Island

by Aldous Huxley

They tried to destroy the whole edifice of Moral and Spiritual Values which I had so laboriously built up over the years.” Somewhat maliciously (for of course he knew what the woman was talking about), Will expressed his astonishment. The whole edifice of moral and spiritual values? And yet nobody could have been kinder than Dr. Robert and the others, no Good Samaritans were ever more simply and effectively charitable. “I’m not denying their kindness,” said the Rani. “But after all kindness isn’t the only virtue.” “Of course not,” Will agreed, and he listed all the qualities that the Rani seemed most conspicuously to lack. “There’s also sincerity. Not to mention truthfulness, humility, selflessness…” “You’re forgetting Purity,” said the Rani severely. “Purity is fundamental, Purity is the sine qua non.” “But here in Pala, I gather, they don’t think so.” “They most certainly do not,” said the Rani.