Ivo was so perceptive! "As a matter of fact," Paul agreed, "it has often seemed to me that if some really gifted individual, equally adept at acting, directing, producing, playwriting, teaching, et al., were to undertake a thorough synthesis of the theater--ah, but that would cost money," he interrupted himself, "and who would underwrite such a project? Certainly not the government of the United States." He gave a bitter laugh. "Perhaps, under a new regime, conditions might be more favorable for the artist--" "Shhh!" Paul looked nervously over his shoulder. "There are Senators everywhere. Besides, I never said things were _good_ in Russia, just _better_--for the actor, that is. Of course the plays are atrocious propaganda--" "I was not referring to another human regime. The human being is, at best, save for certain choice spirits, unsympathetic to the arts. We outworlders have a far greater respect for things of the mind." Paul opened his mouth; Ivo continued without giving him a chance to speak, "No doubt you have often wondered just what I am doing here on Earth?" The question had never crossed Paul's mind. Feeling vaguely guilty, he murmured, "Some people have funny ideas of where to go for a vacation." "I am here on business," Ivo told him. "The situation on Sirius is serious." "You know, that's catchy! 'The situation on Sirius is serious'," Paul repeated, tapping his foot. "I've often thought of trying my hand at a musical com--" "I mean we have had a ser--grave population problem for the last couple of centuries, hence our government has sent out scouts to look for other planets with similar atmosphere, climate, gravity and so on, where we can ship our excess population. So far, we have found very few." When Paul's attention was focused, he could be as quick as anybody to put two and two together. "But Earth is already occupied. In fact, when I was in school, I heard something about our having a population problem ourselves." "The other planets we already--ah--took over were in a similar state," Ivo explained. "We managed to surmount that difficulty." "How?" Paul asked, though he already suspected the answer. "Oh, we didn't dispose of _all_ of the inhabitants. We merely weeded out the undesirables--who, by fortunate chance, happened to be in the majority--and achieved a happy and peaceful coexistence with the rest." "But, look," Paul protested. "I mean to say----" "For instance," Ivo said suavely, "take the vast body of people who watch television and who have never seen a legitimate play in their lives and, indeed, rarely go to the motion pictures. Surely they are expendable." "Well, yes, of course. But even among them there might be--oh, say, a playwright's mother--" "One of the first measures our regime would take would be to establish a vast network of community theaters throughout the world. And you, Paul, would receive first choice of starring roles."