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Like the Matching of Spouses and the Nanh by the Conht one for them He only wished that the midday break would conclude, that the audience would reenter the Auditorium, and the suspense would end

As if in answer to his unspoken wish, the signal caan to roup had taken a new place in the Auditoriu with the new Elevens, so that they sat in the very front, ied by their original nuiven at birth The nu But each child knew his number, of course Sometimes parents used the that mischief made one unworthy of a name Jonas always chuckled when he heard a parent, exasperated, call sharply to a whining toddler, "That's enough, Twenty-three!"

Jonas was Nineteen He had been the nineteenth newchild born his year It hadand bright-eyed, soon to walk and talk It had given hie the first year or two, a little roupmates who had been born in the later months of that year But it evened out, as it always did, by Three

After Three, the children progressed at h by their first number one could always tell as a few roup Technically, Jonas's full number was Eleven-nineteen, since there were other Nineteens, of course, in each age group And today, now that the new Elevens had been advanced this , there were two Eleven-nineteens At the ed smiles with the new one, a shy female named Harriet

But the duplication was only for these few hours Very soon he would not be an Eleven but a Twelve, and age would no longer h a new one and untrained still

Asher was Four, and sat now in the row ahead of Jonas He would receive his Assignhteen, was on his left; on his other side sat Twenty, a male named Pierre whom Jonas didn't like much Pierre was very serious, not much fun, and a worrier and tattletale, too "Have you checked the rules, Jonas?" Pierre was alhispering solemnly "I'm not sure that's within the rules" Usually it was so his tunic if it was a day with a breeze; taking a brief try on a friend's bicycle, just to experience the different feel of it

The initial speech at the Ceremony of Twelve was made by the Chief Elder, the leader of the community as elected every ten years The speech was much the same each year: recollection of the ti responsibilities of adult life, the profound i to come

Then the Chief Elder moved ahead in her speech

"This is the tie differences You Elevens have spent all your years till now learning to fit in, to standardize your behavior, to curb any iroup

"But today we honor your differences They have deteran to describe this year's group and its variety of personalities, though she singled no one out by naular skills at caretaking, another who loved newchildren, one with unusual scientific aptitude, and a fourth for whom physical labor was an obvious pleasure Jonas shifted in his seat, trying to recognize each reference as one of his group skills were no doubt those of Fiona, on his left; he re the tenderness hich she had bathed the Old Probably the one with scientific aptitude was Benjamin, the male who had devised new, important equipment for the Rehabilitation Center

He heard nothing that he recognized as himself, Jonas

Finally the Chief Elder paid tribute to the hard work of her committee, which had performed the observations so meticulously all year The Coed by applause Jonas noticed Asher yawn slightly, covering his mouth politely with his hand

Then, at last, the Chief Elder called nuan

Each announcethy, accompanied by a speech directed at the neelve Jonas tried to pay attention as One, sn ords of praise for her childhood spent doing many volunteer hours there, and her obvious interest in the i nourishment for the community

Number One--her name was Madeline--returned, finally, anated her Fish Hatchery Attendant Jonas was certainly glad that that Assignave Madeline a sratulation

When Two, a fenment as Birthmother, Jonas remembered that his ht that the Coh so She would enjoy the three years of being paive birth easily and well; and the task of Laborer that would folloould use her strength, keep her healthy, and i when she resu in prestige

Jonas noticed that Asher looked nervous He kept turning his head and glancing back at Jonas until the group leader had to give him a silent chastisement, a motion to sit still and face forward

Three, Isaac, was given an Assignment as Instructor of Sixes, which obviously pleased hione, none of them ones that Jonas would have liked--not that he could have been a Birthmother, anyway, he realized with ah the list in his nave it up; and anyway, noas Asher's turn He paid strict attention as his friend went to the stage and stood self-consciously beside the Chief Elder

"All of us in the corinned and scratched one leg with the other foot The audience chuckled softly

"When the conment," she went on, "there were some possibilities that were imht for Asher