The Book of True Desires by Betina Krahn

Author:Betina Krahn [Krahn, Betina]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780515141702
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2006-08-28T22:00:00+00:00

Twenty-one

“I need to check out the rest of the camp,” she said. “Are you coming?”

“I suppose someone has to keep you from shooting at moons in the forest.” They walked around the tents, checking, listening. Other than the professor’s snoring, all seemed quiet and peaceful—until they got to the area where the burros were grazing. There, a ragged panting sound was coming from the far side of one of the hillocks. Guns cocked and ready, they inched their way around and found Rita standing with her back bowed and her belly contracted into an odd point, panting heavily with each breath.

“Did your ‘panting’ sound anything like that?” Goodnight scowled.

Suddenly, Rita brayed loudly, sank onto her knees, and rolled over onto her side. They rushed to see what was wrong and Goodnight—muttering to himself—checked her rear quarters and issued a diagnosis.

“She’s foaling.” He laid his gun against the nearest hillock and went around to the animal’s head. “You’d better get the ‘banana boys.’”

Minutes later, the Platanos were on their knees beside Rita, one stroking her head and the other checking the progress of her labor. Ruz declared the feet were coming…he could see a membrane bubble… which burst as a sharp little hoof emerged. But there, all progress stopped.

“Only one leg!” Ruz called to Itza, clearly panicked. “Only one comes!”

Cordelia knew the word for “one” and “leg” wasn’t difficult to figure out. Goodnight picked up the same information and grabbed Ruz by the shoulders.

“The other leg is back,” he declared. “It needs to be pulled forward with the other one so she can deliver.” He made thrusting and grasping motions, then pantomimed pulling. Ruz’s eyes became the size of saucers. He began wringing his hands and rattling off a lament to Itza, a few words of which were close enough to English equivalents to let them know Ruz was wishing for a bruja, undoubtedly a midwife of some sort.

“Is it serious?” Cordelia asked, pulling Goodnight aside, studying his grim expression.

“In that position, the baby can’t fit through the canal. They could both die.”

“Surely something can be done,” she said, glancing at the cantankerous Rita, feeling an unexpected sympathy for the struggling mother-to-be.

“I tried to tell him—I don’t think he is up to doing what has to be done.”

“You know about donkey births?” She looked at him in dismay.

“Horses. I’ve been around a number of foaling horses. Assisted a few.” He looked at the brothers who were panicky and yelling at each other, and he began to roll up his sleeves. “I’ll need my medicine bag.”

A heartbeat later, she was in motion. Soon after, she entered his tent and located the leather bag of medicinals she had seen in Havana. The professor woke up as she exited and lurched from his cot demanding to know what was happening. Grabbing his boots, he followed her to Rita’s location.

Soon they were standing by the laboring burro, watching in astonishment as the fastidious British butler inserted a well-lubricated arm into the birth canal and managed to find the other front leg and reposition it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.