It is infinitely more satisfactory to purchase wives when they are young. They are vastly more respectful. Twelve is a good purchasing age. Lisa was twelve when I bargained for her, and she is an illustrious argument for the system. I recall her excellent father and I facing each other across his gleaming synthol marble table that day. On the table were small metal shells of sweet liquor. And beside the shells were the sedulously gathered treasures I was formally offering for Lisa: A control kno