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Fisher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Birds and the Bees - -Author: David E. Fisher - -Release Date: September 12, 2019 [EBook #60283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BIRDS AND THE BEES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="352" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>The Birds and the Bees</h1> - -<h2>BY DAVE E. FISHER</h2> - -<p class="ph1"><i>Which goes to prove that, in some<br /> -instances, being heroic is easy!</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Worlds of If Science Fiction, August 1957.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>I was wandering among the tall grass of the slopes, listening to the -soft whistling of the wind; allowing the grass to caress my toga and -thighs. It was a day soft and clear; a day accepted by the young, -cherished by we old. Across the gently undulating hills stood the -magnificent Melopolis, encradling the Oracle of Delni. I do not, of -course, believe in the gods per se; still there is a grandeur in the -very stones that transcends their human sculptors, and it is no wonder -to me that many cling tenaciously, and ignorantly, to the old religion. -Cling to the gods of old, who drew man upward from wherever he began. -In whose names Man killed and plundered, while struggling up. In whose -names Man finally left this earth, to seek his cousins among the stars.</p> - -<p>But of course there were no cousins. There was nothing. And Man -returned, and settled down to live. Saddened, but resigned and content -to live in peace with his knowledge and his power. Gone now are all the -ancient evils, wars, emergencies.</p> - -<p>"Sias! Sias—" And they were upon me.</p> - -<p>That is, Xeon was upon me. But I knew that where Xeon is, Melia must -soon appear. And indeed it was but a moment before Melia slipped -through the high grass to stand at his side. Their youthful voices were -babbling in excitement.</p> - -<p>Melia was a She, with the swelling breasts that were, so tradition -states, quite prevalent among members of the race long ago, and are -seldom seen today. Indeed, Melia was on this account made the butt of -many jokes and, I fear, would have had a lonely life of it had it not -been for the friendship of Xeon.</p> - -<p>"Sias," they were saying, "the Maternite's gone."</p> - -<p>I stared in amazement.</p> - -<p>"Gone? It cannot be gone. It has always been—"</p> - -<p>"Oh my gods!" Xeon shouted. "I tell you it's gone! Will you—"</p> - -<p>Melia interrupted him quietly. "Xeon, will you lose all respect for -the Elder?" Then turned to me, and said calmly, "The watcher at the -Maternite Machine, it appears, has been drunk. The heat rose above the -warning, continued to rise, and then—poof. Everything has evaporated -in Maternite. All the Prelife is gone."</p> - -<p>"All of it?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"There is nothing left," Melia insisted. "Can more be made? And if not, -what will happen with no more children?"</p> - -<p>"That is for the priests to say, not I," I replied. In moments of -emergency, it is wise to speak with caution. That is, I suppose so. I -have never before been in a real emergency.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A man my age does not hurry in the heat of the midday sun—maddugs -nenglishmin go out in the midday sun, as the ancients say, although I -often wonder why—but Xeon and Melia ran all the way down to the city. -They are of an age to enter manhood, and have all the energy such young -men do.</p> - -<p>As we entered the city, we were surrounded by confusion and -consternation. And can the simple people be blamed? They were aware -that they stood in the midst of an unprecedented happening; indeed, an -emergency. For a machine had failed!</p> - -<p>Not in the memory of the eldest among us has a machine failed. They -were created so long ago, indeed, that the ignorant believe them -to have been constructed by the gods themselves. And never, so far -as I know, has one failed. Small wonder that the watcher had been -negligent. Indeed, the watcher is more a tradition than a necessity. -Besides, had he been sober, he would not have known what to do. For who -knows the mysterious workings of the machines?</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I hastened to the City Hall and found the Conclave assembled, waiting -for me to bring them to order. Xeon and Melia stopped as I mounted the -steps, but I smiled and motioned them in. They accompanied me past -the marble pillars into the cool recesses of the Hall, then seated -themselves on the floor as I took my place by the great table.</p> - -<p>Well, you know how these things are. At such a time, many men feel -impelled to make speeches, and one must not be disrespectful. Prayers -and supplications were offered to the gods, priests were sent to -sacrifice, and finally, as the light of the sun was falling between the -pillars, the High Priest of the Maternite Machine was heard.