"I do not expect any man from the old world to be civilised. It would
not be reasonable. But what objection can you possibly offer to the
state of things among the first-class beings here?"

"Well, to take the first point that occurs to me, it seems to me that
you must all be most horribly bored."

"Never," said my host emphatically. "Boredom is the result of living too
fast. Those who work too hard or those who enjoy too much must in the
intervals of their work or enjoyment be bored. Here we have found by
experience the exact pace at which one should live. Every one of the
first-class beings has an occupation of some kind for which he was
originally fitted by training and is now specially fitted by long
experience. Take the Central Office alone. It is divided into many
Controls and in each Control there are many sections. The being who made
me a present of you, our friend MZ04, is at the head of the Heat and
Light Control. In that alone there are forty-two sections and each
section finds work for two first-class beings. Love never stimulates us
to an excess of work. Love never takes our minds from the thing on which
we are engaged. We do what we can do well and we do it under the best
possible conditions, and we have no entertainments of any kind. How then
can we be bored? I have said enough. Let me meditate."

"There is just one thing more I should like to ask."

"What is your name or formula?"

"My name is Lemuel Gulliver."

"Well, Gulliver, we are kindly and hospitable people. For some weeks I
shall be keeping you here and obtaining from you first-hand information
on various details of life in the old world. You will be catechised for
one hour or so a day. You may take your revenge in advance. I will
answer one more question."

"You told me that community of property still practically existed among
you."

"It does. Money is not used. In proportion to the work he does a
first-class being has the power of ordering what he requires from the
Central Office. It is an extremely rare thing for any first-class being
to order all to which he is entitled. The wisest are those who reduce
property to the barest necessities. At a man's death all that he has
reverts to the State. Here we have no appalling families. Here no man
has to make provision for prodigal sons and worthless daughters. We are
free from the insanity of love and we find it more easy to believe in
friendship when friendship must always remain unremune