"We'll insist that they marry, of course," Adam Boetz said, "and each couple will provide us with two children, so that we shall always have a stabilized labor supply." "We're talking," one of the women whispered, "as if we were buying cattle!" "We are." "But how can you recruit men and women under these conditions? What inducement can you possibly offer them?" Firth smiled. "When we find the people who meet our specifications, they'll come; don't worry. In the days of the sailing ships the technique was called shanghaiing." "What specifications, Mr. Firth?" "They must be young, strong, healthy, single--" "And low-level morons," Adam Boetz cut in. "Imbeciles won't give us any trouble later on." To his other crimes, John Firth then added kidnapping; the end justified the means. He was creating a world and that world would save civilization. I doubt that his conscience ever troubled him. * * * * * Within two years the second group of colonists was established in Firth's world. Apparently they made an easy adjustment to their new environment. We have no record of complaints or protests. They were docile, obedient people. They took orders well; they liked to be told what to do; they needed very little supervision. The first colonists were entirely free, then, of any sort of work-responsibility. For a while they went back to work in their laboratories or in the university--inventing, exploring, accumulating their store of knowledge. In imperceptible stages, however, their interest lagged, their production came to a halt again. This time they had no excuse, no scapegoat. We can assume that some of them faced the truth squarely and honestly, yet they had chosen Firth's world and there was no way to turn back. We find only one actual hint of their despondency, in a diary page written by an unknown woman. _Karl stayed home again to-day. He has nearly finished the design for his machine, but he has no more enthusiasm to complete it. I know how he feels; I can't go on with my painting, either. We have no purpose, no goal to achieve. We sit isolated in space, counting over the wealth of our talent and ability; but we can make no use of it. I wish I knew how many of the others think as I do, but I'm afraid to ask._ The key to understanding them, is that last sentence. Perhaps they all felt her disillusionment, but they had to pretend. Firth's world couldn't be at fault. If they were dissatisfied, it was because of a failure within themselves. At all costs, the flaw had to be hidden from their neighbors.