Despite the Angels by Madeline A Stringer Read Free Book Online Page B

other’s bellies, planning their baby’s future.
    When it was time for Elena and her family to return home, Alessia gave her the clay baby to remind the Mother that she hoped for a safe delivery and healthy baby. Elena pointed out that the priestess would ask for an offering of money also.
    “Don’t they always,” sighed Trynor, “those priestesses are always taking money, for nothing; we hear you perfectly well without caves or priestesses. But do it, if it makes you happy.”
     

Chapter 6
     
    Alessia was finding work very hot. Although the workshop was gloomy inside, the midsummer heat was beating through the flat roof and gathering in the room, unable to find a way out. They were all doing work that did not need the furnace, so it had been let go out.. Alessia was making wire, pushing a thin cylinder of gold through a slightly smaller hole in a piece of wood, but it was difficult as her hands were constantly wet and the smooth metal slid through her fingers as though it was oiled. She wiped her hands on her skirt and tried again to get a grip on the slippery gold.
    “I wish I had a piece a bit further advanced,” she grumbled to Rasifi, who was beating a little sheet of gold with a tiny hammer. “It would be easier to get a grip if it was thin enough to bend.”  Rasifi grunted assent and wiped the sweat off her forehead.
    “It’s not really working weather at all, we never get much done in midsummer. But there’s no point in wasting the time totally. Might as well do something.”
    This time it was Alessia who grunted, but it was with surprise. She put a hand to her apron, but could feel nothing out of the ordinary, apart from the huge bulge that sat on her lap like a soft boulder. She stroked it gently and as she did, she felt it change from a soft boulder to a hard one and she grunted again. Rasifi looked up.
    “Is it starting?”
    Alessia nodded, stunned into silence.
    “We had better get you home, then. No baby wants to be born in a workshop. Come on, it is better to go while you can still walk.” She explained to Mikolos and the boys what was happening, setting up a flurry of excitement, so they hovered about fussing while, Rasifi went to tell Danthys and his family. Although Alessia now lived with Danthys’ parents, it had been decided that she would go to Rasifi’s home for the birth of her baby. Rasifi had more experience of delivering babies than Danthys’ mother, who had found her own experiences of delivery rather alarming and did not want to be too closely involved where, as she said herself, she was more likely to fret than be helpful. Rasifi on the other hand was a woman whose very presence was calming and other women of the town often called on her to help.
    Danthys ran in from the shop next door, his young face pale. He grabbed Alessia’s hand and stared into her face, his lips quivering.
    “Oh, Alessia, my love, what have we done? I must be crazy to have put you in danger!”
    “What danger, you ridiculous boy?” Rasifi bustled in behind him. “A baby is arriving, that’s all. Danger indeed. If we do what we must and trust in the Mother, all will be well. Now instead of regretting what’s past, which you don’t regret anyway, you fraud, get your arm around your woman and help her back to the house.”
    They made slow progress back to the town, having to stop every now and then to allow Alessia to lean on Danthys and wait for the waves of pain to pass; and stopping more often to explain to passers-by what was afoot and to receive their good wishes for a safe and easy delivery, “and a healthy baby, if it is the Mother’s wish.”  When they reached the house, Alessia refused to go inside, but sat outside in the shade where there was a small breeze making its way up the narrow street.  There was still heat in the day and Alessia’s face was red and damp. The three of them sat together in front of the house and in between Alessia’s pains they talked of many things,