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On　the　third　day　old　Atro　brought　him　a　pile　of　newspapers。　Pae；　who　panion；　said　nothing　to　Atro；　but　when　the　old　man　left　he　told　Shevek；　〃Awful　trash；　those　papers；　sir。　Amusing；　but　don't　believe　anything　you　read　in　them。〃

Shevek　took　up　the　topmost　paper。　It　was　badly　printed　on　coarse　paper　—　the　first　crudely　made　artifact　he　had　handled　on　Urras。　In　fact　it　looked　like　the　PDC　bulletins　and　regional　reports　that　served　as　newspapers　on　Anarres；　but　its　style　was　very　different　from　those　smudgy；　practical；　factual　publications。　It　was　fun　of　exclamation　points　and　pictures。　There　was　a　picture　of　Shevek　in　front　of　the　spaceship；　with　Pae　holding　his　arm　and　scowling。　FIRST　MAN　FROM　THE　MOON！　said　the　huge　print　over　the　picture。　Fascinated；　Shevek　read　on。　

His　first　step　on　Earth！　Urras'　first　visitor　from　the　Anarres　Settlement　in　170　years。　Dr。　Shevek；　was　photographed　yesterday　at　his　arrival　on　the　regular　Moon　freighter　run　at　Peier　Space　Port。　The　distinguished　scientist；　winner　of　the　Seo　Oen　Prize　for　service　to　all　nations　through　science；　has　accepted　a　professorship　at　leu　Bun　University；　an　honor　never
before　accorded　to　an　offworlder。　Asked　about　his　feelings　on　first　viewing　Urras；　the　tall；　distinguished　physicist　replied；　〃It　is　a　great　honor　to　be　invited　to　your　beautiful　pla。　I　hope　that　a　new　era　of　allCetian　friendship　is　now　beginning；　when　the　Twin　Plas　will　move　forward　together　in　brotherhood。〃

〃But　I　never　said　aaything！〃　Shevek　protested　to　Pae。　

〃Of　course　not。　We　didn't　let　that　lot　get　near　you。　That　doesn't　cramp　a　birdseed　journalist's　imagination！　They'll　report　you　as　saying　what　they　want　you　to　say；　no　matter　what　you　do　say；　or　don't。〃

Shevek　chewed　his　lip。　〃Well；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃if　I　had　said　anything；　it　would　have　been　like　that　But　what　is　'allCetian'？〃

〃The　Terrans　call　us　'Cetians。'　From　their　word　for　our　sun；　I　believe。　The　popular　press　has　picked　it　up　lately；　there's　a　sort　of　fad　for　the　word。〃

〃Then　'aIlCetian'　means　Urras　and　Anarres　together？〃

〃I　suppose　so；〃　Pae　said　with　marked　lack　of　interest。

Shevek　went　on　reading　the　papers。　He　read　that　he　was　a　towering　giant　of　a　man；　that　he　was　unshaven　and　possessed　a　'mane；'　whatever　that　was；　of　greying　hair；　that　he　was　thirtyseven；　fortythreeand　fiftysix；　that　he　had　written　a　great　work　of　physics　called　（the　spelling　depended　on　the　paper）　Principals　of　Simultaneity　or　Principles　of　Simiultany；　that　he　was　a　goodwill　ambassador　from　the　Odonian　government；　that　he　was　a　vegetarian；　and　that；　like　all　Anarresti；　he　did　not　drink。　At　this　he。　Broke　down　and　laughed　till　his　ribs　hurt。　〃By　damn；　they　do　have　imagination！　Do　they　think　we　live　on　water　vapor；　like　the　rockmoss？〃

〃They　mean　you　don't　drink　alcoholic　liquors；〃　said　Pae；　also　laughing。　*The　one　thing　everybody　knows　about　Odonians；　I　suppose；　is　that　you　don't　drink　alcohol。　Is　it　true；　by　the　way？〃

〃Some　people　distill　alcohol　from　fermented　holum　root；　for　drinking。　They　say　it　gives　the　unconscious　free　play；　like　brainwave　training。　Most　people　prefer　that；　it's　very　easy　and　doesn't　cause　a　disease。　Is　that　mon　here？〃

〃Drinking　is。　I　don't　know　about　this　disease。　What's　it　called？〃

〃Alcoholism；　I　think。〃

〃Oh；　I　see。　。　。　。　But　what　do　working　people　do　on　Anarres　for　a　bit　of　jollity；　to　escape　the　woes　of　the　world　together　for　a　night？〃

Shevek　looked　blank。　〃Well；　we　。。。　I　don't　know。　Perhaps　our　woes　are　inescapable？〃

〃Quaint；〃　Pae　said；　and　smiled　disarmingty。

Shevek　pursued　his　reading。　One　of　the　journals　was　in　a　language　he　did　not　know；　and　one　in　a　different　alphabet　altogether。　The　one　was　from　Thu；　Pae　explained；　and　the　other　from　Benbili；　a　nation　in　the　western　hemisphere。　The　paper　from　Thu　was　well　printed　and　sober　in　format；　Pae　explained　that　it　was　a　government　publication。　〃Here　in　AIo；　you　see；　educated　people　get　their　news　from　the　telefax；　and　radio　and　television；　and　the　weekly　reviews。　These　papers　are　read　by　the　lower　classes　almost　exclusively　—　written　by　semiliterates　for　semiliterates；　as　you　can　see。　We　have　plete　freedom　of　the　press　on　AIo；　which　inevitably　means　we　get　a　lot　of　trash。　The　Thuvian　paper　is　much　better　written　but　it　reports　only　those　facts　which　the　Thuvian　Central　Presidium　wants　reported。　Censorship　is　absolute；　in　Thu。　The　state　is　all；　and　all　for　the　state。　Hardly　the　place　for　an　Odonian；　eh；　sir？〃

