The two policemen and the server conferred briefly and, after hovering for a few minutes indecisively, finally left, Wizard hurrying their gateward way.
The moment they were out of earshot, we turned on the girls for an explanation. Pat was grinning triumphantly, but Cecily was gravely sad.
"Peregrine Dickson spirited them out the back door, muttering something about the instruments of the Lord, divine timing, the FBI, and his conscience," Pat told us. "If you could have seen him, trailing receiving blankets, the bag of formula bounding on his hip, ducking through the garden…" and she covered her mouth to smother her laughter.
"That was the sight I caught as I drove around the corner," said Jasper, smiling as broadly.
"I apologize for all my recent foul thoughts, Jasper," said Chuck earnestly. "I was afraid that when Ed cured you of your last ulcer, he'd also removed the milk of human kindness from your scrawny breast."
Jasper shuddered. "For God's sake. Chuck, don't mention milk again," and he made a show of retching. "Now, which is which of you two charming ladies? I can't tell the real mother without an introduction, and, frankly, you both look like death warmed over."
"Best lawyer in the world!" said Chuck. "Always tells the truth!"
"I'm Cecily Kellogg," Cecily said, shaking Jasper's hand warmly, "and if you can do anything to keep them from taking my children away from me…"
"I've already made myself an accessory after the fact, my dear Mrs. Kellogg, though I must confess I never suspected they'd move that far this fast. It's a rare instance that the children are removed from the care of their parents until actual guilt is established. Even then, the state hesitates. The worst parent is considered preferable to none at all. I'd say that whoever's after you has some very influential friends."
"It's Mother, then," said Cecily, sinking to the sofa as if her legs had given way. Peter reached for and found her hands and held them firmly.
"Your mother?" Jasper's urbane manner was briefly shattered.
"Mother has always managed to have influential friends, and she's always used them whenever necessary."
"She's ruthless," Chuck said.
"Ra-ther," replied Jasper.
"And psychotic as all hell."
"Obviously. Therefore twice as dangerous." Jasper spun on his heel, one hand shoved into his pocket, the other absently smoothing down the hair across the back of his head as he paced. "Dr. Craft gave me a splendid outline, but now I want full details, please."
While we recounted the events of the last year, he continuously paced, apologizing at one point by saying the walking helped him concentrate. I was later to be amazed at the accuracy of his total recall. When we had given him the whole story, he made one more complete circuit and halted in front of the couch, looking down at Peter and Cecily.
"The action against you revolves around a morality charge."
" 'Incestuous fornication is against the law in this state, buddy,'" repeated Chuck.
"Yes, it is," Jasper said, "but d'you know, I had to look it up?" He smoothed his hair again. "You sure picked a dilly. Did you have to be related to him?" he asked Pat in a petulant tone.
"It's not at all the thing you do for total strangers," she replied blandly.
"So we disprove the moral issue, also the consanguinity - although how they hoped to remedy that by depriving you of the children, I can't guess, and the charge must, by definition, be dropped."
"The charge, yes," said Pat gloomily. "But how about the slander?" She gestured toward the front of the house.
"Yes." Jasper heaved a sigh. "I don't suppose you object to the procedures becoming public knowledge?" he asked me.
"Exogenesis will have to be admitted into the record - even though it will mean that hordes of childless women will descend on Ali," Chuck replied - before I could answer.
"Well, they'd be preferable to sensation-seekers," I said.
"True, true. We shall have to bide our time," Jasper said gently, apologetically, "before we spring that explanation, so I'm afraid you all will remain under an unenviable cloud for a bit. Did you keep medical records of this medical tour de force?"
"By God, we did - every temperature drop, every milligram of medication," said Chuck.
"They can be admitted as evidence."
"Even from prejudiced sources?" I asked. "I expect I'm considered one of your accessories to facts, too."
"And me? Don't forget me," said Chuck belligerently.
"Or me," spoke up Esther, her jaw set as determinedly.
"Oh, you're all so wonderful," said Cecily, and then dissolved into tears, apologizing through hiccuping sobs. Chuck exchanged looks with me, but Cecily refused sedation and pulled herself together.
"I'm sorry to seem callous or brutal, Mrs. Kellogg, but I've always operated on a completely candid basis with my clients. I can, however, promise you that I can move for an emergency hearing on this. I'm not without a few influential friends myself. Now, to resume. Medical records. Dr. Craft, no matter the source, are considered reliable information by the court. The hospital where the twins were born, your own institution here, will certainly have corroborative records?" We nodded, and he said he could subpoena them. "Now, I'll need the blood types of the three principals and the children. That should prove conclusively whose children they are, shouldn't it?"
Chuck caught my dubious glance and shrugged.
"Well, won't it?" Jasper asked. "In paternity cases, I know…"
"Man, this is a maternity case," Chuck said.
"Yes, but…"
"Blood types only prove that the person could or could not be the parent, not that he or she is."
"Yes, but…"
"In fact, since we are being brutally frank, and damn well have to be," Chuck went on grimly, "until we know what the twins' types are, we don't actually know that Pat couldn't be the mother."
Pat gasped, and Cecily snuggled closer to Peter, hiding her head in his shoulder.
"You mean, that awful charge that I had my brother's children could be true?"
"Wait a minute. Pat." Chuck reached across the coffee table to hold her down on the sofa. "Not by incestuous fornication, however. The medical records absolve you of the morality charge right there. But, God damn it, it is possible - not probable" - he paused to let his emphasis sink in - "that the active sperm of the father could have fertilized ova of both the intended mother and the carrier."
"The twins are identical," I reminded Chuck as well as the others.
"True, so they both came from one fertilized ovum. Both Ali and I have worried about that possibility…"
"And I had twins…" breathed Pat, horrified.
"No, no, Pat, you've missed the point. You and Peter are fraternal twins, two eggs fertilized at the same time. This is an egg split, an entirely different process. And to keep you from turning neurotic, with such a close linkage, genetically speaking, it is unlikely you'd have had such healthy kids. Inbreeding multiplies defective and recessive genes, and an in-bred child generally shows visible proof of the problem - frailness, sickliness. Those kids are beautiful, perfect, healthy."
"Look," began Jasper authoritatively, and something in his attitude gave Pat and Cecily reassurance, "it doesn't take long to have blood types tested, so we can take you three off that particular tenterhook pretty quickly. Okay? So tell me how to get in touch with our clerical kidnapper. By the way, I'm sorry to have to advise you that it is better that you don't know where the children have been taken. I do promise that I'll do everything I can to see that you have them back in a very short time."