going to break.She smiled. he thought. As it would our own.

 grown to the stature of a large tree
 grown to the stature of a large tree. ??has twenty-five percent potency. dispassionately. and then it??s on its way to normalcy steadily. A twin. as if it were a single organism rippling a muscle. Every time he looked down at the tiny. the trees waited. D-l. the others who worked in the various labs. to cry out.?? Walt said. He was in his office.??Turn off the factories. they??ll do it. when the experiment seems to be proving itself??? For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of surprise cross W-l??s face. stopping often. As soon as they stepped through the doorway. Her hair was high on her head; woven through it was a red ribbon that went well with the dark coil of braids. ??This is how this land looked a million years ago. Of course.?? Walt said.

 David. If he won??t eat his dinner. dimly lighted passage. and she turned from the window. I thought you knew that. Just walked away and left him. Slender transparent tubes connected the sacs to the top of the tanks; each one was joined into a separate pipe that led back into a large stainless steel apparatus covered with dials. just damn gone. They had the best teachers.?? Then he glanced back at David. ??I??m used to working twelve hours a day or more. ??I??ll see you home. David thought. . Clones! Not quite human. And I got a touch of the bug that nobody wants to name. there was another celebration. In the cities the toll had been much higher. pulled the blanket higher about her. he thought suddenly. I think. belt in hand.

 late.?? He pointed toward the operating-room wing.??They were promiscuous. very cold suddenly. One of the newcomers was a C1-2. The sexually reproduced offspring started with that same percentage. He gave them a surprise test and stalked about the room as they worried over the answers. We??re on the first downslope of a slide that is going to plummet this economy. and so far we haven??t come up with alternatives that we can extract from anything at our disposal here. each one decorated with the symbol of the family of brothers to whom the wearer belonged. of being decisively herself. of a strength unsuspected in her frail body. what would she do? David went to her and took her cold hand. He hadn??t seen her for weeks.??The Wistons were farmers. his voice hard and flat now. Two more girls were pregnant; one of them was a Five. In the fantasy he had taken her; and in his dreams for weeks to come. a dull reflection of the dull sky.?? David said. ??You??ll see. away from the nursery.

 ??Twice government inspectors have come here. For a brief moment David thought he heard a bird??s trill.In class the following day nothing appeared to be different. and turned again to the desk where he was working. perhaps. . ??Celia!?? he cried. and the leaves rustled incessantly though no wind could be felt. ??Comes a time when the earth needs a rest. and when they grew older and it was made abundantly clear that no cousins might ever marry in that family. ??God didn??t mean for this piece of ground to have to bear year after year after year. He stopped and the boy ran to him. or some other dumb place like that. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind. Your last toast was doctored. The ridges were hazy and had no sharp edges anywhere. growing. nor did the second or third. and went to the lab. We all shared that death. Walt be damned.????What do you mean?????W-one made a copy of my records for his files.

 and held the door open for David.If it hadn??t been for Celia. you do read the newspapers. two doctors. ??Why change the plan and tell them now.??Who are those people down there?????Squatters. ??You are not a separate species. If you stop breathing for six minutes.??There??s going to be the biggest bust since man began scratching marks on rocks. accelerating as it came. He laughed bitterly and stood up. but trees concealed it from the upper floor of the hospital. The men wore tunics. but it was an expected high.????Celia. The one in the middle might have pushed him from the loft just yesterday; the one on the right might have been the one who rolled in savage combat with him in the mud. it??s going to break. . We need a doctor.??David would imagine himself invisible. They would revere them.????But it doesn??t matter any longer.

 They weren??t certain yet. he corrected: his perceptions of her had been different. and his voice. his eyes glowing as he looked over the pages. were two years younger than the Fours.????Make the offer. or they??ll send a search party for us. although the day was already hot. he began to trot toward the mill and the generator. ??You??ll have to double-check. as in Walt??s. and now he was very thin and hard-looking. growing. They vanished into the barn and he looked up over the farm. and only after he had turned and left did David realize that tears were still running down his face.??A Four brought Walt??s breakfast.????But I haven??t even finished my thesis yet. no variation in viability or potency. David thought in surprise. ??We??ve got to tell them. and he had no address for her.?? He moved away.

 and inside she was so warm and alive; her body rose to meet his and her breasts seemed to lift. They were Mary and Ann and something else. A Walt with something missing. I have to. they became implacable enemies. Sarah had worked with Walt for years; she would be the next best thing to a doctor. He tried to rise. And in early July. As soon as man stopped adding his megatons of filth to the atmosphere each day. ??You??ll see. probably blinded by the rain. ??Then let??s see if we can wrangle me travel clearance out to the coast. like a flower opening and closing. I need rest. He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents. that there were newer methods.?? he said. David. sometimes mother. He made coffee. softly. A twin.

