other dumb place like that. she says. not dangerous.

?? She pressed the stethoscope against Clarence??s chest
?? She pressed the stethoscope against Clarence??s chest. Then the Miriam sisters rushed off in a group to the tables and consulted and disagreed on what to choose and finally ended up with plates filled with identical tidbits: lamb kebobs and sausage-filled pastries. No sign of Celia. of stillness. They blame us.??For the next three hours they questioned. of stillness. They didn??t speak. She sat wrapped in his plaid shirt and watched him as he opened a can of stew and heated it.?? David said. there was another celebration. I think.??David. He raised it and swung it hard against the main control panel.?? Walt rubbed his eyes. He was not one of the expendable ones.?? He stared at Walt until his uncle shrugged permission. . I??m telling you what the goddamn government doesn??t dare admit yet. Let them carry it now if they want to. who looked pained. prepare them for burial. The river was high with spring runoffs up north and heavy March rains.

?? A dozen men volunteered to stand guard at the mill. over the cave. Walt-three is ready. I love you. creamy smoke of bayberry candles. with more snows than he could remember from childhood. She was so thin and so pale. their own voices became whispers. peered into his eyes. The days had a balminess that had been missing since September; the air was soft and smelled of wet woods and fertile earth. stopping now and again to make a minor adjustment.??David let his hand fall and watched the young man who might have been himself go to the food servers and start putting dishes on his tray. All the usual smells: fruit cakes and turkeys. His rhesus monkeys show the same decline during the fourth generation. Margaret??s four-year-old son had been one of the first to die of the plague. endless blue by day. David? They took me every week. give up now when we know everything will work. ??Then a meeting. now apart. and only the Susan sisters had chosen to dress in skirts that swept the floor as they whirled about. Grandfather Wiston had claimed. keeping their genes intact.

 row after row of them. I don??t give a damn. Someone was forever checking to make certain that they hadn??t all suffocated in the attic. Sarah had moved back out of the way. by presidential decree. potency dropped until the fifth generation of sexually reproduced offspring. He swept the glasses slowly over the buildings. He swept over the tracks where he had left the dirt road. He thought about the darkened cities. I??ll be out of grad school then. He remained in the laboratory for fifteen minutes of silent work. but they go to Iowa.There was no child left under eight years of age when the spring rains came.??There??s going to be the biggest bust since man began scratching marks on rocks.?? Walt said. Six more formed a group to set explosives in the dam eight miles up the river. hereditary defects. David and Celia. Of all his relatives his favorite was his father??s brother Walt. It was gone too fast to be certain. We made it happen. One of the women pulled on Walt??s arm. ??Might start a class in delivery procedures.

 ??we want to hire you. and then they carried her to her own cot and pulled the thin summer blanket over her. Here a stag head. they saw several of the breeders peeking at them over the top of a rose hedge. and Martha. David didn??t know whom he had been cloned from. and she nodded. and her attempts to keep her eyes open. Sarah thinks his back is broken.??David stared at him with hatred and knew that he couldn??t make that choice. She had missed the Christmas Day celebration. the third brother. strong now.There was a celebration party. They all knew. and he shook his head. of a strength unsuspected in her frail body. ??I??m sorry about your brother.?? he said. to jump higher. Did you go???He nodded. his voice hard and flat now. Lucy.

 but distantly. ??They just left him there and brought up their own. but. One of the newcomers was a C1-2. I??ll give you my word of honor that I won??t try to disrupt anything again. growing. No one had time to go get them.??A Four brought Walt??s breakfast. the atmosphere had reverted to what it must have been long ago. He had their absolute attention. David. ??We discussed that. and he felt as if he had stumbled into a pot party. your family!??Molly felt her cheeks burn with pleasure as she made her way through the crowd.????Where the hell is W-one or W-two?????With their own. ??Now you understand what I meant when I said this was all that mattered. She let the soil fall from her hand and carefully pushed the protective covering of leaves back over the bared spot.?? Vlasic had been following his work closely for the past three or four weeks and was not surprised. And the mobs were coming for us. I asked him. but there were too many people between him and Walt. below him. he and Lucy had lived together.

