weakening constantly, the vitality is draining away. We
sought to defeat Nature--but the Naturalists were right, in their
way."

"And the solution?"

Thurmon was silent for a long moment. Then, "I have none," he said.

"You have consulted the medical authorities?"

"Naturally. And experiments have been made. Physical conditioning,
systems of exercise, experimentation in chemotherapy are still being
undertaken. There's no lack of volunteers, but a great lack of
results. No, the answer does not lie in that direction."

"But what else is there?"

"That is what I had hoped you might tell me," Thurmon said. "You are a
scholar. You know the past. You speak often of the lessons of
history--"

Littlejohn was nodding, but not in agreement. He was trying to
comprehend. For suddenly the conviction came to him clearly; Thurmon
was right. It was happening, had happened, right under their smug
noses. The world was weakening. It was slowing down, and the race is
only to the swift.

He cursed himself for his habit of thinking in platitudes and
quotations, but long years of study had unfitted him for less prosaic
phraseology. If he could only be practical.

_Practical._

"Thurmon," he said. "There is a way. A way so obvious, we've all
overlooked it--passed right over it."

"And that is--?"

"Stop the Leffingwell injections!"

"But--"

"I know what you'll say. There have been genetic mutations. Very true,
but such mutations can't be universal. A certain percentage of
offspring will be sound, capable of attaining full growth. And we
don't have the population-problem to cope with any more. There's room
for people again. So why not try it? Stop the injections and allow
babies to be born as they were before." Littlejohn hesitated before
adding a final word, but he knew he had to add it; he knew it now.
"Normally," he said.

Thurmon nodded. "So that is your answer."

"Yes. I--I think it will work."

"So do the biologists," Thurmon told him. "A generation of normal
infants, reared to maturity, would restore mankind to its former
stature, in every sense of the word. And now, knowing the lessons of
the past, we could prepare for the change to come. We could rebuild
the world for them to live in, rebuild it psychically as well as
physically. We'd plan to eliminate the rivalry between the large and
the small, the strong and the weak. It wouldn't be difficult because
there's plenty for all. There'd be no trouble as there w