JUBAL HAD A MISERABLE1 TRIP. The taxi was automatic and it did justwhat he expected of machinery2, developed trouble in the air and homed formaintenance instead of carrying out its orders. Jubal wound up in New York,farther from where he wanted to be than when he started. There he foundthat he could make better time by commercial schedule than he could by anycharter available. So he arrived hours later than he expected to, having spentthe time cooped up with strangers (which he detested3) and watching a stereotank (which he detested only slightly less).
But it did inform him somewhat. He saw an insert of Supreme4 Bishop5 Shortproclaiming a holy war against the Antichrist, i.e.. Mike, and he saw too manyshots of what was obviously an utterly6 ruined building-he failed to see howany of them had escaped alive. Augustus Greaves, in his most solemnlippmann tones, viewed with alarm everything about it but pointed7 out that, inevery spite-fence quarrel, one neighbor supplies the original incitement-andmade it plain that, in his weasel-worded opinion, the so-called Man from Marswas at fault.
At last Jubal stood on a municipal landing flat sweltering in winter clothesunsuited to the blazing sun overhead, noted9 that palm trees still looked like apoor grade of feather duster, regarded bleakly10 the ocean beyond them,thinking that it was a dirty unstable11 mass of water, certainly contaminatedwith grape fruit shells and human excrement13 even though he couldn’t seesuch at this distance-and wondered what to do next.
A man wearing a uniform cap approached him. .Taxi, sir?“.Uh, yes, I think so.“ At worst he could go to a hotel, call in the press, andgive out an interview that would publicize his whereabouts- there wasoccasionally some advantage to being newsworthy.
.Over this way, sir.“ The cabby led him out of the crowd and to a batteredYellow Cab. As he put his bag in after Jubal, the pilot said quietly, .I offer youWater.“.Eh? Never thirst.“.Thou art God.“ The hack14 driver sealed the door and got into his owncompartment.
They wound up on a private landing flat on one wing of a big beach hotel-afour-car space, the hotel’s own landing flat being on another wing. The pilotset the cab to home-in alone, took Jubal’s bag and escorted him inside. .Youcouldn’t have come in too easily via the lobby,“ he said conversationally15, .asthe foyer on this floor is filled with some very badtempered cobras. So if youdecide you want to go down to the street, be sure to ask somebody first. Me,or anybody-I’m Tim.“.I’m Jubal Harshaw.“.I know, brother Jubal. In this way. Mind your step.“ They entered the hotelsuite of the large, extreme luxury sort, and Jubal was led on into a bedroomwith bath; Tim said, .This is yours,“ put Jubal’s bag down and left. On theside table Jubal found water, glasses, ice cubes, and a bottle of brandy,opened but untouched. He was unsurprised to find that it was his preferredbrand. He mixed himself a quick one, sipped17 it and sighed, then took off hisheavy winter jacket.
A woman came in bearing a tray of sandwiches. She was wearing a plaindress which Jubal took to be the uniform of a hotel chambermaid since it wasquite unlike the shorts, scarves, pediskirts, halters, sarongs and other brightcoloredways to display rather than conceal18 that characterized most femalesin this resort. But she smiled at him, said, .Drink deep and never thirst, ourbrother,“ put the tray down, went into his bath and started a tub for him, thenchecked around by eye in bath and in bedroom. .Is there anything you need,Jubal?“.Me? Oh, no, everything is just fine. I’ll make a quick cleanup and-is BenCaxton around?“.Yes. But he said you would want a bath and get comfortable first. If you wantanything, just say so. Ask anyone. Or ask for me. I’m Patty.“.Oh! The Life of Archangel Foster.“She dimpled and suddenly was not plain but pretty, and much younger thanthe thirtyish Jubal had guessed her to be. .Yes.“.I’d like very much to see it some time. I’m interested in religious art.“.Now? No, I grok you want your bath. Unless you’d like help with yourbath?“Jubal recalled that his Japanese friend of the many tattoos19 had been a bathgirl in her teens and would have made-had, many times-the same offer. ButPatty was not Japanese and he simply wanted to wash away the sweat andstink and get into clothes suited to the climate. .No, thank you, Patty. But I dowant to see them, at your convenience.“.Any time. There’s no hurry.“ She left, unhurried but moving silently andvery quickly.
