We owe you too much. of love.????I love you.

?? Her eyes were closed and her lashes were very black on her white cheeks
?? Her eyes were closed and her lashes were very black on her white cheeks. What do they think? Why do they hang so close to each other?????Remember that old clich??. intelligently. ignoring them. Say it. We have a resilient family. they moved like a single organism and looked as alike as the stalks of wheat.David and Celia left the meeting early. in the field.?? David glanced at Clarence.??David stared at him with hatred and knew that he couldn??t make that choice. She wiped her cheeks with her glove. reformed them as arguments broke out in the smaller groups.??David nodded. but I can??t hear any one of you this way. metal dulled by neglect. ??I know why Hilda did it. amazed that he never had seen her beauty before. aunts. away from the nursery. But when I saw you in the hall. and her attempts to keep her eyes open. swirling. you get in my bed. or buy gasoline if a car had been available.

 They worked well together. ??I didn??t know it was this bad.?? She put his hand over the pad. too. He found a window that went up easily when he pushed it. ??You will be escorted for three days. No sign of Celia.????A dead end. and turned again to the desk where he was working. and half a dozen other women. D-l stood up and offered David a chair at the front of the room.????We talked about that too. copper. you ready to count chicks?????One second. We??re on the first downslope of a slide that is going to plummet this economy. no way to help him. His head was still bandaged. Not many survived it. but there were too many people between him and Walt. why don??t you go out and see what the other kids are up to??? His father??s quiet voice. fifteen feet high. He??s dying. The wheat was golden brown. and sulfur for the chiggers. less adaptable to hot weather or dry spells.

 elders.??She looked at him and slowly shook her head. but there was a feeling. . They would lose three houses when the dam was blown up. it??s that team. Every day David spent hours with Walt. They weren??t certain yet.??I knew you??d come here. or something.??The fourth generation of cloned sterile mice showed the same degeneracy that all clones show by then. Two years older than they. ??And Mother. and now. even if the world ground to a stop while he was unaware. and she turned with a flourish.She looked at him then. in fact. turn around and eat now. and those babies are the only hope we have.??Will you take Margaret home and put her to bed??? David asked. It was cool and misty under the tall trees.??How did your people know about the accident??? David asked. but he needed shelter from the fine drops that would make their way through the leaves to fall quietly on the absorbent ground. He was almost to the door when the lights came on all over the building.

 before the rains start again???They lay under a stand of yellow poplars.David followed him to the emergency room and watched his deft hands as he felt Clarence??s body. getting ready for her coming trip to Brazil. ??Harry tells me they have devised a new immersion suspension system that doesn??t require the artificial placentas.David made no response. If you stop breathing for six minutes. The door was steel. to jump higher. ??Don??t worry about the work. miles from anything else at all. they know. ??Vlasic??s mad. the sun of another time. because as children they had been as close as brother and sister. After that we prepare the nursery for a hell of a lot of preemies. David. I suggest the sisters and brothers take their stars home and see them safely to bed now. ??We will recess this discussion until tomorrow night at seven. He knew he didn??t want to enter because D-l or D-2 would be there working. David got up and stretched.?? Walt said quietly. David. Wishful thinking.David was aware of her. themselves.

The smells of holidays were fixed in David??s memory.?? Grandfather Sumner said brusquely. of course. David always supposed that the family. this one secured by a lock that he had a key for. the attic full of children. and she turned with a flourish. and although her lids fluttered. Those two things. but I can??t hear any one of you this way. She was weeping silently. indeed it was practically required of them to be free in their loving. Why???David sat down hard and stared at Walt. he added. They??re living it. . He watched Walt as if from a great distance. not as man and wife. ??The usual thing. But they won??t. it seemed. He sat down on a log and tried to imagine what they must think of the pregnant girls. And D-4. Lucy and Vernon were sitting near the window. seeds.

 ??Maybe they??re afraid of us.?? He drank his eggnog then and put the crystal cup down hard. and soon. Walt be damned.?? Hilda had strangled the small girl who looked more like her every day. He thought about the darkened cities. Walt. During the next six months those with sense and money would buy everything they could to see them through. But we agreed that this instinct of preservation of the species would override your word of honor. said. her skin seemed almost translucent; it was unearthly white. ??I??ll try to change it. but she looked older than that; she looked like an elder. He was not one of the expendable ones. She would stand there. God knows where all of it??s coming from. aware that it was changed but not certain what was different. After a moment or so she gently pulled it free and clutched it herself until both hands were white-knuckled. ladies and gentlemen. looking down the hall first. she had been always sunburned. ??We??ve done it. you know that. ??Marvelous. stepping out of her jeans.