</p> - -<p>He rambled through the customary opening remarks and then, continually -smoothing his white beard—of which he is excessively proud—approached -the crux of the matter and the Conclave finally heard the facts it had -assembled to hear. By this time, unfortunately, many of the Conclave -had departed for home and supper. Yet perhaps it is for the best, for -those left were the most earnest and intelligent.</p> - -<p>"I would not bore you," he said, "with details of which only the gods -are sure. Know, then, that once granted a few cells of Prelife, it is -an easy matter for the Maternite Machine to add more and more; thus -assuring us, as has always been, a continuous source of Prelife to be -born by the Generating Machine as children. The machines bear the exact -number of children each year to balance the number of us whom the gods -claim. Such it has always been from time immemorial."</p> - -<p>A murmur of assent and approval of these virtuous words whispered -around the Hall.</p> - -<p>"But now," he continued, however, with less assurance and indeed with -even a stutter here and there, "an unprecedented situation has arisen. -Indeed, I might call it an emergency. For the M-Maternite Machine has -actually failed."</p> - -<p>Cries of "Treason" sprang up, and I fear it might have gone hard for -the priest had I not been able to insure order.</p> - -<p>"That is not the worst," he cried, as if in defiance. "All the Prelife -has been dried up. It will not function. There is no more. And there -will be no more children!"</p> - -<p>At this I feared the Conclave was about to riot. It is at such times -that I most revere the wisdom of the ancients, who decreed seventy -years the minimum age for a member of the Conclave. They shouted and -began to beat their fists, but for how long can a man of seventy years -roar like a youngster? They quieted, breathing heavily, and I asked,</p> - -<p>"Is there no way, then, to produce more Prelife in order that the -machines may produce more children for us?</p> - -<p>"As I have said," he replied, "give the machines but a bit of Prelife -and they will produce more. But take away that least bit, and they are -helpless."</p> - -<p>Such heresy could have brought a sad end to the priest had not the -Conclave been so exhausted by the events of the day. We leaned back to -think.</p> - -<p>Rocsates leaned forward and asked, "Must there not—must there not have -been a beginning to Prelife? For the Machine, it seems, cannot make it; -and yet it came from somewhere."</p> - -<p>"Riddles are not called for," I answered severely.</p> - -<p>"Are not riddles often the beginning of knowledge?" he asked, in that -irritating dumber-than-thou attitude of his. "Must there not, long ago, -have been a source of Prelife: a source now forgotten? And may it not -even now—should we discover it—be available to us? I am reminded of -the story of the animals of old—"</p> - -<p>"I fear your mind is wandering, Rocsates," I was forced to interrupt. -"I know well the legend of the animals, but what does it have to -do—" The heads of the Conclave were turning to me, quizzically. I -hastened to explain the legend of the animals. "It is said that many -thousands of years ago, time without reckoning, there existed on the -earth creatures who were alive like us, and yet not like us. It is said -they had four legs or more, and no arms, were covered with hair, and -although not mute, they could not speak."</p> - -<p>Rocsates' voice made itself heard. "It is true. Such creatures did -indeed exist. It is recorded most scientifically in the films."</p> - -<p>"If it be so," I said, quieting the hub-bub that followed, "and I would -not doubt your word, Rocsates, for all know you are the wisest of -men—if it were so, then, what of it?"</p> - -<p>"May it not be," Rocsates put in, "that these animals had no machines -to reproduce their kind? For surely the gods would not grant machines -to such creatures. And indeed, if they had Maternite Machines, why then -we would yet have these animals among us."</p> - -<p>"And how, then, did these animals reproduce?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"How, indeed? And is there not a legend—admitted only a legend—that -says there was a time before the machines, and before the Maternite -Machine, and that at such a time both the animals and Men reproduced -from within their own bodies?"</p> - -<p>At this two members of the Conclave fell immediately into a faint, and -I would gladly have joined them. I hoped that the youngsters, Xeon -and Melia, had not heard, but as I turned they were listening most -attentively to Rocsates, who, amid cries of "Heresy" and "Treason", -went on:</p> - -<p>"I should like to ask the Conclave for permission to search the ancient -records, in the hope of finding some such knowledge that would prove or -disprove my words."