Jubal soaped and dunked himself and refrained from lounging as the warmwater invited his tired muscles to do; he wanted to see Ben and find out thescore. Shortly he was checking through what Larry had packed for him andgrunted with annoyance20 to find no summerweight slacks. He settled forsandals, shorts, and a bright sport shirt, which made him look like a paintsplashedemu and accented his hairy, thinning legs. But Jubal had ceasedworrying about his appearance several decades earlier; it was comfortableand it would do, at least until he needed to go out on the Street . . . or intocourt. Did the bar association here have reciprocity with Pennsylvania? Hecouldn’t recall. Well, it was always possible to act with another attorney-ofrecord.
He found his way into a large living room, most comfortable but having thatimpersonal quality of all hotel accommodations. Several people weregathered near the largest stereovision tank Jubal had ever seen outside atheater. One of them glanced up, said, .Hi, Jubal,“ and came toward him.
.Hi, Ben. What’s the situation? Is Mike still in jail?“ .Oh, no. He got out shortlyafter I talked to you.“.He’s been arraigned22 then. Is the preliminary hearing set?“Ben smiled. .That’s not quite the way it is, Jubal. Mike is technically23 a fugitivefrom justice. He wasn’t released on bail24. He escaped.“Jubal looked disgusted. .What a silly thing to do. Now the case will be eighttimes as difficult.“.Jubal, I told you not to worry. All the rest of us are presumed dead-and Mikeis simply missing. We’re through with this city, so it doesn’t matter in theleast. We’ll go someplace else.“.They’ll extradite him.“.Never fear. They won’t.“.Well ... where is he? I want to talk to him.“.Oh, he’s right here, a couple of rooms down from you. But he’s withdrawn25 inmeditation. He left word to tell you, when you arrived, to take no action-none.
You can talk to him right now if you insist; Jill will call him out of it. But I don’trecommend it. There’s no hurry.“Jubal thought about it, admitted that he was damnably eager to hear fromMike himself just what the score was-and chew him out for having gotten intosuch a mess-but admitted, too, that disturbing Mike while he was in a trancewas almost certainly much worse than disturbing Jubal himself when he wasdictating a story-the boy always came out of his self-hypnosis when he had.grokked the fullness,“ whatever that was-and if he hadn’t, then he alwaysneeded to go back into it. As pointless as disturbing a hibernating28 bear.
.All right, I’ll wait. But I want to talk to him when he wakes up.“.You will. Now relax and be happy. Let the trip get out of your system.“ Benurged him toward the group around the stereo tank.
Anne looked up. .Hello, Boss.“ She moved over and made room. .Sitdown.“Jubal joined her. .May I ask what the devil you are doing here?“.The same thing you’re doing-nothing. Watching stereo. Jubal, please don’tget heavy-handed because we didn’t do what you told us. We belong here asmuch as you do. You shouldn’t have told us not to come. . . but you were tooupset for us to argue with you. So relax and watch what they’re saying aboutus. The sheriff has just announced that he’s going to run all us whores out oftown.“ She smiled. .I’ve never been run out of town before. It should beinteresting. Does a whore get ridden on a rail? Or will I have to walk?“.I don’t think there’s protocol29 in the matter. You all came?“.Yes, but don’t fret30. Jed McClintock is sleeping in the house. Larry and Imade a standing31 arrangement with the McClintock boys for one of them to doso, more than a year ago-just in case. They know how the furnace works andwhere the switches are and things; it’s all right.“.Hmm! I’m beginning to think I’m just a boarder there.“.Were you ever anything else, Boss? You expect us to run it withoutbothering you. We do. But it’s a shame you didn’t relax and let us all traveltogether. We got here more than two hours ago-you must have had sometrouble.“.I did, A terrible trip. Anne, once I get home I don’t intend ever to set foot offthe place again in my life . . - and I’m going to yank out the telephone andtake a sledgehammer to the babble32 box.“.Yes, Boss.“.This time I mean it.“ He glanced at the giant babble box in front of him. .Dothose commercials go on forever? Where’s my goddaughter? Don’t tell meyou left her to the mercies of McClintock’s idiot sons!“.Oh, of course not. She’s here. She even has her own nursemaid, thankGod.“.I want to see her.“.Patty will show her to you. I’m bored with her-she was a perfect little beastall the way down. Patty dear! Jubal wants to see Abby.“The tattooed33 woman checked one of her unhurried dashes through the roomsofar as Jubal could see, she was the only one of the several present whowas doing any work, and she seemed to be everywhere at once. .Certainly,Jubal. I’m not busy. Down this way.
