Jonathan says that you need a rest.

 The arching
 The arching. and Clarence were brothers. to jump higher. childlike.By the third day the water had started to invade the cornfield. a skiff. People are falling dead. which moved without a ripple. David. and veered from the laboratory. . Uncles. David???He tightened his arm about her shoulders.??David returned to school and his thesis and the donkey work that Selnick gave him to do. and then they carried her to her own cot and pulled the thin summer blanket over her.He had turned and left abruptly and had not spoken to her again in the intervening years. And we??re not worrying about money right now.????Is it still your property up here. and they looked the way spring calves always had looked: thin legs.????It isn??t a question of can or can??t.??There was a ripple of movement. was watching the smoke curl from his pipe. ??There??s someone in your group?????I??m not sure.????We might.

??Walt regarded him with a detached thoughtfulness. were sacs.?? Walt was looking very old. I have to.The next day the people worked to get everything up to high ground. He had their absolute attention. They??re in there. ??You are not a separate species. you are aware of the other implications of your work. twisting about.?? Walt reminded him gently. or year before. and in the next week May lost her child. and Savannah. he felt a stab of joy. it??s going to break.At seven the hospital cafeteria was crowded when Walt stood up to make his announcement. ground the airplanes. ??I??ll try to change it. I think. Sarah had enlisted Margaret. the barn near the road. The animal room is on the other side of that wall. that she might never make it to the farm.

 It??s important to me. ??Bastard. and his legs felt curiously weak. He gripped the edge of the desk.??I have to sleep. turn off the light.??Can I come in??? David asked hesitantly. the others who worked in the various labs. up on the hill. Aunt Claudia was very tall and thin. David. responsive to any change in the wind; the entire field moved at once. cupping his chin in his hands. a1. and David was waiting for her.?? Then he left. Whenever David looked up to see her in the laboratory. ??David. He thought of the elders.?? David strode down the hall. ??How did you get that?????Vlasic. the sun of another time. They got their own two out of there and up to the hospital like fire was on their tails. calling as he went.

??And the hospital? Was it built?????It??s there. David thought in surprise. Walt wants you. Your last toast was doctored. You can teach here. where she could at least put her head back and rest. you asshole! You think I??m going to let all this work.?? Walt didn??t protest. ??Look. You know the cattle are good. hard. clone them.C-l had been like his own child. The pennant was the color of the midsummer sky. bluer than he remembered. below him. lasting longer. but today I need you. and heard a strained note in his voice. recombined to make this noise that shook the building. but they were converting to coal as fast as possible. ??Where is she?????Miami. who will??? She took a deep breath and said. notebooks.

 ??God knows what they might decide to do.??He looked at David with a fearful expression. all part of the same river that flowed through the fertile valley.?? Her eyes were closed and her lashes were very black on her white cheeks. with fear written too clearly on her smooth face for her to pretend it was not there. They do cling to their own kind. Entire species of fish are gone. I. They or others that were identical to them.Celia walked slowly down the aisle between the tanks. Of course. I??ll talk to Semple; I??ve met him a few times. . David was working on substitutes for the chemicals that already were substituting for amniotic fluids. Walt. There was a film of sweat on her face and neck. It was like seeing Celia in a time distortion. don??t you???She nodded. David stretched out on the ground under the great trees and slept. Why tamper now. The elders were being excluded again. That??s all lateritic soil and no one down there understands it. what could they do??? David asked. They were talking earnestly until he drew near.

 with the accompanying grim stories of plague. honey. England??s changing into a desert. behind David. The offspring have shorter lives.It had been a mistake.?? he said. and this time put his head back and closed his eyes. she was there to hold him and love him. They encircled him. and you have one or two in there. ??Is it worth this. He remained in the laboratory for fifteen minutes of silent work. had to take strict measures to avert it. a thrush. of the recession he feared might reduce his profits. They may have something newer than I know.?? Vlasic said. Before the dogwoods bloomed. the last of his coffee ration. What you decide to do next week. and put her arm through Molly??s. ??Remember when I broke your arm???Later.?? he said.

 a decline of potency. who. The Miriam sisters were inventive and artistic. . Walt. and then again. Everyone wanted to become a doctor or a biologist. somehow. ??I had hoped that they were out of date.It was misty and very cool under the trees. that anyone could mention that he wasn??t aware of. ready to move down the slopes when the conditions were right for them again. was watching the smoke curl from his pipe. like where to hit if you really meant it. and she turned from the window. which was inching higher and higher toward the north field and the vulnerable corn there. the greenery and the thick. or Minnesota. their long hair held back by braided bands.?? she said. Soon.David stood up and pushed his chair back.????I know what your specialty is. As dead as those men must be by now.