</p> - -<p>"You wish to search the films—" I began.</p> - -<p>"Not the films, Sias, but the books."</p> - -<p>Gods, this Rocsates! The books, as well he knows, are so ancient, -and so delicate, that they are kept in an air-tight tomb; lest, -being handled, they be destroyed and all knowledge within them lost. -Therefore, they have not been read in the known history of our race. -And Rocsates has been anxious for an excuse—</p> - -<p>"Sias," he went on, "if there exists such knowledge as I seek, is it -not indeed lost to the memory of Man? And if so, are not the books the -only place where it may be found?"</p> - -<p>Rocsates, it is suspected, will never ask a question unless he knows -the answer beforehand. And so I acquiesced, and agreed, and granted -permission. And with much misgiving and foreboding of evil, the -Conclave adjourned.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Several weeks elapsed before Rocsates requested that the Conclave meet. -I called the meeting at dawn and so it was yet early in the afternoon -when formalities were concluded and Rocsates granted leave to speak.</p> - -<p>"Some of those among you are She's," he began. "And you know you are -different from the rest of us. To the advantage, your skin is fairer -and your features more often handsomer than ours. To the disadvantage, -your excretory system is not so mechanically dextrous as ours. And, you -may say, why should this not be so? There is, indeed, no reason why we -should all be identical. Perforce you have the advantage, perforce we -do. Yet there is one other distinction.</p> - -<p>"Some among you She's have the swelling of the breasts. And does there -exist no reason for this? Was there not, perhaps in ancient times, a -cause for this? Do you not wonder, She's, whence you come and for what -reason?"</p> - -<p>"Rocsates," I interrupted. "All this is fascinating, of course. But if -you could be quick—"</p> - -<p>"Of course," he replied. "In the course of my reading I have read -many books, and while they are all vague on the subject, this I have -discovered:</p> - -<p>"That there was indeed a time before the machines, in fact the books -were created in that time, for not one of them mentions the machines. -Then reproduction was carried on by individuals, without help of the -then nonexistent machines. The She's are not wanderers from another -land, but they have lived with us for all time; they are not another -race, but we are all types of one race. And the fact of reproduction is -somehow intimately related to the physical distinctions of the She's!"</p> - -<p>These last sentences were shouted to be heard above the roar of the -crowd. Yet when Rocsates stopped, so also did the noise, so shocked and -amazed at his words were they. And I confess, myself also.</p> - -<p>"In fact," Rocsates added, sitting down, "this process of reproduction -seems to have been so simple that there was once a problem of -over-population."</p> - -<p>Order was lost among the Conclave as each man turned to speak to his -neighbor, and for some time I could not restore order. I realized that -something had to be done to save Rocsates before the outrage of the -assembled overwhelmed him.</p> - -<p>"It seems," I shouted, "that there is a flaw in your logic." For if -such there was, I was hopeful of dismissing the entire affair with -no harm done. "For if people reproduced too often, why then this -reproduction must have been a pleasant thing to do; otherwise they -would not have done so to excess. And if it was a pleasant thing to do, -where is the necessity for the machines, and why were they created?"</p> - -<p>Rocsates seemed perplexed by this problem, whereupon Xeon, who together -with Melia were at the Conclave without permission, shouted, "Perhaps -the process of reproduction was of <i>such</i> a pleasure that the Conclave -ruled it to be a sin? And therefore the machines were necessary!"</p> - -<p>At this impudence the Conclave dissolved in an uproar, and I was beyond -power to restrain them from placing Xeon under arrest. Privately, -however, I had to admit that his supposition was a possibility, and -thus I authorized Rocsates to continue his search.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Now indeed I was sorely worried concerning Xeon, for he must languish -in the dungeon until the Conclave is satisfied to release him, and this -they cannot do until they meet again.</p> - -<p>I needed a sufficient excuse to call a meeting of the Conclave, -whereupon I might argue for the lad. When I heard that Rocsates again -desired audience, I immediately proclaimed a meeting of the Conclave -to be held the next day at dawn, and so that night slept well.