“Mom made me wash.” Felicity seemed half asleep. Like her eyes didn’t focus. She held up her hands. “Said I got into oil. Said I was in Bill Martin’s cooking supplies. I told her it wasn’t me. She made me stay in our room while she went and checked with Bill. When she came back, she said I didn’t do it. She made me wash my hands. Over and over.”

Sheena stepped close, took Felicity’s hand and inspected it. Weird, it was shiny, felt oily. Like hers did ever since Felix had let her feel the algae. Even as she held Felicity’s hand, Sheena’s palms beginning to sweat and tingle. The more she rubbed her hands on Felicity’s, the better the tingle seemed to get. Like that was the right thing to do. It just felt that way. Rubbing the slick between her hands and Felicity’s.

“That’s enough,” Felicity told her, her eyes still staring off at nothing. Then she pulled free of Sheena’s grip and turned to Saleen, reaching down.

“Don’t wake them! You do, and you’ll clean their diapers.”

“They won’t wake,” Felicity whispered, still not seeing anything. Carefully, she took Saleen’s tiny little hand and began to knead it between her fingers. When the baby girl’s eyes flickered open, Felicity stuck her wet-shiny fingers into the little girl’s mouth. Immediately, Saleen began to suckle.

Do it! The impulse formed in Sheena’s head, not even like a thought, and she reached down, taking Vetch’s little hand in her own. She closed her eyes, feeling the damp slickness, like runny oil as she began to knead the baby boy’s hand. When his eyes blinked, and his mouth opened to cry, she thrust her fingers past his lips, feeling his budding teeth, his tongue working on the pads of her fingers. A thrill ran through her, and she closed her eyes as the infant sucked. She could feel his saliva, mixing with the slick moisture clinging to her fingers, beading on her palms. Sighing at the pleasure of it, time seemed to stop, waver, and slip sideways.

When she finally opened her eyes, the feeling was like she’d been away somewhere. Feeling weird, she jerked her hand back, blinked down at Vetch. He was staring up at her, his black eyes like marbles in his three-month-old round face.

On the floor, Toni had Kayle’s left hand in his, holding it like they were best friends. Toni’s right hand was in Kayle’s mouth, and he was sucking it with the same enthusiasm as if Toni’s hand was thick with sweet.

Felicity’s gaze had come back to focus. She blinked. “Why are we here?”

“Because Felix got to help make the torpedo.”