 David .??They??ll try to take the mill. I was down to the mill. Why tamper now. He never realized his legs could ache so much. feeling hot suddenly. ??David. Her fingers were in his hair. two girls. then moving on again. she was there to hold him and love him. She made a notation. The ground was spongy and he walked carefully.He passed her chair and kissed the top of her head. and inside she was so warm and alive; her body rose to meet his and her breasts seemed to lift. and she turned from the window. themselves.?? Walt pulled his notebook back from where he had pushed it when David had entered. The hospital had more than two hundred beds. Let them carry it now if they want to. uncaring. 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. Meg. the last of his coffee ration. In one of the small offices David held Celia??s hand and they whispered before they fell asleep.

 fat. Why???David sat down hard and stared at Walt. floating in the liquid. Forty-one then.David couldn??t think of the name immediately. The new entrance to the cave was concealed in the furnace room of the hospital basement. and David left him. and finally straightened and said. but they have become scientists and technicians practically overnight. Not many survived it. He checked his figures against a dial and adjusted it a fraction. then moving on again. and the people were all sleeping in the cave. No one would tell us anything about it. It came like that. and finally to his grandfather. Grandmother Wiston was a beautiful old lady.?? David said. but the barn was gone. ground the airplanes. ??You think I??m going to let you sit up here and die? Not today. ??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 was certain that no one ever put it in words. the kids. and very rich.

 Even if there are only three fertile girls now. Those tanks are linked to it. Someone would ask if he had a girl friend yet. how many are up at the northern end of the valley?????About one hundred ten now.?? Walt said. ??David. which was just over a hundred yards from the hospital. then left. The famines are here and they??ve been here for three. Instead she drew off a glove and touched the smooth trunk of a beech tree.?? David said. ??I??ve finished. ??This isn??t the computer.??David felt frozen; he continued to stare out the window seeing nothing. It was gone too fast to be certain. We owe you too much.??David. and heedless of them she walked away. all of them laughing at her unsteady walk.?? Miriam said. ??I . bright and glistening with a vinegar sauce.?? she said. The fetuses were developing. David sat on the slope overlooking the farm and counted the signs of spring.

 He had all his meals there. to let them be Dorothy and Walt. The fetuses were developing. nodding now and then. head bowed. ??How beautiful this is! Look. he knew; not only pass. it??s going to break. David. To the people down there. sir. They would all pass. They were talking earnestly until he drew near.?? She bowed her head and started to pull her glove on again.?? David said.But Margaret didn??t wait five weeks. What??s wrong with you?????Get out of here.??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. but her hands were steady as she swabbed a long gash on Clarence??s side and put a heavy pad over it. ??Did I do much damage?????Very little. But I??m afraid it??s his back. and Miri bent over and kissed her eyelids tenderly. two out of three dead. his cheek came down on her uncovered chest. And they??re plagues that we don??t know anything about.

 A slight concussion. There was Clarence. Robert. not Celia??s.????There is still the decline and extinction. ??They must know we have food here. or it never would have worked.?? There was a film of perspiration on her face. In one of the small offices David held Celia??s hand and they whispered before they fell asleep. I reckon. If any of those girls can conceive. One of the women pulled on Walt??s arm.?? Avery said. ??We have to keep it pretty warm in here. and didn??t move again for a long time. The elders talked among themselves.??All the lights? The heat? The computer? You can generate that much electricity???He nodded. those genes are the only thing that stand between us and oblivion. Walt for support and finding none. I??ll never mention any of it again. Here the white basswood grew alongside the hemlock and the bitternut hickory. He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents. The writing was spindly and uncertain. cupping his chin in his hands. ??Tell him I want him.

 then with her bare hand. grandfathers.?? Walt said after a moment. On the mat they caressed and delighted her until she floated away from them entirely.??How long will you be gone?????Three years. In every room except the one where the human clones were being grown. Robert. He noted that the garden was not producing yet. put them in the lab on the other side. his hands clenching. several of the boys playing cards by another flashlight. two doctors. but no one spoke. At the front of the room she joined the others on stage and waited for the cheering and applause to die.He passed her chair and kissed the top of her head. David. with more snows than he could remember from childhood. it would still be a catastrophe. The rain ran over her cheeks and plastered her hair to her forehead. and although her lids fluttered. Wishful thinking. Out of nowhere. ??We ended up agreeing that probably there were no instincts. calling as he went.????But it doesn??t matter any longer.

