 By all accounts, Martin should be grateful for the descendants,
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] No one, least of all Martin, could dispute that a man's life should be guarded by his kin—but by those who hadn't been born yet? Nobody in the neighborhood was surprised when Martin's mother disappeared and Ninian came to take care of him. Mothers had a way of disappearing around those parts and the kids were often better off without them. As for his father, Martin had never had one. He'd been a war baby, born of one of the tides of soldiers—enemies and allies, both—that had engulfed the country in successive waves and bought or taken the women. Besides, if she really was his great-great-grand-daughter, as she said, why would she tell him to call her " Aunt Ninian "? It was safer with Ninian, though, because when he pushed her too far, she would cry instead of mopping up the floor with him. "He's dissatisfied with the current social order and killing you is part of an elaborate plan he's formulated to change it. So Martin held his peace, because, on the whole, he liked things the way they were. One day the truant officer came to ask why Martin hadn't been coming to school. But Ninian didn't know that and she went into a real tizzy, babbling that Martin had been sick and would make up the work. It wasn't that she cared what these people thought of her, for she made no secret of regarding them as little better than animals, but she was shy of attracting attention. When it became clear that his mother was never going to show up again, Ninian bought one of those smallish, almost identical houses that mushroom on the fringes of a city after every war, particularly where intensive bombing has created a number of desirable building sites. Martin was told to call him Uncle Raymond. From time to time, there were other visitors—Uncles Ives and Bartholomew and Olaf, Aunts Ottillie and Grania and Lalage, and many more—all cousins to one another, he was told, all descendants of his. Martin was never left alone for a minute. The adults obviously figured that if a one-car family hired private tutors for their kid, there must be something pretty wrong with him. So Martin and Ninian were just as conspicuous as before. He had food to eat that he'd never dreamed of before, warm clothes that no one had ever worn before him.
 but he is unappreciative of the lifestyle they bring to him because he would rather have things the way he was accustomed to.  He sees that even though his lifestyle was rudimentary in comparison, it was genuine.
 yet he resents them.  He rebels against the new way of life they try to petition upon him.  and he is.  He is appreciative of the fact that they want to make him an integral part of securing their future way of existence.  and he is.  They have introduced Martin to a much better lifestyle than he was accustomed to.  but he is unappreciative of the lifestyle they bring to him because he would rather have things the way he was accustomed to.  He sees that even though his lifestyle was rudimentary in comparison, it was genuine.