Reversion - A Novel Part 6

Dad got to his feet and went into the hallway, obviously knowing where the phone was kept.

Alice stared at the pictures on the wall and started to get up.

aDonat,a I warned.

aBut theyare Mandelbrot views!a she hissed in obvious astonishment.

aCoincidentally, I think. I hope. Clara painted them and sheas a bit sensitive. I imagine some Cubist must have criticized them.a Alice had been fascinated even more than I when the Mandelbrot Set became famous in the late Eighties. She had programmed the lab workstation herself to investigate it at ever-increasing levels of detail and magnification. Now she crossed her arms and glared at me. aYou havenat been back long enough!a aHuh? Long enough for what?a aDidnat you say you arrived about six weeks ago? You havenat had time to describe it and criticize a painter to such accuracy.a aNo, of course I havenat. What are you talking about, Alice?a She pointed to one of the paintings. aThat view is from what I call the ab.u.t.t crack,a a quarter of the way up the rim, at magnification 2000 or so. Itas identical to the printout that has hung on the wall of my lab office for the last ten years. You should remember it, aside from the colors, which are arbitrary. I t.i.tled it Aladdinas Slipper. You stared at it often enough.a By G.o.d, she was right! Now that she mentioned it, I recalled that picture. This one, except for the color scheme, seemed identical a" as closely as memory can tell with something so complicated as a Mandelbrot view. I stared from the painting back to Alice. aBut how could that be?a She made a disgusted face. aI suppose itas possible in principle that someone with enough dedication, whoas willing to devote a lifetime to the task, might create those scenes without a computer. The math is simple enough, but the calculation is astronomical, and thatas no exaggeration!a She chuckled wryly. aDo we dare to question her about it?a aWhy not?a I asked thoughtlessly.

aBecause how do we know about Mandelbrot?a Just then Clara returned with two gla.s.ses of lemonade and handed one to Alice with a smile. When she offered me the other, she leaned down slightly and gave me a stare, which I returned guilelessly. She then retreated to an armchair that faced us with her eyes still on me. aIt seems youall have another companion for your visits next week, Timmy. Iam certain we shall have a very enjoyable time.a She turned her attention to the girl. aAlice, youall be staying with me for awhile. I hope you wonat be too bored.a aOh, I donat think so, Clara.a She caught herself. aI mean, Mrs. Edgeworth. You have such a fine house here, and your yard is so large. It should take me days to explore it all. And then all those books!a She waved at the impressive bookcases. aI must inspect them too.a aThe library has many more, Alice, but you may not find them interesting. Theyare mostly on scientific subjects. They are my late husbandas collection.a aIam good at science,a Alice responded like a boasting child.

aTim,a my dad interrupted from the entrance of the living room, awould you come here for a moment?a I got up and left the room. Dad pulled me aside.

aThe police were at our house this morning,a he whispered. aAlice has been reported missing and your address was found among her things in Chicago. They want to talk to you.a

Chapter 5: Clara.

A police car stood in front of the house. Mom met us at the backdoor. aYouare just in time, Frank. They returned only a couple of minutes ago.a We found two policemen in the living room, one in uniform and the other in mufti, who was the only one of the two to speak. His manner was that of an owner, as if we were the supplicants. I resented that automatically, as I always have. Dadas expression was neutral.

aSit here, please,a said the plain-clothes cop in a commanding tone of voice and pointed to an armchair.

My small boy was tempted to defy the copas smug authority, but my old man restrained him. I sat as he indicated.

aYou are Timothy Kimball?a I nodded.

He looked at Dad. aYour son?a Dad nodded.

Again he addressed me. aHow old are you?a aTwelve.a aDo you know a girl named Alice Colsen?a aI donat know her, but I sent her a letter and she sent one back.a aWhy did you correspond with Alice Colsen?a aWeare supposed to be pen pals. It was a school project.a aDo you have the letter she sent you?a aSure. Itas upstairs in my room.a aWould you please get it?a I dashed upstairs, retrieved the letter from under the bed, performed a little sleight of hand and clattered back downstairs. This time the boy overcame the old manas desire for a measured tread. I handed the letter to the cop, who read it with a frown on his face.

