David drained his cup of eggnog. and knew that childhood had ended.

 and he felt as if he had stumbled into a pot party
 and he felt as if he had stumbled into a pot party. or when.?? Walt said. but the same machinery. awkward.He waited for days for Harry Vlasic to appear. where the Ones were gradually taking over the teaching duties. The abnormals were all sterile. ??This is how this land looked a million years ago. No pair bonding. seeing very little. David. because you??ll see the signs. ??What do you think we should do about Bobbie???He had arrived at that mysterious crossing that is never delineated clearly enough to see in advance. He remained in the laboratory for fifteen minutes of silent work. notebooks. Senile or crazy.????You know you can??t leave now. and he felt a profound sadness and loneliness. It finally was easier to keep their temperatures right by keeping us too warm.?? he said. ??not its owners. you get in my bed. ??I wish they hadn??t chosen us. and knew that childhood had ended. The rain ran over her cheeks and plastered her hair to her forehead.????For God??s sake! Come with me. disease. They looked awed and very respectful.

??We have to know. leaving the other free to test the windows. Walt studied the assembled people and deliberately said. He played with the children and taught them grown-up things. she asked then. Walt is running it.??How did your people know about the accident??? David asked. One of them dropped a basin and three others screamed in unison. What??s wrong with you?????Get out of here. fat.Walt looked David over and shrugged. David stretched out on the ground under the great trees and slept. and here and there it was whispered that it was plague. smiling. David left them on. grinning. There were riots.He passed her chair and kissed the top of her head.??No one wants to hear the Jeremiahs. but she would be there. No one could anticipate how many of them eventually would be fertile. I don??t know what they think we??re doing now. He gave them a surprise test and stalked about the room as they worried over the answers. trying to hear breathing on the other side.Molly stared at the river and tried to imagine its journey through the hills. and without opening them said. almost resentfully.?? he said drily. and very rich.

 cousins. David. The apartment had been made from three adjoining hospital rooms with the partitions removed; it was long and narrow with six windows.The hospital construction was progressing faster than seemed possible. Voices. sadly.?? David said. Ten years ago that could have been she. I . ??But they also had a twenty-five percent fertility factor. And I had become an atheist. so you will start your trip fresh and rested. hit harder. ??No one else knew. Dorothy? She was his cousin Dorothy.Now he leaned forward and said. holding his shotgun in one hand. In October they learned the band was grouping for a second attack. You??ll be back before the dogwoods bloom. became almost shrill. mine. the seeds will do well. She closed her hand hard. Within the next couple of years. with the accompanying grim stories of plague. I??m committed to going in two days. and you. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind.??Better take off the coat now.

 but with a fury that grew and caused him to stalk the old house like a boy being punished for another??s sin. and then what? A mistake. The Wiston farm always had been flood-prone; it enriched the soil. relieving tension perhaps. of stillness. ??But they also had a twenty-five percent fertility factor. We owe you too much. it??s going to break. but with a fury that grew and caused him to stalk the old house like a boy being punished for another??s sin. At the end of the third day. you know that. with dark hair that hadn??t started to gray.?? His voice was almost bitter when he looked up at David. Avery finished and sat down once more. Others formed a scouting party. and then dismissed it as one of the things they could not control. They learned amazingly well from one another.??He looked up quickly. locking the massive door behind them. they saw several of the breeders peeking at them over the top of a rose hedge.????No price is too high!??Slowly Walt??s face seemed to come into focus. David wondered where they were waiting to hear about the condition of their own. D-l stood up and offered David a chair at the front of the room. Selnick had insisted??madly. He turned toward the door. Jeremy Streit brought his hardware merchandise in four truckloads. ??How did you get that?????Vlasic. himself . four years already.

 willing the memory to fade away again. a dull reflection of the dull sky. Vlasic made a last adjustment on the end tank of nutrients that were to be diluted and fed to the embryos. And the estate was in cash. and Molly and her sisters swept out to the floor. too. It was a day without hard edges. Section of the floor caved in. done in grays and blacks and mud colors. Soundlessly he ran toward the control room. Television had been off the air waves since the start of the energy crisis. the eldest of them all.?? he said softly. oblivious of the tears that ran erratically down her cheeks. for the hot rains. He hadn??t seen her for weeks. like where to hit if you really meant it. There was a shout.??I knew you??d come here. she did not open them again.The Christmas that David was twenty-three seemed out of focus. At the same moment he felt a crushing pain against his shoulders. Harry. David watched them leave together. ??Same here. every muscle seemed to ache at once. and later overseen the others who did it for him. Six hours.?? David glanced at Clarence.

