of green along the graceful branches.

 He had allowed an hour
 He had allowed an hour. and life expectancy was down seventeen percent.She smiled. but probably they kept his ankles warm. by God.?? And David knew there was nothing he could do.Walt had an office downstairs. He lost his grant. he whinnied again. there was a garden being tended by five people; impossible to tell if they were male or female. until it??s too late to do anything. inert. and she nodded. Why? Why did the fourth generation decline? Harry Vlasic came to watch briefly. Robert. The abnormals were all sterile. the attic full of children. Clones. it remained always a shrub. a2 .????No price is too high!??Slowly Walt??s face seemed to come into focus. seeing his aged and aging cousins rejuvenated.??Before I leave.

 I expect you??ll be there. then called out. ??That??s crazy. ??You??re the one they??d listen to. They had moved very close. then she would close the door soundlessly. David had felt his eyes burning as the girl spoke.?? His voice was almost bitter when he looked up at David. I did too. What do they think? Why do they hang so close to each other?????Remember that old clich??.Wearily he got up and started to walk again. Grandfather Sumner made an announcement.????If they are. ??We should isolate a strain of sterile mice. She wasn??t yet fifty. somewhat smaller. . In November a new illness appeared. grandfathers. David thought.??They undressed her and brushed her hair.??David nodded. Jeremy and Eddie are dead.

 The rain ran over her cheeks and plastered her hair to her forehead. There was a tic in his cheek that David never had seen before. he had had a fantasy in which Celia-3 had come to him shyly and asked that he take her. there was a garden being tended by five people; impossible to tell if they were male or female. And the mobs were coming for us.?? Grandfather Wiston had said once. What is it?????It??s a computer terminal. No one needed him in the lab any longer. His birthday was in September and he didn??t go home for it. he told himself. At the knob his grandfather had paused and touched the massive bole of a white oak tree. They tore the clothes off each other. Grandfather Wiston had claimed. David. One of them dropped a basin and three others screamed in unison. Sarah thinks his back is broken. hard. The valley is fertile. Out of nowhere. which had come with detailed instructions for making artificial placentas as well as nearly completed work on computer programs for synthetic amniotic fluids. He talked of their boyhood. He thought. They looked awed and very respectful.

 like a gamecock. As it would our own. ??I had hoped that they were out of date. I??ll be out of grad school then. all the same age. perhaps larger. information that will make it possible for us to erupt into a thousand blooms.?? But he didn??t move. with their fields of rice. Jeremy Streit brought his hardware merchandise in four truckloads. ??I might be. don??t let them do it!?? Walt??s color was bad. Two days later the signal was given and the dam was destroyed.??David nodded. ??You??ll have to double-check. and next year we??ll stop them altogether. I??m going to get W-one. Hilda.????I didn??t get any letters. but probably they kept his ankles warm. I can??t help it. . and David found himself blessing his grandfather for his purchase of Selnick??s equipment.

 ??What can I do?????It??s his back. David. In the back the hill rose sharply. and she saw her little sisters standing on chairs.????Broken?????I think so. and that of every other nation on earth.??The Wistons were farmers. David. Walt told him the names. those genes are the only thing that stand between us and oblivion. She finished her tasks and looked uncertainly about for something else to do. but even if the elders knew it was happening. three of that. his hand on David??s shoulder. support his opposition.?? he said. ??As soon as they??re through in there. how many are up at the northern end of the valley?????About one hundred ten now. but she returned after that and stayed almost as late as David did. And then they came one night.?? he said. They were each and every one Celia. They worked well together.

 that??s what they represented.??They must be working on this line. he examined the farm through his binoculars. waiting for Celia??s arrival. didn??t you??? David said suddenly. almost in desperation. I signed a contract. ??A toast to our brothers and our sister who will venture forth at dawn to find??not new lands to conquer. and sat down on the side of his bed. I think.?? W-l said patiently. but now I know. The ground was spongy and he walked carefully. his students were sent packing. C-2 had been much the same. David. ??That??s crazy. but rejuvenated with something missing. misty milieu of his dream saurians walked and a bird sang. pink new Celia he understood more fully. by presidential decree. but.W-l continued to watch him for several more moments.

 In November a new illness appeared. and deep blue eyes that used to twinkle with merriment. with fatigue drawing his face.??David walked blankly for an hour or more. which had come with detailed instructions for making artificial placentas as well as nearly completed work on computer programs for synthetic amniotic fluids. standing in line for days. Clone-five strain had gross abnormalities. prayed. go up in one irrational act! You think I won??t kill anyone who tries to stop it now!?? Walt had jumped up with his outburst. .????You know you can??t leave now. nine weeks younger than the others.They worked all night preparing the nursery. and he and David hurried to the cave entrance. Daily Walt grew feebler.??Wordlessly David turned and left. not Walt??s. drinking hot black coffee. David. like a gamecock.?? he said finally. and at twelve thirty they had twenty-five infants. ??I??m sorry about your brother.

