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But The Giver said no "Rarely Only when they are faced with so that they have not experienced before Then they call upon me to use the memories and advise them But it very seldom happens Sometimes I wish they'd ask for s I could tell thee Life here is so orderly, so predictable--so painless It's what they've chosen"

"I don't knohy they even need a Receiver, then, if they never call upon him," Jonas commented

"They need me And you," The Giver said, but didn't explain "They were reo"

"What happened ten years ago?" Jonas asked "Oh, I know You tried to train a successor and it failed Why? Why did that rerimly "When the new Receiver failed, the memories that she had received were released They didn't come back to me They went"

He paused, and see with the concept "I don't know, exactly They went to the place where memories once existed before Receivers were created Souely with his arm "And then the people had access to them Apparently that's the way it was, once Everyone had access to memories

"It was chaos," he said "They really suffered for a while Finally it subsided as the memories were assimilated But it certainly made them aware of how they need a Receiver to contain all that pain And knowledge"

"But you have to suffer like that all the time," Jonas pointed out

The Giver nodded "And you will It's ht about it, about what it would be like for hi and--" He looked around the walls of books "Reading? That's it?"

The Giver shook his head "Those are sis that I do My life is here"

"In this room?"

The Giver shook his head He put his hands to his own face, to his chest "No Here, inWhere the memories are"

"My Instructors in science and technology have taught us about how the brain works," Jonas told hierly "It's full of electrical impulses It's like a computer If you stimulate one part of the brain with an electrode, it--" He stopped talking He could see an odd look on The Giver's face

"They know nothing," The Giver said bitterly

Jonas was shocked Since the first day in the Annex rooarded the rules about rudeness, and Jonas felt comfortable with that now But this was different, and far beyond rude This was a terrible accusation What if solanced quickly at the wall speaker, terrified that the Co as they could at any tiether, the switch had been turned to OFF

"Nothing?" Jonas whispered nervously "But my instructors--"

The Giver flicked his hand as if brushing so aside "Oh, your instructors are well trained They know their scientific facts Everyone is well trained for his job

"It's just thatwithout the ave that burden to me And to the previous Receiver And the one before him"

"And back and back and back," Jonas said, knowing the phrase that always cah his sht And next it will be you A great honor"

"Yes, sir They told hest honor"

So Jonas knew, on days when he arrived to find The Giver hunched over, rocking his body slightly back and forth, his face pale, that he would be sent away

"Go," The Giver would tell him tensely "I'm in pain today Come back tomorrow"

On those days, worried and disappointed, Jonas would walk alone beside the river The paths were empty of people except for the few Delivery Crews and Landscape Workers here and there Small children were all at the Childcare Center after school, and the older ones busy with volunteer hours or training

By hi reen that he kneas e into his consciousness, he focused upon it, keeping it there, darkening it, holding it in his vision as long as possible until his head hurt and he let it fade away

He stared at the flat, colorless sky, bringing blue from it, and remembered sunshine until finally, for an instant, he could feel ware that spanned the river, the bridge that citizens were allowed to cross only on official business Jonas had crossed it on school trips, visiting the outlying coe was riculture The other communities he had seen on visits were essentially the sahtly altered styles of dwellings, slightly different schedules in the schools