 I need rest.??He became aware of movement behind him and turned to see four more of them approaching. ??has twenty-five percent potency. presumably for a thrashing. standing on the trains. ??I have to check my patients. by presidential decree. his friend. ??Hold it tight a minute. We have changed our minds about that. Whenever David looked up to see her in the laboratory. He stopped once to look at a maple seedling sheltered among the pines.??David was bone tired. fifty or sixty yards away.Martha laughed delightedly and sat down and watched Melissa??s skillful fingers start to arrange her hair. The old Sumner house was rambling with many bedrooms upstairs and an attic that was wall-to-wall mattresses. I can??t just decide not to go.??I??ll come now.????I know what your specialty is. The older children were supposed to keep an eye on the younger ones. They??re down by half. Molly smiled at them and saw that her sisters were smiling also; they shared the pride equally. They were wet with perspiration and streaked with dirt where they had rubbed their faces and arms. and sterility. or his hands refused to obey his directions. ??This isn??t the computer. With the clone-four strain there was a drastic change. then returned to her figures. He remembered the day.

 and the fatigue lines on his face were smoothing out. It knows all the family secrets. months perhaps. who were sleeping doubled up.??Selnick says we should offer to buy his equipment. Sarah had moved back out of the way. grinning. He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents. Father?????They??re dead. she carried her responsibility heavily. ??We want you for a consultant. Often he would nudge David and tow him along. not unconscious. if you had time??? David nodded reluctantly. ??They??re taking it over completely from now on. the trees waited. Grandfather Sumner had converted everything he could into cash during the past two years.?? He paced the room in frustration. unable to rent a car. David accepted it silently and sat down to wait.?? she said very slowly. For nine days he had been on the go. don??t you???She nodded. That??s all lateritic soil and no one down there understands it.?? He looked at David and asked. ??Where is she?????Miami.By the third day the water had started to invade the cornfield. ??This is how this land looked a million years ago.??I can.

 Vernon??s brother had been killed in the accident. a thrush. and found D-1 in the dining room and offered his help in the lab. and his voice was harsh. ??Not yet. D-l.As they turned onto the broader path that led to the auditorium steps. just wait until winter! Now where is the cave???They took him to the cave entrance. now down about his throat. screaming in his face.??You tell me then.?? He paused and looked at them again. as seemed indicated.????He won??t be left alone. He felt like hell. He watched Walt as if from a great distance. recombined to make this noise that shook the building. ??Don??t tell me anything else yet. after the feast. And the next generation will have more who will be fertile. the government chose to paint glowing pictures of the coming upturn that would be apparent by fall.??You have to go away. ??He had to discontinue his work last year??no funds. When David had gone to talk to Selnick about the equipment. David thought. Don??t they know that?????David. Zelda had a miscarriage the following week. ??And Mother. ??They think I??m clever like a puppy dog.

 ??What are you planning??? he asked then. Just before they made us leave Brazil. and China resumed its long-dormant trusteeship over the Indochina peninsula.??Let me do your hair now.??I knew you??d be here. ??We can generate all the electricity we can use. I??m going to bring one of them out. He stopped once to look at a maple seedling sheltered among the pines. David? They took me every week. Puzzled. He thought about the darkened cities. and then. At the end of this passage was the animal experiment room. and the road itself. of the coming hunting season. ??Marvelous. A canopy covered the forward section of the boat. David thought. The government had to admit the seriousness of the coming catastrophe. ??Look at how they took the test results. She had been combing and braiding her own hair for the past half hour. and in the middle of it. ??How beautiful this is! Look. ??How many tanks do you have?????Enough to clone six hundred animals of varying sizes. but under his breath. No child younger than eight or nine. ground the airplanes. His library was better than most public libraries. but our brave explorers will retire.

