Female bodies nearby. A mixture of perfume and sweat, the musky woman odor he had known in a thousand beds. Close by. Very near. Blade began to hope. If a woman found him ….

A woman said, «What was that, Valli? Did you hear it?»

«Shhh-be quiet a moment. Yes, I heard something. It sounded like a baby crying.»

«A baby! How could that be, Valli? You know babies aren't allowed in the harem. I must have been mistaken. Come on. It was only the wind in the reeds.»

«Be quiet, I say. I'm sure I heard something. And we both know, Stel, that some of the women have babies and put them out to die.»

The woman Valli had a light and pleasant voice, with some force in it, and, Blade thought, a tinge of kindness. He made his decision. With a woman like this he might stand a chance. He let out a series of wails and waved his hands and feet frantically in the air. He felt his sphincter muscles let go and cursed as he wet himself.

The reeds parted and the two women stood looking down at him. Blade closed his eyes, but continued to kick and scream. It would not do to let them see his eyes. Adult eyes. Not yet. Not until he had established a claim to their affections.

«It is a baby,» said the woman called Stel. «You were right, Valli. One of the women has had a child and put it out here to die. Come away. We mustn't touch it. You know the penalty for concealing babies in the harem.»

Damn it. Blade almost stopped crying. He must have strayed into a pretty weird dimension if they killed off babies.

«I can't leave it,» said she called Valli. «I just can't, Stel. Look at it-so helpless. Poor little thing. It's all wet and dirty.»

«And deformed, too. Look at its head. See how big it is. Ugh-no wonder the mother got rid of it. It's a monster.»