start putting dishes on his tray. try to make Mother see.

 And the priority boards that squabbled and fought and campaigned for this cause or that
 And the priority boards that squabbled and fought and campaigned for this cause or that. This trend continues to the sixth generation. her ribs seemed to be straining against her skin. In the fantasy he had taken her; and in his dreams for weeks to come. David thought in surprise. Then somehow in their rolling and squirming frenzy. A. ??Tell him I want him.??David walked along the river for a long time. For nine days he had been on the go.??In September they fought off the first attack. of the coming hunting season.?? He moved around the desk and walked toward the door. ??They might form a committee to protest this act of the devil. The apartment had been made from three adjoining hospital rooms with the partitions removed; it was long and narrow with six windows. while other groups of brothers and sisters lined up at the festive tables. drank wine; the clones left them alone and partied at the other end of the room. just once. The river was high with spring runoffs up north and heavy March rains. Grandfather Sumner made an announcement.He climbed the ridge behind the hospital.??David stood up.

 She let the soil fall from her hand and carefully pushed the protective covering of leaves back over the bared spot. they know. I can??t just decide not to go.Cholera struck in Rome. And no one has done any real research in tropical farming methods.??David walked blankly for an hour or more.It was misty and very cool under the trees. and by far the prettiest of all his cousins.?? Then he left. I just wanted you to know there was nothing I could do. you get in my bed. through the smaller passages and finally into the lab office. and then. His shoulder ached. David? They took me every week. naturally. May-softened sky when David returned home. she stepped closer to the shiny control system at the end of the room. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind. No more secrets. The lower fields were flooded. ??Might start a class in delivery procedures.

 During the next six months those with sense and money would buy everything they could to see them through. ??We keep them here at all times. The rain ran over her cheeks and plastered her hair to her forehead. he corrected: his perceptions of her had been different. I think. locking the massive door behind them.??He caught her arm and held her. this time with thirty to forty men. never uncle. He tried to rise. but he didn??t say it. whom he especially disliked. he couldn??t tell. she thought. frowning in concentration over a problem that he wouldn??t put on paper until he had a solution to add. smiling.??How do you feel??? W-1 asked. We don??t have to get married right away. ??Let??s go to bed. And find out what they think about the pregnant girls. He grinned at David and Celia. and found D-1 in the dining room and offered his help in the lab.

 to Harvard. Margaret??s four-year-old son had been one of the first to die of the plague.?? she said tightly. There were calves in the field. to the other uncles and cousins in the room. and he could even see some of the young people at the windows studying. 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. I believe. His birthday was in September and he didn??t go home for it. David. One minute pillows would be flying. reformed them as arguments broke out in the smaller groups. Not ten years from now. and her attempts to keep her eyes open. but deliberately he closed his eyes. He made a dash for the door. Molly gasped when she looked through the open doors at the other side of the auditorium: the path to the river had been decorated with tallow torches and arches of pine boughs. He was sleeping more now. playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules. Maybe. two out of three dead. ??Leave her be.

 and if she were truly gone. Walt simply nodded. They need so much. and she had drawn back quickly. He was tired. ??She??s well. sir. unfit to use. Her hair was high on her head; woven through it was a red ribbon that went well with the dark coil of braids.??Do you remember our class discussions about instinct. seeing his aged and aging cousins rejuvenated. ??You pay a high price for individuality. from left to right. .?? D-l said pleasantly. cold night. He felt like hell. then into the second laboratory. although he had not admitted it even to himself then. ??Twice government inspectors have come here. The boys were clearing another field. No doubt the people down there were just as happy to let the road hide under weeds.

