Frank Herbert

“ And we will want to examine your memories to aid us in our search for your planet. It would be good to find a new inhabitable place."
"Why did they trap us like this?" asked Martha Graham.
"It's lonely work," the man explained. "Your house is actually a type of space conveyance that travels along your collection route—and there is much travel to the job. And then—you will not have friends, nor time for much other than work. Our methods are necessarily severe at times."
"Travel?" Martha Graham repeated in dismay.
"Almost constantly."
Ted Graham felt his mind whirling. ”

“ Ted Graham groped in his mind for his science memories from school, from the Sunday supplements. "I can recall that our galaxy is a spiral like—"
"Most galaxies are spiral."
"Is this some kind of a practical joke?" asked Ted Graham.
The man smiled, a cold, superior smile. "It is no joke. Now I will make you a proposition."
Ted nodded warily. "All right, let's have the stinger."
"The people who brought you here were tax collectors we Rojac recruited from a subject planet. They were conditioned to make it impossible for them to leave their job untended. ”

“ Martha Graham gasped, entered the hall as though in a trance. Ted Graham followed, heard the door close behind them.
"It's so—so—so big," exclaimed Martha Graham.
"You want to trade this for our trailer?" asked Ted Graham.
"It's too inconvenient for us," said Rush. "My work is over the mountains on the coast." He shrugged. "We cannot sell it."
Ted Graham looked at him sharply. "Isn't there any money around here?" He had a sudden vision of a tax accountant with no customers. ”