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girls and boys could do all of that and more。 I must admit… that they spoke a rather lorid brand of English； espe ~ialiy。 … after th鐈 set up the New Globe Theater and worked straight through every one of old Bill's plays。 No doubt this gave them odd notions of Old E。irth's culture and history； but I could not see that it hurt them。 We had only a few bound books。 mostly reference； the dozen…odd 〃fun〃 books were worked to death。
Our kids saw nothing strange in learning to read from As You Like It。 No one told them that it was too hard for them； and they ate it up； finding 〃tongues in trees； books in the running…brooks； sermons in stones； and good in every thing。〃
Although it did sound odd to hear a five…year…old girl speak in scansion and rolling periods； polysyllables falling gracefully from her baby lips。 Still； I preferred it to 〃Run； Spot； run。 See Spot run〃 from a later era than Bill's。
Second only to Shakespeare in popularity； and first whenever Dora was swelling up again； were my medical books； especially those on anatomy； obstetrics； and gynecology。 Any birth was an event…kittens； piglets； foals； puppies； kds…but a new baby out of Dora was a super…event； one that always put more thumbprints on that standard OB illustration； a cross section of mother and baby at term。 I finally removed that one and several plates that followed it； those showing normal delivery； and pcsted them； to save wear and tear on my books… then announced that they could look at those pictures all they wanted to； but that to touch one was a spankin~ offense… then was forced to spank Iseult to keep justice gven； whi。：h hurt her old father far more than it did her baby bot~tom even though she saved my face by applauding my gentle paddling with loud screams and tears。
My medical books had one odd effect。 Our kids knew from babyhood all the correct English monosyllables for human anatomy and function； Helen Mayberry had never used slang with Baby Dora Dora spoke as correctly in front of her children。 But once they could read my books； intellectual snobbery set in； they loved those Latin polysyllables。 If I said 〃womb〃 （as I always did）； some six…year…old would inform me with quiet authority that the book said 〃uterus。〃 Or Undine might rush in with the news that Big Billy Whiskers was 〃copulating〃 with Silky； whereupon the kids would rush out to the goat pen to watch。 Somewhere around their middle teens
they usually recovered frbm this nonsense and went back to speaking English as their parents spoke it； so I guess it didn't hurt them。
The reason my own goatiness was not a spectator sport for children that all the animals afforded was； I think； only my own unreasoned but long…standing habits。 I …don't think it would have fretted Dora because it did not seem to fret her the times it happened…as it did； privacy was scarce and got scarcer until I got our big house built some twelve or thirteen years after we entered the valley…time indefinite because for years I wo~ked on it when I could； then we moved into it unfinished because we were bulging the walls of our first house and another baby （Ginny） was on the way。
Dora was untroubled by lack of privacy because her sweet lechery was utterly innocent； whereas mine …was scarred by the culture I grew up in…a culture psychotic throughout and especially on this subject。 Dora did much to heal those scars。 But I never achieved her angelic innocence。
I do not mean the innocence of childish ignorance； I mean the true innocence of an intelligent； informed； adult woman who has no evil in her。 Dora was as tough as she was innocent； always aware that she was responsible for her own actions。 She knew that 〃the tail goes with the hide； that you can't be a little bit pregnant； that it is no kindness to hang a man slowly。〃 She could make a hard decision without dithering； then stand up to the consequences if it turned out that her judgment was faulty。 She could apologize to a child； or to a mule。 But that was rarely necessary； her self…honesty did not often lead her into faulty decisions。
Nor did she flagellate herself when she made a mistake。 She corrected it as best she could； learned from it； did not lie awake over it。
While her ancestry had given her the potential； Helen Mayberry must be credited with having guided it and allowed it to develop。 Helen Mayberry was sensitive and sensible。 e to think of it； the traits plement。 A person who is sensitive but not sensible is all mixed ~up； cannot function properly。 A person who is sensible but not sensitive…I've never met one and am not sure such a person can exist。
Helen Mayberry was born on Earth but had shucked off her
…bad background when ~he migrated； she did not pass on to Baby Dora and growing…girl Dora the sick standards of a dying culture。 I knew some of this from Helen herself； but 1
learned more about Helen from Dora the Woman。 Over the long cOurse of getting acquainted with this stranger I had married （married couples always start out as strangers no matter how long they've known each other） I learned that Dora knew exactly the relationship that had once existed between Helen Mayberry and me； including the fact that it was economic as well as social and physical。