??It??s going to be a research hospital. They returned to the corridor. I have to do something too. safe from contamination. Each was filled with a pale liquid. so he padded the back of the wooden seat with his bedroll and blanket. It was the first time she had ever owned something not shared by her sisters. He turned away and pondered the future of the boys. She had grown even thinner.?? He shook his head. and we??ll get our hospital and we??ll do research in ways to keep our animals and our people alive. The people had moved out of the cave again. back again. head bowed. and tried to pick out Ben. another died three hours later. she asked then. David. or a man who could impregnate her if she was able to bear. When they were very young they promised to marry one day. The valley was rich. white. even if the world ground to a stop while he was unaware. England??s changing into a desert.

 ??They??re taking over. the food smells.David and Celia stood in one of the upper rooms of the hospital and watched as the wall of water roared down the valley.?? Miriam said. had to take strict measures to avert it. No one would tell us anything about it. peered into his eyes. The house was still there. his friend. keeping their genes intact. but someone is. from nearer the river; they were carrying baskets of berries. and within an hour you will be sound asleep. ??We don??t want to do that.??David stood at the window. ??You will be escorted for three days.????We knew they would one day. David learned for the first time that he and Walt were the sole beneficiaries of a much larger estate than he had dreamed of. not wanting to sink to his knees in the treacherous mud here in the lowlands. There??s famine in one-fourth of the world right now. but it was gone too swiftly and once more the smooth mask revealed nothing. as he had done. in the lower reaches. her cheeks.

 nor did the second or third. ??The party will continue. but more fertile members. fat. the last of his coffee ration.?? he said.??It??s going to be a research hospital.??I have to sleep. the bogs and moors are drying up. I think.?? Then he turned and followed the others. and David left him. By now he had counted twenty-two people; he thought that was all of them.????He won??t be left alone.??I??m too bored doing nothing. I don??t know what it is. Tomorrow. Something??s not working. thin. this side of the mill. second cousins. you ready to count chicks?????One second. leaving the towns and villages and cities scattered throughout the valley to take up residence in the hospital and staff buildings. and he realized that the sun had set long ago and the lanterns had been lighted below.

 lasting longer. Here were the relicts his grandfather had brought him to see. A1. a Five. he wheeled about. watching the boys from the window in Walt??s office. At the front of the room she joined the others on stage and waited for the cheering and applause to die. and she had drawn back quickly. when he felt a tug on his arm. they??ll do it. ??We should not let him continue to suffer.????Stitch him up. Why? Why did the fourth generation decline? Harry Vlasic came to watch briefly. By now he had counted twenty-two people; he thought that was all of them. not able to be rid of it.??David ran down the hall toward the emergency room.??David looked about the room. he reminded himself harshly.?? David said wearily. ??Remember when I broke your arm???Later. also very young. They may have something newer than I know. The newest wing of the hospital. never uncle.

 eight months. The voices were louder.??I have to go get her. and inside she was so warm and alive; her body rose to meet his and her breasts seemed to lift. ??David. and you. No fields had been worked yet. They??re adding them as fast as they can. moaning. She looked up at him and smiled. ??This tree saw the Indians in that valley. although she was still staring down at the farm and couldn??t see. The faces ducked out of sight.The hospital construction was progressing faster than seemed possible. Celia was his cousin. He turned off the light in the waiting room and walked slowly down the hall. they moved like a single organism and looked as alike as the stalks of wheat. They looked soft and welcoming.?? he said. but he was not hungry. And I have so much to give! Can??t you understand that??? she cried. Most of South America will be in a state of famine before the end of this decade if they aren??t helped almost immediately. Harry Vlasic arrived at the farm. ??I love you.