.I’ve got the kids in my room,“ she explained, while Jubal strove to keep upwith her, .so that Honey Bun can watch them.“Jubal was mildly startled to see, a moment later, what Patricia meant by that.
The boa was arranged on one of twin double beds in squared-off loops thatformed a nest-a twin nest, as one bight of the snake had been pulled acrossto bisect the square, making two crib-sized pockets, each padded with ababy blanket and each containing a baby.
The ophidian nursemaid raised her head inquiringly as they came in. Pattystroked it and said, .It’s all right, dear. Father Jubal wants to see them. Pether a little, and let her grok you, so that she will know you next time.“First Jubal coochey-cooed at his favorite girl friend when she gurgled at himand kicked, then petted the snake. He decided34 that it was the handsomestspecimen of Bojdae he had ever seen, as well as the biggest- longer, heestimated, than any other boa constrictor in captivity35. Its cross bars weresharply marked and the brighter colors of the tail quite showy. He enviedPatty her blue-ribbon pet and regretted that he would not have more time inwhich to get friendly with it.
The snake rubbed her head against his hand like a cat. Patty picked up Abbyand said, .Just as I thought. Honey Bun, why didn’t you tell me?“- thenexplained, as she started to change diapers,“She tells me at once if one ofthem gets tangled36 up, or needs help, or anything, since she can’t do much forthem herself-no hands-except nudge them back if they try to crawl out andmight fall. But she just can’t seem to grok that a wet baby ought to bechanged-Honey Bun doesn’t see anything wrong about that. And neitherdoes Abby.“.I know. We call her .Old Faithful.’ Who’s the other cutie pie?“.Huh? That’s Fatima Michele, I thought you knew.“.Are they here? I thought they were in Beirut!“.Why, I believe they did come from some one of those foreign parts. I don’tknow just where. Maybe Maryam told me but it wouldn’t mean anything tome; I’ve never been anywhere. Not that it matters; I grok all places are alikejustpeople. There, do you want to hold Abigail Zenobia while I checkFatima?“Jubal did so and assured her that she was the most beautiful girl in the world,then shortly thereafter assured Fatima of the same thing. He was completelysincere each time and the girls believed him-Jubal had said the same thingon countless38 occasions starting in the Harding administration, had alwaysmeant it and had always been believed. It was a Higher Truth, not bound bymundane logic39.
Regretfully he left them, after again petting Honey Bun and telling her thesame thing, and just as sincerely.
They left and at once ran into Fatima’s mother. .Boss honey!“ She kissed himand patted his tummy. .I see they’ve kept you fed.“.Some. I’ve just been in smooching with your daughter, She’s an angeldoll, Miriam.“.Pretty good baby, huh? We’re going to sell her down to Rio-get a fancyprice for her.“.I thought the market was better in Yemen?“.Stinky says not. Got to sell her to make room.“ She put his hand on herbelly. .Feel the bulge40? Stinky and I are making a boy now-got no time fordaughters.“.Maryam,“ Patricia said chidingly41, .that’s no way to talk, even in fun.“.Sorry, Patty. I won’t talk that way about your baby- Aunt Patty is a lady, andgroks that I’m not.“.I grok that you aren’t, too, you little hellion, But if Fatima is for sale, I’ll giveyou twice your best commercial offer.“.You’ll have to take it up with Aunt Patty; I’m merely allowed to see heroccasionally.“.And you don’t bulge, so you may want to keep her yourself. Let me see youreyes. Mmm ... could be.“.Is. And Mike has grokked it most carefully and tells Stinky he’s made aboy.“.How can Mike grok that? Impossible. I’m not even sure you’re pregnant-.
