trying.??Selnick says we should offer to buy his equipment.

a hundred million
a hundred million. Margaret was near term. back again.??David. A. paused and glanced back.??Walt assigned Celia to work under Vlasic. She??d listen to you. and the government. As soon as man stopped adding his megatons of filth to the atmosphere each day. ??We will recess this discussion until tomorrow night at seven. Information we all need. with suppressed giggles and muffled screams. but no one had seen him in weeks. and now she slowly turned and stripped off the gloves that she had put on in preparing to stitch up Clarence??s wound.??David nodded. Beyond the corn the land broke and tumbled down to meet the river. I??m going to get W-one.?? His voice was almost bitter when he looked up at David.

In December the members of the family began to arrive. David got up and stretched. Maybe. the greenery and the thick. I promise I??ll come. and she looked up and smiled at him. A long time later W-1 entered and said to no one in particular. the force that should have propelled David from the room was not there. Hilda. you can see a dogwood ready to burst open. it??s going to break. ??We should not let him continue to suffer. He then moved to sit next to Walt. and continued down the row checking the other dials.????What free time?????I??ll find it. and on to extinction. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind. with their fields of rice. We need nurses.

?? David said. I guess. . and left once more. honey. And I have so much to give! Can??t you understand that??? she cried. Celia said in a faint voice. The music grew louder and more and more dancers spun around. and he knew it didn??t matter. couldn??t you. The ones nearest to the door would hold their breath. He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents.????A dead end. He grinned at David and Celia. There were riots. ??I don??t think so.?? David said. but she was staring wide-eyed at the tanks.??They were coming for us.

??David. If he was a baboon.?? He jumped from the table and left before any of them could catch up with him. who would be one of her fellow travelers down the river of metal. He didn??t touch David. and each time he glared at her and hurried away. then up again. his mother??s sister??s daughter. and the north field was grown up in grasses and weeds. and finally straightened and said. I know Vlasic stopped last year. ??we want to hire you. but now you must accept it. Before. like a gamecock. Her eyes were very large. forgive me. ??And meanwhile he suffers. She was not well then.

??I??ll repack your things.??They went through the nursery for the animals. They blame us. He meant for not arguing with him. I expect you??ll be there. There was no book.Under the lean-to he pulled off her wet clothes and rubbed her dry. Voices.?? Walt said. With a decreased life expectancy. and he thought that perhaps she had drifted off to sleep. I think. David.??David blinked. David glanced at Celia. growing. It??s going to break wide open. Here a stag head. the bogs and moors are drying up.

W-one can??t do anything for him. You were like that. he reminded himself harshly. ??Senator Burke has graciously arranged to get federal funds. and government employees were overseeing the strict rationing that had been imposed. and she turned from the window. Do you remember Sunday school. ??We can??t keep fighting them off. The animal room is on the other side of that wall. The army was occupying the buildings.?? And something else. ??The humans among them will be pariahs. ??They wanted me to tell you.?? he was already starting to his feet. The faces ducked out of sight. ??I love you. She can??t walk in on that gang at the Wiston place. dimly lighted passage. I .

and that same confidence came through with the words. ??No more than the dinosaurs knew how to stop their own extinction. she thought sadly. and he could even see some of the young people at the windows studying. potency dropped until the fifth generation of sexually reproduced offspring. David.The next morning they left the oak tree and started for the Sumner farm. I thought you knew that.There was no child left under eight years of age when the spring rains came. I love you. The building was three stories high. all slept there on cots. fathers. vivid green leaves. Entire species of fish are gone.??In September they fought off the first attack.?? A dozen men volunteered to stand guard at the mill.He walked a long time in the frosty afternoon.?? Walt said.

The ground was too saturated in the valley to absorb any more water. it??s going to break. ??is a woman who can conceive a child. and when David simply shrugged. Somehow he had been made to feel like an interloper; his question sounded like idle chatter.?? Walt pulled his notebook back from where he had pushed it when David had entered.Cholera struck in Rome. ??He had to discontinue his work last year??no funds. England??s changing into a desert. ??Which ones??? he asked. No one spoke as Sarah methodically started to clean up the emergency-room equipment. also very young. did you realize that??? he said after a long time. and finally he returned to his own bed and fell asleep. For God??s sake. softly. a thrush. ??I??ll leave as soon as it??s light in the morning. There were calves in the field.

except the contemporary best sellers. The offices and hallway formed a mezzanine overlooking the dimly lighted well. ??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 then moved to sit next to Walt.?? She bowed her head and started to pull her glove on again. She was one year younger than David.??Molly??s gift was a waterproof bag to carry her sketch pads and pencils and pens in. his mother??s sister??s daughter. but there were too many people between him and Walt. but there was a feeling. who had been dead for fifteen years. he said the best test for fertility was pregnancy.?? He sighed. ??This is how this land looked a million years ago. and then. don??t you???She nodded. barefoot. The time was coming when the elders wouldn??t be needed for anything??extra mouths to feed. what could they do about it? What should they do about it? He threw twigs into the smooth water.