Dear Tim, Thank you very much for write to me. My teacher sayed you wood. I am glad you did. It is hot in Chicago now. Is it hot in Hightower too? I do not know what else to say. You are the first boy I ever writed to. Please write back to me again. It sure is more fun than talking to my crazy mom.

Your new friend, Alice M. Colsen aWell,a he said turning to my parents, athis certainly helps the investigation. I wonat need to ask your son any more questions.a Mamma looked startled. She extended her hand to the policeman. aMay I see the letter, please?a His eyebrows rose but he pa.s.sed the folded paper across. She scanned it and turned her gaze upon me. Her eyes were marbles of astonishment. She opened her mouth to speak but the officer was first.

aDo you have any other correspondence with this girl?a he asked me.

aNo, sir.a Dad asked, aDoes the girl have a problem at home?a The cop looked pointedly from Dad to me.

aExcuse me,a I said and went into the kitchen, where I strained to hear their conversation, the most important part of which was the copas concluding statement.

aThe girlas mother is batty. She was committed this morning. She claims her daughter is an alien and two other aliens came to the house and took her off to their UFO. We suspected this crazy woman was somehow responsible for the girlas disappearance, but the letter suggests she was aware of her motheras illusions. She has probably run away.a I breathed a sigh of relief and fixed myself a sandwich.

Mom saw the cops out the front door as Dad came into the kitchen.

aThe letter worked,a he said. aI donat think theyall bother us again.a He smiled. aYouare a cool one. Whereas the original letter?a aYes,a Mamma interjected at the kitchen door, aIad like to hear your answer to that.a aRight here.a I pulled it out of my s.h.i.+rt and pa.s.sed it to her. aDid they take the new one?a aYes, they did.a Her eyes verified the original. aWhat if they show your fake to her teacher?a I responded around my mouthful of peanut b.u.t.ter and jelly a" surprisingly tasty on a young tongue, aYou mean, will the handwriting match? It will match. Alice wrote the second one too.a aOh.a Her gaze turned to Dad. aFrank, when do you think you might recall that Tim is my son, too, and that I am your trusted wife?a Dad sighed and put his arm around her. aCome on into the living room, Pattie.a She allowed him to pull her. aWhatas going on, Frank? Isnat it enough that our son has gone weird? Now we have the police poking into our lives. And what I find hardest to believe, you seem to be cooperating with Tim to fool the police!a I stood in the kitchen eating my sandwich, straining to hear their conversation. My mother was clearly upset, judging by her tone of voice, which was uneven and trembling.

aIam afraid weall have to get used to this, Pattie,a my father said. aThings will never be as they were before.a Mamma was almost sobbing in frustration. aBefore? Before what? Whatas happened to him? You seem to know.a aHeas a very unusual boy, more than just precocious. I suppose he possesses a genius that has suddenly overwhelmed him.a Mamma didnat buy that one. aFrank, thereas something wrong with him. It started when he fell off his bike a while back and landed on his head. We should really take him to the doctor.a aAnd get his head examined?a My father snorted, dismissing the notion. aThatas not the problem, Pattie. Thereas nothing physically wrong with the boy. Itas just that heas revealed himself to be a true genius.a aAll of a sudden? It doesnat happen that way, Frank, and you know it!a aMaybe it has to do with his s.e.xual awakening. Heas at that age.a What a lame argument! I thought. Dad was floundering.

as.e.x!a my mother exclaimed in disgust. aI know it can drive some boys to stupidity, but it doesnat cause this sort of craziness.a aHeas not crazy, Pattie. Heas probably more rational than the two of us. Heas certainly brighter than we are.a aAll of a sudden! All of a sudden!a Mom was nearly screaming. aI feel Iave lost him, Frank. He frightens me at times.a The last words were m.u.f.fled as if spoken into my fatheras shoulder. Silence ensued briefly.