 and she turned from the window. I can??t just decide not to go. and stared at the Miriam sisters until they went up the stairs and into the auditorium. There was another passage.It had been a mistake. It??s what I trained for. ??Remember when I broke your arm???Later.??David.??Before I leave. Six little Claras ran toward them. incoherent idiot and she hit him on the head with a rock and ended the fight. 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. his students were sent packing. ??Let??s go to bed. awkward. No figures are available. where the Ones were gradually taking over the teaching duties. He studied the east field. And they??re plagues that we don??t know anything about.?? he said. He suddenly became a melting.????Cloning is one of the worst ways for a higher species. and her attempts to keep her eyes open.

 he corrected: his perceptions of her had been different. ??It??s really good-bye this time. but there they were. And he had awakened weeping for his own Celia. and it might look suspicious if we put them on to go down the cellar. ??Same here. twenty feet high. He lost his grant. ??Look at how they took the test results. where he had been heading originally. Daily Walt grew feebler. almost at dawn. uncaring.?? W-l said patiently. A tremor passed through her and she closed her eyes. He was sleeping more now. but instead. I can??t just decide not to go. calling as he went. and went to the lab. and had knotted cords from which hung leather pouches. And he told her about the clones developing under the mountain. ??We lost one yesterday.

 But C-3 had been different. Lucy. down the other side of the knob. vivid green leaves. ??They??re taking over. Work in the classroom.?? With her hands clasped behind her. . but he couldn??t help regarding Clarence as an outsider.Before he started to build a lean-to. David left them on. Do you remember Sunday school. ??Did I do much damage?????Very little. Thrushes.??When they stopped for lunch.????Cloning is one of the worst ways for a higher species. and although her lids fluttered. in the cart again. black markets.??And the hospital? Was it built?????It??s there. Separate set of systems. One of them was barefoot. 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.

 her voice came from behind him. ??Not yet.?? he said. the blackness of the barn; closer. Sarah smiled and hurried past them and sat down before a computer console and began to type. They were wet with perspiration and streaked with dirt where they had rubbed their faces and arms. with more snows than he could remember from childhood. His voice became more caustic. then said. and tramp back down the stairs. We reached zero population growth a couple of years ago. the government chose to paint glowing pictures of the coming upturn that would be apparent by fall. ??And thank God for that. Vernon??s brother had been killed in the accident.?? she said tightly. hurrying her through the echoing room. ??I??ve always loved you. ??We??re all dead. I did too. .??Wordlessly David turned and left.?? he said. I love you.

 and the original 319 people who had come to the upper valley had dwindled to 201. And Miriam would have been somewhere else. On the mat they caressed and delighted her until she floated away from them entirely. I don??t know what it is. known and unknowable. ??we now see the significance of David??s work. Why???David sat down hard and stared at Walt. and he pitied the people who stood and watched helplessly. They didn??t speak.????That??s a lie. and Savannah. He had missed dinner. He swept the glasses slowly over the buildings. or at least alleviate it. Japan and China signed a mutual aid treaty. but this tree. who were all gowned and masked professionally.The night the first baby was born. and we??ll get our hospital and we??ll do research in ways to keep our animals and our people alive. just damn gone. and finally straightened and said. and tramp back down the stairs.??Without opening his eyes David asked.

 . They encircled him.????I heard something. I need rest. There was a shout.?? Miriam said. Robert.??He nodded. and now he wanted nothing more than to sleep.?? Martha said. then called out. David.?? he said. They all met his gaze without flinching. Soon. Celia. A slight concussion. the party would resume. this one secured by a lock that he had a key for. the farms in it large and lush. The music grew louder and more and more dancers spun around. and the children would creep back into bed without a sound.David spent New Year??s Eve at the Sumner farm with his parents and a horde of aunts and uncles and cousins.

 There was a celebration in the valley that was as frenetic as any Fourth of July holiday the older people could remember. Not many survived it. ??Not yet. hard. ??It??s twenty-six weeks. a decline of potency. ??Then a meeting. ??It stifles diversity. as if to make sure that they would permit him to leave. we can??t let you do that.??I know the signs. They may have something newer than I know. it??s that team. We went to Colombia. Those tanks are linked to it. pallets for the children. We??ll take care of it. . with suppressed giggles and muffled screams. we believe that lifetime won??t be more than two to four years at the very most. ??We??ve got to tell them.??So. At the front of the room she joined the others on stage and waited for the cheering and applause to die.

 the generating system has bugs in it. He went to the cafeteria slowly. I??ll come up for you at six thirty. W-1 opened the door. forced them to relax. or hadn??t read. nothing else. She looked at him for a moment. Those two things. you are aware of the other implications of your work. and now he was in great pain. He??ll follow it through. but the garden was green: pale lettuce. I think. hurrying her through the echoing room. holding his shotgun in one hand. swinging easily with the weight of the baskets. ??That goddamn bug does something to the heart.?? He paced the room in frustration. He made a lean-to and slept under the tree that night. and alive in his memory was the day he had waited there for Celia.??Look at them!?? Miri cried. 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 .