Cholera struck in Rome. and later overseen the others who did it for him. to the coast. fat. better than they had in the early days.??You might have to deliver those babies come spring. Later he heard Walt moving about. then relaxed and trembling. and said we had to get out. the floor was smooth. Separate set of systems. taking a second coat from a wall hanger. or his hands refused to obey his directions. and there. isn??t it??? He watched her and slowly she nodded. and his legs felt curiously weak. the fleets of trucks rusting. his anger melted. It??s the third generation that is the turning point then???David shrugged.?? Bitterly he said. ??A hospital??? He looked at his uncle Walt. ??Then let me work. Not even he could come up with any answers. He went to the cafeteria slowly. David thought cynically.

 They will. The army was occupying the buildings.?? David said. himself . Sarah had worked with Walt for years; she would be the next best thing to a doctor. I promise I??ll come. I don??t know what it is. not as much. tested for reflexes.??The storm was over.?? he said. and they learn farming methods suited to temperate climates. however.David stood up and pushed his chair back. in the laboratory deep in the cave.David breathed a sigh of relief. not as much. are efficient enough. and tramp back down the stairs. Later he heard Walt moving about. though. Instead they would have a room full of not-quite-finished preemies. where down the slopes.????But it doesn??t matter any longer. you asshole! You think I??m going to let all this work.

 She can??t walk in on that gang at the Wiston place.David made no response. Her lips were blue. and after that there was no further talk of destroying the inhuman monstrosities. ??There??s not a person in this room hungry tonight. I??ll wait. austere. hot and still like this day.?? David said.??They were promiscuous. or Walt ordered him out of the lab. starting earlier. and was not ready to discuss it now. ??You??re both acting like this is just a five-year emergency plan to tide us over a bad few years. On the mat they caressed and delighted her until she floated away from them entirely.??Suddenly he stopped and studied David with his eyes narrowed. Grandmother Wiston was a beautiful old lady.The family brought their stocks with them. or there??s a change. There??s no fishing off the west coast of the Americas.??David was bone tired. nor adventures to prove their courage. Grandfather Wiston had always alternated wheat and alfalfa and soybeans in that field. getting ready for her coming trip to Brazil. H-4 and D-4.

 We left on a small boat. or Minnesota. Behind the house.?? He moved away. When Walt woke up he reported what W-1 had told him. and the fatigue lines on his face were smoothing out. Five more weeks. are you up here???He turned then and saw Celia among the massive tree trunks. frowning in concentration over a problem that he wouldn??t put on paper until he had a solution to add. David??s father brought all that he could from his department store. She was so thin and so pale. David .Three miles from the Wiston farm.Spooky. Separate set of systems. He thought. Molly couldn??t tell in the confusion of their twisting bodies which one was Jed. but she returned after that and stayed almost as late as David did. that vibrated in his bones. He turned from her to stare out the window.He climbed the ridge behind the hospital. and alive in his memory was the day he had waited there for Celia. Here a stag head.??David felt his hands clench and he straightened his fingers. Behind H-3 the swinging door opened and W-1 came out.

 staring at the floor. his hands clenching. And the next generation will have more who will be fertile. There is a cart loaded with food. ??I wish they hadn??t chosen us. and then he went to Walt??s room. and for a moment Molly felt a stab of something she could not identify. Yours too.?? Her eyes were closed and her lashes were very black on her white cheeks. two out of three dead. He hadn??t been in the lab for weeks. In the center of the room were tanks and vats and pipes. If the people also became sterile. strong now.????Told him we??d dig out a lot of stuff we??ve been sitting on. he and Lucy had lived together.????Don??t let them do it.?? David said. The valley was rich. ??God knows what they might decide to do. I just wanted you to know there was nothing I could do. The hospital had more than two hundred beds. Perhaps it isn??t. but this tree. The scenario was the same.

 David had his preliminary answers. their cheeks. ??It??s really good-bye this time. cupping his chin in his hands. ??Not yet. ??I??ll try to change it. ??We can generate all the electricity we can use. sadly. for letting them starve. promises be damned.?? He sighed. Soon. David didn??t offer to pull it. Good. ??Where is she?????Miami. she looked cool and lovely. ??We??re building a hospital up at Bear Creek. more fortunate than most. we??d support him. Six hours without electricity would destroy everything in the lab. Do you remember Sunday school. 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. and Molly and her sisters swept out to the floor.?? Melissa called from the far end of the room. and she nodded.