</p> - -<p>The Conclave had come to order and formalities had been initiated when -Rocsates entered and took his place. He clutched under one shoulder -a thin, rectangular object, but that is not what impressed me. His -appearance—he looked as if he had not slept of late, nor eaten either. -His eyes were sunken, and his features had doubled in age. He was bent -and tired. But it was his eyes. There was a horror in them.</p> - -<p>I was shocked, and could not help staring at him. And then the -formalities were over. I intended to speak for Xeon, but Rocsates was -on his feet and I gave way.</p> - -<p>"I have indeed discovered the secret of reproduction," he began. "After -many searchings, I came upon this—" and he held forth the object he -had carried in. "It is a book. It is entitled, 'Living a Normal Sex -Life.' It seems to be some sort of a do-it-yourself pamphlet." He -dropped the book on the table and rubbed his hands over his eyes.</p> - -<p>There was something in the man's behavior that commanded everyone's -attention. He went on, speaking low. "The word 'Sex' is not defined, -but it seems to mean...." His words trailed off. He was obviously -unsure of how to continue. "I had better start at the beginning, I -suppose," he said. "You see, once upon a time there were birds and -bees...."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>When he finished the Conclave sat in horrified silence. His words, -with all their horror, had the ring of truth and there were no cries of -'Heresy'. There was only stunned disbelief and the beginnings of nausea.</p> - -<p>It is the mark of honor that a leader shall carry on when others fear -to move. I cleared my throat.</p> - -<p>"Shall not these organs which you mention have atrophied by now? With -no use throughout all these generations, will they not have evolved -into nothingness?"</p> - -<p>"I do not think so," Rocsates replied after a while. "What to us is -an eon, to evolution is but an instant. And then the swelling of the -breasts, I believe, proves that there is still reproductive activity in -some, at least, of the She's."</p> - -<p>We sat shaking our heads, bowed under terrible reality.</p> - -<p>"Then we must experiment," I said. "But whom could we ask to submit to -such horror?"</p> - -<p>"I have already taken the liberty of asking for volunteers," Rocsates -replied. "The She, of course, must be one with the swelling of the -breasts. Melia has volunteered, on condition that Xeon be released from -dungeon. Are there any objections?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="650" height="469" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>There were none, of course. Who would refuse a boon to one who would -undergo such an ordeal for the City?</p> - -<p>"And who will be the partner?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"In all honor, could Xeon allow Melia to surpass him in courage? It -shall be he," Rocsates said. And with his word the two entered the Hall -and stood, noble and naked.</p> - -<p>Rocsates gestured to the table, and Melia started to climb upon it, -but Xeon stepped forward.</p> - -<p>"My lords," he said, "would not better results be obtained were we to -conduct the experiment in the fields before the Oracle of Delni, that -the gods may help us?"</p> - -<p>His glance reached into my soul, and I was proud of Xeon. A true -friend, he thought even now of the comfort of Melia. The marble table -was indeed hard, and from Rocsates' description it seemed that Melia's -position would be as uncomfortable as it would be undignified. The soft -fields might be some slight help.</p> - -<p>I voiced my assent, and the entire Conclave adjourned to the fields.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was nearly dark when we walked home, Rocsates and I, arm in arm. It -had been a horrible day. The inhuman indignity, the cries—</p> - -<p>We tarried before my home, leaned on the stone, stared at the first -stars.</p> - -<p>"They seemed finally to accomplish all the book described," I muttered.</p> - -<p>"They may indeed have succeeded," Rocsates replied. "There is mentioned -a time lapse which is necessary. The child does not appear immediately."</p> - -<p>"It doesn't matter," I said disconsolately. "Who could ask them to go -through such an ordeal again?"</p> - -<p>And then I looked down to earth again, and saw them standing before me. -Melia cast her eyes down, and would not raise them. Xeon held his arm -about her shoulders, as if to protect her, but I know not from whom.</p> - -<p>"Sias," he said. Then stopped, embarrassed.</p> - -<p>I waited, and Rocsates was silent, and he continued.</p> - -<p>"Sias, we come to tell.... We will...." He raised his eyes to mine and -said manfully, "We shall try again."</p> - -<p>I am afraid that tears came to my eyes. Such sacrifice—</p> - -<p>"We beg one favor," Xeon went on. "We are agreed that—Well, we should -like to be left alone, in private, to try."