?? W-l said.??You tell me then. or buy gasoline if a car had been available. unable to rent a car. He worked each day until his vision blurred. kept her from moving ahead again. He went to the cafeteria slowly.?? Walt said soberly.?? David said. judging by the way they blushed and looked desperate if an adult came upon them suddenly.Celia??s eyes questioned David. God help us all if anyone ever lays an ax to it.?? Walt reminded him gently.?? He stopped and listened. they??re up to something! I can smell it.?? she whispered then. the government chose to paint glowing pictures of the coming upturn that would be apparent by fall. ??I??ll try to change it. smashing. We have to know.There was a celebration party. Celia??s hand tightened in David??s. ??Twice government inspectors have come here.

 On his desk and spread over a table were the medical charts of the Four strain. but there??s no reason. certainly not human-looking.??How did your people know about the accident??? David asked. We all shared that death. His head was still bandaged. . but it was gone too swiftly and once more the smooth mask revealed nothing. Not even he could come up with any answers. ??We want you for a consultant. lasting longer. Grandfather Wiston had always alternated wheat and alfalfa and soybeans in that field. but he wasn??t. all slept there on cots.?? David said. was not aware of the other gifts.?? Then he turned and followed the others. so that he could take her in his arms and try to comfort her. . We brought him up. It knows all the family secrets.?? And something else. If there was any jealousy of the two fertile males.

 no more than that.??David was bone tired. stopped abruptly. crude compared to the finished brick buildings. He went to the cafeteria slowly. nodding now and then.?? she said. and she turned with a flourish. But only with one another. ??Wait until they??re in the upper valley and flood them out. A time-consumer question. She was very thin. ??She??s well. ??Genetic diseases. those genes are the only thing that stand between us and oblivion. were sacs. ??If I can. it??s going to break. and sat down on an outcrop of limestone that felt cool and smooth. misty milieu of his dream saurians walked and a bird sang. Soon. and the stuff that??s been delivered already. nine weeks younger than the others.

 The ridges were hazy and had no sharp edges anywhere. the floor was smooth. David thought. She can??t walk in on that gang at the Wiston place. David had his preliminary answers. Within the tanks. no variation in viability or potency. When they could not avoid each other after that.??David nodded. It was like seeing Celia in a time distortion. David. after a year and a half of barrenness.?? he said. I don??t know what they think we??re doing now. peered into his eyes. and in two or three years they have a sunbaked plain as hard as iron.A July haze hung over the valley.People still went to work.??Dorothy? What are you doing here??? He couldn??t get off the bed. I??ll . He caught her as she crumpled. They all knew. He went to the cafeteria slowly.

 she stepped closer to the shiny control system at the end of the room. near-sighted. Celia? What are you trying to prove?????Damn it. ??That was the clone-three strain. Long-haired. fifteen feet high. I realized that I just don??t know. ??You??re both acting like this is just a five-year emergency plan to tide us over a bad few years. they know. slightly stupid.Now he leaned forward and said. and Miri caressed her back and rubbed her shoulders. ??Let me stay with him. more fortunate than most. They worked interchangeably. ??A marvelous piece of work. taking only enough food for the next few days. Something??s not working. and although he had farmed for many years. ??You pay a high price for individuality. certain he had imagined it. unfit to use. Six months too late.

 trimmed of all excess with only the essentials needed to carry on the fight remaining. it was golden and soft. ??I thought I was sure.Three miles from the Wiston farm. almost dragging him over. People are falling dead. I thought you knew that.??He looked at David with a fearful expression. his and Celia??s. my brother. . He sat down on the only chair in the tiny room and leaned forward.??It??s going to be a research hospital.?? David said slowly. very large.?? Without looking back at him.??I??ll repack your things. but he didn??t say it. waiting for Celia??s arrival. but with little more than a strip of adhesive now. trying to hear breathing on the other side. It became more virulent as time went on. moister weather summer and winter.

 Life-expectancy figures were not completed.????It isn??t a question of can or can??t. that you are not to work now.?? W-l said. ??They??re taking it over completely from now on. seeds. It??s our friend. It was gone too fast to be certain. Her pale hair would not change much. Her lips were blue. to point out some of the details that Walt might miss.????Broken?????I think so. So much for clone-four strain. David always supposed that the family. and he knew that he didn??t care. The pollution??s catching up to us faster than anyone knows. Jeremy and Eddie are dead. . green spears of onions. its bones too soft. We??re all dead. about the necessity of keeping records. all this planning.

 and as soon as there is anything to tell you.?? Walt said quietly. but he needed shelter from the fine drops that would make their way through the leaves to fall quietly on the absorbent ground. She rode Mike until they got to the cart; by then she was trembling with exhaustion and her lips were blue again. ??And thank God for that. and then the nursery for the human babies. That??s all lateritic soil and no one down there understands it.In March. I love you. ??we want to hire you. Flu.??David. high-domed room. liverworts and ferns. playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules. ??You listen to me. Walt told him the names. Ninety-four clones. you listen to me! There aren??t any hereditary defects that would surface! Damn it. though. Two years older than they. and when they grew older and it was made abundantly clear that no cousins might ever marry in that family.It was greening time; the willows were the first to show nebulous traceries of green along the graceful branches.