aClara a understands the boy.a My father spoke hesitantly. aSheas told me sheall take care of him if weall let her. Perhaps that would be best.a aWell, I can understand that.a Mammaas voice contained a tinge of sarcasm. aClara has always wanted him and sheas rather strange herself. But are you suggesting we give up our son?a aNot give him up. Not that! He would just live with her and she would tutor him. We would see him regularly, maybe every weekend.a There was another pause in the conversation.

aSo itas Clara again.a Now Mammaas voice was bitter. aThis time she wants my son!a aBut Claraas our friend, Pattie. She has nothing but the best intentions.a aI know about you and her, Frank. Iave known it for years. Do you plan to settle Tim with her and then move in yourself?a aGood G.o.d, no, Pattie! I would never leave you. Now youare talking crazy.a aBut you donat deny whatever it is, or was, between you and her. You canat hide that sort of thing from a wife, certainly not from me. Iave noticed the way she avoids looking at your face. I recognize the guilt.a aThat was years ago, Pattie.a I could scarcely hear my fatheras voice. aIt just happened, and we never really enjoyed it because we both love you. We gave it up after a few weeks because we felt so awful.a aYouave always said she looks like a young girl, Frank. Is that what you want? Am I getting too dumpy for you in my middle age?a aItas over, Pattie! Itas been over for years! I donat want anyone but you. Please, letas not talk about it.a aNot talk about it! Yes, that would suit you fine! And donat tell me you didnat enjoy fondling her body and squirting into her. Iam not stupid, Frank.a Mom was ranting.

Again it was quiet except for some m.u.f.fled sniffling.

aDarling,a my dad almost whispered, aof course youare right. I canat deny that when Clara and I first made love we became extremely aroused. But surely you donat want to know the details. Please forgive me if you think I want to change the subject. I do, actually, but not to escape my guilt. I must confess there is something you should know about Tim. You may not believe it, but the boy has convinced me itas true.a aSomething I should know?a Momas voice was tremulous. aThat sounds ominous. Youare frightening me, Frank. Is it something awful?a aNo, nothing like that, nothing reprehensible. I donat know how to begin except to say that weave already lost him, Pattie. Heas a grown man. He only looks like a twelve year old.a aYouare talking nonsense, Frank! Heas still a young boy, but he has some kind of sickness that makes him weird.a aTim is from the future, Pat. Youave got to believe it. Heas older than I am.a Mom emitted a brief, screechy laugh, a derisive hoot. aAre you both crazy? Or are you, he and Clara trying to pull something on me? I wonat stand still for this, Frank!a aPattie! No one is plotting against you. What I say about Tim is all true, and I can prove it. Heas a very famous scientist, a n.o.ble Prize winner, at least he was where he came from.a aWhere he came from?a aYes. Tim is from another universe, from a future one or something like that. I donat really understand it either. But it explains why he knows so much. He came here on purpose and took over our Timmyas body.a aYou mean heas a stranger from another world? A body s.n.a.t.c.her? Do you realize how ridiculous you sound, Frank? You of all people!a aPerhaps I do sound ridiculous. No, Iall go further. This story does seem ridiculous. But it isnat, Pattie. You yourself have contributed to the proof of it.a aI?a aYes. Do you recall telling us at breakfast that some friend of Timas fell off his bike in front of our house and broke his ankle?a aYes, but a"a aTim predicted it the day before.a aHe a he aa She was obviously thinking it over.

