"Kate Wilhelm - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

In class the following day nothing appeared to be different. No pair bonding, David thought
cynically. They accepted being mated as casually as the cattle did. If there was any jealousy of
the two fertile males, it was well hidden. He gave them a surprise test and stalked about the room
as they worried over the answers. They would all pass, he knew; not only pass, but do
exceptionally well. They had motivation. They were learning in their teens what he hadnтАЩt grasped
in his twenties. There were no educational frills, no distractions. Work in the classroom, in the
fields, in the kitchens, in the laboratories. They worked interchangeably, incessantlyтАФthe first
really classless society. He pulled his thoughts back when he realized that they were finishing
already. He had allowed an hour, and they were finishing in forty minutes; slightly longer for the
Fives, who, after all, were two years younger than the Fours.
The two oldest Ds headed for the laboratory after class, and David followed them. They were
talking earnestly until he drew near. He remained in the laboratory for fifteen minutes of silent
work, then left. Outside the door he paused and once more could hear the murmur of quiet voices.
Angrily he tramped down the hallway.
In WaltтАЩs office he raged, тАЬDamn it, theyтАЩre up to something! I can smell it.тАЭ
Walt regarded him with a detached thoughtfulness. David felt helpless before him. There was
nothing he could point to, nothing he could attach significance to, but there was a feeling, an
instinct, that would not be quieted.
тАЬAll right,тАЭ David said, almost in desperation. тАЬLook at how they took the test results. Why
arenтАЩt the boys jealous? Why arenтАЩt the girls making passes at the two available studs?тАЭ
Walt shook his head.
тАЬI donтАЩt even know what theyтАЩre doing in the lab anymore,тАЭ David said. тАЬAnd Harry has been
relegated to caretaker for the livestock.тАЭ He paced the room in frustration. тАЬTheyтАЩre taking
over.тАЭ
тАЬWe knew they would one day,тАЭ Walt reminded him gently.
тАЬBut there are only seventeen Fives. Eighteen Fours. Out of the lot they might get six or
seven fertile ones. With a decreased life expectancy. With an increased chance of abnormality.
DonтАЩt they know that?тАЭ
тАЬDavid, relax. They know all that. TheyтАЩre living it. Believe me, they know.тАЭ Walt stood up
and put his arm about DavidтАЩs shoulders. тАЬWeтАШve done it, David. We made it happen. Even if there
are only three fertile girls now, they could have up to thirty babies, David. And the next
generation will have more who will be fertile. We have done it, David. Let them carry it now if
they want to.тАЭ
By the end of summer two of the Four-strain girls were pregnant. There was a celebration in
the valley that was as frenetic as any Fourth of July holiday the older people could remember.


The apples were turning red on the trees when Walt became too ill to leave his room. Two
more girls were pregnant; one of them was a Five. Every day David spent hours with Walt, no longer
wanting to work at all in the laboratory, feeling an outsider in the classrooms, where the Ones
were gradually taking over the teaching duties.


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тАЬYou might have to deliver those babies come spring,тАЭ Walt said, grinning. тАЬMight start a
class in delivery procedures. Walt-three is ready, I guess.тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll manage,тАЭ David said. тАЬDonтАЩt worry about it. I expect youтАЩll be there.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe. Maybe.тАЭ Walt closed his eyes for a moment, and without opening them said, тАЬYou were