 ??Stop this! I??m going to answer any questions. and his voice was harsh. then wheel him out the door and down the hall. and Miri. They??re evacuating Miami. too pretty almost. the vinegar that went in the egg dyes.??They??re inhuman. Celia was his cousin. ??Which ones??? he asked. It would have to run off into Crooked Creek.??I can. He remained in the laboratory for fifteen minutes of silent work. their long hair held back by braided bands. ??We don??t have much choice. They really believe that everything is still all right here.????No price is too high!??Slowly Walt??s face seemed to come into focus. With a decreased life expectancy. which was inching higher and higher toward the north field and the vulnerable corn there. D-l remained standing. When had they started calling themselves that? Was it because they had to differentiate somehow. David! I refuse it!??David felt only a great weariness.

 living memories every one of them. until everyone found a bed again. stopping now and again to make a minor adjustment. He would pause briefly in the doorway. At the knob his grandfather had paused and touched the massive bole of a white oak tree. ??What exactly do you mean?????Sexual reproduction isn??t the only answer. Yours too. generation gap? It??s here. taking his time. bluer than he remembered. ??They left Clarence. And then they came one night. held her and kissed her tears. but with a fury that grew and caused him to stalk the old house like a boy being punished for another??s sin. Meg. was not aware of the other gifts. He flung his coat off and hurried to her. and then it started to climb back up and presumably would have reached normalcy again. down the other side of the knob. I didn??t believe it. except where the rains had washed the dirt away and left only rocks. unwilling yet to go to bed.

 and the children would creep back into bed without a sound.?? Hilda had strangled the small girl who looked more like her every day. Her hair was high on her head; woven through it was a red ribbon that went well with the dark coil of braids. The third clone generation had only twenty-five percent potency. that the plants were sparse and frail. ??Something??s going wrong. yellow. so few among so many. They go in and burn off the trees and underbrush. with their fields of rice. We all shared that death. that I have to do something. but now you must accept it. prayed. don??t let him go out and play. with the accompanying grim stories of plague. It didn??t matter which ones did what. One of them dropped a basin and three others screamed in unison. it??s on our land. Vlasic made a last adjustment on the end tank of nutrients that were to be diluted and fed to the embryos. At the door to the operating room he was stopped by three of the young men. Under the susurrous trees.

 Perhaps it isn??t. they??ll do it. She increased her workday to six hours. She turned her back to put her clothes on the foot of her cot. so few among so many. David felt his cool fingers on his wrist. the seeds will do well. Lucy had fussed over him. Molly smiled at them and saw that her sisters were smiling also; they shared the pride equally. then left. a drive.The next morning they left the oak tree and started for the Sumner farm. Of all his relatives his favorite was his father??s brother Walt.As they turned onto the broader path that led to the auditorium steps. I guess. none of the finger tapping that was as much a part of Walt??s conversation as his words.??He reached for her. The wheat was golden brown. she says. At ten Walt took his place on the table again and called out. ??Cheap. ??I??ll take Mike and the cart.

 and it too was blue and silver. this one secured by a lock that he had a key for.??Clarence will not live. We need a doctor. higher than a man??s head. They blame us. Japan passed trade restrictions that made further United States trade with her impossible. ??They wanted me to tell you. and not one of them was admitting any breeze that late afternoon. but deliberately he closed his eyes. not happily. They go in and burn off the trees and underbrush. C-2 had been much the same. moving slowly with his hands outstretched to avoid any obstacle. We??re not like you. No one believed any of the reports. On either side of these were the tanks that held the animal embryos. It was like seeing Celia in a time distortion.????But I haven??t even finished my thesis yet. just wait until winter! Now where is the cave???They took him to the cave entrance. Yours too. It was raining.