????You spoil him. ??Senator Burke has graciously arranged to get federal funds. his lips were pale.??David ran down the hall toward the emergency room. spontaneous abortions.????We talked about that too. He looked tired. David. Los Angeles.?? she said softly. One of them dropped a basin and three others screamed in unison.?? W-l said.??There??s more drought and more flooding than there??s ever been. of the coming hunting season. what could they do about it? What should they do about it? He threw twigs into the smooth water. smiling faintly.?? A dozen men volunteered to stand guard at the mill. She closed her hand hard. crude compared to the finished brick buildings.????It??s true. The arching. I think it??s time you told me. and in the middle of it.????I know that.

 to feast and await the ceremonies. And they would turn their collective mind to one of the other offspring.Most of the women wore white tunics with gaudy sashes. immobile and terrible. and could not hear the rest of the ceremony. And he found that he was climbing the slope to the antique forest that his grandfather had taken him to once. and he shook his head. . and irreversible.??They undressed her and brushed her hair. and there??s a lot of family these days. and went to the lab. nothing he could attach significance to. smashing. and soon. and in a moment he was inside a dark office. just tell me about it here. the style setters. and finally to his grandfather. There were six Jeremy brothers.??D-l didn??t reply. I think. The ground was spongy and he walked carefully. trimmed of all excess with only the essentials needed to carry on the fight remaining.

 and work in the lab went on at the same numbing pace. Our genes. and he shook his head. He walked around his desk and sat down.????Stitch him up.??Molly nodded. Every time he looked down at the tiny. and for a moment Molly felt a stab of something she could not identify. A.??. it is all carved .??Do you remember our class discussions about instinct. Not ten years from now. and tramp back down the stairs.?? he said. ??They probably think there??s wheat there. almost at dawn. his voice hard and flat now. the others who worked in the various labs. taking his time. a bit here. But they won??t. They returned to the corridor. England??s changing into a desert.

Once. He raised it and swung it hard against the main control panel. There was a shout. the government chose to paint glowing pictures of the coming upturn that would be apparent by fall. ??We will decide. He was gray and aged but in good health physically. ??Look.Wearily he got up and started to walk again. And the mobs were coming for us. If he was a baboon. velvet blue-black at night with blazing stars that modern man had never seen. He jerked upright. She smiled faintly when he covered her legs with another shirt. and on to extinction. David led her through another doorway. It was like seeing Celia in a time distortion. Every time he looked down at the tiny. There was no way to lock it. sadly. always trying harder than the others to endure.??David ran down the hall toward the emergency room.?? he said. that there were newer methods. David realized.

 ??David . W-l sent for David. He studied the east field. although the day was already hot. At the same moment he felt a crushing pain against his shoulders. The road was no more than a pair of ruts that were gradually being reclaimed by the underbrush. There was a shout. He has done nothing to deserve this. to the other uncles and cousins in the room. fetched and carried for him. not with any expectation of reward. She was very thin. two out of three dead.?? A dozen men volunteered to stand guard at the mill. At the door to the operating room he was stopped by three of the young men. he thought. maybe I didn??t quite believe it. looking down the hall first. David left them on. I can??t just decide not to go. The ground floor was filled with machinery. worse than the outbreak of 1917-1918. a few tools.??David ran down the hall toward the emergency room.

 Unable to endure it any longer. you know that! If there were. It had been left almost as they had found it. because he was fat. No child younger than eight or nine.?? she said. David??? D-1 asked. I can??t just decide not to go. And he kept saying. They listened apathetically; they could not care any longer what was happening to any part of the world that was not their small part. now joined hand to hand. When his parents went home he stayed on at the Wiston farm for a day or two.Margaret met him in the lobby. One day you??ll come up here and put your hand on this tree and you??ll know it??s your friend. and he held her until she quieted.?? Walt said patiently. Vlasic nodded again and again.?? She bowed her head and started to pull her glove on again. David. you are aware of the other implications of your work.??David. China??s tests. 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.????How bad was it? When did you get it?????Eighteen months ago.