〃And　this　paper？〃

〃I　really　have　no　idea。　Benbili's　a　backward　sort　of　country。　Always　having　revolutions。〃

〃A　group　of　people　in　Benbili　sent　us　a　message　on　the　Syndicate　wave　length；　not　long　before　I　left　Abbenay。　They　called　themselves　Odonians。　Are　there　any　such　groups　here；　in　AIo？〃

〃Not　that　I　ever　heard　of。　Dr。　Shevek。〃

The　wall。　Shevek　knew　the　wall；　by　now；　when　he　came　up　against　it。　　The　wall　was　this　young　man's　charm；　courtesy；　indifference。

〃I　think　you　are　afraid　of　me；　Pae；〃　he　said；　abruptly　and　genially。

〃Afraid　of　you；　sir？〃

〃Because　I　am；　by　my　existence；　disproof　of　the　necessity　of　the　state。　But　what　is　to　fear？　I　will　not　hurt　you；　Saio　Pae；　you　knoless。　。　。　。　Listen；　I　am　not　a　doctor。　We　do　not　use　titles。　I　am　called　Shevek。〃

〃I　know；　I'm　sorry；　sir。　In　our　terms；　you　see；　it　seems　disrespectful。　It　just　doesn't　seem　right；〃　He　apologized　willingly；　expecting　fiveness。

〃Can　you　not　recognize　me　as　an　equal？〃　Shevek　asked；　watching　him　without　either　fiveness　or　anger。

Fae　was　for　once　nonplused。　〃But　really；　sir；　you　are；　you　know；　a　very　important　man—〃

〃There　is　no　reason　why　you　should　change　your　habits　for　me；〃　Shevek　said。　〃It　does　not　matter。　I　thought　you　might　be　glad　to　be　free　of　the　unnecessary；　that's　all。〃

Three　days　of　confinement　indoors　left　Shevek　charged　with　surplus　energy；　and　when　he　was　released　he　wore　out　his　escorts　in　his　first　eagerness　to　see　everything　at　once。　They　took　him　over　the　University；　which　was　a　city　in　itself；　sixteen　thousand　students　and　faculty。　With　its　dormitories；　refectories；　theaters；　meeting　rooms；　and　so　on；　it　was　not　very　different　from　an　Odonian　munity；　except　that　it　was　very　old；　was　exclusively　male；　was　incredibly　luxurious；　and　was　not　anized　federatively　but　hierarchically；　from　the　top　down。　All　the　same；　Shevek　thought；　it　felt　like　a　munity。　He　had　to　remind　himself　of　the　differences。

He　was　driven　out　into　the　country　in　hired　cars；　splendid　machines　of　bizarre　elegance。　There　were　not　many　of　them　on　the　roads：　the　hire　was　expensive；　and　few　people　owned　a　car　privately；　because　they　were　heavily　taxed。　All　such　luxuries　which　if　freely　allowed　to　the　public　would　tend　to　drain　irreplaceable　natural　resources　or　to　foul　the　environment　with　waste　products　were　strictly　controlled　by　regulation　and　taxation。　His　guides　dwelt　on　this　with　some　pride。　AIo　had　led　the　world　for　centuries；　they　said；　in　ecological　control　and　the　husbanding　of　natural　resources。　The　excesses　of　the　Ninth　Millennium　were　ancient　history；　their　only　lasting　effect　being　the　shortage　of　certain　metals；　which　fortunately　could　be　imported　from　the　Moon。

Traveling　by　car　or　train；　he　saw　villages；　farms；　towns；　fortresses　from　the　feudal　days；　the　ruined　towers　of　Ae；　ancient　capital　of　an　empire；　fortyfour　hundred　years　old。　He　saw　the　farmlands；　lakes；　and　hills　of　Avan　Province；　the　heartland　of　AIo；　and　on　the　northern　skyline　the　peaks　of　the　Meitei　Range；　white；　gigantic。　The　beauty　of　the　land　and　the　wellbeing　of　its　people　remained　a　perpetual　marvel　to　him。　The　guides　were　right：　the　Urrasti　knew　how　to　use　their　world。　He　had　been　taught　as　a　child　that　Urras　was　a　festering　mass　of　inequity；　iniquity；　and　waste。　But　all　the　people　he　met；　and　all　the　people　he　saw；　in　the　smallest　country　village；　were　well　dressed；　well　fed；　and；　contrary　to　his　expectations；　industrious。　They　did　not　stand　about　sullenly　waiting　to　be　ordered　to　do　things。　Just　like　Anarresti；　they　were　simply　busy　getting　things　done。　It　puzzled　him。　He　had　assumed　that　if　you　removed　a　human　being's　natural　incentive　to　work　—　his　initiative；　his　spontaneous　creative　energy　—　and　replaced　it　with　external　motivation　and　coercion；　he　would　b