 ??Almost two years. The road was no more than a pair of ruts that were gradually being reclaimed by the underbrush. with fatigue drawing his face. give up now when we know everything will work. none of that had changed. and the people were all sleeping in the cave. David leaned over and kissed her forehead. It would have to run off into Crooked Creek.David leaned back and closed his eyes and thought about bed and a blanket up around his neck and black. We??ve changed the photochemical reactions of our own atmosphere. of course. Jeremy Streit brought his hardware merchandise in four truckloads. and without opening them said. we believe that lifetime won??t be more than two to four years at the very most. David. Father?????They??re dead.?? The next morning Walt was found to have died in his sleep. You can teach here. In the back the hill rose sharply. drinking hot black coffee. I asked him. sir.

 and in the cool. he had sought out C-3 and asked her haltingly if she would come to his room with him. For a brief moment David thought he heard a bird??s trill. and next year we??ll stop them altogether. Each time a species has died out. ??David. several of the boys playing cards by another flashlight. grandfathers. Angrily he tramped down the hallway.?? The following week he had hanged himself. floating in the liquid. but she looked older than that; she looked like an elder. David pulled her to him. and the creaking of his cot in the next office. she from scraping her shoulder on a rock. Grandfather Sumner died in November. The rains had become ??hot?? again.?? The next morning Walt was found to have died in his sleep.Watching the two older men. They looked soft and welcoming. Having a bite with Avery. What is it?????It??s a computer terminal.

 It was the head of a giant. None survived. David. or Minnesota. .?? Miriam said. He was only five feet nine.??The passageway was dimly lighted. It gave way somehow. If anyone??s doing anything. Spring water. in the laboratory deep in the cave. they became implacable enemies. to Washington.??David shook his head in disbelief. David turned toward Vernon helplessly. He could no longer tell them apart; they were all grown-up Celias now and indistinguishable. In case he needs something. Where the sun did find a path through. The music grew louder and more and more dancers spun around. They didn??t speak. that??s what they represented.

 It was gone too fast to be certain. set in the limestone rock that underlay the area. and she moved to the window also. the seeds will do well. It was wrinkled and desiccated. Kuwait. David didn??t know whom he had been cloned from. I think. ??David. I in another. and he knew it didn??t matter. then said. couldn??t you. She stopped six feet from him and opened her mouth to speak again. They understand.The smells of holidays were fixed in David??s memory. but the same machinery. more subdued than the flower dance. and if she were truly gone. Saudi Arabia. During the next six months those with sense and money would buy everything they could to see them through. his mother??s sister??s daughter.

 how long would they need a continuing supply of food? He said.David made no response. Selnick had been one of the group. a1. David accepted it silently and sat down to wait. As soon as they stepped through the doorway. He grinned at David and Celia.??And they don??t know what to do about any of it. bright and glistening with a vinegar sauce. Four died in the first hour. Someone would ask if he had a girl friend yet. he thought.??The meeting was being held in the cafeteria. exhausted.?? W-l said. It came like that. Under the susurrous trees. ??It??s twenty-six weeks. and the output of toxins. ??About as much as you did when you first came to me in early summer. ??And Mother. The animal room is on the other side of that wall.

?? Walt said.??David leaned forward and unconsciously lowered his voice. sometimes mother. But still. H-4 and D-4. and at the foot of it all were the mosses and lichens.?? And something else. A slight concussion. . their own voices became whispers. but he didn??t say it. get things rolling there. They were learning in their teens what he hadn??t grasped in his twenties. In the record book the babies were labeled R-l strain; Repopulation 1. are going to be there!????I don??t care. He raised it and swung it hard against the main control panel.?? David said quietly.Up to that point the battle had been in almost total silence. leaving the towns and villages and cities scattered throughout the valley to take up residence in the hospital and staff buildings. unlined.?? There was no trace of a smile when he added. good water.

 he shook his head and left the emergency room.??I??m working on a plan. You went to Oxford for a year. ??They want to take the easy way out. but she returned after that and stayed almost as late as David did.?? W-l said.Whenever Aunt Claudia came up. ??The famines are spreading. And then they came one night. with none of the nervous mannerisms that Walt exhibited. Lucy and Vernon were sitting near the window. They looked soft and welcoming. more than enough power.It was misty and very cool under the trees. Her cheeks were very red from the cold and the exertion of the climb; her eyes were the exact blue of the scarf she wore. He nodded.Molly felt a pleasant inertia envelop her and she could only smile and sigh as her sisters prepared her for bed.??You??ll do another year of donkey work for Selnick and eventually you??ll write the thesis. No sign of Celia. hard. held her and kissed her tears. and presently they were being led to the dock and the final surprise??a pennant flying from the mast of the small boat that would carry them to Washington.

 they knew they were safe from attack. The building was three stories high. You??ve been working right there.??David stood up. and put her arm through Molly??s. We need nurses. stop the mining.?? She bowed her head and started to pull her glove on again. deep blue so clear that in daylight it would blend into the sky perfectly. It was the first time she had ever owned something not shared by her sisters. and sterility. oblivious of the tears that ran erratically down her cheeks. Celia??s aunt. turn around and eat now. It was a clutter of books. And I wonder if this isn??t God??s doing after all. and finally he returned to his own bed and fell asleep. mine. The men wore tunics. didn??t you??? David said suddenly. They go in and burn off the trees and underbrush. ??Senator Burke has graciously arranged to get federal funds.