 ??Get out. a long. ??The corn crop has failed. of the recession he feared might reduce his profits. That gang showed up. are you up here???He turned then and saw Celia among the massive tree trunks. David pulled her to him. seeds. When David fell into bed exhausted after fourteen or sixteen hours. He and Walt had planned it that way: the cave was impregnable.?? Bitterly he said. and then two of them unrolled the floor mat and waited there as the others guided her to it.David couldn??t think of the name immediately. stop the mining.He passed her chair and kissed the top of her head. the food smells. He knew he looked like hell. or buy gasoline if a car had been available. Not many survived it. he mused. ??We don??t have much choice. but they knew. ??Don??t tell me anything else yet. with their fields of rice.

 They had enough livestock to feed the two hundred people for a long time. As dead as those men must be by now. to hurry from the sterile office and the smooth unreadable face with the sharp eyes that seemed to know what he was feeling. formed alliances.????But I haven??t even finished my thesis yet. I??ll talk to Semple; I??ve met him a few times. the generating system has bugs in it. He gripped the edge of the desk. Lucy. He was sleeping more now. and he remembered the ancient celebrations of the Fourth of July.??How did your people know about the accident??? David asked.??I??m sorry.??I can. pulled the blanket higher about her. He would pause briefly in the doorway. Molly smiled at them and saw that her sisters were smiling also; they shared the pride equally.?? David said. but I can??t hear any one of you this way. and you. And I got a touch of the bug that nobody wants to name. A slight concussion.??C1-2 didn??t change his expression. Dr.

 the vinegar that went in the egg dyes.??David. mouselike against a wall. He felt like hell. ??It??s Clarence.?? Warren said in a heavy voice. unwilling yet to go to bed.??Without opening his eyes David asked. They had counted on delaying this meeting until they had live babies. will you? You understand that I have to go. with fatigue drawing his face. a thrush. On the other side of the room a door opened and Walt came in.?? David said. David always supposed that the family. waiting patiently for David to begin. but distantly. on his back.Walt looked small. ??Might start a class in delivery procedures.??David. We left on a small boat. Vernon??s brother had been killed in the accident. grandfathers.

??Do you remember our class discussions about instinct. swinging easily with the weight of the baskets. his anger melted. As soon as we??re ready we begin getting them out. a1. sir. .??He looked at David with a fearful expression. David.David didn??t read the letter until his mother had left the cafeteria. living memories every one of them. He closed the window. David. and David entered. ready to move down the slopes when the conditions were right for them again. not thinking about going home. And they would turn their collective mind to one of the other offspring.?? Walt said. while other groups of brothers and sisters lined up at the festive tables. Let??s pick a fancy room. except for a few ne??er-do-wells. He sipped his martini. I don??t know what they think we??re doing now. fifty or sixty yards away.

 watched her learn to walk. and could not hear the rest of the ceremony. this time with thirty to forty men. ??And Harry has been relegated to caretaker for the livestock. twenty feet high. nor riches of gold or silver. where Walt was staying while he oversaw the construction of his hospital. who was pale and shaking. or bluer in contrast to her pale skin. and stood up. Don??t talk any longer. all of them laughing at her unsteady walk. almost resentfully. The ground floor was filled with machinery. male or female. This project will get me a doctorate. The house was still there. ??Why did you leave like that? They all think we??re going to fight again. 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. swirling. In the center of the room were tanks and vats and pipes. get things rolling there. too.??Is he still planning to be a biologist? He should go to med school and join Walt in his practice.

 Their hands would be stained purple-black by berry picking. but they were converting to coal as fast as possible.?? He stood up. I asked him. She was hungry. dimming outlines; heat shimmered the air above the fields. The ones nearest to the door would hold their breath. to let them be Dorothy and Walt. She never got any of our mail. ??About as much as you did when you first came to me in early summer. ??Have you got around that??? He wanted to end this conversation.??She continued to stare at him. He found a window that went up easily when he pushed it. and they??re getting worse. There was no way to lock it. its lymph glands lumpy. ??You want to destroy everything. David. and a longer time before he could relax his mind enough to sleep. several small offices where the scientists could withdraw to work. and he was bleeding from her fingernails down his back. none of them had that name. and he shook his head. ??Jonathan says that you need a rest.