 There were people he hadn??t known when they were that young. and now each needed someone to cling to.?? Walt said soberly. International travel restrictions were imposed immediately. What do they think? Why do they hang so close to each other?????Remember that old clich??.??. I can??t just say I??ve changed my mind. with little conversation but much laughter that seemed to arise spontaneously. Just before they made us leave Brazil. or buy gasoline if a car had been available. whole green beans. which stuck to their fingers. insurance brokers and bankers and millers. and put her arm through Molly??s. International travel restrictions were imposed immediately. ??What are we to do with you?????Don??t be an ass. had always been farmers.??D-l shook his head. ??I??ll operate. talk. we were trying. recombined to make this noise that shook the building.

 and he shook his head. like where to hit if you really meant it.??C1-2 didn??t change his expression. or something. But the decline starts in the third clone generation. They or others that were identical to them.??David.?? The weakness in his legs seemed to be climbing; his hands began to tremble. He caught her as she crumpled. judging by the way they blushed and looked desperate if an adult came upon them suddenly. I??ll give you my word of honor that I won??t try to disrupt anything again. had to take strict measures to avert it. ??We lost one yesterday. he thought. but he was seeing it from a new position and it was not the wonderland it had been. Your last toast was doctored. David leaned over and kissed her forehead. because after that period of grace there would be nothing to buy. sometimes mother. We all shared that death. ??Grandfather Wiston brought me up here. ??Thanks.

David was seventeen when he went to Harvard. now.??We have to know. a quick.But Margaret didn??t wait five weeks. but hesitated. on the level where the offices were. were two years younger than the Fours. several of the boys playing cards by another flashlight. and none of them had permitted himself to call the others by what they were? Clones! he said to himself vehemently. He then moved to sit next to Walt. At the knob his grandfather had paused and touched the massive bole of a white oak tree. a1. they all called him. Her fingers were in his hair. then past him. He gave them a surprise test and stalked about the room as they worried over the answers. With the clone-four strain there was a drastic change. why don??t you go out and see what the other kids are up to??? His father??s quiet voice. and more. ??But. He climbed and became warmer.

 D-l. You were like that. Her buttocks were nearly as flat as an adolescent boy??s. three of that. are efficient enough. I??m telling you what the goddamn government doesn??t dare admit yet. all this planning. Instead she drew off a glove and touched the smooth trunk of a beech tree. As it would our own. Others formed a scouting party. Before he joined the other two boys who left first. or a bird in flight. He didn??t touch David.?? David glanced at Clarence. he thought suddenly. which had come with detailed instructions for making artificial placentas as well as nearly completed work on computer programs for synthetic amniotic fluids. W-1 sat unmoving.Three Celias came into view. this one secured by a lock that he had a key for. There was a film of sweat on her face and neck. They??re down by half. He shouldn??t do that.

 and not one of them was admitting any breeze that late afternoon. Something??s not working. One night as they walked side by side back to their rooms. He waved at them and went off to his bed. And he had awakened weeping for his own Celia. And D-4. I think you know it. and at twelve thirty they had twenty-five infants. ??We have to get back to the cave. Walt. where he could lie down and observe the farm. sweet-potato sticks glazed with honey. ??Harry has cracked. keeping their genes intact. nodded.??Will you take Margaret home and put her to bed??? David asked.??David stood up. ??We just knew. Clone-five strain had gross abnormalities.?? He looked at David and asked. and we??ll get our hospital and we??ll do research in ways to keep our animals and our people alive. talk.

 He indicated a stack of magazines and extracts. ??Damn it. not thinking about going home. She dropped the shoulder bag that had weighed her down and ran toward him. the farms in it large and lush. and then it started to climb back up and presumably would have reached normalcy again. They all shunned the elders.????Because there??s no one who can use it yet.?? Walt said patiently. They had moved very close.??He reached for her. ??And Mother. while you??re driving.?? David said. Behind the house. and he had talked to David briefly. David. Voices. ??Where is she?????Miami. The animal room is on the other side of that wall. and they??re just leaving them where they fall.He had turned and left abruptly and had not spoken to her again in the intervening years.

 and she had drawn back quickly. David thought in surprise. and she turned with a flourish. just wait until winter! Now where is the cave???They took him to the cave entrance.?? he said. . They??re down by half.The next morning they left the oak tree and started for the Sumner farm.?? Walt said. ??How did you get that?????Vlasic. Celia? What are you trying to prove?????Damn it. David. Meg. His head was still bandaged. but for companionship. peered into his eyes. childlike. The writing was spindly and uncertain.??David nodded. We??ve changed the photochemical reactions of our own atmosphere. ??They might form a committee to protest this act of the devil. Margaret was near term.

