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vironment to ourselves. Men died out and parthenogenesis came in."

Aquilegia filled the glasses again with a steady hand. "Did she say when parthenogenesis started."

"Not exactly. There have been isolated cases throughout history. A parthenogentic woman called Christ, for instance, some seven thousand years ago."

"Christ was a man," Aquilegia pointed out.

Aubretia considered this for a moment, sipping her drink thoughtfully. "That's impossible; a man has forty-seven chromosomes and you can't produce a male by parthenogenesis."

"Nevertheless, Christ was a man."

"Then he couldn't have been parthenogenetic."

"Exactly, Aubry. He couldn't have been. Did the Mistress quote any more known cases of natural parthenogenesis?"

"No."

"And today, five thousand years after the disappearance of man from the face of Earth, how many women achieve natural childbirth by parthenogenesis?"

Aubretia ran the tip of her little finger around the contour of her chin, vaguely aware that the conversation was becoming too deep for her. "The majority," she stated, but without conviction.

"Have you seen the statistics?"

"No. Not recently."

Aquilegia smiled sardonically. "Have you ever seen any statistics at all?"

"Not as such. But there have been numerous official statements for the press . . ."

"From the Department of the Written Word, no doubt inspired by the Department of Social Stability. I'll tell you something Aubry: There aren't any statistics. At least, not the kind that you or I could see. Such figures as are recorded are top secret and are kept under lock and key."