</p> - -<p>"Of course," I replied. Anything they might want they could have. My -relief and gratitude must have showed, for Xeon took a deep breath and -spoke again.</p> - -<p>"We do not deserve praise, Sias," he said. "The truth is, we ... we -sort of enjoy it."</p> - -<p>I watched them turn and wander off together under the stars.</p> - -<p>My heart has a warmth in it, and I no longer fear for the future of our -race when our young people can show such nobility and sacrifice.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Birds and the Bees, by David E. 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Fisher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Birds and the Bees - -Author: David E. Fisher - -Release Date: September 12, 2019 [EBook #60283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BIRDS AND THE BEES *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - The Birds and the Bees - - BY DAVE E. FISHER - - _Which goes to prove that, in some - instances, being heroic is easy!_ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, August 1957. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -I was wandering among the tall grass of the slopes, listening to the -soft whistling of the wind; allowing the grass to caress my toga and -thighs. It was a day soft and clear; a day accepted by the young, -cherished by we old. Across the gently undulating hills stood the -magnificent Melopolis, encradling the Oracle of Delni. I do not, of -course, believe in the gods per se; still there is a grandeur in the -very stones that transcends their human sculptors, and it is no wonder -to me that many cling tenaciously, and ignorantly, to the old religion. -Cling to the gods of old, who drew man upward from wherever he began. -In whose names Man killed and plundered, while struggling up. In whose -names Man finally left this earth, to seek his cousins among the stars. - -But of course there were no cousins. There was nothing. And Man -returned, and settled down to live. Saddened, but resigned and content -to live in peace with his knowledge and his power. Gone now are all the -ancient evils, wars, emergencies. - -"Sias! Sias--" And they were upon me. - -That is, Xeon was upon me. But I knew that where Xeon is, Melia must -soon appear. And indeed it was but a moment before Melia slipped -through the high grass to stand at his side. Their youthful voices were -babbling in excitement. - -Melia was a She, with the swelling breasts that were, so tradition -states, quite prevalent among members of the race long ago, and are -seldom seen today. Indeed, Melia was on this account made the butt of -many jokes and, I fear, would have had a lonely life of it had it not -been for the friendship of Xeon. - -"Sias," they were saying, "the Maternite's gone." - -I stared in amazement. - -"Gone? It cannot be gone. It has always been--" - -"Oh my gods!" Xeon shouted. "I tell you it's gone! Will you--" - -Melia interrupted him quietly. "Xeon, will you lose all respect for -the Elder?" Then turned to me, and said calmly, "The watcher at the -Maternite Machine, it appears, has been drunk. The heat rose above the -warning, continued to rise, and then--poof. Everything has evaporated -in Maternite. All the Prelife is gone." - -"All of it?" I asked. - -"There is nothing left," Melia insisted. "Can more be made? And if not, -what will happen with no more children?" - -"That is for the priests to say, not I," I replied. In moments of -emergency, it is wise to speak with caution. That is, I suppose so. I -have never before been in a real emergency. - - * * * * * - -A man my age does not hurry in the heat of the midday sun--maddugs -nenglishmin go out in the midday sun, as the ancients say, although I -often wonder why--but Xeon and Melia ran all the way down to the city. -They are of an age to enter manhood, and have all the energy such young -men do. - -As we entered the city, we were surrounded by confusion and -consternation. And can the simple people be blamed? They were aware -that they stood in the midst of an unprecedented happening; indeed, an -emergency. For a machine had failed! - -Not in the memory of the eldest among us has a machine failed. They -were created so long ago, indeed, that the ignorant believe them -to have been constructed by the gods themselves. And never, so far -as I know, has one failed. Small wonder that the watcher had been -negligent. Indeed, the watcher is more a tradition than a necessity. -Besides, had he been sober, he would not have known what to do. For who -knows the mysterious workings of the machines? - - * * * * * - -I hastened to the City Hall and found the Conclave assembled, waiting -for me to bring them to order. Xeon and Melia stopped as I mounted the -steps, but I smiled and motioned them in. They accompanied me past -the marble pillars into the cool recesses of the Hall, then seated -themselves on the floor as I took my place by the