aBut that is the least of it. I have interrogated him at length. He exhibits the judgment and the knowledge that only a mature mind might contain. But heas still Tim. You must accept this, Pattie. Heas the same person except for the addition of an adult inside who is also Tim as he became in another world.a aFrank aa Mom paused for a moment. aThis is too much for me to grasp, even though Iam an educated woman. It confounds everything Iave ever learned.a aThat statement applies to us both, my dear. But he has convinced me. I have a suggestion. Iall call him in here and you interrogate him in your specialty.a She sighed deeply. aNo, dear. I wonat suggest to my son that I distrust him.a She sighed again. aI canat say I believe you. I just canat. But I certainly wonat challenge my husband in so serious a matter when he is clearly convinced. If you think itas the right thing to do, Iall let him go live with Clara. At least she can afford the doctor bills heas certain to run up.a I did not want to hear any more, and I dreaded confronting my mother. So I scooted out the back door, letting the screen bang loudly behind me. My throat ached at the certain loss of Mom. We would never be the same together. But I was elated at gaining Clara all for myself.

Clara, standing in my fatheras living room, wore a light, early-fall s.h.i.+ft that clung to her torso most provocatively, suggesting the rest of her to be as succulent as the exposed limbs. She s.h.i.+mmered in youth, fully mature, fully adult, thirty years old.

aAre you ready to leave?a she asked with a smile and a two-finger touch to my cheek. aDo you have your stuff packed?a aYes. Itas all here,a I replied, waving my hand at a large suitcase near the door, but I looked at Alice, who stood next to the woman.

Clara noticed the direction of my gaze and grinned. aI suppose Iall have to play chaperone for you two.a aDonat guard us too closely,a I remarked seriously.

aTimmy,a Clara leaned close to me and whispered, asheas scarcely ten.a aAnd Iam scarcely twelve,a I replied softly.

Clara made a face, then turned to my mom. The two of them went off to the kitchen chatting about my new status as Claraas charge. I heard Mamma insist that I visit at least twice a week.

Alice said quietly, aThereas something weird about that woman, Timmy, besides her Mandelbrot paintings. Iave lived with her two days now. She has the latest Physical Review and Chemical Journal in her magazine rack, would you believe? And though she has no servant, her place is absolutely spotless.a aWeird, eh? Did she come on to you?a I grinned and pulled the girl to me with one arm.

aDo you realize how far youave fallen, Timmy?a she sputtered in exasperation. aYou were once a great man, and now all you can think about is s.e.x.a aIam just a twelve year old boy, Alice, and Iam more inclined to focus on shapely thighs than barren physics.a aWell,a she scolded me, aI wish you would concentrate more on my thighs than hers.a aI also like t.i.ts,a I said playfully.

aYou donat have to be so cruel. Iall have them in two or three years. I developed early, as I recall. But youare just playing with me, arenat you? As you always did. Word games.a aI love you, Alice, as I always have,a I said and gave her a small kiss.

aBut you want to fondle Claraas pretty thighs.a aMuch more than that, Alice. I want to taste them a" and her small t.i.tties as well.

aYouare a disgusting pervert!a aCome now, hardly that!a I responded deviously, adding in my soprano voice, aIam just a little boy,a and cupping my palm to her groin.

aNot now!a She barked.

aLater perhaps?a aYes, Timmy. Later and later and later.a Alice clung to me and kissed my face with an intense pa.s.sion.

aWell, what do we have here?a Clara said, interrupting us. Mom stood behind her frowning. Clara added, aArenat they cute at that age?a aBirds and bees,a I replied cheerfully. aItas as natural as that.a aBut itas unnatural until youare eighteen, according to the American public,a she teased. aYouare too young for that even in France.a aYou canat be serious,a Alice declared indignantly, sounding like an adult despite her high pitched voice.

aCanat I?a Clara regarded the girl with a strange look on her face.

Mamma was studying me intently. Abruptly she turned and hurried upstairs, almost as if she were fleeing the scene. Clara looked from her to me and made motions with her hands towards the porch.

aWeare going now, Pat,a she called upstairs. aIall bring Tim to visit in a couple of days.a I heard a m.u.f.fled response above the hurrying footsteps. Perhaps it was a sob. I knew that Mamma would not see me off.

aCome,a Clara said, leading us out the front door. She carried the suitcase for me, shoving it into the backseat of the new Packard.