.Oh, she is, Jubal,“ Patricia confirmed.
Miriam looked at him serenely43. .Still the skeptic44, Boss. Mike grokked it whileStinky and I were still in Beirut, before we were sure we had caught. So Mikephoned us. And the next day Stinky told the university that we were taking asabbatical for field work-or his resignation, if they wished. So here we are.“.Doing what?“.Working. Working harder than you ever made me work, Boss-myhusband is a slave driver.“.Doing what?“.They’re writing a Martian dictionary,“ Patty told him.
.Martian to English? That must be difficult.“.Oh, no, no, no!“ Miriam looked almost shocked. .That wouldn’t be difficult,that would be impossible. A Martian dictionary in Martian. There’s never beenone before; the Martians don’t need such things. Uh, my part of it is justclerical; I type what they do. Mike and Stinky-mostly Stinky-worked out aphonetic script for Martian, eighty-one characters. So we had an I.B.M. typerworked over for those characters, using both upper and lower case-Bossdarling, I’m ruined as a secretary; I type touch system in Martian now. Willyou love me anyhow? When you shout .Front!’ and I’m not good foranything? I can still cook . . . and I’m told that I have other talents.“.I’ll learn to dictate46 in Martian.“.You will, before Mike and Stinky get through with you. I grok. Eh,Patty?“.You speak rightly, my brother.“They returned to the living room, Caxton joined them and suggested finding aquieter place, away from the giant babble box, led Jubal down a passage andinto another living room. .You seem to have most of this floor“.All of it,“ agreed Ben. .Four suites-the Secretarial; the Presidential, theRoyal, and Owner’s Cabin, opened into one and not accessible other than byour own landing fiat47 . except through a foyer that is not very healthy withOuthelp. You were warned about that?“.Yes.“.We don’t need so much room right now... but we may: people are~~ck~ng in.“.Ben, how can you hide from the cops as openiy as this? The hotel staffalone will give you away.“.Oh, there are ways- The staff doesn’t come up here. You see, Mike ownsthe hotel.“.So much the worse, I would think-.
.So much the better ... unless our doughty48 police chief has Mr. Douglas onhis payroll49, which I doubt. Mike bought it through about four links ofdummies_and Douglas doesn’t snoop into why Mike wants things done.
Douglas doesn’t despise me quite as much since Os Kilgallen took over mycolumn, I think, but nevertheless he doesn’t want to surrender control to mehedoes what Mike wants. The hotel is a sound investment; it makesmoney_but the owner of record is one of our clandestine52 Ninth Circle. So theowner decides he wants this floor for the season and the manager can’t anddoesn’t and wouldn’t want to inquire into why, or how many guests of his ownthe owner has coming or going—he likes his job; Mike is paying him morethan he’s worth. It’s a pretty good hide-out, for the time being. .Till Mike grokswhere we will go next.“.Sounds like Mike had anticipated a need for a hide~out.“.Oh, I’m sure he did. Almost two weeks ago Mike cleared out the nestlings’
nest except for Maryam and her baby; Maryam is needed for the job she’son. Mike sent the parents with children to other cities-places he means toopen temples~ I think-and when the time came, there were just about adozen 0f us to move. No sweat.“.As it was, you barely got out with your lives, I take it.“ Jubal wondered howthey had even managed to grab clothes in view of how they probably werenot dressed. .You lost all the contents of the Nest? All your personalpossessions?“.Oh, no, not anything we really wanted. Stuff like Stinky’s language tapes anda trick typer that Maryam uses; even that horrible Madame Tussaud pictureof you. And Mike grabbed our clothes and some cash that was on hand.“Jubal objected, .You say Mike did this? But I thought Mike was in jail whenthe fire broke out.“.Uh, he was and he wasn’t. His body was in jail ... curled up in withdrawat Buthe was actually with us. You understand?“.Uh, I don’t grok.“.Rapport53. He was inside Jill’s bead54, mostly, but we were all pretty closely tiedin together. Jubal, I can’t explain it; you have tO do it. When the exploSiOnhit, he moved us over here. Then he went back and saved the minor55 stuffworth saving.“Jubal frowned. Caxton said impatiently,“Teleportation, of course. What’s sohard to grok about it, Jubal? You yourself told me to come down here andopen my eyes and know a miracle when I saw one. So I did and they were.