 David thought cynically. more stars than he had ever seen before. her look almost quizzical. none of them had that name.?? He stopped and listened. in fact. standing in line for days.??Walt regarded him with a detached thoughtfulness. before the rains start again???They lay under a stand of yellow poplars. . I. David leaned over and kissed her forehead. I don??t give a damn. They listened apathetically; they could not care any longer what was happening to any part of the world that was not their small part. twenty-nine women. They gave Aunt Hilda and Uncle Eddie a choice. Entire species of fish are gone. but he knew. he shook his head and left the emergency room. ??not its owners.??D-l didn??t reply. he corrected: his perceptions of her had been different.

 two of another. And there was a steady. you and me. then left. and I understand we have cakes and sandwiches. When they finished the cave tour he was still nodding.??He looked up quickly. The faces ducked out of sight.?? Walt rubbed his eyes hard.????For God??s sake! Come with me. David pulled her to him. he whinnied again. cupping his chin in his hands. they send some of their bright young students here to learn about modern farming. the tree would protect him from the full force of the storm. But when she hit him and he went limp.??Suddenly he stopped and studied David with his eyes narrowed. She was trembling slightly. this one secured by a lock that he had a key for. each one decorated with the symbol of the family of brothers to whom the wearer belonged. up on the hill. and the original 319 people who had come to the upper valley had dwindled to 201.

 then he pushed himself away and looked up through the luxuriant branches; he could see no sky through them. ??Don??t tell me anything else yet. They go in and burn off the trees and underbrush. and stood up. and there were representative supplies from almost every conceivable area of business and professional endeavor. and he felt as if he had stumbled into a pot party. Well. It metastasized. how long would they need a continuing supply of food? He said. then relaxed and trembling. and he could hear them running up the stairs. He thought of the elders. Having a bite with Avery.????But it doesn??t matter any longer.?? he said. smiling. and the beeches and sweet buckeyes locked arms. see that they do it properly???Walt mumbled something.?? She laughed and suddenly spun around. who were all gowned and masked professionally. David cursed. Grandfather Sumner had converted everything he could into cash during the past two years.

 David. They made us leave Brazil.David slept where they had left him. I love you. ??They left Clarence. broken only by gasps for breath and whispered language that would have shocked their parents. ??How will you get there and back? No gas. None of the young people came near the waiting room.Lucy stood undecided until Vernon took her arm.David leaned back and closed his eyes and thought about bed and a blanket up around his neck and black. She made a notation. safe from contamination. ??Then a meeting.?? David said. Uncle Ron would clump up the stairs heavily and there would be a scurrying. She pushed him out of the hayloft and broke his arm when he was fifteen.?? W-l said patiently. A quarter of a million possibly. I saw Miami.??Celia reached down and moved the matted leaves and muck from the surface of the earth and straightened with her hand full of black dirt. I think. defeated.

 they??ll do it. One day you??ll come up here and put your hand on this tree and you??ll know it??s your friend. tested for reflexes.?? David said.?? A dozen men volunteered to stand guard at the mill. ??Maybe they??re afraid of us. playing their own games that appeared governed by random rules.?? David said. He had a single room at the hospital.As they turned onto the broader path that led to the auditorium steps. my brother.People still went to work. the bulbs now covered with globes of blue. He found himself outside the office that W-l used. the way she almost buckled at the knees. the seeds will do well. aren??t they??? he said bitterly to Walt. a dab there. He greeted David as if he hadn??t been away at all. He hadn??t been in the lab for weeks.??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. try to make Mother see.