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one's venom that is the white community."
"That sounds against kren nature. How do they do it?"
"The Mautri practices dispel the fear of dying. Then one
finds very little that can raise venom. One learns to walk the world with an
empty sack and not feel helpless."
"Hmmmm, but you said Arshel's trouble was that when she went dry, she began
to panic from helplessness."
"She has hardly taken the red. The power raised in mating is the very power
which runs the universe; it's terri-fying to surrender oneself to it. This is
her very first egg. It's not even my first time without my bhirhir, though
itis the most intense mating I've ever had. Sometimes I almost don't recognize
myself in the urges that come over me."
"Is that why you went to your bhirhir last night?"
"No. He worries about me, Dennis. He's human, as you are, but he worries as
any kren would."
"I understand."
He does.She wanted to tell Dennis that she appreciated him, but she gasped
reflexively as hot pain pierced her body.
"Arshel?" asked Dennis.
But it was Khelin's hands that came to her abdomen, gentle and trembling.
"Dennis, take her down. Now."
Leaning on her bhirhir, she made it down the soft slope into the water.
Immediate relief spread through her. Khelin turned the surge pump on, giving
the water the feel of the sea.
Dennis called out the ritual of welcome to Khelin Mor-Zdersh'n from du'Arshel
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Lakely. Her name sounded so strange, she only half heard Dennis repeating his
pledge to guard the eggs spawned here. This was not the spawning pond where
she had emerged. None of her other children would emerge here. In frantic
regret that she had not gone to MorZdersh'n, which at least had some
tradition, she struggled to speak.
But the water rocked as Khelin leaped in beside her. Seized again with pain,
she saw her mate push Dennis roughly aside. Khelin's arms came around her from
be-hind, adding his strength to her muscles that sought to expel the egg.
"You be gentle with her, Khelin, or I'll break you in two."
Khelin breathed softly into her ear. "Ventilate well. With the next
contraction, we go down until it's over."
His hands spread over her abdomen, his webbing caress-ing her ovipositor.
Behind, his genitals hardened as theyoften had when he caressed away her
miseries, but now the elongated member entered the channel above the egg to
bathe it in sperm.
She relaxed into his grasp, and together their ragged breathing deepened to
true ventilation. Hearing this, Den-nis backed away to give them room for the
coming struggle.
And then, with firm, sure movements, Khelin took her down, timing perfectly
with the contraction. His stroking opened her ovipositor sphincters just
before the egg reached them. His strength squeezed the egg from her, leaving
re-laxation behind. The struggle lasted only moments, and the egg slid
smoothly to the bottom of the pond.
He turned her to face him, suddenly every touch as delicate as if she were
made of glass. She'd have bruises where he had held her.
Not even breathless, they burst free of the water, glory-ing in their
accomplishment.
"It was a huge egg, Arshel! I was so afraid you were going to fight it. But
you were magnificent! No blue priest could have done better."
Arshel felt suppressed venom flowing in a warm, joyful trickle into her sack.
"How could anyone fight you!"
He scooped her up and carried her out of the pond.
She slept an entire day away, with Khelin and Dennis taking turns sitting
with her and gazing into the pond at the egg. The next day, she felt fine
again and could tolerate the cooler portion of the house, and so she had them
turn the heat down to readjust to the outside world. With that, Khelin
retreated to his room for an entire day.
Just after midnight, she came out into the main room of the apartment. Trice
and Dennis had taken up the yelling part of their mating ritual the previous
night and were at it again now. However many times he insisted that he didn't
need her at those moments, she still had to squelch a desire to rush to his
side. She would never understand human biology.
"I see you've recovered nicely."
It was Khelin's voice behind her. "Yes, I feel fine. But I have a question. I
don't know why it didn't occur to me before."
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"I can't be your teacher anymore, Arshel."
"No, it's about us. Is it possible I mean, the egg you're from fresh water,
and I "
"Arshel, you know the survival rate for such crosses isn't high. And this is
your first, Arshel. It's a large egg, but even so, you shouldn't really expect
emergence."
"I know," she answered. "But it just now occurred to me that itmight. My
girls are pledged to Dennis, but "
"In that case, you can reach me at MorZdersh'n. I've come to a decision,
Arshel. I'm leaving the temple. I'm not going to attempt the purple again. You
were right. I've learned enough now to protect Ley. This experience with you
has taught me that I've failed to take the purple be-cause I don't wantto
break my life from Ley's. And so I dare not go on at Mautri."
"I, I'm sorry."What have I done?
"No, feel joy for me. You've taught me to see clearly again, even as I've
taught you to begin."
And then it hit her:You can reach me at MorZdersh'n. "You're ending? So
soon?"
"If I stay any longer, I'll have you ovulating again. It was beautiful,
Arshel, but you've had enough for a first time, and I could gladly spend the
rest of the winter with you. But that would be hiding from the task of
rebuilding my life. I'm going now to tell Ley." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]