"I believe we have about thirty under the age of nine months."
"Do you have another nursery room, like the one we visited this morning?"
"We have three more in the Maternity Division."
Lucifer explained his immediate needs. Huth issued orders that three more babies be brought to the Maternity Division. Each was installed alone in a nursery. Two were placed in cribs, and soon fell asleep. The third, a boy of about eight months, refused to nap. He wasn't happy until allowed to crawl around the floor, exploring the strange wonders of the nursery. Lucifer made a quick procedural adjustment, and hoped the youngster would stay awake until feeding time.
He tried to tell himself, whenever he thought about it, that he was doing all this only to point up the absurdity of Huth's theories.
As feeding time neared, three bottles of heated formula were brought in warmers and placed at Lucifer's direction in rooms immediately adjacent to each of the nurseries. Two of the children were still asleep; the third had discovered a pack of disposable diapers and was systematically tearing it apart. Dr. Thame joined them to watch the experiment, and he brought Nina along. Her eyes sparkled with interest and understanding as she watched Lucifer's preparations. After one quick nod, he did not look her way again, and he stifled the thought that Nina would be watching the experiment with their own child in mind.
One of the babies stirred in its sleep, and whimpered a little.
"Normally," explained Dr. Thame, "a child of this age would awaken shortly and begin to cry."
The baby squirmed again, then turned toward the room in which one of the bottles had been placed. Its tiny lips worked in a sucking motion.
"How wonderful!" whispered Nina.