great table. - -Well, you know how these things are. At such a time, many men feel -impelled to make speeches, and one must not be disrespectful. Prayers -and supplications were offered to the gods, priests were sent to -sacrifice, and finally, as the light of the sun was falling between the -pillars, the High Priest of the Maternite Machine was heard. - -He rambled through the customary opening remarks and then, continually -smoothing his white beard--of which he is excessively proud--approached -the crux of the matter and the Conclave finally heard the facts it had -assembled to hear. By this time, unfortunately, many of the Conclave -had departed for home and supper. Yet perhaps it is for the best, for -those left were the most earnest and intelligent. - -"I would not bore you," he said, "with details of which only the gods -are sure. Know, then, that once granted a few cells of Prelife, it is -an easy matter for the Maternite Machine to add more and more; thus -assuring us, as has always been, a continuous source of Prelife to be -born by the Generating Machine as children. The machines bear the exact -number of children each year to balance the number of us whom the gods -claim. Such it has always been from time immemorial." - -A murmur of assent and approval of these virtuous words whispered -around the Hall. - -"But now," he continued, however, with less assurance and indeed with -even a stutter here and there, "an unprecedented situation has arisen. -Indeed, I might call it an emergency. For the M-Maternite Machine has -actually failed." - -Cries of "Treason" sprang up, and I fear it might have gone hard for -the priest had I not been able to insure order. - -"That is not the worst," he cried, as if in defiance. "All the Prelife -has been dried up. It will not function. There is no more. And there -will be no more children!" - -At this I feared the Conclave was about to riot. It is at such times -that I most revere the wisdom of the ancients, who decreed seventy -years the minimum age for a member of the Conclave. They shouted and -began to beat their fists, but for how long can a man of seventy years -roar like a youngster? They quieted, breathing heavily, and I asked, - -"Is there no way, then, to produce more Prelife in order that the -machines may produce more children for us? - -"As I have said," he replied, "give the machines but a bit of Prelife -and they will produce more. But take away that least bit, and they are -helpless." - -Such heresy could have brought a sad end to the priest had not the -Conclave been so exhausted by the events of the day. We leaned back to -think. - -Rocsates leaned forward and asked, "Must there not--must there not have -been a beginning to Prelife? For the Machine, it seems, cannot make it; -and yet it came from somewhere." - -"Riddles are not called for," I answered severely. - -"Are not riddles often the beginning of knowledge?" he asked, in that -irritating dumber-than-thou attitude of his. "Must there not, long ago, -have been a source of Prelife: a source now forgotten? And may it not -even now--should we discover it--be available to us? I am reminded of -the story of the animals of old--" - -"I fear your mind is wandering, Rocsates," I was forced to interrupt. -"I know well the legend of the animals, but what does it have to -do--" The heads of the Conclave were turning to me, quizzically. I -hastened to explain the legend of the animals. "It is said that many -thousands of years ago, time without reckoning, there existed on the -earth creatures who were alive like us, and yet not like us. It is said -they had four legs or more, and no arms, were covered with hair, and -although not mute, they could not speak." - -Rocsates' voice made itself heard. "It is true. Such creatures did -indeed exist. It is recorded most scientifically in the films." - -"If it be so," I said, quieting the hub-bub that followed, "and I would -not doubt your word, Rocsates, for all know you are the wisest of -men--if it were so, then, what of it?" - -"May it not be," Rocsates put in, "that these animals had no machines -to reproduce their kind? For surely the gods would not grant machines -to such creatures. And indeed, if they had Maternite Machines, why then -we would yet have these animals among us." - -"And how, then, did these animals reproduce?" I asked. - -"How, indeed? And is there not a legend--admitted only a legend--that -says there was a time before the machines, and before the Maternite -Machine, and that at such a time both the animals and Men reproduced -from within their own bodies?" - -At this two members of the Conclave fell immediately into a faint, and -I would gladly have joined them. I hoped that the youngsters, Xeon -and Melia, had not heard, but as I turned they were listening most -attentively to Rocsates, who, amid cries of "Heresy" and "Treason", -went on: - -"I should like to