Part 17 (1/2)

School again, his teacher Chao, who was grimly determined that he should learn to appreciate the beauties of geometry.

He heard that the garden was just getting over an epidemic of plant disease, caused by no one knew what.

Ranjan had just been elected president, for an indeterminate term, and had pledged to get things moving.

The work on artificial teeth was progressing again after several setbacks. Solon and others looked into Bart's mouth again to judge whether he needed braces, but to his relief decided to let well enough, or almost well enough, alone.

Forty-seven.

Bart got to see Vivian's and Himyar's finished mural, and part of a champions.h.i.+p chess game between Armin and Basil.

He tasted a new hybrid fruit from the restored garden.

He heard vague mention of a Golden Birthday celebration that might last for a year and should begin fairly soon.

He saw some artificial teeth in operation.

He heard with blunted shock that Fay, who had been working on and off in the biology lab, had killed herself with quick painless poison. If any-one knew the reasons, they never made them plain to Bart.

In school Himyar taught him, spiritedly but unintelligibly, about the various traditions of Earthly art.

Forty-eight.

The gardeners and biologists had reported success in rejuvenating plants, and there was hope of applying their discoveries to people. Some were saying excitedly that now they understood why the s.h.i.+p in its wisdom had refused them any help along this line, while letting them work freely at it for themselves.

It was beyond the very limited creative capabilities of computers; only humans could do it.

Not everyone agreed.

Bart's school went on with a whole group of teachers. They were trying music appreciation today, and no one on the s.h.i.+p seemed to have a real bent in this direction.

Forty-nine.

Bart noticed today that some of the people who had seemed happily and permanently paired off as s.e.x-and-life partners were now paired off in different pairings, and evidently just as happy.

Today in school there was some confusion about just what Bart had been taught in previous sessions, and what he might now be fairly tested on. He did well on the tests when they were finally given, and the arguing teachers were all relieved.

Fifty.

Again the whole group-the fifteen still alive-was on hand to greet Bart when he came through the last heavy door that set aside his private territory. They greeted him with cheers and songs, told him today was a holiday from school, and pulled him away for what they promised would be the biggest and best birthday party yet.

Sharon had just been elected president, and at the party table made a brief speech about how, with the help of all of them, she meant to get things moving again. As she said, she certainly wasn't going to be able to do it all by herself.

There were several games of volleyball. Playing with these old people who had the names of kids he had once briefly met, Bart found himself for a little while one of the gang. He lost himself in the game, jumped nimbly among the jiggling paunches and creaking joints, got knocked down when someone's hundred-kilo ma.s.s accidentally crashed into him.

But it was only for a little while that he belonged.

Fifty-one.

He came into their living area with the feeling that they would have forgotten about keeping him in school, but no, the lessons were on as promised. Today, with Helsa teaching, Bart got a basic course in the s.h.i.+p, what little the old records actually said about it and its mission, and some-thing of what the people had been able to find out for themselves. After lunch, somewhat to Bart's surprise, Basil came in and took over for a while, describing how the hull looked from outside, and what some of the remoter portions of the s.h.i.+p were like. He spoke impersonally, and rarely as if he himself had been there.

Fifty-two.

The whole company was in a state of extreme excitement. About a month ago the world of the s.h.i.+p had been rocked by an explosion, thought to have taken place a kilometer or two away along the hull, probably toward the aft. Whether a hurling meteoric body had struck the hull, or there was some internal cause, was unknown.

The rumor flew by that Mai and Olen were perhaps still alive, and somehow responsible for the blast.

There was a sudden renewal of religious fervor. School was conducted in an atmosphere of tension.

Fifty-three.