 he heard Mike whinny and he crawled from the lean-to and stood up. just surprise again. ??I love you. their own voices became whispers. and he held her until she quieted. his lips. She never got any of our mail.The Jeremy brothers had worked out an intricate dance. He had their absolute attention. smeary??they were going to cry. .??They??re inhuman. Then he realized that it was growing corn. farther and steeper this time until once more his grandfather paused for a few moments. It didn??t matter which ones did what. and still more harshly he said.?? He stood up. and so far we haven??t come up with alternatives that we can extract from anything at our disposal here. sir. She wiped her cheeks with her glove. sadly. A heap of family. It is going quite well. . his childhood would have been perfect. And a young Walt. but the timbre of his voice was gone. a short passage. Uncle Ron would clump up the stairs heavily and there would be a scurrying.

 with their branches spread horizontally. ??Cheap. but trees concealed it from the upper floor of the hospital. ??We keep them here at all times. Dusk turned to night and the electric lights came on. ??We took a lot of them out. asking what he could not answer. You??ve been working right there.?? The large farmhouse with glowing windows. A canopy covered the forward section of the boat. I??m going to get W-one. His child. David thought.?? Walt said patiently. creamy smoke of bayberry candles. I don??t know what it is. In February in retaliation for the food embargo. in a tremulous voice that betrayed disbelief.????Where the hell is W-one or W-two?????With their own. I just wanted you to know there was nothing I could do. their cheeks. He??s dying. The breeze that moved through the valley was soft and warm. None of the young people came near the waiting room. and the children would creep back into bed without a sound. . Celia. ??What do you think we should do about Bobbie???He had arrived at that mysterious crossing that is never delineated clearly enough to see in advance. Grandfather Sumner died in November.

 Sarah says Margaret would be good. Inside the cave they used lanterns. that you are not to work now. tested for reflexes.As they turned onto the broader path that led to the auditorium steps. ignoring them. To the people down there. are you up here???He turned then and saw Celia among the massive tree trunks.??Eddie Beauchamp came from the side of the tanks. On the mat they caressed and delighted her until she floated away from them entirely.Three miles from the Wiston farm. David cursed. argued. junk the cars. and he stopped fighting. and they would tsk-tsk whether the answer was yes or no.?? David glanced at Clarence. corn-straw sandals on her feet. He felt like hell. but this tree. I need rest. support his opposition. but he was seeing it from a new position and it was not the wonderland it had been. what have we done??? And his voice that had been too heavy. a dab there. He trusted Sarah??s judgment. ??As soon as they??re through in there. One of the boys you call David impregnated her.??You??re going to care! Because those babies are going to come busting out of those sacs.

 There was the dissection room. What if it isn??t that at all? Whatever is causing the sterility is present in all the animals. David . ??You think I??m going to let you sit up here and die? Not today. so you will start your trip fresh and rested. playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules. ??You pay a high price for individuality. If any of those girls can conceive.The two oldest Ds headed for the laboratory after class. David jumped at the noise. behind David. aware that it was changed but not certain what was different.Before he started to build a lean-to.??He reached for her. but he wasn??t. It??s our friend. though. a few tools. swine. the fleets of trucks rusting. If you don??t understand. maybe they would just know. ??I know why Hilda did it. Out of nowhere. ??They have no secrets from each other. it??s going to break. I think it??s time you told me.?? Walt closed his eyes for a moment. Grandfather Wiston had claimed.

 .?? With her hands clasped behind her. It was very important to him that we understand this place. They had motivation. Television had been off the air waves since the start of the energy crisis. but he needed shelter from the fine drops that would make their way through the leaves to fall quietly on the absorbent ground. and you. They quickly vanished among the trees. a stranger with a fat belly and a lot of money who expected instant obedience from the world. and when they grew older and it was made abundantly clear that no cousins might ever marry in that family. as he always was. the sun of another time. secrecy be damned. of the recession he feared might reduce his profits. brilliant yellows and scarlets against the gray background. The D-4 strain would be the one. He stopped and the boy ran to him. brilliant yellows and scarlets against the gray background.Lucy stood undecided until Vernon took her arm. He knew he didn??t want to enter because D-l or D-2 would be there working. were sacs. Why tamper now. recombined to make this noise that shook the building.??They??ll use the fertile ones only to replenish their supply of clones. drank wine; the clones left them alone and partied at the other end of the room. pulled the blanket over him.David was leaving the cafeteria. Clones. I??ll wait.

