"A baby is on the team, in your army?" Val's eyes got big as she took two steps backward and then dropped to one knee again. "The prophecy child . . ."
"No, we don't have the Messiah up in our camp, girl-be serious!" Damali raked her locks and walked in a circle."Just my niece."
Val looked up. "You do not know of the prophecy?" Valkyrie stood slowly, appearing confused. "The Messiah is coming this time as-"
"A lion, not a lamb," Carlos said, finishing her sentence."Full grown-the fire this time.Yeah."
"But the Neteru baby . . ." Val looked at Carlos and then Damali."The precursor.The promise that could possibly avert the Armageddon before one-third of the earth's multitudes is destroyed."
"Whoa, sis," Carlos said, holding his hands up and then staring at Damali. "I didn't hearnothing about that. Did you, D?"
Damali shook her head violently. "Uh-uh.Never heard it."
Val hugged herself. "Maybe because we were in the early days . . . before there were lost books of the Bible? We have the full texts of all the religions up there." Her gaze again went between the nervous couple. "We read so much . . . that was all we had to do for pleasure . . . that and debate the philosophies, speculate on all things."
"The Queens ever say anything to you about this, D?" Carlos's expression held quiet panic.
"Uh-uh-the Kings ever, you know, tell you something after our honeymoon?"
"Naw, I woulda told you."
They both looked at Val at the same time. "We gotta get that missing volume."
"Do you want me to go back and retrieve it now, or give you the message Yonnie sent first?"
"The Yonnie message," Damali and Carlos said together.
"Okay, okay, you go in, get the message and then seal her in silver-then throw it to me."
Damali hesitated. "Baby, why didn't you just go in?"
Carlos rubbed his jaw. "I'm dirty-might be carrying a black-charge residue from the hit Father took earlier today. I went in and tried to drape him."
" 'Nuffsaid," Damali murmured. She turned to Val. "Depending on how bad the news is from Yonnie, all this might be a moot point."
"Yeah," Carlos said in a surly tone. "Just like the tour that's supposed to kick off six months from now might be moot. The future is real tenuous around here, Val."
Damali monitored her husband's escalating tension and the rage embedded in it as she laid her palms gently against Valkyrie's temples. The mere mention of a baby, and the loss that she knew they'd both never forget, had suddenly taken Carlos's mood to a very dark place. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, having difficulty with the task. There was no doubt about it, as soon as everyone was settled down, safe, she and Carlos needed to make a Neteru Council run to be sure he wasn't carrying anything toxic that could grow legs and bite them.
But as the images careened through her mind, she knew that might have to wait. "Oh, shit . . ." she murmured, pulling more and more until Val began to shudder."How you holding up, lady?' Damali asked.
Val held Damali's wrists tightly. "Yolando coated it . . . so it wouldn't be so horrible."
Damali opened her eyes for a moment, dazed.
"Translation," Carlos said, folding his arms over his chest."He pleasure-packed it."
Val bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, nodding quickly.
"Oh . . . yeah," Damali said quietly.
"What, it's been so long you forgot how this works?"
Damali simply gave him a look. Something was definitely wrong with her husband.
"It won't affect the receiver, since he was sending to me-and me and him don't have that kind of relationship," Carlos said in a sullen tone. "So you'll get a clean transmission, but this is gonna drop girlfriend to her knees in about thirty seconds . . . got a daylight topspin on it that I can feel halfway across the room!"
"Chill . . . I can't do this with a divided mind," Damali said, trying to keep her focus. "Why're you so pissed off about Yonnie doing whatever?"