fortress. But we’ll see. I hear the dragons are nowhere to be found right now. Kyandros has been looking. Nothing.”
“Could we hope that they’re actually gone?” Jennifer asks. “I mean, they’re not gone gone. But maybe they have decided to leave this region, find better places elsewhere?
I put more not-coffee leaves into the pot and hang it over the fire. “In that case, the spidermonkey chief has to allow us to enter Bune again. It’s only fair.”
Jen sighs. “I wonder if he will see it the same way—”
She cuts herself off. Caroline has come out of the cave and stops as if about to make a statement.
Suddenly, the whole village is totally quiet.
“Sophia has given birth to a healthy boy,” she announces in perfect cavemanese. “Both are in good shape.”
A sincere, happy cheer rises from everyone, really loudly so we know Sophia can hear it. This is only the second boy born in the village, after Caroline’s son.
“Jax’zan is in poor shape,” Caroline continues, “but claims that it’s only nerves and that he’ll be fine. I think he may be right. Those who wish to verify my announcement may now do so, one at a time.”
We all laugh with relief. Nobody needs to check that Caroline tells the truth – she’s the most loved and trustworthy person on Xren. The lab coat girls queue up to see Sophia, while we ‘dragon girls’ await our turn sitting down.
“Meanwhile, Dolly, you were gone with Brank’ox for weeks,” Jen says and sends me a little smile. “Any results from that?”
“Not as far as I know,” I admit. “Not yet, anyway. But we’ll keep trying, just because. I mean, not that we’re trying. But it’s not like there’s an alternative. I’m totally okay with that. If ever I wanted kids, it will be with Brank’ox. And speak of the pyrotechnics master…”
Brank’ox is strolling towards us, straight and relaxed, muscles playing, his pink stripes ridiculously bright in the sunshine.
I get up on tiptoes like usual, and he kisses me.
“How is my wife?”
“She’s fine. How is my husband?”
“He is unbelievably fine. What was that noise? The cheering?”
“Sophia gave birth,” I inform him. “Very successfully, it’s said.”
“Oh,” he says, staring at the cave. “Already? I had wanted to watch that.”
I hide a smile behind my hand. “Really? I doubt Sophia would have allowed it. She can be weird like that. But I’m sure you’ll have a chance later.”
“They say it’s different from how the tribes get the babies out of the Lifegivers. Apparently, it’s a terrifying sight. But still, I’d have liked to know.”
I fill a cup of not-coffee for him. “Why don’t you sit down, my love? Relax after your patrol. Any dragons around?”
He accepts the cup and sits down, stretching his legs and sighing comfortably. “None. But there were Bigs and Smalls. We let them keep on doing their things. I like the jungle better when it’s full of them than when it’s quiet, and there could be an evil dragon behind every bush.”
“We all prefer it like that,” Jennifer says. “As long as nothing dangerous comes too close to the village. I kind of like that castle idea, myself.”
Delyah comes out of the cave and over to us, wiping her face. “Oh my. I always get so emotional when there’s a birth. We’ll have to decide where we’ll place the school. And the kindergarten. And we need schoolbooks. Someone has to get started with a printing press as soon as possible. I’m looking at you, Jennifer.”
Jennifer scratches her chin. “Me? I do have my soap business to consider. But with a printing press, I can make flyers with ads for my soap! I’ll drive Dolly out of business when I tell everyone that she uses corrosives to make her D’ølaÿ.”
“So do you,” I protest. “It’s a necessary part of the soapmaking process.”
“Yeah, but she who controls the press, controls the truth. Also, your soap contains broken glass. See? Yeah, sign me up for the printing press, Delyah. I’ll make millions of... green leaves!”
She’s so mock enthusiastic, we all laugh.
“Nah,” she says and reaches out to me, squeezing my knee. “I won’t be the bitch that brings advertising to Xren. But watch out for that D’ølaÿ chick. She’s a genius. Best soap on Xren. And I should know, I stole all her secrets.”
“Also,” Delyah says. “The patrols are back. Nobody has seen a dragon for miles. None. Zero. And the guys that went to Bune say that they were not stopped by spidermonkeys. They could