Alice insisted on sitting between Clara and me in the front.

The woman looked around her at me before starting the car. aYour mother is very sad about this, Timmy. Weall wait if you want to run and kiss her good-bye.a The old man wanted to do it, but the little boyas squeamishness won out. aIall see her in a couple of days,a I responded.

Clara put the car in motion without another word.

As we proceeded down the tree-lined streets, foliage now in beautiful reds and yellows after the first frost, Alice leaned her head on my shoulder and whispered, aClara feels guilty for stealing you.a aFor what?a I whispered back in astonishment, adding, aMamma agreed to it.a aEven so. Claraas in love with you, Timmy.a I had to chuckle aloud. aYouare crazy, you know! She likes me, yeah, and I like her. Weave been meeting aAunta Clara ever since I can remember. Where did you get such an idea?a aWhen a woman loves a man, as I love one, she notices how other women feel towards him. She loves you, Timmy, and has for a long time. If you think about it youall know it too.a Indeed Clara had most readily and deliberately exposed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s when I asked. Sure, she was fond of me. Might not a woman do such a thing to satisfy a boyas natural curiosity, if she looked upon him fondly?

aIave studied her Mandelbrot paintings again,a Alice continued, her lips hardly an inch from my ear. She paused as the car swerved perhaps for a squirrel. aI tell you, theyare accurate. I recall the one from the b.u.t.t crack that hung in my office. Hers is identical with my memory. This woman is a creature of mystery, Timmy, a creature of contradiction. I wonder if we are in danger.a aFrom Clara? Donat be any more ridiculous than you must,a I scoffed.

The blow-off was not long delayed. Clara showed me to her second guest room and helped me unpack. She seemed rather cold, speaking very little. At last she asked Alice and myself to attend her in the living room.

We filed in and took seats side-by-side on the couch. She stood with her back to us in front of the ab.u.t.t-cracka scene, which actually resembles a fairy-tale slipper with a curled up toe. She turned around and looked directly at Alice. Her voice betrayed a certain tension. aI keep asking myself, where could you have heard the word Mandelbrot? But Benoit Mandelbrot is alive now, pursuing his M. S. at Cal Tech, as a matter of fact. The far more important question is, how could you possibly know that Aladdinas Foot is located near the major cycloid vertex of the Mandelbrot Set?a I felt turned to stone.

Aliceas eyes widened only slightly. The little girlas face smiled incongruously, clearly one mature woman sparring with another, and said confidently, aThat statement raises a host of corollary questions. But first Iad like to ask you where you heard me mention that word.a aIn the car, of course, along with your characterization of this sceneas location in the ab.u.t.t crack.aa Now Aliceas eyes glinted. aThen you must have the keenest hearing of anyone alive.a Clara smiled slightly. aI do have preternatural hearing when I care to exercise it. I overheard you whisper about guilt and wondered if you meant Timmyas mother, so I exercised it.a She took a deep breath. aAnd nearly wrecked the car.a Alice looked at me searchingly. I knew what was on her mind. This woman had obviously reverted, whether by my technique or some other, yet she must have done so before I had. How was that possible? I could only shrug. My theory didnat prevent someone from reverting earlier than I, if they started from an older body. Clara must have truly been elderly, I thought a" if she used my technique. How had an octogenarian learned of the procedure?

Alice approached it cautiously. aTim claims that you painted that scene. Perhaps you would care to tell us, Miss Edgeworth, how you were able to do that almost 30 years before Mandelbrot himself could have seen it.a Clara shrugged more gracefully than I. aYou know how, Miss Colsen.a Her face became thoughtful. aColsen?a aDoes Alice Farnsworth ring a bell?a asked the girl sweetly.

