at the foot of the bed. ‘Come in, brother dear.’ A spasm rippled the wrapper.
Samlane’s face froze, her mouth half open. The spasm passed. ‘I won’t keep you
long, Samlor,’ she added through a false smile. ‘Leah, wait outside.’
Midwife, husband, and doctor all began to protest. ‘Heqt’s face, get out, get
outV Samlane shrieked, her voice rising even higher as a new series of
contractions racked her. Her piercing fury cut through all objection. Samlor
closed the door behind the midwife. Those in the morning room heard the door
latched but not barred. Regli’s house had been built for room-by-room defence in
the days when bandits or a mob would burst into a dwelling and strip it, in
despite of anything the government might attempt.
The midwife stood, stiff and dour, with her back to the door. Regli ignored her
and slashed at the wall again. ‘In the year I’ve known her, Samlane hasn’t
mentioned her brother a dozen times -and each of those was a curse!’ he said.
‘You must remember, this is a trying time for the lady, too,’ Mernorad said.
‘With her parents, ah, unable to travel, it’s natural that she wants her
brother-‘
‘Natural?’ Regli shouted. ‘It’s my child she’s bearing! My son, perhaps. What am
I doing out here?’
‘What would you be doing in there?’ the doctor observed, tart himself in
response to his patron’s anger.
Before either could say more, the door swung open, bumping the midwife. Samlor
gestured with his thumb. ‘She wants you to fix her pillows,’ he said curtly. He
picked up his knife and began walking across the morning room towards the hall.