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he　same　people　every　time：　well　dressed；　well　fed；　well　mannered；　smiling。　Were　they　the　only　kind　of　people　on　Urras？　〃It　is　pain　that　brings　men　together；〃　Shevek　said　standing　up　before　them；　and　they　nodded　and　said；　〃How　true。〃

He　began　to　hate　them　and；　realizing　that；　abruptly　ceased　accepting　their　invitations。

But　to　do　so　was　to　accept　failure　and　to　increase　his　isolation。　He　wasn't　doing　what　he　had　e　here　to　do。　It　was　not　that　they　cut　him　off；　he　told　himself；　it　was　that　—　as　always　—　he　had　cut　himself　off　from　them。　He　was　lonely；　stiflingly　lonely；　among　all　the　people　he　saw　every　day。　The　trouble　was　that　he　was　not　in　touch。　He　felt　that　he　had　not　touched　anything；　anyone；　on　Urras　in　all　these　months。

In　the　Senior　mons　at　table　one　night　he　said；　〃You　know；　I　don't　know　how　you　live；　here。　I　see　the　private　houses；　from　the　outside。　But　from　the　inside　I　know　oniy　your　notprivate　life　—　meeting　rooms；　refectories；　laboratories。　。。　〃

The　next　day　Oiie　rather　stiffly　asked　Shevek　if　he　would　e　to　dinner　and　stay　overnight；　the　next　weekend；　at　Oiie's　home。

It　was　in　Amoeno；　a　village　a　few　miles　from　leu　Eun；　and　it　was　by　Urrasti　standards　a　modest　middleclass　house；　older　than　most；　perhaps。　It　had　been　built　about　three　hundred　years　ago；　of　stone；　with　woodpaneled　rooms。　The　characteristic　loti　double　arch　was　used　in　window　frames　and　doorways；　A　relative　absence　of　furniture　pleased　Shevek's　eye　at　once：　the　rooms　looked　austere；　spacious；　with　their　expanses　of　deeply　polished　floor。　He　had　always　felt　uneasy　amidst　the　extravagant　decorations　and　conveniences　of　the　public　buildings　in　which　the　receptions；　dedications；　and　so　forth　were　held。　The　Urrasti　had　taste；　but　it　seemed　often　to　be　in　conflict　with　an　impulse　toward　display　—　conspicuous　expense。　The　natural；　aesthetic　origin　of　the　desire　to　own　things　was　concealed　and　perverted　by　economic　and　petitive　pulsions；　which　in　turn　told　on　the　quality　of　the　things：　all　they　achieved　was　a　kind　of　mechanical　lavishness。　Here；　instead；　was　grace；　achieved　through　restraint。

A　serving　man　took　their　coats　at　the　door。　Oiie's　wife　came　up　to　greet　Shevek　from　the　basement　kitchen；　where　she　had　been　instructing　the　cook。

As　they　talked　before　dinner；　Shevek　found　himself　speaking　to　her　almost　exclusively；　with　a　friendliness；　a　wish　to　make　her　like　him；　that　surprised　himself。　But　it　was　so　good　to　be　talking　with　a　woman　again！　No　wonder　he　had　felt　his　existence　to　be　cut　off；　artificial；　among　men；　always　men；　lacking　the　tension　and　attraction　of　the　sexual　difference。　And　Sewa　Oiie　was　attractive。　Looking　at　the　delicate　lines　of　her　nape　and　temples　he　lost　his　objections　to　the　Urrasti　fashion　of　shaving　women's　heads。　She　was　reticent；　rather　timid；　he　tried　to　make　her　feel　at　ease　with　him；　and　was　very　pleased　when　he　seemed　to　be　succeeding。

They　went　in　to　dinner　and　were　joined　at　the　table　by　two　children。　Sewa　Oiie　apologized：　〃One　simply　can't　find　a　decent　nursemaid　in　this　part　of　the　country　any　more；〃　she　said。　Shevek　assented；　without　knowing　what　a　nursemaid　was。　He　was　watching　the　little　boys；　with　the　same　relief；　the　same　delight　He　bad　scarcely　seen　a　child　since　he　left　Anarres。

They　were　very　clean；　sedate　children；　speaking　when　spoken　to；　dressed　in　blue　velvet　coats　and　breeches。　They　eyed　Shevek　with　awe；　as　a　creature　from　Outer　Space。　The　nineyearold　was　severe　with　the　sevenyearold；　muttering　at　him　not　to　stare；　pinching　him　savagely　when　he　disobeyed。　The　little　one　pinched　back　and　tried　to　kick　him　under　the　table。　The　Principle　of　Superiority　did　not　seem　to　be　well　established　in　his　mind　yet。

Oiie　was　a　changed　man　at　home。　The　secretive　look　left　his　face；　and　he　did　not　drawl　when　he　spoke。　His　family　treated　him　with　respect；　but　there　was　mutuality　in　the　respect。　Shevek　had　heard　a　good　deal　of　Oiie's　views　on　women；　and　was　surprised　to　see　that　he　treated　his　wife　with　courtesy；　even　delicacy。　〃This　is　chivalry；〃　Shevek　thought；　having　recently　learned　the　word；　but　he　soon　decided　it　was　something　better　than　that。　Oiie　was　fond　of　his　wife　and　trusted　her。　He　behaved　to　her　and　to　his　children　very　much　as　an　Anarresti　might。　In　fact；　at　home；　he　suddenly　appeared　as　a　simple；　brotherly　kind　of　man；　a　free　man。

