..It was the first day of Phil's vacation from work. Heclimbed out of his twin bed in his stripped PJ's and gottendressed in a blue T-shirt, shorts an... sneakers. He went outto his new red Honda and drove to the open all night drugstore to buy the new type of razor he heard about than runwhile you're standing in the shower."Where did you go?" Donna asked when Phil drove back intothe drive way, undid his seat belt and got out of the car.Since Phil had traded in his old car he had missed. I convinced her that if she wanted to win that battle, so to speak, that it would be a really bad idea to push you that way. Later, when you two were getting closer, I felt you were ready for her to pull the reins back just a bit. I think I was right.”“For Pete’s sake! Did you orchestrate EVERYTHING that happened in the last year and a half?”“Of course not! Do you think I arranged for Bethany’s accident and your chance meeting with Jessica?”“No, of course not!” I said, shocked that she would. Replacing the severely depleted manual workforce had been extremely trying on worldwide resources as companies scrambled to automate production. Realizing that within the next few generations the human race would go extinct, trillions had been poured into fertility and cloning research. All to no avail. Surviving males under the age of eighteen had been seized from their families for genetic harvesting and research. Richard had been taken from his family at 12.For the next ten years, he had. Ricky didn't touch ... he'd drink, and then he just wanted to, I guess the proper word is intercourse, but I thought of it as a much uglier word, then he would go to sleep." She paused a moment, sniffed and then continued, "I ... I used to avoid him. I'd stay up late and try to be so still when I went to bed, so he wouldn't wake up. He wasn't gentle or stuff, he was rough and he hurt me, not bad, just a little painful." She shuddered and took a deep breath. "He, ah ... he complained because I.