobweb arrived up in Harling Gardens, Lisia explained, there was a surprise. Lisia wouldn't specify what it was, but he told Cobweb it was something special. When Cobweb turned off the machine, he felt ready to go that very moment.

In fact he left the next day. Swift and Seel sent their regards along with a few gifts. They parted at the front entrance of Forever, Cobweb upon his horse waving goodbye. He left in the very early morning. It was only as he began riding that he recalled a dream from the night before.

It was triggered when he passed a field of flowers. He'd dreamt of flowers, he was sure of it. Purple flowers. Someone was standing in a field of them. If he'd been standing still and more able to focus, Cobweb could have traced the dream further, but the journey was more pressing and so he plunged ahead, merely smiling at the fact that surely he would be seeing flowers once he reached his destination. Harling Gardens was aptly named.

At long last Cobweb found himself at the foot of the driveway. He noted with amusement that the old warning sign -- "WELCOME & ATTENTION: No Weapons Beyond This Point" -- had been retained. Some things at the facility had never changed. He rode up the drive, thinking how very different everything looked. A great deal of work had gone into the plantings and landscape and there were fields of wildflowers growing in the areas just behond the drive. Towards the main building the gardens became more organized and Cobweb found himself recalling the descriptions he'd received from Lisia of the formal flower gardens and then the large farm that had been developed to the rear and far sides. In addition, there were still grassy fields left over from the days of harlings playing outside -- and at one time, living in pens.

Lisia was standing at the main entrance. Cobweb had felt him mentally sweeping the area and so it was no surprise that his arrival had been so precisely anticipated. Cobweb dismounted his horse and tied it up at the stand, knowing someone would be sent to bring it to the stables later. He turned toward the entrance and walked up the steps.

"Welcome back!" Lisia greeted him warmly, opening his arms so that they fell into an embrace. "Oh, I'm so delighted you're here!"

"And I'm likewise delighted I came." Seeing Lisia's eyes shining, his cheeks flushed, Cobweb was suddenly reminded of the excitement his host had shown on the thought transference unit. What special surprise did he have in store?

Cobweb's thought was well-timed. "Well, I ought to get you and your things inside, oughtn't I?" Lisia asked, looking over to the horse. "Actually, I'll have someone bring them in later. There's something I have to show you first. Come!"

Taking Cobweb's hand, Lisia led them through the double doors and inside. The interior had been greatly improved over the years. Everything had been repainted, new lights and windows had been installed, and everywhere there were decorations, especially murals, made by the harlings. Gone was the residue of desperation and decay that had been present at Cobweb's first visit. The building had been transformed into something good and the goodness could be felt as something almost tangible.

Lisia was talking to Cobweb about his trip when they arrived at the entrance to the old administrative office, which Lisia had taken for his own. "Sorry, I'll just be a moment. I have to finish up on this one task before I can show you the surprise."

Cobweb entered the room and again, immediately noticed the change that had taken place. All the wood in the room had been polished to a shine, the bookcases filled, and the spring sunlight shone through the stained glass window. Framed drawings, presumedly by harlings, hung on the stark white walls.

Lisia scuttled over to his desk, pilled high with envelopes and sheets of paper. These were letters to prospective students and hara who might be in a position to attract new students. He was almost through the M's and wanted to finish off.

Cobweb took a seat and waited as Lisia individually addressed and signed the letters, then made out the envelopes and put them together. He found himself eyeing a long row of file cabinets along the wall. When it seemed like Lisia would soon be done, he asked about them.

"Oh, those are all the student records. We have records for each of them tracking their whole education here. This allows us to provide references on request."

As Lisia offered his replied, Cobweb's mind had immediately flickered to dark thought. "And do some of those file cabinets contain records of--"

"Births at the facility? Yes, we still keep those records." Lisia looked up from his work and frowned. "Overall only about ten percent of the harlings ever looked at their own birth records. In the future maybe there will be more, but living here, most of them were happy not knowing."

A minute later Lisia abruptly rose from his desk, breaking the slightly downbeat mood that had been created by discussion of the facility's former life. "Come, now let me show you," Lisia urged.

They went into a stairwell and went up to the second floor. "You still live in this section?" Cobweb asked.

"Yes, although it's been remodeled and rearranged a bit," Lisia replied. "Different staffmembers live up here and some have multiple rooms, almost like apartments." He pushed open the door and they were standing in the lounge, which had decidedly less dingy furniture than Cobweb recalled, although the effect had been achieved by adding slipcovers and knitted blankets, not by actually replacing the furniture. "I have two rooms now, over that way, and a few others live with me here on the same hall. Come."

"You're showing me the surprise now, right?" Cobweb asked. He had no idea what it could be. He had thought perhaps the surprise would be obvious, something he saw coming up the drive or maybe that Lisia had dyed his hair, but so far nothing had struck him as being wildly surprising.

"Right," Lisia answered, pausing by a door half-way down the hall. They were both silent and in that silence, Cobweb heard a sound he instantly recognized: A tiny harling crying.

Lisia softly knocked on the door. "Pansea?"

"Come in!" enjoined a voice from inside.

Turning the doorknob, Lisia opened the door and gestured for Cobweb to step inside. He did so and saw a scene he'd expected, only...

"Pansea!" he cried in surprise. "You've... you've..." He didn't have the words, simple as they were.

"Yes, Cobweb, I've had twins," Pansea told him, beaming as he snuggled two tiny harlings, one in each arm.

Lisia put his hand on Cobweb's shoulder. "That's what I was so excited about when you contacted me," Lisia explained. "About a month into term, Pansea had started to feel some rather severe symptoms of hosting and after doing some tests, we discovered he and Ivy had conceived twins."

"That's... amazing," Cobweb managed, now standing by the bed, looking down at the contented hostling. "I've never seen twin harlings."

"We haven't either," Pansea said. "Lis has read about it, but it's very, very rare. We don't conceive the way that other animals do, so it's much less likely. I'm not even sure how it happened."

Lisia couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Oh, come now, I think you know." He winked. "It must have been the best aruna ever."

Pansea blushed but was not greatly embarrassed. "True enough."

Cobweb sat on the edge of the bed, while Lisia took up a position on the opposite side. "Once we discovered the situation, of course we were all going crazy about it since it was something totally new. There was a lot of excitement. It was pretty worrying, however, as I didn't know if Pansea would be able to carry two pearls."

"He didn't know if there would be enough room," Pansea clarified. "Not just for my comfort, but for the pearls to grow."

"Right. And then there was the delivery." Lisia sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I had no idea how that would turn out. Fortunately, it wasn't completely out of line with other births, especially first-time births."

"It took almost twenty hours," Pansea added, no doubt feeling the time involved was nothing to be diminished.

"They're beautiful," Cobweb said, for truly they were.

Pansea stroked the hair on one of the small heads. "Thank you. Their names are Rosea and Paynee."

Lisia swallowed and wiped his eye. "Named after--"

"Yes, I know," Cobweb cut in, recognizing the names as those of two of the hostlings who had stayed behind after the facility had been abandoned. Rosea had died of injuries sustained during the delivery of his last pearl -- coupled with overwork and lack of food -- while Paynee had died after he apparently became lost in the forest during an attempt to reach civilization. "The names are perfect."