The Whore of Babylon

Chapter 24 | part 1

Eliana screamed as the baby fought to be free of her. She was being ripped in two from the inside out – it felt like the child was dragging her innards out with it.

The labour had progressed quickly, and before Utu was fully risen in the sky she was ready to push. The birthing chair had been brought in a hurry by two sleep-addled slaves. Mari helped her into it, and she gripped the arms of the chair, placing her hands just where Kisha had when she had sat here.

With Mari busy at her lower end, preparing to bring the baby into the world, the space beside Eliana felt horribly empty; she wanted her sister, Ashan, even her father – anyone to hold her hand and give her courage. Through the long, dark hours of pain since her waters had broken, there were only two thoughts in her mind: to get the baby out of her, and to survive. Lasmashtu, the childbed demon, hovered at her shoulder. She had already taken Eliana's mother and sister – the fear that she would take her too was overwhelming, suffocating.

'Breathe, my lady!' called Mari from her position near the bottom of the chair. Her voice sounded muffled in Eliana's ears.

But one whispering voice sounded in her mind as clear as a forest stream. 'Push, Elly. It'll be alright, I promise.' The faintest breath of warm breeze caressed her cheek, and she felt Kisha there beside her, shielding her from Lasmashtu.

Gritting her teeth and gripping the arms of the chair so hard that her knuckles threatened to split the skin, Eliana bore down as hard as she could, straining to free the baby from her body, suddenly filled with a desperate longing to meet it – Ashan's child – to hold a little part of him in her arms, to discover whether she had delivered her own saviour, a boy child, or whether she must face Samsu's wrath.

With a final strain, a wrench and a cry, it was out. Eliana collapsed against the back of the chair as Mari moved rapidly, cleaning and swaddling the baby and cutting the cord.

She lurched forward again as her body gave another great heave, expelling the afterbirth with another spasm of gripping pain.

When it seemed to be over at last, Eliana slumped back against the chair. 'What is it, Mari?' she asked weakly.

'A daughter, my lady,' Mari said in a near-whisper.

'Oh.' Eliana was so filled with disappointment that she could find no other words – the bottom seemed to have dropped out of her stomach; her eyes filled with tears as she reached for the child.

As she was about to take the bundle of linen and yowling infant from Mari, her stomach suddenly contorted again – she doubled over with a cry of pain as another gush of bloody fluid flooded from her, spattering the tiles beneath the birthing chair.

'What's – what's happening?' she gasped, panic-stricken, hazy with pain and fear.

Mari rushed to set the screaming baby in her arms gently on the bed; she hurried back to inspect her mistress. 'I think... I think there's another one coming!' she cried, eyes wide with shock.

'Twins?' whispered Eliana. 'I'll never survive it!'

Mari was at her side in a moment, gripping her hand hard. 'You will, I swear it. I won't let you go to Ereshkigal. You shall live to see your Ashan again and watch his babies grow up.'

Eliana's jaw dropped. 'You know?' she whispered.

Laughing shortly, Mari said, 'I am a maid, not a fool. I promised you could trust me, my lady. The secret goes to my grave with me.'

'And Asag?'

'Has no idea.'

Nodding, Eliana opened her mouth to speak again, but a guttural scream was all that came out as her stomach contracted.

Mari disappeared back to the other end of the chair. 'I see it! Push!'

With the last ounce of her strength, Eliana strained against the chair, struggling to free her body of its burden. Finally, first one shoulder, then another appeared, and the baby slid silently into Mari's arms.

Her daughter still screamed alone on the bed, tugging at Eliana's heart. She did not have the strength to move, though she longed to hold the baby, to comfort her.

The girl's cries were the only sound in the room.

'Mari?' she called, voice cracking with the worry, trying to sit up. 'What's happening?'

'The cord was wrapped around his neck.' Mari answered shortly, her back to Eliana.

'His...?' Eliana's heart leapt.

'A boy, but he's not breathing.'

The world seemed to disintegrate around her, and every aching muscle tensed. 'Not... breathing? Is he...?' she didn't dare to speak the words, to make them real. Surely Ninlil would not be so cruel as to send her a boy and then snatch him away in the same instant.

She waited, herself not breathing as Mari worked frantically over the child, blowing on his face and massaging the chest.

Another cry tore the air, and Eliana went limp with relief as her son's wails joined her daughter's.

Triumphantly, Mari turned to face her mistress. She brought the boy over and placed him at Eliana's breast, before going to fetch his sister and placing her beside him. Against their mother, the twins quieted into gentle snuffling breaths.

With an overwhelming rush of love, Eliana kissed first one, then the other, marvelling at every little detail, feeling the warm weight of them against her, inhaling the newborn scent.

She held them like that, in blissful stillness, for long minutes as Mari put the room to rights, mopping up the fluid from the floor and wrapping the afterbirth in sheets for burial.

Everything was back in order when Samsu strode in, Ashan at his heels. He looked down at Eliana, still in the birthing chair. 'Well, karkittu?'

'Twins, sir,' she smiled. 'One of each.'

Over his shoulder, she saw Ashan's face soften almost imperceptibly as he gazed on his children.

'Which is the boy?' asked Samsu.

Eliana lifted one shoulder, indicating which side she held him on. Samsu reached down and plucked him from her breast, cradling the child as gently as though he were a vase of the most delicate alabaster.

Unexpectedly, his face split into a wide grin. 'I have a son! Well done, I shall see you rewarded for this. Ashan, come here and meet my boy.'

He turned, and Ashan reached out a tentative finger, stroking the downy hair atop the his son's head. 'He takes after you, sir, don't you think?'

Samsu gave a short bark of laughter, startling the boy, who began to wail again. 'Perhaps. He certainly has my voice. Here, take him back, karkittu, I cannot bear that noise.'

He placed the baby back on her chest.

'Do you have names for them, sir?' she asked.

'Eshu, for my son.'

'And for your daughter?'

Samsu shrugged. 'Name her what you like. As soon as you and he are strong enough, you and Eshu shall be taken on procession through the city – we will show the people their future ruler, and remind them that his blood is half Nippurite.'

'If you will it,' she smiled, delighted at the prospect of another trip out into the city. 'If it doesn't displease you, I will name the girl Nisala, for my mother.'

'Fine,' Samsu agreed. 'Ashan, prepare the procession for one week's time. That should be sufficient. And have a message sent to my father.' He looked back at Eliana, noticing her tangled, sweat-matted hair, and the blood smeared up her legs and on her gown. 'Well done, karkittu. Now get yourself cleaned up, you look a mess.'

He left without a backward glance, leaving his stepson to follow. Quickly bending over the chair, Ashan kissed both of his children, and then Eliana. He pressed his forehead lovingly to hers, before turning and going after Samsu.