“This is Dariah,” said Leaky. “She has a new baby of her own, and look at those teats. She could feed four babies this size.”

“I don’t think I—”

Leaky didn’t let Dariah finish. “You’re perfect for a wet nurse and you need the money,” said Leaky. “If you don’t like it, you can quit, but not tonight, and not till I find somebody else, understood?”

Dariah nodded and reached for the baby.

“Smells like poo,” said Leaky. “You already cleaned him up?”

Umbo wondered how she knew the baby’s sex. Or maybe she called all babies “he” till she knew better.

“As best I could, but he needs a clean diaper,” said Umbo. “I don’t think that flour sack is going to be absorbent enough.”

“It is, if you fold it properly,” said Leaky. “I thought you had younger brothers and sisters.”

“And a mother who did the diapering and a father who said that baby care was women’s work and no son of his would fertilize his hands with baby manure.”

“You haven’t missed much,” said Dariah.

“He misses almost everything,” said Leaky. “Not an observant boy. What’s the baby’s name?”

For a moment Umbo thought Leaky had been asking Dariah, and he waited for her to answer.

“Well I don’t know,” said Dariah impatiently.

Umbo thought of how Leaky had named the baby, and how naming happened in the land she came from. “I’ve been calling him Square Meal, since that’s all he seems to need to be happy.”

“I didn’t ask what you’ve been calling him,” said Leaky. “I asked his name.”

“Then his name is Square Meal,” said Umbo. “But you can call him Biscuit.”

“That’s only a snack,” said Leaky.

“He’s only a baby,” said Umbo, meeting her gaze.

“Do you want to nurse him here?” asked Leaky. “Not you, Umbo, I’ve seen you with your shirt off and your teats aren’t good for anything.”

“I’ll give him a quick supper and then take him home.” She looked at Umbo. “Is that all right with His Majesty here?”

Because he thought of her as knowing that he was the Rebel King, Umbo was taken aback. “I’m not a—”

Dariah burst into giggles. “Isn’t he precious? Doesn’t recognize a joke when he hears it.”

“Do I need to go with you?” asked Umbo.

“No, you don’t,” said Leaky. “She needs to go with her brothers, who are waiting downstairs. And you need to come help me in the kitchen garden.”

“It’s full dark,” said Umbo.

“The crop we’re planting thrives best by ringlight,” said Leaky.

When they got downstairs and out the back, Loaf was already waiting for them.

“You have some answering to do,” said Loaf.

“And I’ll give you all those answers,” said Umbo. “I’m eager to do it, when the time is right.”