Lydia understood his intent at once. She almost yelled, “You can’t act like that! I’m going to be born as your daughter,” but Oversoul Seven mentally stopped her. He didn’t want Josef reminded of Bianka or his body until the physical situation was stabilized. Like Josef, the Hosentaufs often exaggerated the most simple events of their lives, and Seven knew that despite her moans and groans at the farmhouse, Bianka wasn’t really in labor—yet. Checking, Seven mentally monitored Josef’s half-frozen body as it sat slumped in the sleigh, and frowned. Josef could just possibly lose a leg.

For a moment Oversoul Seven felt really disconsolate: He had more trouble than he needed; and what he really needed was a good brisk wind behind the sleigh and horses. The horses themselves were tiring. What he really needed was—Seven broke off. Suddenly the Denmark scene became brilliantly clear. A strong wind came sweeping down behind the sleigh, pushing it so fast that Elgren Hosentauf yelled, “Where the devil did that wind come from?”

And in a near kind of distance, Oversoul Seven heard Cyprus say to him, “That’s the help you needed. And don’t forget your practice teaching dream class.”

“I had forgotten it,” Seven cried mentally. “I—” but Cyprus’ presence had vanished.

Josef was saying, “I know what I’d like to do,” and leering at Lydia.

“Can’t you do something with him?” she asked Seven impatiently. Her black hair gently tangled in the wind. She swept the loose locks back uneasily, wondering if she felt any desire for Josef. There was warm moisture around his brown eyes and broad forehead; his glance was certainly inviting, but she couldn’t forget that she would be his daughter; maybe, anyway. But more than that, she kept relating to him from a viewpoint of a whole lifetime of different ages. If she stayed at twenty, then Josef was an interesting older man, gallant and almost sophisticated. But then mentally she sprang to thirty-five and from there, he seemed amusingly inept and bumbling.

She was quite lost in these thoughts, perplexed and near harried, while Josef sat down on a ledge, crossed his legs, and gave her what he considered his deadliest, most suggestive leer.

Mentally, Oversoul Seven heard an invisible Cyprus say, “Look at the mountain.” Her presence vanished again before he could comment, and Seven stared at the mountain as directed.

It hadn’t changed. Or did he now notice vague figures at one of the distant castle windows?

“Good Zeus, woman, make up your mind,” Josef thundered at Lydia.

Chapter Seven

Some Assembled Gods

Looking down from the mountain, Zeus said, “They’re at it again. Their energy and persistence is really incredible.”

Christ answered, “Verily so.”