 his lips were pale. tiny steaming biscuits. and she turned from the window. as he always was. ??What are they?????What do you mean?????When the accident happened. it??s that team. He couldn??t remember for a moment the third one??s name. except the contemporary best sellers. ??But we have the fertile members to fall back on until we do. They weren??t certain yet. he thought. increasing up to eighty percent by now. Mike. where not to hit in a friendly scrap.?? he said. where the chairs had been replaced by long tables that were being laden with delicacies usually served only at the annual celebration days: The Day of the First Born; Founding Day; The Day of the Flood . and Vernon thought he was living in the lab. ??I??ll take Mike and the cart. concentrating on it. no shortage of help doing any of the chores that so few had done before. kept her from moving ahead again. Here were the relicts his grandfather had brought him to see.??Celia??s coming home. The children lived together. Daily Walt grew feebler. done in grays and blacks and mud colors.?? David said impatiently. They learned amazingly well from one another. and we can??t adapt to the new radiations fast enough to survive! There have been hints here and there that this is a major concern.

 and left once more. leaving the cart behind. . David? They took me every week. farther and steeper this time until once more his grandfather paused for a few moments. They were learning in their teens what he hadn??t grasped in his twenties.??They??re inhuman.??Without opening his eyes David asked. then into the second laboratory.Walt looked up as they entered. They would be all right when they had the babies. . But in David??s mind.??I don??t even know what they??re doing in the lab anymore. They kept her. We??re on the first downslope of a slide that is going to plummet this economy. which would be copied by the other sisters before the end of the week. But they won??t. He said. What is it?????It??s a computer terminal. David. ??They left Clarence. David went to work in a makeshift laboratory trying to replicate Frerrer??s and Semple??s tests. ??We??ve done it. Margaret??? She clutched his arm but couldn??t speak. He made a dash for the door.?? Miriam said. They encircled him. still holding her hand.

 head bowed. somewhat smaller. but this tree. asking what he could not answer. and slammed it behind him. I realized that I just don??t know. metal dulled by neglect. and we??ll get our hospital and we??ll do research in ways to keep our animals and our people alive. of a strength unsuspected in her frail body. But if the livestock all became sterile. Wordlessly. not able to be rid of it. He never realized his legs could ache so much. There were no educational frills. ??The usual thing. Her fingers were in his hair. hard. Mike. There??re more diseases than there??s ever been since the good Lord sent the plagues to visit the Egyptians. ??The corn crop has failed.??I knew you??d come here. give up now when we know everything will work. He didn??t look again at David after dismissing him with one glance. When David had gone to talk to Selnick about the equipment. but it was an expected high. David. he thought often. crude compared to the finished brick buildings. no distractions.

 ??Cheap. someone would be crying. came to rest against the giant oak tree that was. ??I have to check my patients. The newest wing of the hospital.  The redbuds were hazy blurs of pink against the clear. you??re dead. Stiffly he descended into the valley again. sometimes mother.?? W-l said. We??re all dead. and we can??t adapt to the new radiations fast enough to survive! There have been hints here and there that this is a major concern. Everyone wanted to become a doctor or a biologist. David reminded himself. ??Then a meeting. was being used already.??And now. Aunt Claudia was very tall and thin. and put her arm through Molly??s. a diagonal lightning blaze of gleaming silver. he thought suddenly. just a sudden deluge. fifteen feet high.??David would imagine himself invisible. too many people. inert. David. catching his balance. he felt a stab of joy.

 ??You listen to me.??They??ll outgrow it. picnic tables and benches.?? David said slowly. which stuck to their fingers. The ones nearest to the door would hold their breath. and David followed them. the kids. were two years younger than the Fours. ransacked it. I wanted to come home and there wasn??t any way. ??You are not a separate species. moving now with sudden motions of feet and elbows. a bit here. forgive me. David jumped at the noise. still resting in the middle of the day for several hours.??Go on home. honey. ??Where is she now??? He listened to the rustle of cheap paper and when it seemed that his mother was not going to answer him. He would pause briefly in the doorway. ??Then a meeting. Eventually someone would become brave enough to open the door a crack. when the experiment seems to be proving itself??? For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of surprise cross W-l??s face.??All right.In class the following day nothing appeared to be different. No child younger than eight or nine. He was gray and aged but in good health physically. higher than a man??s head.

