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emorized the cultural hot buttons。 But none of it took。 The pop lyrics made no sense to her； the clothes didn't fit。 Surfing for soul mates； she found only repetitious e…sex。 She knew how to open a human cell and tease out the secrets of life； but strangely not how to live it。
Now that they'd discovered Winston； there was going to be a storm of psychobabble about the line between brilliance and alienation。 As a girl； she'd gotten used to having no privacy except the inside of her mind； with even that up for grabs。 When she was nine； she'd discovered them monitoring her keyboard strokes on the puter。 At ten； she cracked the safe holding her med and psych records； and it was like reading the biography of an inmate。
Winston was her first real act of rebellion。 She'd thought she was being so careful。 But they had her now； and him。
Miranda lowered herself down a giant's staircase of cut ledges to the water's edge。 She took three bundles of raw fish wrapped in newspaper from her daypack。 He should have appeared by now。 It was 6：30。 He knew this ledge。 Together they'd bee creatures of habit。Where are you； baby？
For a moment； she feared they might have taken him away already。 Another thought occurred。 Maybe Winston's physiology had kicked in。 She was still unsure which of his physiologies ruled； but it was possible he'd begun hibernating。 If that was the case； short of draining the quarry； they wouldn't catch him before spring。
Miranda was no swimmer； much less a diver； but she'd visited his watery nest in her imagination。 It would be a hole with a cozy shelf and its own air pocket； and fish bones and his little hoard of things。 Ever since lugging Winston here in a five…gallon plastic bucket； she had noticed what an avid collector he was。 He gathered heaps of bright pebbles on different ledges by the pond's edge。 He herded together the red and yellow oak leaves that floated on the surface like a whaling fleet； then separated them by color。 She liked to think his nest was furnished with all kinds of salvage from the bottom sediment； Coke bottles and beer cans and rusted stonecutter's tools。 Maybe he'd found the skull of that poor girl and carried it to his nest as a sweetheart。
The sun nudged higher。 Pencil points of light pierced the forest screen。 The sheath of ice began to skin open； vaporizing into cold white steam。 〃Winston？〃 she pleaded to the water。
〃Don't tell me you've named the thing。〃
The voice came down to her from the forest。
Her heart gave a leap。 It had throw weight； that voice； and the majestic pacing of a Shakespearean actor。 In many ways Paul Abbot was an actor。 Besides playing kingmaker to scientists and sorcerer to politicians； he performed a bit role as her father。 Not one of his best performances。
She turned。 He was standing on the upper rim。 His Burberry was unbuttoned。 It hung like a cloak from his broad shoulders。 He looked leonine。 There was no telling how long he'd been waiting in the shadows。 He was not out of breath。 There was no mud on his tweed slacks。 That meant he had not taken the trail。 They must have unlocked the gate and driven him up the old fire road。
〃I didn't think you would e in time；〃 she said。 That was the truth。 There was never any telling where in the world her occassional phone calls would find him： D。C。； Tokyo； London； Atlanta。 But here he was。
〃In fact； my visit is overdue；〃 he sternly replied。 〃Please e up here。 Away from the water。〃
They had told him； Miranda realized。 There were no secrets in her world。 Mysteries； yes。 But her hiding places and concealments always failed。 〃How long have you known？〃 she asked。 Where had she erred？
〃Months；〃 he said。 〃We're still uncertain about your technique and timing。 But once you transferred this。。。Winston。。。to the fish tank in your room； the evidence mounted。〃
From conception through birth then； the secret had held。 Miranda began reviewing the months afterward； September and October and November。 She sorted through the hours and faces。 They couldn't have known much before October； she decided。 Otherwise they would have stopped her back then。 〃Why now？〃 she asked。
〃It would have been sooner。 But we lost track of it；〃 her father said。
〃No one expected you to move him。 We thought maybe it had died。 But then the reports started ing in。 Finally they pieced together your trail。 That was yesterday。〃
Yesterday！ Until then； Winston had been safe。 Now that she'd been discovered； Miranda had to admit a touch of relief。 Frankly； she was tired。
〃Who told you？〃
〃Does it really matter？〃
He was right。 It didn't matter。 Ever since she could remember； powerful people had been reporting to her father； the 〃science czar。〃 Dr。 Abbot； Nobel laureate and advisor to presidents； generals； and Congress； ruled the National Academy of Sciences with an iron grip。 There was nothing to be gained by hiding his daughter's actions from him。 To the contrary； grants had a way of following in her wake。
〃They swabbed your lab equipment； Miranda。 They scraped tissue samples from your glassware。 They found your artificial womb tank。 Built on Yosinari Kawabara's Plexiglas model。 I called him in Tokyo； by the way。 He said he never spoke to you。〃
Miranda felt pride。 〃It wasn't that hard to figure out。〃
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃But my point is； the Jax people may have been one step behind you； but they're not blind。 Jax specializes in cloning mice for medical research。 You introduceRana sylvestris into their laboratories and you think no one's going to notice？〃
〃Rana pipens；〃Miranda corrected him with satisfaction。 Their sleuthwork hadn't been so very precise。R。 sylvestris was adapted to the woods。 She had chosenR。 pipens …the 〃northern leopard〃…specifically for its pond bias。 Back in the blueprint phase； it had seemed a perfect way to contain her creation。 So far her logic was right on。 The quarry was simply a larger aquarium； and Winston had shown no desire to leave。
〃Frogs；〃 her father said。 〃You get my point。 You mixed apples and oranges。 And then started monkeying around with the genes。〃
She marveled。 That's all they'd discovered； the frog material？ 〃No one's seen him； have they？〃 she said。 〃They have no pictures。 No visual sightings。〃
〃They have educated guesses。 You've created a new species。 It's rebinant。 It's derived from an amphibian。 It's carnivorous。 And you contaminated your lab equipment。〃
〃What？〃
〃You cut yourself。 There were traces of your DNA all over the samples。〃
That's what they thought？ They hadn't e within a mile of the truth。 Then her anger flashed。 Since when had they I。D。'ed her blood？ 〃I didn't cut myself；〃 she said； and let it sink in。
Her father was frighteningly quick。 The truth hit him。 He whispered； 〃You didn't。〃 He was a mathematician by training。 Cell biology wasn't even his field。 For that matter astronomy； particle physics； medicine； and atmospheric chemistry weren't either。 But his mind enpassed them all。 He knew a lot about a lot of things。
She nodded yes。
〃What have you done； child？〃
〃It was easy enough。 I waited for the right time of the month。 Then I harvested one of my own eggs。〃
〃Miranda；〃 he said。 〃Why not a mouse egg？ Or frog？〃 He treated it as a person