R. R. Winterbotham

Name: A Matter of Ethics
Author: R. R. Winterbotham

A Matter of Ethics (1955)

Summary

“A Matter of Ethics”, published in 1955, is a work by R. R. Winterbotham. It explores elements such as Fader, Qalith and Homer.

Quotes from A Matter of Ethics (R. R. Winterbotham)

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ But I like you."
"I'm probably crazy too," said Homer.
Qalith shook her head. "No. You're unhappy. You don't like being a teacher either, do you?"
"Of course I do!" Homer spoke with too much emphasis. "It's a pleasant life."
"But you've seen broken old men teaching. Men who had brains and who didn't have a cent in their savings account. You know you'll starve all your life and get very little thanks for discovering genius. You know and you want to get away from it. That's why you even considered going with Fader in the first place. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ Homer realized she spoke the truth. "But any job has its drawbacks. I've either got to teach chemistry or become a research chemist. From what I've seen, Fader and Faderfield Junior College are my only choices. And Chemistry is all I know."
"You know about ethics and customs of your planet. You know what people are supposed to do and rarely do." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ The fly rod, the letter and the small jar of paint were, in a sense, half of the problem Homer Hopkins had to solve. The other half rested in his complex mind.
Fader's Fadeless Formulae had offered him a position, not a job, to take charge of its research department, at ten thousand a year, twice what he was paid at Faderfield Junior College to teach chemistry. All this was in the letter.
"But I like being a teacher," said Homer. And he looked at the fly rod. "And I also like to fish." Teaching chemistry had left him little time for fishing. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ One thing held Homer back. "Is your planet really communistic? Don't you have private property?"
"Do you own this house?"
"Well I rent it, but some people do own their houses."
"Are you sure?"
"Well, they have mortgages and taxes and so on."
"Actually very few people own what they think they have, excepting their bodies."
"But men move in with women and women move in with men—"
"This thing you call marriage corresponds with a custom we have," said Qalith. "I was going to marry you." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ Homer groaned. "There's such a thing as custom. Moral law. Ethics. Social behavior. There are ways a person can act because to act otherwise is not the thing to do. Certain things cannot be done and people are quick to suspect that they are being done sometimes when they're not being done. Am I clear?"
"No," said Qalith. "But the earth file in our museum is going to be a large one."
Suddenly the phone rang. Homer jumped and knocked his empty glass to the floor. Quickly he rose and lifted the phone.
"This is Fader, Hopkins," came a voice over the wire. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ And he gave her the Facts of life.
"The only drawback is that old skinflint Fader himself," Homer explained. "As I'm fixed now, I have a pleasant job. The dean's nice and easy going. I get along fine and I like my work. Fader will pay me twice as much, but he'll be breathing down my neck every minute, making sure he's making a 90 per cent profit on everything I do."
"You don't know whether to take a job in which you'll be unhappy, but which can give you what you want or to stay on a job where you'll be happy, but poor. Is that it?" Qalith looked at him with a curious expression in her eyes. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ But on Planet 12, you'd be an authority on the planet Earth. The only authority because you know all about the earth's unkept laws of social conduct and you're one of the few that ever kept those laws. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

R. R. Winterbotham, A Matter of Ethics (1955)

“ She pointed in the direction of the Cambridge Manor Country Club. "We know that spaceships have a disturbing effect on primitive races such as yours."
In spite of Homer's determination not to believe this girl, he felt an admiration in the way she played her role. He wondered if there was really a spaceship on the golf course. It would certainly have a disturbing effect on early morning golfers. Good heavens! C. J. Fader belonged to Cambridge Manor!
"Miss—er—Qalith," Homer said, "your being here presents problems, whether or not you are from the Pleiades! ”

R. R. Winterbotham

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