The Rcyyt very politely greeted the tsunami of unwanted guests the next morning. Kharmadi flattered herself well versed enough in Rcyyt body language to interpret their extreme, almost rude, politeness as nervousness. The grinding of many Rcyyt teeth was another clue.
The ceremony proceeded almost exactly as Iol had described it. A great deal of time was taken up with deciding who would stand where in the various circles. Neither the official Terran representatives nor the delegates from the Intergalactic Alliance were happy with the Rcyyt decision to put the all the colonists in one circle and all other aliens in the next, outer circle. The official Rcyyt spokesperson claimed that all the aliens had to go in order of their introduction to the Rcyyt. Which meant that the Terran and I.A. representatives were mixed together in the outermost circle, unable to see or hear very much of what went on in the center.
From her position in the second to the last circle, Kharmadi couldn't see either. She spent most of her time biting her lip and hoping to hear a high-pitched infant squeal.
Unfortunately, in due time she saw the tiny nude infant, sleeping quite soundly, being passed through the circle in front of her. Each Rcyyt in its turn jiggled, jostled, spoke to, blew in the face of, and in almost every conceivable way attempted to wake the tiny alien. To no avail. Far too soon, Kharmadi saw the Rcyyt in front of her turn around to hand the child back.
Only as she reached out to take her turn did Kharmadi realize her palms were sweating. She hastily pulled her hands back and wiped them on her coveralls. The Rcyyt handing her the infant took this as its opportunity to try again to wake the child. Kharmadi tried a weak smile, hoping she didn't look panicked, and took a deep breath.
From behind her someone said, "Get on with it!"
Reluctantly Kharmadi took the infant in her hands.
It was far smaller than her previous experience with Terran infants, and definitely lighter. It was a pale purply-blue color, completely bald, wrinkled, thin, and fit easily into her two cupped hands. Other than that, it looked remarkably Terran, all scrunched up into a fetal position that hid whatever differences might be found on its chest, stomach, or crotch, with its hands balled into fists by its cheeks. It felt warm and soft in her hands, not as bony as she would have suspected from its gaunt appearance. Its tiny, tiny feet, not even as big as the last section of her thumbs, with such tiny minuscule toes, were irresistible. Kharmadi leaned over her cupped hands, letting her lips barely brush those tiny toes in the gentlest of kisses.
The piercing howl, completely out of pitch and volume for such a tiny thing, startled Kharmadi, and she hastily looked around for someone to take nasty, noisy, ungrateful wretch.
An older Rcyyt approached with Iol and Bybri. The older Rcyyt spoke, and a piece of equipment held by Bybri translated, "What would you name the baby?"
Amazed that no one would take the baby from her, no matter how much she held it out to them, it took a moment before Kharmadi could remember what name she was supposed to give. "Elari."
"And what is your one name?"
"What?" Kharmadi turned to Iol for help. "What's a one name?" At that moment, she felt something warm and wet spreading over her hands. Looking down she saw some clearish sort of fluid dripping from her hands.
"What is your one name?" the elder Rcyyt asked again.
"Someone who knows something about these should take this." Kharmadi thrust the little alien at the elder. "It's leaking all over the ground."
Bybri plucked the infant up by one leg and stuffed it down the front of her toga without a care. Kharmadi could feel her eyes bulging out in shock. "Will he, she, whatever it is, be all right?"
"Yes." Bybri nodded. "They leak all the time."
"No, that's not-"
Uljana handed Kharmadi a wipe from a kit around her waist. "Here, clean your hands. Your one name is your first name."
"Oh." Kharmadi nodded to the elderly Rcyyt. "My one name is Oxana."
"Oxana," it repeated. The elderly Rcyyt reached toward Bybri, who hauled the infant out the same way she'd stuffed it in. Holding the infant high, the elder turned in a slow circle, and said, "Behold Bybri Iol Elari!"
A murmured wave of, "Bybri Iol Elari," ran through the Rcyyt.
This time Bybri accepted the infant respectfully, in suitably cupped hands, and returned it ceremoniously to the inside of her toga. The three Rcyyt bowed to Kharmadi, who bowed quickly back, then to each other. The elderly Rcyyt then again turned in a slow circle as it spoke, "We are done here. All may leave."
"That's it?" Maddog muttered from behind Kharmadi.
"Some of us didn't even get to hold it," Dr. Isette Poole said from nearby.
The Rcyyt froze, though Kharmadi suspected only those colonists that had spent the most time with the Rcyyt would notice the difference from their usual calm stance. She began to suspect that the reason the Rcyyt didn't want any aliens at the ceremony was because most of the aliens were scientists itching for a closer examination of Rcyyt anatomy. A newborn infant struck Kharmadi as a most inappropriate lab specimen.
Wondering how much of her sudden protectiveness stemmed from guilt, she turned her fiercest glare on Poole. "That's the way it goes. We don't want little Elari leaking any more than is absolutely necessary."
Poole shrugged and turned away. Kharmadi heard Maddog snickering behind her. She ignored him and turned her attention to the Rcyyt in front of her. Uljana was thanking the elderly Rcyyt for allowing the colonists to attend, as the head of the I.A.'s delegation maneuvered against the leader of the official Terran representatives to get the elderly Rcyyt's attention next. Most of the Rcyyt were slowly moving away, as if they didn't want anyone to notice their departure.
Kharmadi followed a few paces behind Iol and Bybri, until they were far enough away from the officials that she could whisper, "What is my one name used for?"
Iol paused, then reached for a rectangular box at his wrist. He held it up so that Kharmadi could see the read-out. She repeated her question. Rcyyt words appeared in the read out. Iol hesitated before answering.
"Two names are needed. A one name, and another name. I can't say more."
"I understand." Kharmadi bowed, and let the Rcyyt escape.
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