There is a knock, at the door of the Kep Island shren house.
Into the egg room, then. There's an adolescent blue girl sitting in the rocking chair keeping an eye on the egg; she shrinks a little when she sees Lavi.
The blue girl turns into a pardalote and flutters out of the room.
"You may have time to call your wife," Ludei suggests.
She takes out a communication crystal and hits it.
"Call my father and have him watch them," she says, without bothering with any niceties. "She's starting to hatch right now. The other two can go without us right there for that long."
"Oh, hello," Lavi gasps softly. She reaches out to help her daughter the rest of the way out of her shell.
"This one will live. Even if neither of the others do--even if we can't bring her home to a living sister--" snuggles for baby "--she'll live."
Nod nod.
They don't stay long; there are two other babies at home, who they might have a much more limited time with. But Leelu does thank Ludei again and give him a large amount of money on the way out.