The Children of Calm by J Michael Smith Page B

silvery-green. The fabric was thin and stretchy. Rylek lifted it out of the package, unfolded it, and discovered it was a full-bodied fitted tunic.
    “Wow,” Tresten said. “Thanks for the long underwear, Mom.” It was the first thing he had said all night.
    Penephoni smiled. “It’s more than just plain old simple ‘long underwear,’” she said. “It’s made of a special fabric that Kelni and I have developed. It insulates in colder temperatures, yet keeps you cool in warmer temperatures. It’s also water-proof and lightweight.”
    Lana looked impressed. “This is amazing!” she said. “What’s it made of?”
    “It’s actually a blend of cotton and dried starpod skin,” Penephoni said. Lana and Selenor both giggled. “Looks like another point for starpods,” Lana said. They looked at Tresten.
    He groaned. “I never said they were worthless. The point I was making was they have no medicinal value, if you can trouble yourselves to remember correctly.”
    Rylek jumped up and hugged Penephoni. “Thank you so much, Aunt Penni!” he said. “I’m sure these will be much appreciated when we’re on our Finding.”
    Selenor and Lana agreed, hugging and thanking her also.
    “I still don’t understand why we all have to do our Findings together,” Tresten said as he hugged his mother. “I was rather looking forward to the time in isolation.”
    Penephoni looked surprised. “Who said you have to do them together?” she asked as she sat down between her two children.
    “You mean you didn’t tell her?” Tresten asked Selenor.
    She shook her head. “I figured I’d wait until you got home.”
    “Who told you to do them together?” Penephoni asked again.
    “Elder Caenar,” Selenor said. “He talked with us all this afternoon, implying there was somewhere north by the sea that is important for us all to be. He spoke very mysteriously, don’t you think, Lana?
    “Yes,” Lana agreed. “He was insistent on all of us going north together to experience the sea. I wonder why.”
    Penephoni looked troubled. “Could it be?” she said, almost to herself. “He hasn’t said anything to me…”
    “What?” Tresten asked.
    She sat silently for a few moments. “Nothing,” she said finally. “It’s nothing. Sorry, I’m just a bit distracted by the surprising news, that’s all.”
    “I certainly don’t want to go north,” Tresten said. “I was thinking of heading east, to try to find Celek.”
    Penephoni looked surprised at this too. “Celek? Is he missing?”
    ‘No,” Selenor said. “He just left.”
    Penephoni shook her head. “That’s unusual,” she said. “It’s almost New Year and he wouldn’t normally want to miss your birthday.”
    “Yeah, and there’s that,” Tresten said. “So is he our father or not?”
    “Your father?” she asked, taken aback. “Tresten, of course not! Well, at least I’ve never heard anyone say that before. What is all this? What are you talking about anyway?”
    Selenor sighed. “Celek talked to Tresten and me privately this afternoon. He said he couldn’t live anymore in the place he was denied the ability to raise the two children that were rightfully his.”
    “Rightfully his?” Penephoni asked. “No one’s ever said anything about him being your natural father. But…” she trailed off into silence for a few moments. “No, you see, your…your real mother certainly didn’t seem to know him when she was here; though I do remember him taking it awfully hard when she died. And come to think of it, he acted as though he were extremely upset when I was chosen to raise the two of you. But, no, that can’t be it. I think there’s something else he means.”
    She stopped and cleared her throat. “I’ve never told you this before, partly because I never thought it important, and partly because it seemed like idle gossip. But not long after the two of you were born, Celek did ask me to marry him.”
    There were four audible exclamations in the