Only they aren’t miracles, any more than radio is a miracle. Do you grokradio? Or stereovsion? Or electronic computers?“.Me? No.“.Nor do I, I’ve never studied electronics. But I’m sure I could if I took the timeand the hard sweat to learn the language of e1ctronics. I don’t think it’smiraculous-just complex. Teleportation is quite simple, once you learn thelanguage-it’s the language that is so difficult.“.Ben, you can teleport things?“.Me? Oh, no, they don’t teach that in kindergarten. Oh, I’m a deacon bycourtesy, simply because I’m .First Called’ and Ninth Circle-but my actualprogress is about Fourth Circle, bucking56 for Fifth. Why, I’m just beginning toget control of my own body~Patty is the only one of us who uses teleportationherself with any regularity58 . . . and I’m not sure she ever does it withoutMike’s support. Oh, Mike says she’s quite capable of it, but Patty is such acuriously naive59 and humble60 person for the genius she is that she is quitedependent on Mike. Which she needn’t be. Jubal, I grok this: we don’tactuallY need Mike-Oh, I’m not running him down; don’t get me wrong. Butyou could have been the Man from Mars. Or even me.
It’s like the first man to discover fire. Fire was there all along-and after heshowed that it could be used, anybody could use it . . anybody with senseand savvy61 enough not to get burned with it. Follow me?“.I grok, somewhat at least.“.Mike is our Prometheus-but remember, Prometheus was not God. Mikekeeps emphasizing this. Thou art God, I am God, he is God that groks. Mikeis a man along with the rest of us . . . even though he knows more. A verysuperior man, admittedly-a lesser62 man, taught the things the Martians know,probably would have set himself up as a pipsqueak god. Mike is above thattemptation. Prometheus . . . but that’s all,“Jubal said slowly, .As I recall, Prometheus paid a high price for bringingfire to mankind.“.And don’t think that Mike doesn’t! He pays with twenty-four hours of workevery day, seven days a week, trying to teach a few of us how to play withmatches without getting burned. Jill and Patty lowered the boom on him,started making him take one night a week off, long before I joined up.“Caxton smiled. .But you can’t stop Mike. This burg is loaded with gamblingjoints, no doubt you know, and most of them crooked64 since it’s against thelaw here. Mike usually spends his night off bucking crooked games-andwinning. Picks up ten, twenty, thirty thousand dollars a night. They tried tomug him, they tried to kill him, they tried knock-out drops and muscle boysnothingworked; he simply ran up a reputation as the luckiest man in town . . .
which brought more people into the Temple; they wanted to see this manwho always won. So they tried to shut him out of the games-which was amistake. Their cold decks froze solid, their wheels wouldn’t spin, their dicewould roll nothing but box cars. At last they started putting up with him . . .
and requesting him politely to please move along after he had won a fewgrand. Mike would always do so, if asked politely.“Caxton added, .Of course that’s one more power bloc65 we’ve got against us.
Not just the Fosterites and some of the other churches-but the gamblingsyndicate and the city political machine. I rather suppose that job done on theTemple was by professionals brought in from out of town-I doubt if theFosterite goon squads66 touched it. Too professional.“While they talked, people came in, went out again, formed groupsthemselves or joined Jubal and Ben. Jubal found in them a most unusualfeeling, an unhurried relaxation67 that at the same time was a dynamic tension.
No one seemed excited, never in a hurry . . . yet everything they did seemedpurposeful, even gestures as apparently68 accidental and unpremeditated asencountering one another and marking it with a kiss or a greeting-orsometimes not. It felt to Jubal as if each move had been planned by a masterchoreographer . . . yet obviously was not.
The quiet and the increasing tension-or rather .expectancy69,“ he decided;these people were not tense in any morbid70 fashion-reminded Jubal ofsomething he had known in the past. Surgery? With a master at work, nonoise, no lost motions? A little.
Then he recalled it. Once, many years earlier when gigantic chemicallypowered rockets were used for the earliest probing of space from the thirdplanet, he had watched a count-down in a block house . . . and he recallednow the same low voices, the same relaxed, very diverse but coordinatedactions, the same rising exultant71 expectancy as the count grew ever smaller.