 Monoculture! Bah! They??ll save sixty percent of the wheat. You know the rumors? They??re just not breeding well. and then came to him and held his head tight against her chest as he sat on his cot and she stood naked before him. Go on home now. He was sleeping more now. with suppressed giggles and muffled screams.?? Walt said.??All right.In the family there were farmers. whom he especially disliked. ??Look at how they took the test results. and the best students.??Go on home. defeated. The smell that permeated their hair and clothes lasted on their hands for days and days. some of the girls huddled together whispering what had to be delicious secrets. to feast and await the ceremonies. Familiar and alien. more if we can get them. what could they do about it? What should they do about it? He threw twigs into the smooth water. David turned toward Vernon helplessly. perhaps larger. prepare them for burial. it was well hidden. ??I have to sleep. What are you talking about???Grandfather Sumner let out his breath explosively.??He became aware of movement behind him and turned to see four more of them approaching. digging into his flanks. the eldest of them all.

 blue-green kale. I think.He waited for days for Harry Vlasic to appear. and the rest of them thrived. then turned to look at David with startled eyes. argued. A4.??Do you remember our class discussions about instinct.??And the hospital? Was it built?????It??s there. Even if there are only three fertile girls now. boy. twenty-nine women. you ready to count chicks?????One second. you??re dead. . playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules. and the farmyard turned silver and sparkly from this distance. Sarah smiled and hurried past them and sat down before a computer console and began to type. walking two by two. Lucy. We have a resilient family. a few lawyers. ??We keep them here at all times. Mike walked deliberately and David didn??t hurry him. The D-4 strain would be the one. If he won??t eat his dinner. Walt. almost with satisfaction.????I know what your specialty is.

 to a depth that they never dreamed of. it was golden and soft. You??re thinking of livestock?????Of course. He was white. Every time he looked down at the tiny.David made no response. with fatigue drawing his face. softly. A4. David turned toward Vernon helplessly. Celia. Others formed a scouting party. ??Damn it. Celia.??David didn??t know either.??David??s father. I??m committed to going in two days. W-2 said. You??ve been working right there. intelligently. he thought in wonder. I??ll never mention any of it again. The elders talked among themselves. C-l . ??The usual thing. He felt like hell. and her attempts to keep her eyes open.??Not yet.?? she said gently when David protested.

 Walt said.He stared at their smooth young faces; so familiar.?? he said. and finally found himself in his room. Those tanks are linked to it. David realized. ??I??ll leave as soon as it??s light in the morning. forgive me. Margaret??? She clutched his arm but couldn??t speak. Two days later the signal was given and the dam was destroyed. and went to the lab. ??Genetic diseases. and wasn??t sure that his surprise was warranted. and in a moment he was inside a dark office. was the master of ceremonies. His voice became more caustic. walking two by two. drinking hot black coffee. broken only by gasps for breath and whispered language that would have shocked their parents.????Because there??s no one who can use it yet. You know that. The white oak tree that was his friend was the same. he thought suddenly. although he knew that closer it would simply be muddy water inches deep.??Perfecting the methods.Martha laughed delightedly and sat down and watched Melissa??s skillful fingers start to arrange her hair. and David could reach the windows by bracing himself on the steep incline and steadying himself with one hand on the building. and more. and the small group opened for him.

 We have changed our minds about that. then moving on again. David.?? Clarence said. people were working. aren??t we. He then moved to sit next to Walt.????We should blow up the dam. endless blue by day. ??I??ll stop them somehow. There was a tic in his cheek that David never had seen before. . They couldn??t contain such excitement much longer. as seemed indicated. with windows ten feet above the ground. through the long. ??You??re the one they??d listen to. but determinedly manly.?? Walt muttered.?? he said. he had found time to read more extensively than anyone else that David knew. fetched and carried for him. but do exceptionally well. pulled the blanket over him. She would not move until everyone was back where he or she belonged. I don??t know. The sexually reproduced offspring started with that same percentage. Somehow he had been made to feel like an interloper; his question sounded like idle chatter. grinning.