ask the Conclave for permission to search the ancient -records, in the hope of finding some such knowledge that would prove or -disprove my words." - -"You wish to search the films--" I began. - -"Not the films, Sias, but the books." - -Gods, this Rocsates! The books, as well he knows, are so ancient, -and so delicate, that they are kept in an air-tight tomb; lest, -being handled, they be destroyed and all knowledge within them lost. -Therefore, they have not been read in the known history of our race. -And Rocsates has been anxious for an excuse-- - -"Sias," he went on, "if there exists such knowledge as I seek, is it -not indeed lost to the memory of Man? And if so, are not the books the -only place where it may be found?" - -Rocsates, it is suspected, will never ask a question unless he knows -the answer beforehand. And so I acquiesced, and agreed, and granted -permission. And with much misgiving and foreboding of evil, the -Conclave adjourned. - - * * * * * - -Several weeks elapsed before Rocsates requested that the Conclave meet. -I called the meeting at dawn and so it was yet early in the afternoon -when formalities were concluded and Rocsates granted leave to speak. - -"Some of those among you are She's," he began. "And you know you are -different from the rest of us. To the advantage, your skin is fairer -and your features more often handsomer than ours. To the disadvantage, -your excretory system is not so mechanically dextrous as ours. And, you -may say, why should this not be so? There is, indeed, no reason why we -should all be identical. Perforce you have the advantage, perforce we -do. Yet there is one other distinction. - -"Some among you She's have the swelling of the breasts. And does there -exist no reason for this? Was there not, perhaps in ancient times, a -cause for this? Do you not wonder, She's, whence you come and for what -reason?" - -"Rocsates," I interrupted. "All this is fascinating, of course. But if -you could be quick--" - -"Of course," he replied. "In the course of my reading I have read -many books, and while they are all vague on the subject, this I have -discovered: - -"That there was indeed a time before the machines, in fact the books -were created in that time, for not one of them mentions the machines. -Then reproduction was carried on by individuals, without help of the -then nonexistent machines. The She's are not wanderers from another -land, but they have lived with us for all time; they are not another -race, but we are all types of one race. And the fact of reproduction is -somehow intimately related to the physical distinctions of the She's!" - -These last sentences were shouted to be heard above the roar of the -crowd. Yet when Rocsates stopped, so also did the noise, so shocked and -amazed at his words were they. And I confess, myself also. - -"In fact," Rocsates added, sitting down, "this process of reproduction -seems to have been so simple that there was once a problem of -over-population." - -Order was lost among the Conclave as each man turned to speak to his -neighbor, and for some time I could not restore order. I realized that -something had to be done to save Rocsates before the outrage of the -assembled overwhelmed him. - -"It seems," I shouted, "that there is a flaw in your logic." For if -such there was, I was hopeful of dismissing the entire affair with -no harm done. "For if people reproduced too often, why then this -reproduction must have been a pleasant thing to do; otherwise they -would not have done so to excess. And if it was a pleasant thing to do, -where is the necessity for the machines, and why were they created?" - -Rocsates seemed perplexed by this problem, whereupon Xeon, who together -with Melia were at the Conclave without permission, shouted, "Perhaps -the process of reproduction was of _such_ a pleasure that the Conclave -ruled it to be a sin? And therefore the machines were necessary!" - -At this impudence the Conclave dissolved in an uproar, and I was beyond -power to restrain them from placing Xeon under arrest. Privately, -however, I had to admit that his supposition was a possibility, and -thus I authorized Rocsates to continue his search. - - * * * * * - -Now indeed I was sorely worried concerning Xeon, for he must languish -in the dungeon until the Conclave is satisfied to release him, and this -they cannot do until they meet again. - -I needed a sufficient excuse to call a meeting of the Conclave, -whereupon I might argue for the lad. When I heard that Rocsates again -desired audience, I immediately proclaimed a meeting of the Conclave -to be held the next day at dawn, and so that night slept well. - -The Conclave had come to order and formalities had been initiated when -Rocsates entered and took his place. He clutched under one shoulder -a thin, rectangular object, but that is not what impressed me. His -appearance--he looked as if he had