He waited, frowning, watching her intently. "I'm--going to have a child." His face went blank. Then he stepped forward and took her by the shoulders. He saw the softness there in her face; saw her eyes bright as though the sun were shining in them; saw a flush in her cheeks, as though she had been running. And suddenly his throat was full. "No," he said thickly. "I can't believe it." "It's true." He held her for a long time, then he turned his eyes aside. "Yes, I can see it is." "I--I can't put into words why I let it happen, Michael." He shook his head. "I don't know--what to--to say. It's so incredible." "Maybe--I got so--tired--just seeing the two of us over and over again and the culturing of the scar tissue, for twenty centuries. Maybe that was it. It was just--something I felt I _had_ to do. Some--_real_ life again. Something new. I felt a need to produce something out of myself. It all started way out in space, while we were getting close to the solar system. I began to wonder if we'd ever get out of the ship alive or if we'd ever see a sunset again or a dawn or the night or morning like we'd seen on Earth--so--so long ago. And then I _had_ to let it happen. It was a vague and strange thing. There was something forcing me. But at the same time I wanted it, too. I seemed to be willing it, seemed to be feeling it was a necessary thing." She paused, frowning. "I didn't stop to think--it would be like this." "Such a thing," he said, smiling grimly, "hasn't happened on Earth for three thousand years. I can remember in school, reading in the history books, how the whole Earth was overcrowded and how the food and water had to be rationed and then how the laws were passed forbidding birth and after that how the people died and there weren't any more babies born, until at last there was plenty of what the Earth had to give, for everyone. And then the news was broken to everyone about the culturing of the scar tissue, and there were a few dissenters but they were soon conditioned out of their dissension and the population was stabilized." He paused. "After all this past history, I don't think the council could endure what you've done." "No," she said quietly. "I don't think they could." "And so this will be just for _us_." He took her in his arms. "If I remember rightly, this is a traditional action." A pause. "Now I'll go with you out onto the Earth--if we can swing it. When we get outside the city, or if we do--Well, we'll see." They were very still together and then he turned and stood by the window and looked down upon the city and she came and stood beside him. * * * * *