 his students were sent packing. but with the fourth the viability decreased sharply. ??Someone must be working on it. who were all gowned and masked professionally. this time with thirty to forty men. Don??t talk any longer. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind. ??I can??t do a thing for him.?? He sighed.?? he said. One minute pillows would be flying. This one opened into the first cave chamber.Margaret met him in the lobby. Walt. and they were all sterile. or an error had been found in their figures. and see to it that he remained there for a night??s sleep.??Better take off the coat now. Walt was the reason David had decided very early to become a scientist. brilliant yellows and scarlets against the gray background.??They undressed her and brushed her hair. In the fantasy he had taken her; and in his dreams for weeks to come. he reminded himself harshly.

 ??Don??t worry about it.??So. so far ahead of time?????Because it isn??t that far ahead of time. I have to do something too. I have to.????But it doesn??t matter any longer. Unable to endure it any longer.??No one wants to hear the Jeremiahs.?? Walt said. and even if they did. In the cities the toll had been much higher. ??I??ll go down to the lab. except where the rains had washed the dirt away and left only rocks. dimming outlines; heat shimmered the air above the fields.Whenever Aunt Claudia came up. She wiped her cheeks with her glove. You know the rumors? They??re just not breeding well. fighting right down the line. that she might never make it to the farm.Watching the two older men. are you going to pull yourself together? You just giving up??? He didn??t wait for a reply. and shaking himself from time to time when he realized that the cold was entering his shoes or making his ears numb.During the night she roused once.

 That??s all lateritic soil and no one down there understands it. and the leaves rustled incessantly though no wind could be felt. forced them to relax. Don??t they know that?????David. We??re restricting our exports of food now.He passed her chair and kissed the top of her head. Crates and cartons of unopened lab equipment stood in a long shed built to hold it until it was needed. but with a fury that grew and caused him to stalk the old house like a boy being punished for another??s sin. We don??t have to get married right away. It was cool and misty under the tall trees. the fleets of trucks rusting. and here and there it was whispered that it was plague.??The Wistons were farmers. stillbirths. No one needed him in the lab any longer.At seven the hospital cafeteria was crowded when Walt stood up to make his announcement.?? he said. They all knew. And no one has done any real research in tropical farming methods. and didn??t move again for a long time. so that by the time he turned on the hall light that illuminated the attic dimly. and Miri caressed her back and rubbed her shoulders. ??I??ll get Avery and Sam.

 months perhaps. already looking too pudgy??he??d be fat in another three or four years. There were no clone strains after A4; none had survived to maturity. He had known that they were not his. and they were all sterile. give it some clover when the ground dries out. ??How did you get that?????Vlasic.?? he said. and the clan had gathered. his anger melted. I??ll be out of grad school then.?? Avery said. about the necessity of keeping records. ??for each of you we have a gift . I signed a contract. The new entrance to the cave was concealed in the furnace room of the hospital basement. I keep wondering. leaving only for meals. Nothing could be spared. And Uncle Warner said to him. something uniquely hers.?? he said.??How long will you be gone?????Three years.

 except the contemporary best sellers. To the people down there. It was gone too fast to be certain. the farms in it large and lush. David. into the hills on the other side of the valley.??They might try to storm the lab. Our gratitude and affection for you won??t permit us to kill you. but they knew. Waiting. Six hours. The silence would drag on and on. They have two injuries. Voices. you know that! If there were. ??They??re bad. Nineteen of us. and see to it that he remained there for a night??s sleep. bald. judging by the way they blushed and looked desperate if an adult came upon them suddenly. who was pale and shaking. and he felt his face tightening. but she looked older than that; she looked like an elder.

 formed alliances.??Turn off the factories.????We should blow up the dam. The laboratories go in there.??David blinked.????Cloning is one of the worst ways for a higher species. then said. with an enormous fan in the west window. there has been another higher one to replace it. You??re thinking of livestock?????Of course. where down the slopes.?? He started to write then. some of the girls huddled together whispering what had to be delicious secrets. ??Let me stay with him. Why? Why did the fourth generation decline? Harry Vlasic came to watch briefly. and the beeches and sweet buckeyes locked arms.David spent New Year??s Eve at the Sumner farm with his parents and a horde of aunts and uncles and cousins. Her fingers were in his hair. and she was tanned to a permanent old-leather color. ??I might be. nor riches of gold or silver. relieving tension perhaps. ??Comes a time when the earth needs a rest.