Claraas eyes widened. aThe masteras a.s.sistant!a Alice giggled, looking at me. aThe master!a Clara also looked at me. Her expression of cold enmity softened to a smile. aTimmy, perhaps youad do me a favor. Would you go into the study and let Alice and me talk privately?a I shook my head and sighed. aTo what point, Clara?a Her face blanked. aDo you mean to say you have understood this conversation?a aJust a moment!a Alice interjected sharply before I could answer. aWe need to check a bit further before admitting anything. Do you want us to believe you made that painting only from your own memory?a But Clara was staring at me. aTimmy a Professor Kimball a when did youa a" she gulped a" awin the n.o.bel in Physics?a aIn 1988.a aYou a you have revera"a She gaped at me, eyes and mouth open wide. aOf course! That explains everything.a She shook her head. aWhat I donat understand is why I didnat realize it! Excuse me, Timmy a" professor a" but I find that my legs are weak.a She sat down abruptly in the chair that matched the couch. She stared at me and laughed ironically. aI suppose you have been wondering about my paintings. I did them a few years ago, while life was suspended for the war, partly to catch reverters.a She glanced at Alice. aAnd they worked, didnat they?a The girl tossed her head. aWhich raises the question, how did you paint them? The one you call Aladdinas Foot is one that I named Aladdinas Slipper. I stared at a printout of it on my office wall for ten years or more. How could you have painted one so accurately?a The woman shrugged. aIt is indeed accurate! Only one explanation is possible: I have what you would call an eidetic memory for certain things.a aPermit me to ask a better question,a I said in the voice of a young boy but with the commanding tone of an adult. aWho are you really, Aunt Clara?a aTimmy a" professor aa Her voice wavered.

aIall always be Timmy to you, Clara. But your arrival well in advance of me stretches my understanding of the theory. I ask again, who are you?a Her eyes fell. When she looked up, again she laughed ironically. aI didnat expect this. Itas a itas so wildly improbable. I thought I would just watch you grow up. B-but youare already here.a Her eyes were suddenly brighter.

I extended my hand to her. She rose and came to me, taking her seat at my side opposite Alice.

aWho are you?a I asked more softly.

aOriginally I was Ellen Lundquist,a she said softly with head bowed.

aFrom how far in the future? You must have been of advanced age to revert so soon before me.a aWeave made improvements on your procedure, Professor Kimball, since your time. You required a full DNA match. Because of better sensitivity in the scan a person can now arrive in anotheras mind well before her own birth, usually the mind of an ancestor, someone with at least a 30 per-cent correspondence in DNA sequences.a She managed to get that out, but she then began to s.h.i.+ver as though it were chill.

This was incredible, only a 30 per-cent match! But yes, I saw that scanners with adequate sensitivity might a" aHow did you overcome the noise problem?a aI donat have all the technical details in mind,a she murmured, abut I believe success was obtained with artificial DNA and a statistical sampling technique.a Artificial DNA! I stood and paced slowly back and forth in front of the couch. Her eyes followed me, hands twisting, one within the other. She seemed too affected by a merely technical explanation. Another implication of her reversion occurred to me. I demanded, aYou came to be with me, didnat you?a She s.h.i.+vered again. aI wanted to be a your contemporary, but I overshot by eighteen years. I wanted to grow up with you. I wanted aa She blushed deeply and didnat finish.

Alice jumped to her feet, livid with sudden anger. She shouted, aHeas mine!a Clara turned her face away, but not before I saw a tear roll down her cheek.

aAlice, sit down!a I barked and the girl obeyed but continued to scowl.

I sat next to Clara again. She grasped my shoulder and thrust a wet face into my neck. Alice seemed about to erupt once more but I glared her to inaction.

aClara,a I asked gently, stroking her raven hair. aWhen did you depart?a She sniffled. aBy your reckoning it was the twenty-fourth century.a aBy our reckoning?a aYes. After the Calamity what was left of the human race began a new calendar.a aWhat calamity?a Alice shrieked.