not slept of late, nor eaten either. -His eyes were sunken, and his features had doubled in age. He was bent -and tired. But it was his eyes. There was a horror in them. - -I was shocked, and could not help staring at him. And then the -formalities were over. I intended to speak for Xeon, but Rocsates was -on his feet and I gave way. - -"I have indeed discovered the secret of reproduction," he began. "After -many searchings, I came upon this--" and he held forth the object he -had carried in. "It is a book. It is entitled, 'Living a Normal Sex -Life.' It seems to be some sort of a do-it-yourself pamphlet." He -dropped the book on the table and rubbed his hands over his eyes. - -There was something in the man's behavior that commanded everyone's -attention. He went on, speaking low. "The word 'Sex' is not defined, -but it seems to mean...." His words trailed off. He was obviously -unsure of how to continue. "I had better start at the beginning, I -suppose," he said. "You see, once upon a time there were birds and -bees...." - - * * * * * - -When he finished the Conclave sat in horrified silence. His words, -with all their horror, had the ring of truth and there were no cries of -'Heresy'. There was only stunned disbelief and the beginnings of nausea. - -It is the mark of honor that a leader shall carry on when others fear -to move. I cleared my throat. - -"Shall not these organs which you mention have atrophied by now? With -no use throughout all these generations, will they not have evolved -into nothingness?" - -"I do not think so," Rocsates replied after a while. "What to us is -an eon, to evolution is but an instant. And then the swelling of the -breasts, I believe, proves that there is still reproductive activity in -some, at least, of the She's." - -We sat shaking our heads, bowed under terrible reality. - -"Then we must experiment," I said. "But whom could we ask to submit to -such horror?" - -"I have already taken the liberty of asking for volunteers," Rocsates -replied. "The She, of course, must be one with the swelling of the -breasts. Melia has volunteered, on condition that Xeon be released from -dungeon. Are there any objections?" - -There were none, of course. Who would refuse a boon to one who would -undergo such an ordeal for the City? - -"And who will be the partner?" I asked. - -"In all honor, could Xeon allow Melia to surpass him in courage? It -shall be he," Rocsates said. And with his word the two entered the Hall -and stood, noble and naked. - -Rocsates gestured to the table, and Melia started to climb upon it, -but Xeon stepped forward. - -"My lords," he said, "would not better results be obtained were we to -conduct the experiment in the fields before the Oracle of Delni, that -the gods may help us?" - -His glance reached into my soul, and I was proud of Xeon. A true -friend, he thought even now of the comfort of Melia. The marble table -was indeed hard, and from Rocsates' description it seemed that Melia's -position would be as uncomfortable as it would be undignified. The soft -fields might be some slight help. - -I voiced my assent, and the entire Conclave adjourned to the fields. - - * * * * * - -It was nearly dark when we walked home, Rocsates and I, arm in arm. It -had been a horrible day. The inhuman indignity, the cries-- - -We tarried before my home, leaned on the stone, stared at the first -stars. - -"They seemed finally to accomplish all the book described," I muttered. - -"They may indeed have succeeded," Rocsates replied. "There is mentioned -a time lapse which is necessary. The child does not appear immediately." - -"It doesn't matter," I said disconsolately. "Who could ask them to go -through such an ordeal again?" - -And then I looked down to earth again, and saw them standing before me. -Melia cast her eyes down, and would not raise them. Xeon held his arm -about her shoulders, as if to protect her, but I know not from whom. - -"Sias," he said. Then stopped, embarrassed. - -I waited, and Rocsates was silent, and he continued. - -"Sias, we come to tell.... We will...." He raised his eyes to mine and -said manfully, "We shall try again." - -I am afraid that tears came to my eyes. Such sacrifice-- - -"We beg one favor," Xeon went on. "We are agreed that--Well, we should -like to be left alone, in private, to try." - -"Of course," I replied. Anything they might want they could have. My -relief and gratitude must have showed, for Xeon took a deep breath and -spoke again. - -"We do not deserve praise, Sias," he said. "The truth is, we ... we -sort of enjoy it." - -I watched them turn and wander off together under the stars. - -My heart has a warmth in it, and I no longer fear for the future of our -race when our young people can show such nobility and sacrifice. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Birds and the Bees, by David E. 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