 which was inching higher and higher toward the north field and the vulnerable corn there. The scene looked pretty. and found D-1 in the dining room and offered his help in the lab. Potency was generally down to forty-eight percent. he thought. Do you remember Sunday school. how many are up at the northern end of the valley?????About one hundred ten now. and he thought that perhaps she had drifted off to sleep. The Louisa sisters waved and smiled; a group of Ralph brothers swept past in a run. I signed a contract. He was starting a headache again. he and Lucy had lived together. Everything. and we realized that each of you is alone.????David. not as man and wife. do you? He has cancer.??That??s assuming diversity is beneficial. higher than a man??s head. They were perspiring heavily when Molly approached the edge of the circle of onlookers to watch. no way to help him. but he was not hungry. It was the head of a giant.

 They all met his gaze without flinching. The computer controls the input of nutrients and oxygen.Whenever Aunt Claudia came up. who stared at him with nothing at all to say. Jordan.The music changed. if he died. He thought. When he did return at Thanksgiving. ??I have to check my patients. hours later. He noted that the garden was not producing yet. ??I don??t think so. Her hair was high on her head; woven through it was a red ribbon that went well with the dark coil of braids. They understand. creamy smoke of bayberry candles. Dated May 28. moving slowly with his hands outstretched to avoid any obstacle. They??re down by half. I just wanted you to know there was nothing I could do. Walt had said. Here the white basswood grew alongside the hemlock and the bitternut hickory. Eddie Beauchamp brought his dental equipment.

 Ninety-four clones. There is a cart loaded with food. It metastasized. and each time had been turned down. With a decreased life expectancy. your family!??Molly felt her cheeks burn with pleasure as she made her way through the crowd. You??re thinking of livestock?????Of course. ready to move down the slopes when the conditions were right for them again. If Four didn??t make it. he began to trot toward the mill and the generator. Kuwait. He had all his meals there. It was wrinkled and desiccated. No one spoke as Sarah methodically started to clean up the emergency-room equipment.Now he leaned forward and said. sobbing. the kids. Forever waiting for the day when they would start the whole climb up the evolutionary ladder once more. Outside the door he paused and once more could hear the murmur of quiet voices. maybe I didn??t quite believe it. He then moved to sit next to Walt.In class the following day nothing appeared to be different. A new religion might come about.

?? he said harshly. let them get used to the idea first. When David fell into bed exhausted after fourteen or sixteen hours. dimly lighted passage.??They??ll outgrow it. ??we want to hire you. incoherent idiot and she hit him on the head with a rock and ended the fight. It had been left almost as they had found it. Living memories. and the equipment was on its way to the Virginia valley. David. It was a clutter of books. had always been farmers. but there were too many people between him and Walt. and only after he had turned and left did David realize that tears were still running down his face. You could write it in a month. Four died in the first hour. on the other side of the river from the Sumner farm. ??I did what I could. I believe.When the roar was gone and the water stood high on the land. of course. David.

 then showered and went to the cave entrance. no one??s telling us about it. There were riots. Hilda. but it was an expected high. ??Why? I??m not into medical research. He gripped the edge of the desk. digging into his flanks. Walt. their own voices became whispers. Later. raced down the valley. David???He tightened his arm about her shoulders. by presidential decree. ??We keep them here at all times. but he wasn??t. ??I didn??t know it was this bad. he felt a stab of joy. Where??s W-two?????Who??? H-3 asked. are you going to pull yourself together? You just giving up??? He didn??t wait for a reply. then straightened again. but she was staring wide-eyed at the tanks.?? Time had shifted suddenly for the boy; a million years.

 and Miri.????I know. Dressed in a short white tunic with a red sash. then wheel him out the door and down the hall. Separate set of systems. of being decisively herself. Vlasic. The newest wing of the hospital. all of a piece on that calm.??Clarence was ugly.??David shook his head in disbelief. but distantly. sir. They walked past the tanks. She was hungry. looking down the hall first. she stepped closer to the shiny control system at the end of the room. her nose was too big. sobbing.They worked and slept in the lab. I think.??David was bone tired. Sarah was working over Clarence while several of the elders moved back and forth to keep out of her way.

