"In your intercourse with us you will find it is never necessary for us to
hurry when, for any good reason, we choose to loiter, and, therefore, if
you care to hear me talk, I will take the time to correct another wrong
impression you seem to have.

"You spoke, Doctor, about the people owning these houses. No one owns
them."

"Do they belong to the state?" asked the doctor.

"There is no state."

"Well, this is a curious condition of affairs," resumed the doctor. "Here
is valuable property belonging to no one and no government to claim it. I
should think anyone that happened along could take possession."

"Now you are right," said Thorwald. "That is just the state of the case.
It is with houses and all other property as I told you it was with this
carriage. All the right one has to any object is the right to use it.
Everything that has been produced by art and skill is just as free as the
bounties of nature, such as air and water and land, which of course no one
would ever dream of subjecting to private ownership."

The doctor winced as he heard Thorwald include land among these free
bounties of nature, and the expression of his face did not escape the
quick eye of the Martian, who exclaimed:

"So you earth-dwellers are still in the habit of buying and selling land,
are you?"