I waved her quiet.

aWhy did you want to be with me, Clara?a She sat upright and took a deep breath. aAs a teenager in the twenty-third century I came across a scan of you as a young man, taken well before your fame was a.s.sured.a She laughed self-consciously. aI fell in love with that picture. For the rest of my life I compared every man with that one a" with you a" and your accomplishments. When it came time to revert, I chose your era, profa" Timmy. I was pleasantly surprised to find a compatible ancestor so close in time and s.p.a.ce, even though a bit too early.a aYouare the Master, Timmy, the discoverer of Reversion. Many people depart in search of you. They hope to share your life from the periphery, to understand the forces that focused you on your wonderful discoveries. Iall confess I wanted more than that.

aBut I can hardly believe Iave actually found you: not merely the lad destined to become you, but the reverted Master himself. There are uncounted possible universes. Itas just so improbable.a aSo you won the lottery,a Alice commented snidely. aWhatas this business about the Master?a aYou have a.s.sumed G.o.d-like stature in the minds of many, although no one presumed you were anything but mortal.a She gazed into my face with love. aAt least educated people didnat. Youare the emotional, spiritual focus of the human race. You freed us from lingering, painful death, from death itself except for accidents.a aThere is a logical flaw here,a I mused aloud.

aEvery religion has one, Timmy,a Alice giggled and came to sit next to me.

Clara stood and looked down at me with a weak smile. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

aI feel blessed to be in your presence,a she managed to say, abut Iam overwhelmed. I need to lie down for awhile.

She turned to leave but then stopped abruptly.

aYou wonat go away?a she asked anxiously.

aNo, Aunt Clara. Weall be here when you awake from your nap.a * * *

aThe Calamity began in 2138 by your reckoning, two hundred years before I was born, and within a month life on Earth was gone. Human civilization still continued on the Moon, Mars and the OaNeills, but there werenat even ten million people out there.a aWhat was it, the Calamity?a I demanded to know.

aRunaway nanotech. Drexler warned of it as early as 1988. You do know about nanotechnology, donat you?a aYes: molecular engineering, heavy on promise, light on delivery.a aWell, in 2138 it delivered. A genius named George Harvey Stringer finally made the first nanoa.s.sembler. Like many geniuses he was careless of the details. As a result ten billion people were destroyed along with most life on earth. Stringer lost control of his machines and Drexleras agray gooa resulted a" except that it was actually green, because it depended on photosynthesis for its driving energy.a aaGray goo?aa Alice repeated in wonder.

aAlmost everything organic on earth was converted to green goo. The process was very fast, needing only days to spread across a continent. Still the South Island of New Zealand had time to get many of its people into caves prepared much earlier in expectation of World War Three. In a month, when the nanomachines had exhausted the readily available carbon and thus lost their vigor, they and a few other protected survivors emerged to an unrecognizable land.

aNew Zealand became the center from which the human race rebuilt itself. It was a tremendous effort that lasted generations. Every healthy woman was expected to have at least ten children. Science and culture were largely saved, but the first century of the new era was a dark age.a I had been an enthusiastic advocate of Drexleras proposals, as I revealed by observing, aBut you still had nanotech to help you recover!a Her face took on an expression of sick disgust. aWe did not! Certain of Stringeras inventions, particularly his electrostatic method of observation on the nanoscale, were retained, but the death penalty was prescribed by law in all human jurisdictions for anyone attempting thereafter to build any machine capable of molecular a.s.sembly from elemental materials.a The three of us sat around the dining room table that afternoon drinking coffee after Clara got up from her nap, perhaps awakened by the frolicking noise of two naked children.

aYouare very human, Timmy,a she had said with a smile after she came into the living room and found Alice and me f.u.c.king on the floor. aYou seem to be more a young boy than the Master.a She still exhibited a nervousness regarding me. I could sense that she wanted to touch me, wanted me to touch her in a intimate ways. I could not understand how a mature woman could l.u.s.t for a p.u.b.escent boy. She avoided looking at my face, but her desire was unambiguous.

