“Just a few cells.” He looked up in surprise. “You mean you’ve got some? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Here,” he said, and led him to a computer.
“We have a database containing all preserved samples of extinct species. If a sample exists, we can find it for you.”
Ukatonen watched columns of names and code numbers scroll by. “I don’t know the names of the animals we’re looking for. I know what they do, though.”
“We’ll help you,” Dr. Fardhi said eagerly.
Several hours later, they had come up with several possibilities.
“How about this one?” Dr. Karim suggested, pointing at the listing for a bird. “We have a lot of samples of that one.”
Ukatonen shook his head. “It would be better to start with something small and simple. An insect, perhaps.”
“Let’s use this butterfly, then,” said Dr. Nugroho, the entomologist. “We have samples on site.”
“Yes,” Ukatonen replied. “It would pollinate several important species. I’ll need some supplies, though,” he said, picking up a pencil and some paper to make a list.
Three weeks later, Ukatonen peered into the cracked aquarium that held the pupating butterflies.
’They’re hatching,” he said.
Dr. Nugroho leaned forward, his breath fogging the glass, as a wet-winged butterfly emerged from its smooth brown pupa, and slowly flapped its wings to dry them.
“Look at it! Look at it!” he whispered, as excited as a child. “I can’t believe it’s real!” He remembered himself long enough to stick his head out of the door to the lab and shout that the butterflies were hatching, before he returned to watching them emerge. The room filled with people. Ukatonen waited until the initial excitement had died down, then picked up the aquarium.
“What are you doing!” Dr. Nugroho cried.
“I was going to set them free,” Ukatonen said.
“But— ”
“There are three more tanks full of butterflies, if you want to study them,” Ukatonen said, a flicker of amusement running down his back.
Dr. Nugroho nodded grudgingly. “All right,” he said. “We’ll let these go.”
They trooped out into the forest. Ukatonen set the tank of butterflies down in the middle of a sunbreak near the trees they pollinated. He put his arms into the cage, drops of nectar beading up from his spurs. Soon his forearms were covered with butterflies, eagerly drinking nectar from his spurs. He lifted his arms up into a shaft of sunlight, waited a few moments while the sun warmed the insects, then gently shook his arms. The startled butterflies fluttered up into the air like colored pieces of paper caught in an updraft. The humans watched quietly, their faces alight with awe. One or two of them had tears running down their cheeks.
Ukatonen felt suddenly light inside, as though he could soar like one of the butterflies he had just released. It had been a very long time since he had felt such pure joy. He had found the right work to do.
The call woke Juna in the middle of the night. She struggled to sit up, aware that her bladder was full again. “Comm on!” she called. “Hello, who is it?” “Juna, it’s Analin. Ukatonen’s done it again! He’s revived an extinct species!” “Oh,” Juna said, struggling to wrap her tired brain around the news. “It’s the middle of the night here. Can you call me back in about four hours, when I’m awake?”
“I’m sorry, Juna, but the press has gone crazy. I need a statement now.”
Juna sighed. “Give me a couple of minutes, okay? I’ll call you back.”
When the comm winked off, Juna rolled out of bed and waddled down the hall to the bathroom. There was a month to go now, and the increasingly tyrannical demands the baby was putting on her body were getting tedious. She was tired of getting up several times a night to pee.
She stood up and rearranged her voluminous nightgown over the bulk of her belly, then waddled back to her room.
She turned on the light and sat down in front of the comm unit, trying to think through a fog of sleepiness. Ukatonen had brought back an extinct species. She smiled. It sounded like something he would do. She hoped that he wouldn’t get so involved in this project that he would forget to come up and help her have the baby. She and Moki both missed him a great deal, and she wanted his reassuring presence in the link when she went into labor.
She reached out to activate the comm. The sooner I deal with this problem, the sooner I can get back to bed, she thought, and punched the activation button.
“Comm on. Return last call.”
I’ve wet the bed, Juna thought as she awoke. Then realization dawned on her. Thank god Ukatonen got here on Tuesday, she thought with a sudden sense of relief.
“Moki, wake up,” she called. “My water’s broken. It’s time. Get Ukatonen and Selena, call Dr. Engle.” As she was getting out of bed, she had a contraction. She propped herself up and tried to breathe through it, then got up, grabbed a clean, dry nightgown, and headed for the bath-oom.
Ukatonen met her as she was emerging from the bathroom. “Moki said the baby is coming.”
“Yes, my water has broken.”
“Shouldn’t you be lying down?”
“It’s all right, Ukatonen,” Selena told him as she came down the hallway with Moki. “The baby won’t be coming for a while yet.”
“Here,” Juna said, holding out her arms. “Let’s go into my room and link. That’ll help you understand what’s happening.”
They sat in a circle on the floor.
Selena touched her shoulder as they were reaching out to link. “Juna?”
“Yes?” Juna said, concerned that Selena was going to try to stop the link.
“Can I join this link? If I’m to be your midwife, it might help me see how things are going.”
“A-are you sure?” Juna asked, surprised.
Selena gave her a long, serious look. “I think it will help.”
’Thank you,” Juna said.
While Moki and Ukatonen were showing Selena how to link, another contraction rippled through Juna’s abdomen. They waited until it passed, and then the four of them linked.
Juna could feel her daughter’s cloudy, unfocused fear and confusion. She enfolded the baby with love and reassurance. Cradled in her mother’s familiar presence, the baby relaxed. Moki and the others surrounded the child with their love and comfort. Juna felt Selena’s quiet, joyful presence watching over her and the baby, and her own worry was eased.
Another contraction went through her like some internal earthquake. The baby’s fear surged and Moki and Ukatonen soothed the frightened child. There was a stretching pain as Juna’s womb squeezed the baby downward, and she remembered to pant hard. Ukatonen blocked her pain, and helped her relax and breathe. When the contraction was over, they gently eased out of the link.
Dr. Engle was watching with Toivo, Astrid, and several other women in the family.
“It’s all right. They were just checking the baby,” Juna reassured them.
“And how is she?” Dr. Engle asked.
Juna smiled. “Scared but strong.”
“And Mom?” he asked.
Selena nodded. “She just had a nice strong contraction. Her cervix is dilating. She’s not in a lot of pain, and she’s relaxed. The baby’s head is exactly where it needs to be. It should be an easy labor.”
“Good. Next time, let me in the link. I want to see what’s going on.”
After that, it was just a matter of time, walking up and down the long hallway to the common room, pausing to breathe through the contractions. They linked every few contractions, reassuring the baby, and helping Juna relax, easing her cervix open.
Juna and the baby rode out the labor and delivery cushioned on the love and support of the women of the For-tunati family, assisted by Dr. Engle and the Tendu. The older children tiptoed in and out of the delivery room, fetching and carrying, or just watching quietly in a corner. The youngest watched with their mothers. When the baby crowned, every child old enough to understand was there to watch the delivery.