Changes

At the end of June, all of Midas' visitors went back to wherever they were living on the outside. Midas was now isolated, in his new house and behind the two ray screens. He did not remain isolated for very long. In the fall of 2007, [[Judge Narragansett]] joined the strike. Midas instantly asked the judge to join him. The judge did so, and then bought some of Midas' livestock and started his own chicken and dairy farm. The two then invited Richard Halley to take permanent residence. Perhaps Midas had decided to become a music patron—but Halley did not rely entirely on Midas' patronage. He negotiated a larger leasehold and planted fruit trees on his land.

At the end of June, all of Midas' visitors went back to wherever they were living on the outside. Midas was now isolated, in his new house and behind the two ray screens. He did not remain isolated for very long. In the fall of 2007, [[Judge Narragansett]] joined the strike. Midas instantly asked the judge to join him. The judge did so, and then bought some of Midas' livestock and started his own chicken and dairy farm. The two then invited Richard Halley to take permanent residence. Perhaps Midas had decided to become a music patron—but Halley did not rely entirely on Midas' patronage. He negotiated a larger leasehold and planted fruit trees on his land.

So now Midas had a functioning community. He himself raised [[wheat]] and [[tobacco]], and founded a company, with Hugh Akston as the other shareholder, to produce a new brand of cigarettes better than any available on the outside. Judge Narragansett raised chicken and produced raw milk and dairy products, and Richard Halley produced fresh fruit. Whatever the men could not produce for themselves, Midas would acquire through a secret channel that the novel never explains; this was probably a black market in industrial supplies, perhaps the same one that Ragnar Danneskjöld would supply in his [[privateer]]ing activities.

So now Midas had a functioning community. He himself raised [[wheat]] and [[tobacco]], and founded a company, with Hugh Akston as the other shareholder, to produce a new brand of cigarettes better than any available on the outside. Judge Narragansett raised chickens and produced raw milk and dairy products, and Richard Halley produced fresh fruit. Whatever the men could not produce for themselves, Midas would acquire through a secret channel that the novel never explains; this was probably a black market in industrial supplies, perhaps the same one that Ragnar Danneskjöld would supply in his [[privateer]]ing activities.

Concerning this last, Ragnar told Midas all about his grand project to "tax the [[income tax]]ers" and wring from the outside system an amount of gold sufficient to pay back the income taxes of a select group of prospects for the great strike, beginning in the year that the strike began. Midas obliged by re-establishing his bank in the town center, so that Ragnar could bring his booty to the valley and deposit it there. Midas also built a mint and produced [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.

Concerning this last, Ragnar told Midas all about his grand project to "tax the [[income tax]]ers" and wring from the outside system an amount of gold sufficient to pay back the income taxes of a select group of prospects for the great strike, beginning in the year that the strike began. Midas obliged by re-establishing his bank in the town center, so that Ragnar could bring his booty to the valley and deposit it there. Midas also built a mint and produced [[gold]] and [[silver]] coin.