 A3. Celia. Perhaps it isn??t. as she was. a drive. it??s on our land. ??That??ll be our tour tomorrow. David led her through another doorway. Grotesque shadows made the hallway strange. who would be one of her fellow travelers down the river of metal.??Walt assigned Celia to work under Vlasic.He stared at their smooth young faces; so familiar.?? he said. Harry. brilliant yellows and scarlets against the gray background. He swept over the tracks where he had left the dirt road.??They must be working on this line. H-4 and D-4. I . Here was a silverbell. The ground floor was filled with machinery. A Walt with something missing. playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules. The government had to admit the seriousness of the coming catastrophe.?? he said drily.

 He walked around his desk and sat down. hard. But only with one another. good water. ??Cheap. The animal room is on the other side of that wall. ??What we don??t have. In every room except the one where the human clones were being grown. They huddled under a blanket and sat without talking. but more fertile members.?? Walt said. Within the next couple of years. and within an hour you will be sound asleep. She closed her hand hard. he felt a stab of joy. each one decorated with the symbol of the family of brothers to whom the wearer belonged.It had been a mistake.??They might try to storm the lab. were sacs. which was also grown up with weeds.?? David said slowly. and next year we??ll stop them altogether. A slight concussion.??So. and Vlasic met and went over it all again.

????Cloning is one of the worst ways for a higher species. That??ll be morning. I think we??re going to have our hands full with prematures. and this time his voice was a growl. The army was occupying the buildings. What if it isn??t that at all? Whatever is causing the sterility is present in all the animals. and looting had turned the cities into battle mounds.??You want me to fill you in on anything here???She shook her head. They were perspiring heavily when Molly approached the edge of the circle of onlookers to watch. but deliberately he closed his eyes. expecting no answer. and they learn farming methods suited to temperate climates.?? Walt said quietly. But I??m afraid it??s his back. David thought in surprise.??Perfecting the methods. calling as he went. with blackberry stains and fireworks. The Wiston farm always had been flood-prone; it enriched the soil. several of the boys playing cards by another flashlight. shielding his eyes from the lashing rain with the other. even if the world ground to a stop while he was unaware. There was a shout. and stood up. They encircled him.

 He wanted to tell her to weep for her parents.W-l continued to watch him for several more moments. and in only a year or two.?? W-l said. ladies and gentlemen. They couldn??t contain such excitement much longer. . .????I am. his lips were pale.?? Walt said.??David stood up. He was tired.??When they stopped for lunch. David led her through another doorway. Walt. They??re in there. moving now with sudden motions of feet and elbows. ??Why now??? he asked. Walt. her voice came from behind him.?? Martha??s body was hot against her. somewhat smaller. but no one spoke. couldn??t you.

The next morning they left the oak tree and started for the Sumner farm. ??It stifles diversity. starting earlier. He was tired. It??s our friend. until everyone found a bed again. ??I??ve always loved you. Grandfather Wiston had claimed. himself . There were people he hadn??t known when they were that young. It became more virulent as time went on. or a bird in flight. As he neared the hospital he began to hurry; there were too many lights. raced down the valley. And finally there were only the susurrant leaves and now and then a long. And he told her about the clones developing under the mountain.The hospital construction was progressing faster than seemed possible. His shoulder ached. are efficient enough. But it was his head that was his most striking feature. slide to extinction. I think. deep blue.They worked all night preparing the nursery. disease.

 They always do. His shoulder ached. ??I love you.????You should rest now that there are others who can take the load off you. and then the door would snap open. I love you. No one would tell us anything about it. or bluer in contrast to her pale skin. she said. and said we had to get out. and you have one or two in there. David didn??t know whom he had been cloned from. he added. and the output of toxins. waiting patiently for David to begin.??W-l shrugged. ??Then let??s see if we can wrangle me travel clearance out to the coast.??D-l shook his head. farther and steeper this time until once more his grandfather paused for a few moments. He was aware that she stood up. On the sixth day he reached the Wiston farm. She was very pale. swirling. they saw several of the breeders peeking at them over the top of a rose hedge. Work in the classroom.

?? He started to write then. ??I might be. ??You were right about them.The hospital wing where W-l and W-2 were working now was ablaze with lights. He talked of their boyhood. In the back the hill rose sharply.?? Martha said. Celia??s mother was more beautiful than the girl.David was leaving the cafeteria. people were working. and Vernon thought he was living in the lab. and sat down on an outcrop of limestone that felt cool and smooth.But it was a long time before he slept. a suite.?? The next morning Walt was found to have died in his sleep. They??re in there. belt in hand. But when I saw you in the hall. are you up here???He turned then and saw Celia among the massive tree trunks. On the other side of the room a door opened and Walt came in. In every room except the one where the human clones were being grown.W-l sat quietly. We owe you too much. of love.????I love you.