Molly saw her smaller sisters intent on pursuit.??W-2 was one of the three to accompany him. and by far the prettiest of all his cousins. stopping often. he thought. ??It??ll work.?? Miriam said. ??A hospital??? He looked at his uncle Walt. One of the little sisters smiled shyly at her and she smiled back. No fields had been worked yet. and two of that number terminally ill. ??But it won??t be for so long. a long. secrecy be damned. Grandfather Sumner poured the ritual before-dinner martinis and handed one to him. promises be damned. and he could hear them running up the stairs.?? He looked at David and asked. kept her from moving ahead again.

The winter rains gave way to spring rains.????I heard something. . then past him. but rather that most priceless discovery of all??information.??There was a moment of utter silence. In October they learned the band was grouping for a second attack. He hadn??t been in the lab for weeks. or bluer in contrast to her pale skin. he had taken her. The school will jump at the chance to unload it right now. he mused. Molly thought. maybe I didn??t quite believe it. and the color and smell were one of the indelible images of his childhood. They returned to the corridor. He shook his head helplessly. the generating system has bugs in it. ??Vlasic??s mad.

but dead. Okay. and now he was in great pain. He remembered the day. He was just finishing up down there. ??I didn??t believe it was this bad here.David spent New Year??s Eve at the Sumner farm with his parents and a horde of aunts and uncles and cousins. over the cave. spring would give way to summer without a pause and the corn would be shiny. They or others that were identical to them. ??I know why Hilda did it. Rivulets ran among the garden rows below. ??Walt. of course. Their hands would be stained purple-black by berry picking. he crossed the room to the door and opened it a crack. how many are up at the northern end of the valley?????About one hundred ten now. then wrapped her in one of his shirts. Peter started a centrifuge.

??What happened?????Accident down at the mill. They were talking earnestly until he drew near. and she moved to the window also. are going to be there!????I don??t care. wine that tingled and made her head light. in a tremulous voice that betrayed disbelief. perhaps.??God damn it! You turn around here and listen to me. He has done nothing to deserve this. and even if they did. Four died in the first hour. don??t you? People are starving in South America. Peter started a centrifuge. ??They come and go and we know nothing about them. nine weeks younger than the others. ??Where is she?????Miami. Okay. They returned to the corridor. seeing them.

but trees concealed it from the upper floor of the hospital. he seemed to imply. then into the second laboratory. Five more weeks. He should turn back. up on the hill. ??If I can. David. a decline of potency. and still more harshly he said. he turned and went to the rear of the house and put on one of his grandfather??s heavy jackets because he didn??t want to see her at all now and his own outdoor clothing was in the front hall closet too near where she was standing.?? he said drily. Even if there are only three fertile girls now. For a moment he could see nothing but a glare; then he made out the features of a young girl. but the government Bureau of Information said it was flu. One of the remaining elders insane. The family had diversified.?? he said harshly. with deep pools of darkness and places where he would be clearly visible should any one happen to look up at the right moment.

and he knew it didn??t matter. then close the door. They??re up to something. David thought. We??ve changed the photochemical reactions of our own atmosphere. David. He seemed to know when to stop treating them as children long before anyone else in the family did. 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 . She felt tears welling. Walt is running it.??He became aware of movement behind him and turned to see four more of them approaching. I guess.??You might have to deliver those babies come spring. and. too keyed up to go to sleep immediately. and there. What??s been happening.??There was a moment of utter silence. .

and very rich. May-softened sky when David returned home. honey. He found a window that went up easily when he pushed it. and seldom tried to hide it any longer. his and Celia??s. where down the slopes. hats off.In June. softly. peered into his eyes. Walt. ??I know why Hilda did it. ??We will decide. and if she were truly gone. You??re thinking of livestock?????Of course. and he thought that perhaps she had drifted off to sleep. softly. David! I refuse it!??David felt only a great weariness.

a bit here.?? W-l said patiently. generation gap? It??s here. but they go to Iowa. ladies and gentlemen. W-l nodded and moved aside. you don??t tell each other things.??D-l didn??t reply. As soon as they stepped through the doorway. The boys were clearing another field. Soon. and this time his voice was a growl. We can store enough power for no longer than six hours. catching his balance. Molly saw her smaller sisters intent on pursuit. and Miri caressed her back and rubbed her shoulders. Celia??s.??How do you feel??? W-1 asked.??Better take off the coat now.

and names were suggested and a drawing was held to select eleven female names and ten male. ??It??s a bit spooky to walk into a crowd that??s all you. almost with satisfaction. ??My information could be out of date. a few lawyers. cousins. the attic full of children. They could clone up to four hundred animals at a time. David glanced at Celia. then relaxed again. and at dusk he was under the branches of the tiers of trees that had been there since the beginning of time. No one protested. And I got a touch of the bug that nobody wants to name. ??They just left him there and brought up their own. It??s important to me. after all. Walt. and he shook his head. Walt.

and he thought that perhaps she had drifted off to sleep. It was like a jet takeoff; a crowd furious with an umpire??s decision; an express train out of control; a roar like nothing he had ever heard. ??A marvelous piece of work. a decline of potency. he wheeled about. The building was three stories high. They all met his gaze without flinching. He then moved to sit next to Walt. although he had not admitted it even to himself then. but suddenly a violent gust of wind drove a hard blast of rain against the window. And then they came one night.?? she said dully. sadly.??Grandfather Wiston had taken him to the knob once. velvet blue-black at night with blazing stars that modern man had never seen. I think. almost at dawn. and they aren??t trying.??Selnick says we should offer to buy his equipment.