Jack is disturbed to find a group of youths in the cattle pasture. One of them is knifing a calf. The kids run to fetch Greg and Charles. By the time they arrive, he has gone round the whole herd.The youngsters have arrived with Ruth from another settlement.
The knifeman is called Mark Carter and he is an agricultural college graduate. He had in fact been saving the calves' lives, as they had been eating clover which had made them extremely bloated. The knife wound had released the gas trapped inside them.
Their old settlement had split up due to a flu-like illness which Ruth had attempted to treat. Most of the older inhabitants had died. The young and middle aged factions had gone their separate ways,
we hear due to a 'generation gap'.
Unfortunately Arthur goes down with the same illness, contracted from the person who had come in search of Ruth's help. Carter is given a tour of White Cross. He finds fault with everything, and is quite scathing in his condemnation of their ignorance in farming matters. This annoys several residents especially Pet and Hubert, who calls him a 'blooming factory farmer'.
Carter is, however, impressed by Greg's prototype
methane production plant. The newcomers (three men and two women) are quarantined in the old mill. They like it there. Greg suggests they live in the mill permanently, and Alan moves in with them making 6 in all. Charles doesn't like the idea of a splinter group forming within the community, but Greg thinks that they'll run if made to take on too much responsibility too soon.
Arthur dies from the illness. Some of the other more elderly people,
including Mina and Jack also fall ill. Ruth suggests keeping news of Arthur's death quiet, as she believes that part of the illness is a mental problem - all of the victims who die felt depressed and worthless. She thinks it may be delayed reaction to the death (still only 18 months previous). Words gets out anyway, but luckily there are no further deaths in the community.
Carter offers to draw up a five year agricultural plan for the community. Charles
is very keen about this, until he reads it. It is based on Greg successfully harnessing his methane production to drive a tractor for power, and concentrates on saving all of the animal waste products for his methane plant. Charles is reluctant to depend on tractor power, especially as they haven't proved it will work yet. He rejects the plan. However Carter suggests he discuss it with Greg. They decide to hold an open meeting to discuss the plan, and
ask the whole community to decide.
At the meeting, Charles puts his case against Carter's plan, saying it would mean hard work for all of them. Carter speaks next, stressing that they must plan their farming efficiently. Greg makes the point that Carter's plan puts farming efficiency before community morale. He asks Carter if he would still be willing to let Charles lead the community if his plan is passed. He also asks why his methods did not work at his
last community, where there had been several defections and even suicides before the 'flu' had struck. Carter cannot answer this and walks out of the meeting. The meeting endorses Charles' leadership, but they still pass the methane plan as a good one.
The other newcomers want to stay on at White Cross. Carter leaves to spread his knowledge around. He wants Melanie, one of the newcomers to go with him, but she refuses, having half an eye on Greg.