It　seemed　to　Shevek　a　very　small　range　of　freedom；　a　very　narrow　family；　but　he　felt　so　much　at　ease；　so　much　freer　himself；　that　he　was　disinclined　to　criticize。

In　a　pause　after　conversation；　the　younger　boy　said　in　his　small；　clear　voice；　〃Mr。　Shevek　doesn't　have　very　good　manners。〃

〃Why　not？〃　Shevek　asked　before　Oiie's　wife　could　reprove　the　child。　〃What　did　I　do？〃

〃You　didn't　say　thank　you。〃

〃For　what？〃

〃When　I　passed　you　the　dish　of　pickles。〃

〃Ini！　Be　quiet！〃

Sadik！　Don't　egoize！　The　tone　was　precisely　the　same。

〃I　thought　you　were　sharing　them　with　me。　Were　they　a　gift？　We　say　thank　you　only　for　gifts；　in　my　country。　We　share　other　things　without　talking　about　it；　you　see。　Would　you　like　the　pickles　back　again？〃

〃No；　I　don't　like　them；〃　the　child　said；　looking　up　with　dark；　very　clear　eyes　into　Shevek's　face。

〃That　makes　it　particularly　easy　to　share　them；〃　Shevek　said。　The　older　boy　was　writhing　with　the　suppressed　desire　to　pinch　Ini。　but　Ini　laughed；　showing　his　little　white　teeth。　After　a　while　in　another　pause　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　leaning　towards　Shevek；　〃Would　you　like　to　see　my　otter？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃He's　in　the　back　garden。　Mother　put　him　out　because　she　thought　he　might　bother　you。　Some　grownups　don't　like　animals。〃

〃I　like　to　see　them。　We　have　no　animals　in　my　country。〃

〃You　don't？〃　said　the　older　boy；　staring。　〃Father！　Mr。　Shevek　says　they　don't　have　any　animals！〃

Ini　also　stared。　〃But　what　do　you　have？〃

〃Other　people。　Fish。　Worms。　And　holum　trees。〃

〃What　are　holum　trees？〃

The　conversation　went　on　for　half　an　hour。　It　was　the　first　time　Shevek　had　been　asked；　on　Urras；　to　describe　Anarres。　The　children　asked　the　questions；　but　the　parents　listened　with　interest。　Shevek　kept　out　of　the　ethical　mode　with　some　scrupulousness；　he　was　not　there　to　propagandize　his　host's　children。　He　simply　told　them　what　the　Dust　was　like；　what　Abbenay　looked　like；　what　kind　of　clothes　one　wore；　what　people　did　when　they　wanted　new　clothes；　what　children　did　in　school。　This　last　became　propaganda；　despite　his　intentions。　Ini　and　Aevi　were　entranced　by　his　description　of　a　curriculum　that　included　fanning；　carpentry；　sewage　reclamation；　printing；　plumbing；　roadmending；　playwriting；　and　all　the　other　occupations　of　the　adult　munity；　and　by　his　admission　that　nobody　was　ever　punished　for　anything。

〃Though　sometimes；〃　he　said；　〃they　make　you　go　away　by　yourself　for　a　while。〃

〃But　what；〃　Oiie　said　abruptly；　as　if　the　question；　long　kept　back；　burst　from　him　under　pressure；　〃what　keeps　people　in　order？　Why　don't　they　rob　and　murder　each　other？〃

〃Nobody　owns　anything　to　rob。　If　you　want　things　you　take　them　from　the　depository。　As　for　violence；　well；　I　dont　know；　Oiie；　would　you　murder　me；　ordinarily？　And　if　you　felt　like　it；　would　a　law　against　it　stop　you？　Coercion　is　the　least　efficient　means　of　obtaining　order。〃

〃All　right；　but　how　do　you　get　people　to　do　the　dirty　work？〃

〃What　dirty　work？〃　asked　Oiie's　wife；　not　following。

〃Garbage　collecting；　grave　digging；〃　Oiie　said；　Shevek　added；　〃Mercury　mining；〃　and　nearly　said；　〃Shit　processing；〃　but　recollected　the　loti　taboo　on　scatological　words。　He　had　reflected；　quite　early　in　his　stay　on　Urras；　that　the　Urrasti　lived　among　mountains　of　excrement；　but　never　mentioned　shit。

〃Well；　we　all　do　them。　But　nobody　has　to　do　them　for　very　long；　unless　he　likes　the　work。　One　day　in　each　decad　the　munity　management　mittee　or　the　block　mittee　or　whoever　needs　you　can　ask　you　to　join　in　such　work；　they　make　rotating　lists。　Then　the　disagreeable　work　postings；　or　dangerous　ones　like　the　mercury　mines　and　mills；　normally　they're　for　one　half　year　only。〃

〃But　then　the　whole　personnel　must　consist　of　people　just　learning　the　job。〃

〃Yes。　It's　not　efficient；　but　what　else　is　to　be　done？　You　can't　tell　a　man　to　work　on　a　job　that　win　cripple　him　or　kill　him