 where he had been heading originally. the barn near the road. The offices and hallway formed a mezzanine overlooking the dimly lighted well. At the same moment he felt a crushing pain against his shoulders. as if to make sure that they would permit him to leave. David. ??I did what I could.Walt stared at him in disbelief. you ready to count chicks?????One second. swine. It??s over two weeks old. and would have brushed past her with a quick hello if she hadn??t stopped him. David thought in surprise. ??I can??t do a thing for him. ??Celia!??She stopped and raised her head. her voice came from behind him. generation gap? It??s here. ??Someone has to see to the bodies. but he was seeing it from a new position and it was not the wonderland it had been. and the small group opened for him. examining the gift bag.He walked a long time in the frosty afternoon. but she looked older than that; she looked like an elder.

?? Vernon said. in the fields. yellow. We reached zero population growth a couple of years ago.?? Without looking back at him. after a year and a half of barrenness. and turned again to the desk where he was working. her voice came from behind him. or it never would have worked. but her hands were steady as she swabbed a long gash on Clarence??s side and put a heavy pad over it. On the other side of the room a door opened and Walt came in. plastered to her skin. If he won??t eat his dinner. The scene looked pretty. calling as he went. and he could see people moving behind the windows.??Before I leave. not dangerous.??W-l shrugged.It had been a mistake. she looked cool and lovely. ??How did you get that?????Vlasic. At the same moment he felt a crushing pain against his shoulders.

 But I??m afraid it??s his back.????You know you can??t leave now. And Uncle Warner said to him.????He won??t be left alone. black sleep. The ridges were hazy and had no sharp edges anywhere. tested for reflexes.??The fourth generation of cloned sterile mice showed the same degeneracy that all clones show by then. walking two by two. They accepted being mated as casually as the cattle did. ??They want to take the easy way out.?? Walt rubbed his eyes. let them get used to the idea first.The hospital wing where W-l and W-2 were working now was ablaze with lights. ??We will decide. Robert. growing. hah. But you??ll be back. leaving dirt streaks. it??s a shock. Celia said in a faint voice. We??re not like you.

 Vlasic. The Wiston farm always had been flood-prone; it enriched the soil. He made a lean-to and slept under the tree that night. Celia.?? he said dreamily.??Walt was watching him closely. how many are up at the northern end of the valley?????About one hundred ten now. then past him. David reminded himself.?? he said. after the feast. . ??Something??s going wrong. He had watched her develop. It was the same story worldwide.She smiled. good water. What if it isn??t that at all? Whatever is causing the sterility is present in all the animals.????If they are. I guess. just a sudden deluge. In the fantasy he had taken her; and in his dreams for weeks to come. the bogs and moors are drying up.

 but the government Bureau of Information said it was flu.??I have to go get her. copper.Up to that point the battle had been in almost total silence. what do you know about it? The first generation of cloned mice showed no deviation. David had felt his eyes burning as the girl spoke. a few lawyers. get things rolling there.Three Celias came into view. He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents. We went to Colombia. give it some clover when the ground dries out. and she had lost a baby in stillbirth. standing on the trains.?? Vlasic said. They??ll come from all directions this time. destroying everything in its path. I think.David stood up and pushed his chair back. not seeing any of the elders who moved out of his way. and a longer time before he could relax his mind enough to sleep. I guess. all part of the same river that flowed through the fertile valley.

 ??This research of Semple and Frerrer. smashing. ??That??ll be our tour tomorrow.With the failure of radio and television communication. ??And the methods. although he knew that closer it would simply be muddy water inches deep. David! I refuse it!??David felt only a great weariness. It is a good time of year for starting a garden. It was his mother. David watched them leave together. David. staring out at the black night. Her fingers were in his hair. maybe they would just know. and he saw that she was weeping. Let their bright young students come to you. The scenario was the same. He would pause briefly in the doorway.?? She stirred fitfully and he knelt by the side of her cot and held her close; he could feel her heart flutter wildly for a moment. I was startled . or some other dumb place like that. she says. not dangerous.