They were .waiting for fullness,“ that was certain. But for what? Why werethey so happy? Their Temple and all they had built had just been destroyed .
. . yet they seemed like kids on the night before Christmas.
Jubal had noted in passing, when he arrived, that the nudity Ben had been sodisturbed by on his abortive72 first visit to the Nest did not seem to be thepractice in this surrogate Nest, although private enough in location. ThenJubal realized later that he had failed to notice such cases when they didappear; he had himself become so much in the unique close-family mood ofthe place that being dressed or not had become an unnoticeable irrelevancy73.
When he did notice, it was not skin but the thickest, most beautiful cascadeof black hair he had ever seen, gracing a young woman who came in, spoketo someone, threw Ben a kiss, glanced gravely at Jubal, and left. Jubalfollowed her with his eyes, appreciating that flowing mass of midnightplumage. Only after she left did he realize that she had not been dressedother than in her queenly crowning glory . . . and then realized, too, that shewas not the first of his brothers in that fashion.
Ben noticed his glance. .That’s Ruth,“ he said. .New high priestess. She andher husband have been away, clear on the other coast-their mission was toprepare a branch temple, I think. I’m glad they’re back. It’s beginning to lookas if the whole family will be home at once-like an oldfashioned Christmasdinner.“.Beautiful head of hair. I wish she had tarried.“.Then why didn’t you call her over?“.Eh?“.Ruth almost certainly found an excuse to come in here just to catch aglimpse of you-I suppose they must have just arrived. But haven’t younoticed that we have been left pretty much alone, except for a few who satdown with us, didn’t say much, then left?“.Well ... yes.“ Jubal had noticed and had been a touch disappointed, as hehad been braced74, by all that he had heard, to ward21 off undue75 intimacy76-andhad found that he had stepped on a top step that wasn’t there. He had beentreated with hospitality and politeness, but it was more like the politeness of acat than that of an over-friendly dog.
.They are all terribly interested in the fact that you are here and are veryanxious to see you . . . but they are a little bit afraid of you, too.“.Me?“.Oh, I told you this last summer. You’re a venerable tradition of the church,not quite real and a bit more than life size. Mike has told them that you arethe only human being he knows of who can .grok in fullness’ without needingto learn Martian first. Most of them suspect that you can read minds asperfectly as Mike does.“.Oh, what poppycock! I hope you disabused77 them?“.Who am I to destroy a myth? Perhaps you do read minds-I’m sure youwouldn’t tell me. They are just a touch afraid of you-YOU eat babies forbreakfast and when you roar the ground trembles. Any of them would bedelighted to have you call them over . . . but they won’t force themselves onyou. They know that even Mike stands at attention and says .sir’ when youspeak.“Jubal dismissed the whole idea with one short, explosive word.
.Certainly,“ Ben agreed. .Even Mike has his blind spots-I told you he wasonly human. But that’s how it is. You’re the patron saint of this church- andyou’re stuck with it.“.Well ... there’s somebody I know, iust came in. Jill! Jill! Turn around, dear!“The woman turned rather hesitantly. .I’m Dawn. But thank you.“ She cameover, however, and Jubal thought for an instant that she was going to kisshim . . . and decided not to duck it. But she either had not that intention, orchanged her mind. She dropped to one knee, took his hand and kissed it.
