“She does?” Danni looked at her skeptically. “You’re saying that the Mother Stone is what allows you to give birth to babies with, er, large craniums?”
“Well yes—of course.” Navii shrugged. “It has always been so among our people.”
“I see.” Danni nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking a little further—what is the mortality rate for mothers and babies during this kind of birth?” she asked.
“Mortality rate?” Navii looked confused again.
“How many mothers and babies die during childbirth?” Danni clarified.
Navii looked horrified all over again.
“Why, none! How should anyone die of giving birth? It is so easy and quick with the Mother Stone’s help! Why, with little Gazimba I felt my time upon me as I was plucking fruit for our First Meal, so I went to the Chamber of the Mother Stone and I was back in time after the birth to serve Mid Meal to my family with no problems.”
“Wow…” Danni shook her head, amazed. “That’s truly wonderful, Navii,” she said, wondering if it could possibly be true. “I’m afraid it’s not like that on my planet—or with most humanoid species either.”
“Oh, my dear friend…” Navii put a hand on her arm. “Are you saying that you come from a place where giving birth is difficult? So difficult that the mothers and babies die of it at times?”
There were tears glimmering in her large purple eyes as she spoke.
“Well, I’m afraid so,” Danni admitted. “Of course, it’s much better now than it was in the past. Modern medical technology—especially Kindred technology—”
But Navii was clearly not understanding a word she said. The H’raken woman shook her head and brushed tears from her eyes.
“What a sad place to live,” she said, shaking her head. “My poor, dear friend!”
“I’m all right—honestly,” Danni said awkwardly. “I, er, can’t have children myself, so I’m in no danger of dying during childbirth.”
“Ah yes—you are barren.” Navii nodded sympathetically. “Remember to ask the Mother Stone to help your husband heal you when you come into her chamber. And the more you bathe in her light and power, the more she will be able to work on your problem.”
“Um, thank you,” Danni said, trying to smile. “So—what am I wearing to the feast tonight?” she asked, trying to change the subject away from her own infertility.
“Oh—I have just the gown for you!” Navii clapped her hands excitedly. “Come into my bedchamber and I will show you!”
The gown turned out to be a long, white shift that was even thinner and more see-through than the one Navii was currently wearing. It was made of a filmy, silky material—like silk, Danni thought, only slipperier—that clung to her curves and outlined the points of her nipples obscenely.
The reason for this was because Navii wouldn’t let her wear her bra or any kind of underwear under the shift.
“But you can barely tell,” Danni pleaded, looking longingly at her abandoned white lace bra. “I mean, my bra is white and this, uh, dress is white so really—”
“I’m afraid it’s disrespectful to wear anything that might obscure your husband’s sight of your body,” Navii said firmly. “Or keep him from feeling you properly when he gives you loving touches.” She frowned at Danni. “I do not like to comment on the state of your Joining, but possibly the reason your other half does not love you as he should is that you refuse to show him your body as you ought to. Do you always wear such thick, opaque clothing?” she asked, nodding at the green silk blouse and neat black pencil skirt Danni had reluctantly discarded.
“It is…not the custom of my people to wear see-through clothes so our husbands can ogle us and grope us,” Danni said, a bit testily. “So my husband, uh, Bravik, doesn’t expect that of me.”
“Ah, then think of the lovely surprise he will have when he sees your breasts and sex displayed so clearly!” Navii exclaimed, delighted.
Actually, Danni was afraid to imagine the big Kindred’s reaction when he saw her in this outfit. She gritted her teeth. Clearly there was nothing she could say to get out of wearing the silky, see-through gown, even though it was going to be damn embarrassing to appear in public—and in front of Bravik—in it.
Well, at least she was wearing a pair of the float dots that were all the rage among women aboard the Mother Ship. Liv had given her a pair—they were simply two little dots that you wore on the underside of your breast, right where it met your chest wall. The float dots defied gravity and caused the wearer’s breasts to appear perky and firm.
They were a lovely invention and they saved Danni—who had rather large, heavy breasts—from having to wear the heavy-duty over-the-shoulder-bolder-holder bras she used to wear before she got the float dots. In fact, she mainly wore a bra now to protect her overly-sensitive nipples—which were also on the large size and tended to stick straight out in an embarrassing way.