Page 193 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

Rhea nodded. ‘The feet have ripped her.’

Lapetus returned with a bundle of blankets. ‘What can I do?’ he asked.

Rhea turned her head so only he could hear. ‘Hold her hand. Stroke her hair. Pray.’

Lapetus nodded and assumed his position.

The labour was long and painful. Many times, Rhea was convinced that Clymene would pass out, which would mean the end for her and her child. But, against all the odds, whenever it seemed that she was close to giving up, the new mother found another surge of life within her.

‘All right, Clymene. One more push and your baby will be here. But it will need to be a big one. You must give it all the strength you have.’ Clymene nodded through her panting. ‘Good.’ She turned to Lapetus. ‘When the head appears, the cord will be around the neck. When I pull the child out, act as quickly as possible and unravel it. Are you clear?’ A shaken Lapetus did his best to nod affirmatively. ‘Then we are ready. Here we go, Clymene. Ready?’

‘Yes,’ managed Clymene.

‘Three, two, one, push!’

Clymene’s screams pierced her husband’s very soul. Suddenly, the baby was propelled forward, but skilfully handled by Rhea. Lapetus was in shock, staring down at the grey-blue infant which had just made its way into the world.

‘Lapetus!’ Rhea cried. ‘Now!’ After her instruction, he didn’t hesitate. Lapetus grabbed the fibrous cord, which was entangled around his child’s neck. ‘No need to be gentle. Just getit off, quickly.’ Against his instincts, Lapetus forcefully unwrapped the baby until he was free.

‘Why... is there... no crying?’ Clymene stammered.

Lapetus and Rhea stared down at the little body, which had failed to take its first breath.

‘Oh God... Please... not this,’ Lapetus whispered.

Rhea grabbed the baby by its leg as if it were a newborn calf, and gave it a firm smack on the bottom. Suddenly, the child seemed to stutter into life, and as first light broke over Tyumen, the cries of a newborn baby were heard from the railway carriage.

Rhea handed the child to Clymene. ‘There we are. Well done, Clymene. You were superb.’

Clymene stared down at her new baby, her husband by her side. ‘Hello, little boy.’

‘You knew it would be, Clymene,’ said Lapetus. He found his eyes filling with tears. ‘I am so very proud of you.’

His wife smiled at him, as she had done when their eyes had first met across the ballroom at Alexander Palace. ‘You weren’t so bad yourself. I could not have done it without you.’

‘You have made something so very perfect, Clymene.’

‘Wehave.’

‘No. He is perfect because he came from you.’

Cronus approached, carrying Kreeg in his arms. ‘Congratulations, my friends. The more the merrier in this railway carriage. And good news, Lapetus...’ He pointed towards a storage cupboard. ‘Our countrymen have not let us down. There is a bottle of illicit vodka stashed away over there. I will fetch us a glass to wet the baby’s head!’

‘You will do no such thing, Cronus Eszu! Bring it here now. Clymene needs her wounds sterilised. It’s just what we need,’ Rhea asserted.

Cronus chuckled. ‘Oh well, Lapetus. It was worth a try!’

As the Siberian sun rose in the sky, a deep silence descended on the carriage. All but the new parents had collapsed with the exhaustion of the previous five hours, and the baby suckled contentedly at Clymene’s breast.

‘He’s being so good,’ Lapetus whispered.

‘He’s hungry,’ smiled Clymene.

‘I know we haven’t allowed ourselves a moment to discuss names, for fear of what fate might befall us,’ Lapetus said. ‘But now he is here, what shall we call him?’

‘Didn’t you promise your mother that you’d name her first grandchild after her?’ Clymene giggled.

‘That’s true, I did. But I don’t think our son looks much like anAgatha.’