“Yes the state has built houses enough to accommodate the whole population. In each town or city the houses are of uniform height for that place. Thus there are two story towns or four or ten story towns. A very large place may be twenty or thirty stories in the middle and lower further out. But no differences are allowed on any block. The roofs are flat and continuous over each block and connected with neighboring blocks by bridges over the streets. The flyers are all kept on the roofs and the flyers’ entrance to the buildings is by a roof entrance connecting with the elevator. Wheeled vehicles are kept upon the streets. There are generally vacant apartments to be had if any one wishes to move from one city to another. But the population has its fads and whims and sometimes the popularity of some place will attract more people than the houses can accommodate. In that case the government will build some new houses. Houses are rented by the year for one per cent of their cost plus the one-fifth of one per cent for repairs. The latter sum is paid back to the tenant if the repairs are not required. Thus if a house costs ten thousand dollars, the rent would be one hundred, the theory being that its cost would be repaid in 100 years. But as houses last 1,000 years—in fact are indestructible except by an earthquake—the state has accumulated a large fund from rents of houses that have long since paid for themselves, and this fund builds new ones when they are wanted.” “I suppose there is no woodwork used in building a house.” “They use what they call wood, but it is an artificial product made of mineral. It is almost as light as wood, can be cut and formed as wood can, but is much stronger and cannot be burned and never rots. By slight differences in its manufacture several varieties are produced imitating various sorts of wood. It has totally displaced wood and is used for all purposes from fine furniture to railway ties. It is the accumulation of indestructible things that makes existence so cheap in these latter days. The people enjoy the fruits of labor performed ages ago. And the things they make now are all made to endure. Even their clothes are made to last a life time—textile fabrics from mineral wool and mineral cotton. Even their food is provided for years ahead. It is put up in vials, and sealed up to keep a hundred years if required.” “What is it composed of?” “It is in several modifications suited to different ages. In infancy and youth its composition is almost exactly that of a hen’s egg. For mature and old people the proportions are slightly different, the lime is entirely left out for the old, and a larger proportion of phosphorus is used in the food of the middle aged and mentally active.” “If they can put together the material for a hen’s egg,” said I, “what’s the trouble with hatching a chicken out of it.”