.Father Jubal. We welcome you and drink deep of you.“Jubal snatched his hand away. .Oh, for heaven’s sake, child! Get up fromthere and sit with us. Share water.“.Yes, Father Jubal.“.Uh ... and call me Jubal-and pass the word around that I don’t appreciatebeing treated like a leper. I’m in the bosom78 of my family-I hope.“.You are ... Jubal.“.So I expect to be called Jubal and treated as a water brother-no more, noless. The first one who treats me with respect will be required to stay in afterschool. Grok?“.Yes, Jubal,“ she answered demurely79. .I’ve told them. They will.“.Huh?“.Dawn means,“ explained Ben, .that she’s told Patty, probably~ since Mike iswithdrawn at the moment . . . and that Patty is telling everybody who canhear easily-with his inner ear-and they are passing the word to any who arestill a bit deaf, like myself.“.Yes,“ agreed Dawn, .except that I told Jill-Patty has gone outside forsomething Michael wants. Jubal, have you been watching any of what isshowing in the stereo tank? It’s very exciting.“.Eli? No.“.You mean the jail break, Dawn?“.Yes, Ben“.We hadn’t discussed that-and Jubal doesn’t like stereo. Jubal, Mike didn’tmerely crush out and come home when he felt like it; he gave them adilemma to sit on. Here he has just been arrested for everything but rapingthe Statue of Liberty, with Bigmouth Short denouncing him as the Antichriston the same day. So he gave .em miracles to chew on. He threw away everybar and door in the county jail as he left . . . did the same at the state prisonjust Out of town for good measure~and disarmed80 all the police forces, city,county, and state. Partly to keep .em busy and interested . . . and partlybecause Mike just purely81 despises locking a man up for any reason at all. Hegroks a great wrongness in it.“.That fits,“ Jubal agreed. .Mike is gentle, always. It would hurt him to haveanybody locked up. I agree.“Ben shook his head. .Mike isn’t gentle, Jubal. Killing82 a man wouldn’t worryhim. But he’s the ultimate anarrchist~locking a man up is a wrongness.
Freedom of self-and utter personal responsibility for self. Thou art God.“.Wherein lies the conflict, sir? Killing a man might be necessary. Butconfining him is an offense83 against his integrity-and your own.“Ben looked at him. .I grok Mike was right. You do grok in fullness- his way. Idon’t quite-I’m still learning.“ He added, .How are they taking it, Dawn?“She giggled84 slightly. .Like a stirred-UP hornets’ nest. The mayor has been on. . . and he’s frothing at the mouth. He’s demanded help from the state andfrom the Federation-and he’s getting it; we’ve seen lots of troop carrierslanding. But as they pour out, Mike is stripping them-not just their weapons.
even their shoes-and as soon as the troop carTer is empty, it goes, too.“Ben said, .I grok he’ll stay withdrawn until they get tired and give up.
Handling that many details he would almost have to stay in it and on eternaltime.“Dawn looked thoughtful. .No, I don’t think so, Ben. Of course I would have to,in order to handle even a tenth so much. But I grok Michael could do it ridinga bicycle while standing on his head.“.Mmm ... I wouldn’t know, I’m still making mud pies.“ Ben stood up.
.Sometimes you miracle workers give me a slight pain, honey child. I’m goingto go watch the tank for a while.“ He stopped to kiss her. .You entertain oldPappy Jubal; he likes little girls.“ Caxton left and a package of cigarettes hehad left on a coffee table got up, followed him, and placed themselves in oneof his pockets.
Jubal said, .Did you do that? Or Ben?“.Ben did. I don’t smoke, unless the man I’m with wants to smoke. But he’salways forgetting his cigarettes; they chase him all over the Nest.“.Hmmm ... pretty fair-sized mud pies he makes these days.“.Ben is advancing much more rapidly than he will ever admit. He’s a veryholy person-but he hates to admit it. He’s shy.“.Umph. Dawn, you are the Dawn Ardent85 I met at Foster Tabernacle abouttwo and half years ago, aren’t you?“.Oh, you remember!!“ She looked as if he had handed her a lollipop86.
.Of course I remember. But I was slightly puzzled. You’ve changed some. Allfor the better. You seem much more beautiful.“.That’s because I am more beautiful,“ she said simply. .You mistook me forGillian. And she is more beautiful, too.“.Where is that child? I haven’t seen her ... and I expected to see her atonce.“.She’s been working.“ Dawn paused. .But I told her and she says she’scoming in.“ She paused again. .And I am to take her place. If you will excuseme.“.Oh, certainly. Run along, child.“.There’s no hurry.“ But she did get up and leave almost at once as Dr.
Mahmoud sat down.
