Lanark_ a life in 4 books - Alasdair Gray [281]
“Yet governments can fire great structures into space!”
“Yes. It is profitable.”
“For whom? Why can’t wealth be used to help folk here and now?”
“It is, but we can only help people by giving less than we take away from them. We enlarge the oasis by increasing the desert. That is the science of time and housekeeping. Some call it economics.”
“Are you telling me that men lack the decency and skill to be good to each other?”
“Not at all! Men have always possessed that decency and skill. In small, isolated societies they have even practised it. But it is a sad fact of human nature that in large numbers we can only organize against each other.”
“You are a liar!” cried Lanark. “We have no nature. Our nations are not built instinctively by our bodies, like beehives; they are works of art, like ships, carpets and gardens. The possible shapes of them are endless. It is bad habits, not bad nature, which makes us repeat the dull old shapes of poverty and war. Only greedy people who profit by these things believe they are natural.”
“Your flood of language is delicious,” said Ozenfant, yawning slightly, “and can have no possible effect upon human behaviour. By the way, it was not clever of you to get Multan speaking for you. He is no enemy of the council, he is a weak member plotting to become strong. If he succeeds his aim will be my aim: to manage things as smoothly as possible. His only enemies will be people like you—the babies.”
“I am not a baby.”
“You are. Your deafness to reasoned argument, your indifference to decent custom and personal dignity, a selfishness so huge and instinctive that it cannot even notice itself, all make you the nearest thing to an adult baby I have ever encountered. And now you may retaliate by calling me as many foul names as you please. Nobody will know. Miss Thing cannot hear what is irrelevant to the business of the council.”
Lanark said coldly, “You want me to lose my temper.”
“Yes indeed,” said Monboddo, nodding. “But only to cut short a useless argument. You suffer from the oldest delusion in politics. You think you can change the world by talking to a leader. Leaders are the effects, not the causes of changes. I cannot give prosperity to people whom my rich supporters cannot exploit.”
Lanark put his elbows on his knees and propped his face between his hands. After a while he said, “I don’t care what happens to most people. All of us over eighteen have been warped into deserving what happens to us. But if your reason shows that civilization can only continue by damaging the brains and hearts of most children, then … your reason and civilization are false and will destroy themselves.”
“Perhaps,” said Monboddo, yawning, “but I think we can make them last our time. What have you recorded, Miss Thing? Tell us, please.”
The secretary parted her lips and a monotonous voice slid out between them:
“Greater Unthank Addendum to General As¬ sembly Minutes: Provost Lanark referred to Un¬ thank’s serious employment, housing, health and pollution problems. Chairman Monboddo related them to the supranational crisis in these areas and intimated that the solution of such problems must await the primary solution of the worldwide energy famine. Provost Lanark called for a more urgent approach to local diffi¬ culties insofar as they affect the 0–18 spectrum. Chairman Monboddo suggested the outcome of difficulties in this spectrum was less disastrous than Provost Lanark feared.”
Miss Thing’s mouth clicked shut. Monboddo slapped his brow and said, “Cryptonite! I forgot the Cryptonite deposits. Put them in, Miss Thing; it will let us end on a cheerful note.” Miss Thing opened her mouth again.
“Chairman Monboddo suggested the outcome of difficulties in this spectrum would be less dis¬ astrous socially than Provost Lanark feared as the development by Cortexin of the Unthank mineral resources was well on the way to putting prosperity within the grasp