The woman sat down on the bench and buried her face in her hands.
"Tell me," Sten said, "Has she no husband?"
"Husband? In Panamia there is no such thing. Everyone lives alone. When they reach maturity, they are summoned to a meeting with The Leader, and mated with him or one of his representatives. That is all. The child is raised by The Leader's nurses. It is all a very impersonal business. They never speak of it."
The lights in the apartment dimmed. Immediately the woman rose and walked mechanically to a bunk set in the wall, curled up, and was asleep almost before the men could notice her.
"What was that?"
"Just The Leader's signal that it is time for sleep," Franz said. "Did you see how she obeyed?"
"They live like clockwork," Sten muttered.
Several hours later the lights came on again. The woman rose without speaking to the men, who had slept on the floor, and sat down at the table to eat.
"Hey, don't we get invited to breakfast?" asked Karl, sitting up in the corner.
Johnathon sniffed the air. "From the smell of it I don't think I want any."