The sudden quietness as the motor died aroused me with a start. I sat up and looked through the porthole to see trees and rocks gliding slowly by. I recognized the little patch of brown sand set between two large green lichen-covered boulders. The anchor went down. We were at our island. There were still two or three hours until sunset. The air was warm and the water calm in the sheltered cove. I yawned my way up on deck to see Pat, in a low cut bathing suit, spreading a large blanket for a sunbath. We sat down on the blanket and she leaned over to pass me a cigarette. I took it, being careful not to look directly at her. There was much too much to see and my blood pressure was already high enough. We smoked in silence for a while, watching the seagulls preen themselves on the rocks to which they had returned when the boat stopped moving. "John, do you really believe the virus is a natural mutation?" "I don't know, Baby, I just don't know." "Then why do you keep arguing with Dr. Hallam about it?" "I'm not arguing, Baby. I'm trying to keep this thing within the bounds of reason. We haven't a single bit of evidence yet to prove it isn't a natural disease, so why go overboard?" "The structure of the virus isn't normal." "So far, that seems to be so, but that doesn't prove it's synthetic either." "But what if it does cause permanent damage to the ovaries?" "Then, Toots, this old continent of North America is in one hell of a fix." "I can't imagine how I'd feel if I got a disease and knew I could never have children." "There are plenty of people that way now." "Not millions of them, and not me! I always wanted babies but my husband wanted to wait. He was too busy making money ... and having a good time." "A good time with whom?" "That's the question that finally broke it up. It's just as well there were no children, I suppose." She leaned over towards me and put her hands on mine. "If I ever marry again, I want a man who wants children." This time I looked straight at her, and the hell with my blood pressure. "I want your kids," I said, and pulled her down into my arms. She broke loose after a while, though I could feel her quivering. It was always the same. I had never been able to break down that last little bit of resistance, that fear of being hurt again. Maybe I never would. I sighed resignedly and sat up. "Might as well go fishing," I said and I went to lay out the lines and hoist the mainsail. * * * * *