his spare shoes, of fine gray
lantile. These were missing, as well as his pigments and pad, his camera and
recorder, a dozen other small implements. Jantiff went slowly into the sitting
room and sank into a chair.
A brief few minutes later Skorlet entered the apartment.
Jantiff thought that she looked in a very bad mood, with her black eyes,
glittering, and her mouth set in a hard line. Her voice crackled as she spoke: “How
long have you been here?”
“Five or ten minutes.”
“Kindergoff Lateral was down to the contractors,” she said
bitterly. “I had to walk an entire mile.”
“While we were gone someone broke into my case and stole
most of my things.”
The news seemed to drive Skorlet close to the limits of
self-control. “And what do you expect?” she snapped in an unpleasantly harsh
voice. “This is an egalistic country; why should you have more than anyone
else?”
“I have been over-egalized,”
said Jantiff dryly. “To the effect that I now have less than anyone
else.”
“Those are problems you must learn to cope with,” said
Skorlet and marched into the bedroom.
A few days later Jantiff wrote a letter to his family:
“My dearest mother, father and sisters:
I am now established in what must be the most remarkable nation
of Alastor Cluster: Arrabus of Wyst. I inhabit a two-room apartment in close
contiguity to a handsome woman with strong views on egalism. She doesn’t
approve of me particularly. However, she is civil and on occasion helpful. Her
name, is Skorlet. You may wonder at this unconventional arrangement; it is
really quite simple. Egalism refuses to recognize sexual differences. One
person is considered equal to every other, in all respects. To emphasize sexual
differences is called “sexivation.” For a girl to primp or show her figure to
best advantage is “sexivation” and it is considered a serious offense.
The apartments were originally intended to house male or female
couples, or mated couples, but the philosophy was denounced as “sexivationist,”
and apartment assignments are now made at random, though often persons will
trade about. Anyone corning to Arrabus must leave his prejudices behind!
Already I have learned that, no matter what the apparent similarities of a new
place to one’s home, the stranger must not be misled! Things are never what
they seem! Think of this! And think of all the Cluster worlds and all the
Gaean Reach, and the Erdic Realms, and the Primarchic! Think of these trillions
of folk, each with his singular face! A frightening thought, really. Still I am
much impressed by Arrabus. The system works; there is no desire for change. The
Arrabins seem happy and content, or at the very least, passive. They place
their highest value upon leisure, at the expense of personal possessions, good
food, and a certain degree of freedom. They are far from well educated, and
no one has expertise in any specific field. Maintenance and repairs are done by
whomever is assigned the job, or in serious cases, to contracting firms from
the Weirdlands. (These are the provinces to north and south. They are not
nations; I doubt if they have any formal government whatever, but I don’t know
much about them.)
I have not been able to do any serious work because my apparatus
has been stolen. Skorlet considers this quite normal and cannot understand my
distress. She jeers at my “anti-egalism.” Well, so be it. As I say, the Arrabins
are, a strange folk, who become excited only by food—not their usual “wump” but
good natural food; in fact an acquaintance by the name of Esteban has mentioned
one: or two vices so odd and repellent as to be unspeakable, and I will say no
more.
The block where I live is known as “Old Pink” because of its eczematous
color. Each block, ostensibly identical to all others, is vividly distinctive,
at least in the minds of the folk who live there, and they will characterize
the blocks as “dreary,” “frivolous,” “teeming with
lantile. These were missing, as well as his pigments and pad, his camera and
recorder, a dozen other small implements. Jantiff went slowly into the sitting
room and sank into a chair.
A brief few minutes later Skorlet entered the apartment.
Jantiff thought that she looked in a very bad mood, with her black eyes,
glittering, and her mouth set in a hard line. Her voice crackled as she spoke: “How
long have you been here?”
“Five or ten minutes.”
“Kindergoff Lateral was down to the contractors,” she said
bitterly. “I had to walk an entire mile.”
“While we were gone someone broke into my case and stole
most of my things.”
The news seemed to drive Skorlet close to the limits of
self-control. “And what do you expect?” she snapped in an unpleasantly harsh
voice. “This is an egalistic country; why should you have more than anyone
else?”
“I have been over-egalized,”
said Jantiff dryly. “To the effect that I now have less than anyone
else.”
“Those are problems you must learn to cope with,” said
Skorlet and marched into the bedroom.
A few days later Jantiff wrote a letter to his family:
“My dearest mother, father and sisters:
I am now established in what must be the most remarkable nation
of Alastor Cluster: Arrabus of Wyst. I inhabit a two-room apartment in close
contiguity to a handsome woman with strong views on egalism. She doesn’t
approve of me particularly. However, she is civil and on occasion helpful. Her
name, is Skorlet. You may wonder at this unconventional arrangement; it is
really quite simple. Egalism refuses to recognize sexual differences. One
person is considered equal to every other, in all respects. To emphasize sexual
differences is called “sexivation.” For a girl to primp or show her figure to
best advantage is “sexivation” and it is considered a serious offense.
The apartments were originally intended to house male or female
couples, or mated couples, but the philosophy was denounced as “sexivationist,”
and apartment assignments are now made at random, though often persons will
trade about. Anyone corning to Arrabus must leave his prejudices behind!
Already I have learned that, no matter what the apparent similarities of a new
place to one’s home, the stranger must not be misled! Things are never what
they seem! Think of this! And think of all the Cluster worlds and all the
Gaean Reach, and the Erdic Realms, and the Primarchic! Think of these trillions
of folk, each with his singular face! A frightening thought, really. Still I am
much impressed by Arrabus. The system works; there is no desire for change. The
Arrabins seem happy and content, or at the very least, passive. They place
their highest value upon leisure, at the expense of personal possessions, good
food, and a certain degree of freedom. They are far from well educated, and
no one has expertise in any specific field. Maintenance and repairs are done by
whomever is assigned the job, or in serious cases, to contracting firms from
the Weirdlands. (These are the provinces to north and south. They are not
nations; I doubt if they have any formal government whatever, but I don’t know
much about them.)
I have not been able to do any serious work because my apparatus
has been stolen. Skorlet considers this quite normal and cannot understand my
distress. She jeers at my “anti-egalism.” Well, so be it. As I say, the Arrabins
are, a strange folk, who become excited only by food—not their usual “wump” but
good natural food; in fact an acquaintance by the name of Esteban has mentioned
one: or two vices so odd and repellent as to be unspeakable, and I will say no
more.
The block where I live is known as “Old Pink” because of its eczematous
color. Each block, ostensibly identical to all others, is vividly distinctive,
at least in the minds of the folk who live there, and they will characterize
the blocks as “dreary,” “frivolous,” “teeming with
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