Parable of the Talents

with potential.'

'We choose our purpose,' I said. 'I chose mine before I was old enough to know any better—or it chose me. Pur­pose is essential. Without it, we drift.'

'Purpose,' she said, and with an air of showing off, she quoted:

'Purpose

Unifies us:

It focuses our dreams,

Guides our plans,

 Strengthens our efforts.

Purpose

Defines us,

Shapes us,

And offers us

Greatness.'

She sighed. 'Sounds wonderful. But then a lot of things sound wonderful. What are you going to do?'

'I'm no Jarret,' I said, 'but you're probably right about the need to simplify and focus my message. You can help me do that.'

'Why should I?'

'Because it will keep you alive.'

She looked away again. After a long silence, she said with great bitterness, 'What makes you think I want to be kept alive?'

'I know you do. But if you stick with me, you'll have to prove it.'

'What?'

'As a matter of fact, if you stick with me, you'll have all you can do to stay alive. Ideas like those in Earthseed aren't going to be popular for a while. Jarret wouldn't like them if he knew about them.'

'If you have any sense, you won't draw attention to yourself. Not now.'

'I don't intend to draw huge crowds or get on the nets. Not until Jarret has worn out his welcome, anyway. I do in­tend to reach out to people again.'

'How?'

And I knew. I had been wondering as we spoke, scram­bling for ideas. Len's comments had helped focus me. So had my own recent experience. 'I'll reach people in their homes,' I said. 'There's nothing new about door-to-door missionaries in small cities like Eureka, for instance. In L.A. you couldn't do it. We may not be able to do it in Port­land either. Portland's gotten so big. But on the way there, and in the larger towns around Portland, it might work. Small cities and big towns. People in very large cities and the very small towns can be—will be—suspicious and vicious.'

'Free towns only, I assume,' Len said.

'Of course. If I managed to get into a company town, I might be collared for vagrancy. That can be a life sentence. They just keep charging you more to live than they pay you for your labor, and you never get out of debt.'

'So I've heard. You want to just knock on people's doors and ask to tell them about Earthseed? I hear the Jehovah's Witnesses do that. Or they did it. I'm not sure they still do.'

'It's gotten more dangerous.' I said.