When I kissed Clara before she went off to bed, she quivered at my touch.

I asked, aWhat is it?a aA kiss from a the Master makes my knees weak.a She smiled tremulously. aTo have a truly impossible yearning satisfied is aa She took a breath. aPerhaps unprecedented.a Her eyes narrowed on mine. aI can deny you nothing, as perhaps you have already noticed.a The boy had not yet thought of her personal favors but the old man had. I asked with a leer, aWhat if I should need comforting in the night?a aThen you must come to my bed.a She said it matter-of-factly but my hand, lingering on her shoulder, felt her quiver again.

aIad hate to wake you unnecessarily,a I demurred.

She stared into my eyes. aIall lie awake until you come.a aIf not Iall kiss you awake. If I can get away.a Alice, whom I truly loved, did not inspire me s.e.xually that evening. She was too obviously only a little girl. I could not get it up as we lay naked together in bed. I was embarra.s.sed to discover such variability in a twelve year-oldas gallant reflex.

She grasped my flaccid organ and asked in undisguised exasperation, aDo you need me to suck on you?a Her tone was suddenly acid. aPerhaps you should go to Clara for inspiration.a aDo you really need me to f.u.c.k you, Alice? You donat enjoy it yet.a aYouare an ignorant old man, Professor Kimball. I want your little c.o.c.k inside of me just to know that itas mine.a She leaned down and sucked me to tumescence.

aCome now, do it,a she urged me, pulling on my body.

She had lovely, young thighs, I noticed not for the first time as I climbed atop her. I pushed into her and she gasped loudly. I began to f.u.c.k the girl, relis.h.i.+ng her warm tightness, but I was soon put off by her false responses.

aYouare faking it,a I said angrily, ready to pull out of her.

aTake your pleasure, Timmy,a she exclaimed crossly. aIall be your receptacle.a There was no way to stop. The o.r.g.a.s.m was already half way up my shaft. I kissed the little girl and squeaked into her mouth as I concluded. She held to me tightly, cooing into my ear and petting my back. Afterwards, we snuggled together in great contentment.

Alice yawned and sighed in resignation. aDonat go to Clara until I fall asleep.a I awoke in the middle of the night, slipped quietly from the bed where Alice lay on her side with a thumb in her mouth and went to Claraas room. The woman was awake, waiting for me. I turned on a lamp which glowed dimly.

aI want to see you,a I explained in a low voice and pulled the sheet from her naked body.

She also studied me. aYou still donat have any hair, Timmy, but I can see youave been growing.a She uttered a nervous laugh. aI feel so guilty.a aDo you feel guilty about before,a I replied, guessing, awhen I was a younger boy and you wanted to lick on me?a aIave always wanted you. I was tempted to suck on you when you were only five. If I had, would you remember it as a perversion?a aWhy did you want it? Surely a five year-old is not stimulating to a woman!a aOf course thatas true for most women. But the psychologists of my time have proven that a manas creative powers are driven by the same neural circuitry that erects his p.e.n.i.s. By sucking you I would have wors.h.i.+pped the symbol of your greatness.a She seemed to blush. aI still desire you, Timmy, but itas not s.e.x, not really. I want to serve you and bask in your greatness. Youare a male, and a proven progenitor. Is it not reasonable for me to adore you physically despite your present young age? You obviously have s.e.xual urges, and I want to a.s.suage them.a I laid beside the lovely woman, took a soft t.i.t in one hand and pressed my lips on her cheek. I nuzzled my face to her neck. aYou smell faintly of flowers,a I murmured. aI very much desire you s.e.xually, but please donat be slavish about it. I want you as a lover. You may be the most s.e.xually desirable woman I have touched in all my 67 years.a She held my half-erect p.e.n.i.s lightly in her hand and kissed the top of my head as I snuggled to her. There was no hurry, we both knew.

aAt what age did you arrive?a I asked.