Chapter 6

To no one's surprise, Cal and his bodyguards left within the hour. He offered effusive thanks to Lisia, whose advice on hosting he would hold on to, even if it would be some time before -- or if -- he used it. Sage was sad to see his "uncle" go, as his stories of Immanion had fascinated him.

"Someday we'll go visit, my little one, don't you worry," Cobweb promised. To the adults he added, "But not for at least two months."

A few days later the hosting was confirmed. Just as he and Lisia had come out of the bedroom where Cobweb had been examined, Opal came bounding up the stairs. "My father says to come down -- they've just got a message from the Tigrina!"

"The Tigrina?" Cobweb questioned, taking Lisia's hand as he headed over to the stairs. "Why the urgency?"

"Well, we'll see soon enough," Lisia offered.

Seel and Swift were just coming out of the office. "You won't believe it, either of you, " Seel announced.

"What did Caeru have to say?" Cobweb asked. "Pitching a fit Cal got to Pell first?"

Seel laughed. "No, actually not at all. Swift, tell them."

By now they had walked back to the lounge. As he waited on everyone to sit, Swift looked as if he was going to explode with whatever knowledge he was keeping. "Well?" Cobweb prompted.

"Well, to borrow some of Cal's bluntness, seems he wasn't back in Immanion four days when not even planning to, just... spontaneously, Rue got him hosting."

"I don't believe it," Cobweb said immediately.

"They're sure," Swift emphasized. "Cal says he was totally conscious of what was happening and simply didn't fight it. He says seeing our families is inspiring to him."

"That does not sound like Cal!"

"True," Swift agreed, "it doesn't, but then again hostlings do tend to go a little sentimental."

"They do indeed," Lisia said softly, smiling. "I'm glad."

Several weeks later, Cobweb awoke in his bed after what had been only a light sleep. He hadn't been able to get comfortable and now, squinting out the window at the moon, full and high, he had a stomachache. It wasn't a terrible one, but he presumed it was what had woken him.

Closing his eyes, Cobweb attempted to will the ache away only to discover that in fact it wasn't his stomach bothering. Not at all.

This, he realized with surprise, was the pearl wanting to get out. The pain was only slight, a very light ache, so different than what he had expected, he hadn't recognized it.

For a few seconds, he felt the muscles within him tighten, then slowly, through no will of his own, relax.

Lisia was still sleeping and would remain so for some time, Cobweb decided. The pain came again but it was bearable, quite bearable. This wasn't the wrenching pain some hara experienced. This was something far gentler. It came and went, like waves crashing upon the shore, but it was nothing to be frightened of.

He kept his eyes closed and concentrated on his breathing, on the sensations within himself. The harling was aware of what was happening. Cobweb told the harling it was safe, even as his body slowly worked against the pearl. He wasn't even tempted to wake Lisia. Let him sleep, he thought. As time went on pain was getting worse but somehow, rather than frightening him, it was comforting, a sign of progress, that the time was drawing near.

He opened his eyes and out the window, the moon had gone. The sky was just beginning to glow with dawn. Doves were beginning to coo in the trees. What had happened to the night? Did the trance speed up time or had he been sleeping? The pain was worse, truly fierce now. Instinctively, he slowly scooted back on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

Since bonding with Lisia, he'd seen quite a few births up at Harling Gardens and now he felt the sign that had signalled final act of birth in every one of those instances. His male organs began to retract into the body and his legs, completely outside his will, spread wide.

His right leg bumped into Lisia's thigh. If that hadn't woken him, Cobweb was about to shake him. As soon as his chesnari saw him, his eyes went wide.

Taking a deep breath, Cobweb took Lisia's left hand under the covers. "Feel," he thought silently, placing Lisia's hand between his legs.

"Our pearl," Lisia thought back as he pulled away the blankets.

Cobweb closed his eyes. At that moment it all seemed so laughably easy. Lisia was talking to him now, out loud, but it didn't matter anymore, the power he felt inside made everything inevitable. One push. Two pushes. Three pushes. Finally the last. He could have birthed the world, it hurt so much, but in the end he birthed something small and round.

He reached down to touch it, still not opening his eyes. It was hot and sticky. It was wondrous.

"Cobweb, are you all right?" Lisia's voice asked. "How long were you like that? I'm so sorry, I must have been out like a log, that I didn't wake up when you tried to--"

"I didn't try," Cobweb interrupted in a husky whisper, looking up his chesnari at last. "I wanted to surprise you."

"You have." Lisia looked down and then put his own hand on the pearl. "That can't have been easy."

Cobweb smiled. "Oh, but it was, Lis, it was. Give it to me."

Lisia pulled the pearl up top and rearranged the blankets. Examining Cobweb, he saw there had been no tearing, the entire process having been so slow and gentle, the pearl had drifted into the world like a falling slowflake.

"It's a miracle," Lisia said. "I thought it might be another trial for you, like Swift's was, but--"

"It is a miracle, Lis," Cobweb agreed, curling around his charge. "When I incepted, I had no idea this could happen. Nobody did, I don't think, not at first. If someone would have told me, I wouldn't have believed it. It was hard for me to even believe when I had Swift. The notion of families like this, with harlings -- it's taken a lot of years for me to be lucky enough to get it really right, but I think we have."

So it was that ten days later Cobweb sat in the bedroom with a sleeping harling named Lilia. His chesnari had been gone for some time, although exactly how long he couldn't be sure, as he'd slept a bit himself, drowsy from the afternoon sun. The shadows had grown longer, however.

He heard the sound of scampering feet and a moment later Sage ran in, hair now cut ear-length all the way around. "Lookit what Lis did!"

Lisia came in through the door. "It's the best I could do," he said. "Speaking of which... got some news just now."

"Hmmm?" Cobweb prompted, distracted as he stayed Sage's hand from waking up his younger brother.

"Caeru on transference again."

Cobweb's attention switched back. "Oh? What's the word?"

"Well, as Rue put it, 'Pell's came late, Cal's came early, but nobody's really ready for two Tigron harlings!' Oh, and they're both blond."

"Not surprising."

"No, I suppose not. Cal and Pell went through it almost at the same time. Seems Cal made out a lot better this time. Now everything's fine, they just hatched."

"Marvelous. Should we start planning the trip now?"

Sage, who'd busied himself by making the bed, one of his odd passions, spun around. "A trip?"

"Yes, Sage, remember Immanion? Like I said? In a few months, we can all go, what do you say?"

"Yes!"

"Sounds good," Lisia agreed. "After the summer session at Harling Gardens?"

It was just was Cobweb was thinking. Life hadn't gone anything like he'd planned or imagined and probably it never would, but if things stayed on the same happy course they'd been running in, he didn't anticipate minding any of life's little surprises. Lilia, still sleeping, tossed in Cobweb's lap and grabbed another fistful of hair. Cobweb didn't pry the hand away.