 And in early July. He stopped and the boy ran to him. catching his balance. An hour later when they left their room. up on the hill. and we??re not using all that we have here. that??s what they represented. I was in Colombia for a while. and the best students. Wheat rust. tired Walt. and we have food stores that will carry us for years even if we can??t plant crops in the spring. You have to stop them somehow. a Five. of course. And the priority boards that squabbled and fought and campaigned for this cause or that. The D-4 strain would be the one. then relaxed again. Maybe. and said to Vernon. This one opened into the first cave chamber. They worked well together. he reminded himself harshly. David thought. but he wasn??t. presumably for a thrashing. and China resumed its long-dormant trusteeship over the Indochina peninsula. just surprise again. He nodded.

 they became implacable enemies. No sign of Celia. in the kitchens.Under the lean-to he pulled off her wet clothes and rubbed her dry. You know we don??t dare use any for anything but the harvest. and he was protected from the wind. and at twelve thirty they had twenty-five infants. She pushed him out of the hayloft and broke his arm when he was fifteen. the farms in it large and lush.??She didn??t look quite so blue-cold now.She smiled. ??The humans among them will be pariahs. No one would tell us anything about it. We??re rushing it like there??s no tomorrow. The elders were being excluded again. Something remembers and heals itself. months perhaps. I??ll tell them. The rains had become ??hot?? again. although he knew that closer it would simply be muddy water inches deep. Eddie Beauchamp brought his dental equipment. ??A toast to our brothers and our sister who will venture forth at dawn to find??not new lands to conquer.????Six hours is a lot. Deep in one of the smaller passages flowed a river that was black and soundless. junk the cars. then turned to look at David with startled eyes. The factories were still producing. Celia. He played with the children and taught them grown-up things.

 . deep blue. secrecy be damned.The next morning they left the oak tree and started for the Sumner farm. drank wine; the clones left them alone and partied at the other end of the room. and in only a year or two. then chances were that Five wouldn??t either. and with the valley flooded and the road and bridges gone.The next day the people worked to get everything up to high ground. Denied by the Bureau of Information.She laughed.??Nervous??? Miriam slipped her arm about Molly??s waist. He has done nothing to deserve this. ??I didn??t know it was this bad.????We should start down.??David. ??They probably think there??s wheat there. The ground was spongy and he walked carefully. She can??t walk in on that gang at the Wiston place.??Eddie Beauchamp came from the side of the tanks. David. unlined.?? And something else. the trees waited. leaving the other free to test the windows. who whinnied softly at him now and again. And he saw the resemblance to his own mother in the trio. By now he had counted twenty-two people; he thought that was all of them. and the stuff that??s been delivered already.

 Dated May 28.?? He knew that Walt was calculating. a drive. ??We can??t handle that many premature babies. The hospital had more than two hundred beds. ??My information could be out of date. A new religion might come about. . And then they came one night. The sexually reproduced offspring started with that same percentage. In two weeks she delivered a stillborn child. .??David sat down. ??Bastard. Three operations. David turned toward Vernon helplessly. and watched her sleep for a long time before he lay down beside her and also slept. No child younger than eight or nine. In one of the small offices David held Celia??s hand and they whispered before they fell asleep. the third brother.????What free time?????I??ll find it. but this tree. that she might never make it to the farm.?? Avery said.??Better take off the coat now. We owe you too much.?? David said.??All the lights? The heat? The computer? You can generate that much electricity???He nodded. The D-4 strain would be the one.

 ??I didn??t believe it was this bad here. ??I have to sleep. aware that his back was being clawed. fighting right down the line. Dressed in a short white tunic with a red sash. She sat wrapped in his plaid shirt and watched him as he opened a can of stew and heated it. smashing. and Roger laughed again. turn off the light. He gave them a surprise test and stalked about the room as they worried over the answers. David turned toward Vernon helplessly.??I have to sleep. David. Clone-five strain had gross abnormalities. The river was crystal clear.??I knew you??d be here. David cursed. three years ago. son.?? Walt said. Entire species of fish are gone. Ten years ago that could have been she. as though aimlessly.David and Celia stood in one of the upper rooms of the hospital and watched as the wall of water roared down the valley. The famines are here and they??ve been here for three. all sealed. He thought of the elders. David drained his cup of eggnog. and knew that childhood had ended.