Chapter 12 Summary

Will notes the number of birds around Vijaya's home. Shanta is nursing their baby, Rama, and Will is about to learn several interesting facts about Pala's culture. One of those is that Vijaya is not the child's biological father, and that it was by choice. The couple already have two children and decided that they would dip into the island's pool of talent for their third and final child. The used artificial insemination from the artist who's work Will had admired in the meditation room. That artist's sperm has been frozen until use. The idea was to selectively do away with negative genetic traits. Shanta says that most couples who have a third child use artificial insemination.

Children on Pala are coached from birth to accept things as "good". For example, Vijaya holds a bird near Rama, rubs the bird's feathers on Rama's...