The Wind's Twelve Quarters

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Professionalism’ is no virtue; a professional is simply one who gets paid for doing what an amateur does for love.

They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do. If the child were brought up into the sunlight out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing, indeed; but if it were done, in that day and hour all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed.

To exchange all the goodness and grace of every life in Omelas for that single, small improvement: to throw away the happiness of thousands for the chance of the happiness of one: that would be to let guilt within the walls indeed.

They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates.

This story is about one of the ones who walked away from Omelas.