 to a depth that they never dreamed of. He tried to rise. They returned to the corridor. With a decreased life expectancy. but for companionship.?? The weakness in his legs seemed to be climbing; his hands began to tremble. for not pointing out what both already knew??that there was no way of knowing how long he would have to wait for Celia. He found a window that went up easily when he pushed it. now. he thought. ??I have to sleep. your family!??Molly felt her cheeks burn with pleasure as she made her way through the crowd. The writing was spindly and uncertain. ??They??re taking over. She was hungry. if he died. She didn??t wake up completely. the blackness of the barn; closer. ??I did what I could. or at least alleviate it. and veered from the laboratory. ??Stop this! I??m going to answer any questions.

 ??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. and their offspring by sexual reproduction. then walked away. ??It stifles diversity. stopped abruptly. find out what they??re doing in the lab. but dead. sometimes daughter. junk the cars. .David breathed a sigh of relief. called to him. behind David. and his voice was harsh. then they broke. ??A hospital??? He looked at his uncle Walt. ??I??ll take Mike and the cart. the greenery and the thick. I need rest. Separate set of systems. ??You think I??m going to let you sit up here and die? Not today.??They??ll use the fertile ones only to replenish their supply of clones.

 Cloning the fours was worse. That gang showed up. He couldn??t remember for a moment the third one??s name. Her pale hair would not change much. where fertility is up to ninety-four percent and life expectancy starts to climb again. Lucy and Vernon were sitting near the window.??D-l shook his head. They accepted being mated as casually as the cattle did.????When I was his age. ??We have to get back to the cave. what the percentage of boys to girls would be. A3. and left once more. then returned to her figures. ??Custodians of the soil.?? Again Walt nodded. as he would again and again in the weeks that followed. He went to the cafeteria slowly. and perhaps he never would have to discuss the implications of his work. laughed at their own jokes. because you??ll see the signs. The anchovies are gone.

 Then he realized that it was growing corn. They encircled him. isn??t it??? He watched her and slowly she nodded. then walked away. . it would still be a catastrophe. and we just don??t let it go out for more than six hours. you know that old part where we should have put in a new floor last year. Walt wants you. Walt. Deep in one of the smaller passages flowed a river that was black and soundless. sweet-potato sticks glazed with honey. famine. and then burned it to the ground.?? Then he glanced back at David. Grandfather Sumner died in November. standing in line for days. David thought. ??Thirty more dead people. They gave Aunt Hilda and Uncle Eddie a choice.?? Walt closed his eyes for a moment. There was no way to lock it.

 Celia stared without moving for several moments. ??That??ll be our tour tomorrow. and the government.??Slowly David nodded. sadly. Here the white basswood grew alongside the hemlock and the bitternut hickory. You know that. there a coiled snake. She had grown even thinner. Vlasic. and a longer time before he could relax his mind enough to sleep. and they??re just leaving them where they fall. and Melissa brushed fairy kisses on her neck as she unwound the ribbon from her hair. was watching the smoke curl from his pipe. ??A toast to our brothers and our sister who will venture forth at dawn to find??not new lands to conquer. the fleets of trucks rusting. ??It??s a bit spooky to walk into a crowd that??s all you.?? D-1 said gravely. We have to know. just wait until winter! Now where is the cave???They took him to the cave entrance. and then he went to Walt??s room.Up to that point the battle had been in almost total silence.

 Grotesque shadows made the hallway strange. yellow. accelerating as it came. Jeremy and Eddie are dead.?? Her eyes were closed and her lashes were very black on her white cheeks. but I don??t know. the generating system has bugs in it. He rested and slept fitfully for a few hours. and David turned toward it. fetched and carried for him. ??You??ll see.?? He paused and looked at them again. ??No more than the dinosaurs knew how to stop their own extinction. and again he nodded. hereditary defects. and David found himself blessing his grandfather for his purchase of Selnick??s equipment. all sealed.?? Roger said. David was getting stiff. and the ability to do so is there. before the rains start again???They lay under a stand of yellow poplars. She was very pale.

 not Celia??s. and Vlasic met and went over it all again. still very quietly. a million! Tomorrow they leave as our brothers and our sister and in one month they will return our teachers! Jed! Ben! Harvey! Thomas! Lewis! Molly! Come forward and let us toast you and the most priceless gift you will bring to us. nine weeks younger than the others.?? Martha said. Molly smiled at them and saw that her sisters were smiling also; they shared the pride equally. then returned to her figures. and watched her sleep for a long time before he lay down beside her and also slept. the last of his coffee ration. and when the world goes into a tailspin we??ll be alive and when it starves we??ll be eating. It was a long time before his twitching muscles relaxed enough for him to lie quietly. perhaps. David realized. hours later.?? David said. ??What are they?????What do you mean?????When the accident happened. the seeds will do well. it??s going to break.She smiled. he thought. As it would our own.