Everything was going well. The crops were growing lustily, as if to make up for last year. The Wild Gens, undoubtedly busy tending their own fields, remained on their own side of the border. The petition for recognition as a county was accepted and work began on the necessary census.

And no children changed over.

There were three to whom it could happen at any moment, and five younger but still within the possible range– but it seemed to Rimon as if nature were holding off until he found out if the experiment would work, if one Gen could provide transfer for more than one Sime.

The day of the experiment, Rimon wanted Jord and Uel, both too sensitive to miss a transfer experiment a few houses away, well out of Fort Freedom. Thus he enlisted the aid of Del Erick, who, without asking what was going on, agreed to keep both Jord and Uel occupied. Uel's need was still in phase with Abel's; otherwise, Rimon would have had the boy there to observe—he was already incredibly steady, learning voraciously. Del quickly found the answer in Dan Whelan's plan to tear down the row of dissenters' houses along the creek and salvage the building materials for Fort Freedom. In the next town meeting, he managed to volunteer Jord and Uel, along with several other people as well as himself. Rimon watched his friend's maneuverings with concealed delight—people might not remember how they got involved in the scheme, but would be certain that Rimon had nothing to do with it.

Willa naturally went with Jord, and Hank with Uel. The final step was to send Margid Veritt, with Zeth "helping," out with lunch for the workers. Del would enlist her aid at the scene, and keep her there until the all-clear was given. By this time, Del was flaring curiosity, but he told Rimon, "Unless whatever you're plotting works, I don't want to know about it." But there was a painful tremor of hope in his nager, which renewed Rimon's determination.

And then, at the crucial moment, Rimon discovered that Abel had not collected a Gen from Slina's pens. "I don't intend to need one," he explained.

"Abel!" exclaimed Kadi. "Are you trying to frighten me? If we fail, you'll be in no condition to make a trip into town. I won't do it if there's no Gen for you to fall back on." She was clutching Rimon's hands, as if drawing strength.

Thinking perhaps it would be good to leave Kadi and Abel alone together for a while, Rimon said, "I'll go to Slina's and claim one for you."

"No," Abel replied. "It's my responsibility; I'll make my claim—for the last time."

Abel's certainty brought the weight of responsibility back onto Rimon's shoulders. Abel's dream had become his own dream—and yet he was not prepared for the test Abel was forcing on him, for he knew what Abel meant by "for the last time." Either Rimon would make the experiment work —or Abel would die.

He realized that Kadi had known that all along. His field affected hers as hers did his; he had to free her to serve Abel's need—Abel's life depended on it now.

When Abel returned with the Gen, he said, "I'll put him in the insulated room for now."

No, Abel would not call it a killroom. "Perhaps—" began Rimon, thinking the Gen should remain within easy reach. Something impinged on his consciousness. "What the—" lord Veritt, a cloud of anger and need, stormed up the porch steps and in through the front door. Rimon had not seen him for two days—had not realized that he must have been shorted this month because of Willa's pregnancy, and was approaching need two or three days early.

"Father, will you stop Willa and Mother from ganging up on me? Nag, nag, trying to run my life, never satisfied—"

"lord!" Abel's voice cut across lord's tirade. "You will not speak that way of either your mother or your wife."

Rimon felt Kadi automatically try to resonate calm, but Jord was too used to righting off Willa's efforts to be affected. Abel asked, "Where is Willa?"

"Oh, back there stuffing herself, with the rest of the Gens. I suppose she'll follow me soon enough—I can't get rid of her."

But at Gen speed, it would take Willa some time to get here, and she was pregnant…

"She can still give you transfer this month," said Abel. "Come, I'll take you to her."

Rimon marveled at Abel's strength—at this critical moment, he would try to solve his son's problems before his own.

"I don't want Willa!" said Jord. "All the damned women trying to control me, and she's the worst. She thinks she owns me!"

To find the strength to contend with his son, Abel was leaning on the nager of the Gen he led, becoming fixed on him. He was deeper into need than Jord, by several crucial hours. "Willa loves you. Everything she does is intended to help you."

"Help me—help me. You sound as stupid as she does. I don't want Willa helping me—I don't want her to touch me!"

"Then what do you want, Jord? Do you want to kill again? Right now there's no one who can keep you from killing except Willa. Go back to her, Jord."

"You have no right to order me around!" said Jord, pacing. "You, with your kill waiting—how can you tell me what I ought to do, when you can't do it yourself!"

Rimon was surprised at Abel's answer. "I have no choice! You have. Do you want to choose, Jord? Here's a choice for you: go back to Willa, or stay here and kill!" He shoved the Gen forward as Kadi gasped in horror. But Rimon saw that Abel actually expected Jord to walk away from that high-field Gen, his father's Gen, as Rimon would have done.

And incredibly, Jord was hesitating. Rimon suddenly saw what Abel saw: it was Jord's test. A true test, when Jord was under no strain but need, and that not even at its greatest force. He's going to make it! Rimon was swept up in Abel's certainty as Jord remained frozen, his eyes fixed on the Gen that Abel had thrust before him. Seeing him, not zlinning him—yes, he was resisting the temptation– and then he broke!

In a flash of augmentation, Jord grasped the Gen and had him in kill position before Abel could recover from his astonishment—and then Abel was on Jord, mad with the full fury of a Sime whose kill has been stolen. Rimon leaped to pull Abel off Jord as he lunged at his son's neck, grasping him in a stranglehold that Rimon could not break, his hands and tentacles slipping over Abel's as Jord fought to breathe and Rimon expected at any moment to hear the crunch of his neck breaking.

But now Kadi came in from behind Jord, reaching for Abel's arms, projecting the sweet promise that he would not be denied, all the strength of her field enveloping them.

Abel's need overcame his rage as he was touched by a Gen. He dropped Jord, who collapsed into Rimon's arms as Abel's fingers and tentacles whipped over Kadi's flesh, pulling her toward him, not knowing her as anything but the life that had been denied him. As Rimon held tight rein on his frozen emotions, not daring to breathe lest he explode into insane jealousy again, she pressed her lips to Abel's and let the selyn flow—a maddeningly tiny trickle, an itch, a torture that ran like fiery ants through Rimon's nerves, too—unbearable—he wanted to scream as she had to scream to break contact—

The shock of Abel's shen ricocheted through Kadi to Rimon as her knees gave way. Abel fainted from the shock and crumpled with her. She struggled up, terror and guilt shattering her nager. "Rimon! I've killed Abel!"

"Nol" No, there was life yet. "He's alive, Kadi. Let me—"

He scrambled over to where Abel lay, dying because Rimon had assured him, assured Kadi, that the experiment would work. My fault, my fault. Must I kill everyone I love? Think!

Abel was deep in shock, as well as in need. But the Gen was dead. Never mind—help Abel. He went into healing mode, zlinning the bleak emptiness of need, the dark void threatening to swallow him. In healing mode, Rimon could project himself to Abel as a Gen, a promise of life to support his failing strength until they could get another Gen for him. Don't die, Abel! You've always had more strength than the rest of us.