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rewards for being well behaved and good. He was made to watch film clips showing that he had once been naughty and bad and what would happen if he didn’t learn from the experience.
    â€œThat’s what you were like on your last fourth birthday,” said his parents and showed him a home movie in which he was bashing his little cousin over the head with a plastic sword. “You must be good now.”
    â€œOtherwise we’ll have to start you all over again, Indridi son,” said his father. “We’ll get there even if it takes twenty years for you to become a good, well-behaved ten year old!”
    Indridi was determined to do well and feared nothing more than the third test tube, which was waiting to take his place. He never felt truly secure, never felt he did well enough, and always wanted to do better (thanks to his Scorpio star sign). He was in perpetual competition with Indridi number three, who could no doubt outdo him in anything he turned his hand to. His parents were a great support to him and from them he received precisely the amount of love and warmth that research demonstrated was necessary for children. His father was proud of his son but never completely satisfied and so encouraged competition with number three.
    â€œAmazing,” his father might comment from behind the morning paper, “if you had been born today we could have used these exciting new theories. Look! They result in a 30 percent increase in reading speed, 9 percent greater emotional maturity, and 18 percent improved concentration. Look how exciting the school syllabus for eight-year-olds is nowadays! The kids stay in school till seven in the evening.”
    He continued reading, but Indridi lost his appetite and went straight up to his room. Just a few weeks later he had achieved a 30 percent increase in his reading speed and an 18 percent improvement in concentration.
    Indridi longed for nothing more than his sixteenth birthday, because then it would be impossible to rewind him again.
    â€œIt’s too late to improve oneself after the age of sixteen! There’s no turning back, remember, my dear boy,” said his father, patting him on the shoulder in a fatherly way.
    Indridi achieved stunning results in his end-of-school exams. He was near the top of the class with an average grade of 9.3 out of 10. He had friends, had been active on the social scene, and played sports, but as he helped his parents prepare for his graduation party he still wasn’t sure of himself and couldn’t stop himself asking: “What happens now?”
    â€œYou have your future ahead of you, Indridi dear,” said his mother in nasal tones. Her new nose was still under wraps. She’d had it grown especially for his graduation as her old nose had long gone out of fashion. The new nose was supposed to be beautifully curved with neat, round nostrils. She was blonde, in keeping with the summer fashion, and brown eyed because it was Wednesday. Indridi coughed.
    â€œYes but, what’ll happen to Me number three?”
    His mother and father smiled teasingly and looked at one another.
    â€œIndridi, we meant to tell you a long time ago.”
    â€œThe law was changed shortly after you were born,” said his mother. “The individual was redefined in the old way.”
    â€œIt’s no longer legal to rewind. It hasn’t been for fifteen years.”
    â€œThen where is Me number three?”
    His mother laughed and his father slapped his thigh.
    â€œHe was disposed of when the rules were changed and the insurance company’s rebirth department closed down!”
    â€œBut he was a good model for you,” said his father.
    â€œWhich is why we were advised not to tell you.”
    â€œYes, he acted as a motivator and so became part of you. Just as number one served as a warning of the dark side that you didn’t want to become, number three was the perfect model, the goal you could never