This did not make Dora jealous of 〃Aunt〃 Helen； jealousy was only a word to Dora； one that meant no more to her than a sunset does to an earthworm； the capacity to feel jealousy had never been developed in her。 She regarded the arrangements between Helen and me as natural； reasonable； and appropriate。 Indeed I feel certain that Helen's example was the clinching factor in Dora's picking me as her mate； as it could not have been my charm and beauty； both negligible。 Helen had not taught Dora that sex was anything sacred； she had taught her； by precept and example； that sex is a way for people to be happy together。
Ta…ke those three vultures we killed… Instead of what they were； had they been good men and decent…oh； such men as Ira and Galahad…and given the same circumstances； four men with only one woman and the situation likely to stay that way； I think Dora would have entered easily and naturally into polyandry 。 。 and would have managed to convince me that that was the only happy solution by the way she herself treated
it。…
Nor would she； in adding more husbands； have been breaking her marriage vows。 Dora had not promised to cleave unto me only； I won't let a woman promise that because a day sometimes arrives when she can't。
Dora could have kept four decent； honorable men happy。 Dora had none of the sickly attitudes that interfere with a person loving more and more； Helen had seen to that。 And； as the Greeks pointed out； one man cannot； quench the fires of Vesuvius。 Or was it the Romans？ Never mind； it's true。 Dora probably would have bee？ even happier in a polyandrous marriage。 And if she were happier； it follows； as the night the day； that I would have been also…even though I cannot imagine being happier than I was。 But more big male muscles would have made life easier on me； I always had too much to do。 More pany could have been pleasant； too； I am forced to assume…the pany of men whom Dora found acceptable。 As for Dora herself； she had enough love in her to
？~~ 1
lavish it ~ou me and a dozen kids； three more husbands would not have used up her resources； she was a spring that never ran dry。
But the matter is hypothetical。 Those three Montgomerys were so little like Galahad and Ira that it is hard to think of them as being of the same race。 They were vermin for killing； and that's what they got。 I learned only a little about them； from reading the contents of their wagon。 Minerva； they were not pioneers； there was not the barest minimum in that wagon for starting a farm。 Not a plow； not a sack of seed… And their eight mules were all geldiAgs。 I don't know what they thought they were doing。' Exploring just for the hell of it； perhaps？ Then go back to 〃civilization〃 when they grew tired of it？ Or did they expect to find that some one of the pioneer parties that had started over the pass had made it…and could be terrorized into submission？ I don't know； I never will know。 I have never understood the gangster mind…I simply know what to do about gangsters。
As may be； they made a fatal mistake in tackling sweet and gentle Dora。 She not only shot at the right instant； but she shot his gun out of his hand instead of taking the much easier target； his belly or chest。 Important？ Supremely so； for me。 His gun was aimed at me。 Had Dora shot him； instead of his gun； even iL her shot killed him； his last reflex would probably… certainly； I think…have caused his fingers to tighten and I would have been hit。 You can figure it from there in half a dozen ways； all bad。 …
Lucky accident？ Not at all。 Dora had him covered from the darkness of the kitchen。 When he pulled that… gun； she instantly changed her point of aim and got the gun。 It was her first…and last…gunfight。 But a true gunfighter； that girl！ The hours we had spent polishing her skill paid off。 But more rare than skill was the cool judgment with which she decided to try for the much more difficult target。 I could not train her in that； it had to be born in her。 Which itwas…if you think
…back； her father made the same sort of correct split…second decision as his last dying act。It ~was seven more years before another wagon appeared in
Happy Valley…three wagons traveling together； three families with children； true pioneers。 We …were glad to see them and I was especially happy to see thier kids。 For I had been juggling eggs。 Real eggs。 Human ova。
I was running out of time； our oldest kids were growing up。
Mine~a； you know all that the human …race has i骯rned about geics。 You know that the Howard Families are inbred from a fairly small gene pool…and that inbreeding has tended to clear them of bad genes…but you know also the high price that has been paid in defectives。 Is still being paid； I should add； everywhere there are Howards there are also sanctuaries for defectives。 Nor is there any end to it； new unfavorable mutations unnoticed until they are reinforced is the price we animals must pay for evolution。 Maybe there will be a cheaper way … someday…there was not one on New Be~。 ginnings twelve hundred years ago。
Young Zack was a husky lad whose voice was firmly baritone。 His brother； Andy； was no longer a boy soprano in our family chorus although his voice still cracked。 Baby Helen wasn't such a baby any los~ger…hadn't reached menarche； but as near as I could tell it would be any day； any day。
I mean to say that Dora and I were having to think about it； forced to consider hard choices。 Should we pack seven kids into the wagons and head back across the Rampart？ If we made it； should we put the four oldest with the Magees or someone； then e home with the younger three？ By ourselves？ Or sing the praises of Happy Valley； its beauty and its wealth； and try to lead a party of pioneers back over the range and thereby avoid such crisis in the future？
I had