Chapter 18

"I want to go back to work."

"Why not?"

"My six months will be up at the end of September or the beginning of October, depending on how they count. The weddings are a week apart, September 30 in South Australia and October 7 in Queensland. We could fly to Adelaide around the 25^th, to Roma on the 2^nd or 3^rd, and home on the 10^th. I could start work on Monday the 16^th."

"You got it all planned out, eh?"

"Except for one part."

"And that is... ?"

"Pat. No creche will take a six-month-old all day."

"Can't we get a nanny?"

"It'll eat up most of my earnings."

"Could you work halftime?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Split with Michiko. You take Rachel part of the time, she takes Patrick part of the time. I'll bet that there are plenty of things she'd like to do with some spare time. You've got months yet. I'll tell you what. I'll get home around noon on Thursday – I'll tell SciTech I can't make the afternoon – and you go off to Royal Perth when you put Patrick down. See what the Director can work out."

"Sounds really good. The Commander's right. You are brilliant!"

"If you say so. Who knows me better?."

"Yes, dear."

"I thought I was supposed to say that."

"I did it to throw you off balance."

"Ri-i-i-ght." There was a peeping noise.

"He's waking up. I'll feed and change him. Or change and feed. You tell him another story while I get us dinner. They always put him to sleep."

"Thanks for the supportive literary criticism."

Five minutes later, I was settled down, holding a talcum-scented Patrick. "Today I'm going to tell you an American Indian tale I read. I think it's a Crow story.

In the beginning, Old Man Coyote stood alone in the water. Two ducks swam by and Coyote asked whether they had seen anyone else. The ducks said no but thought that perhaps something might exist under the water.

Coyote asked if they'd travel underwater for him and tell him what they saw. The ducks did that, but found nothing. He asked again and the ducks came back with a root. On the third try, they found mud and Coyote was happy. He told the ducks that they could build with the mud, and he began to shape and mould the mud into an island. He blew on it, and it got bigger. He blew again, and it grew into the earth. The ducks said they did not like the empty earth, so Coyote created grass and trees out of the roots that came from the water.

Coyote and the ducks loved the earth, but it was very flat. They wanted rivers, valleys, mountains, and lakes. So it was done. Soon Coyote and the ducks made their perfect earth. But they grew lonely with only the three of them to sit and enjoy the land. So Coyote moulded dirt to form men and then more mud to create many types of male ducks. Then they realized that without women, there could be no children. So with more dirt Coyote made women and female ducks to populate the earth.

One day Old Man Coyote travelled over the land and was surprised to meet another Coyote. When asked where he came from, the younger brother, named Shirape, said he was unsure and only knew that he was. As the two travelled along, Shirape wanted Old Man Coyote to make other animals, for there were only ducks, humans, and the two Coyote had been created. The elder Coyote agreed and as he spoke the new animals' names, they were created. He said "Elk" and an elk appeared. He said "Bear" and a bear appeared. Thus all the animals were created.

And now you can be put in your bed." And I got up and covered him up.

"That was a good one," Weena said.

"There are a lot of good ones. From all over. And so many have word-magic."