A servant wheeled a frosted cabinet before them, placed goblets under
two spigots, withdrew. The Sultan cleared his throat. "Trimmer is an
excellent fellow, but unbelievably loquacious."
Murphy drew himself two inches of chilled rosy-pale liquor. The Sultan
slapped his boots with the twig. "Undoubtedly he confided all my private
business to you, or at least as much as I have allowed him to learn."
"Well--he spoke of your hope to increase the compass of Singhalût."
"That, my friend, is no hope; it's absolute necessity. Our population
density is fifteen hundred to the square mile. We must expand or
smother. There'll be too little food to eat, too little oxygen to
breathe."
Murphy suddenly came to life. "I could make that idea the theme of my
feature! Singhalût Dilemma: Expand or Perish!"
"No, that would be inadvisable, inapplicable."