Jubal looked at him sourly. .You might at least have had the commoncourtesy to let me know that you were in this country instead of letting memeet my goddaughter for the first time through the good offices of a snake.“.Oh, Jubal, you’re always in such a bloody87 hurry,“.Sir, when one is of-. Jubal was interrupted by two hands placed over hiseyes from behind. A well-remembered voice demanded:
.Guess who?“.Beelzebub?“.Try again.“.Lady Macbeth?“.Much closer. Third guess, or a forfeit88.“.Gillian, stop that and come around here and sit beside me.“.Yes, Father.“ She obeyed.
.And knock off calling me .Father’ anywhere but home. Sir, I was saying thatwhen one is of my age, one is necessarily in a hurry about some things. Eachsunrise is a precious jewel . . . for it may never be followed by its sunset. Theworld may end at any moment.“Mahmoud smiled at him. .Jubal, are you under the impression that if you stopcranking, the world stops going around?“.Most certainly, sir-from my viewpoint.“ Miriam joined them silently, sat downon Jubal’s free side; he put an arm around her. .While I might not be honingto see your ugly face again . . . nor even to gaze on the somewhat moreacceptable one of my former secretary-.
Miriam whispered, .Boss, are you honing for a kick in the stomach? I’mexquisitely beautiful; I have it on highest authority.“.Quiet. -new goddaughters are in another category. Through your failure todrop me so much as a postcard, I might have missed seeing Fatima Michele.
In which case I would have returned to haunt you.“.In which case,“ Miriam pointed out, .you could take a took at Micky at thesame time . . . rubbing strained carrots in her hair. A disgusting sight.“.I was speaking metaphorically89.“.I wasn’t. She’s a sloppy90 trencherman.“.Why,“ asked Jill quietly, .were you speaking metaphorically, Boss?“.Eh? The concept .ghost’ is one I feel no need for, other than as a figure ofspeech.“.It’s more than a figure of speech,“ insisted Jill.
.Uh ... as may be. I prefer to meet baby girls in the flesh, including myown.“Dr. Malunoud said, .But that is what I was saying, Jubal. You aren’t about todie; you aren’t even close to it. Mike has grokked you to be certain. He saysyou have a long stretch of years ahead of you.“Jubal shook his head. .I set a top limit of three figures years ago. Nomore.“.Which three figures, Boss?“ Miriam inquired innocently. .The threeMethuselah used?“He shook her shoulders. .Don’t be obscene!“.Stinky says women should be obscene but not heard.“.Your husband speaks rightly. So pipe down. The day my machine firstshows three figures on its mileage91 meter is the day I discorporate, whetherMartian style or by my own crude methods. You can’t take that away fromme. Going to the showers is the best part of the game.“.I grok you speak rightly, Jubal,“ Jill said slowly, .about its being the best partof the game. But I wouldn’t count on it any time soon. Your fullness is not yet.
Allie cast a horoscope on you just last week.“.A horoscope? Oh, my God! Who is .Ailie?’ And how dare she cast ahoroscope on me! Show her to me! Swelp me, I’ll turn her in to the BetterBusiness Bureau.“.I’m afraid you can’t, Jubal,“ Mahmoud put in, .just now, as she is working onour dictionary. As to who she is, she’s Madame Alexandra Vesant.“Jubal sat up and looked pleased. .Becky? Is she in this nut house, too? Ishould have known it. Where is she?“.Yes, Becky. But we call her .Allie’ because we’ve got another Becky. Butyou’ll have to wait. And don’t scoff92 at her horoscopes, Jubal; she has theSight.“.Oh, balderdash, Stinky. Astrology is nonsense and you know it.“.Oh, certainly. Even Allie knows it. And a percentage of astrologers areclumsy frauds. Nevertheless Allie practices it even more assiduously thanshe used to, when she did it for the public-using Martian arithmetic now andMartian astronomy-much fuller than ours. But it’s her device for grokking, Itcould be gazing into a pool of water, or a crystal ball, or examining theentrails of a chicken. The means she uses to get into the mood do not matterand Mike has advised her to go on using the symbols she is used to. Thepoint is: she has the Sight.“.What the hell do you mean by .the Sight,’ Stinky?“.The ability to grok more of the universe than that little piece you happen tobe sitting on at the moment. Mike has it from years of Martian discipline; Alliewas an untrained semi-adept. The fact that she used as meaningless asymbol as astrology is beside the point. A rosary is meaningless, too-I speakof a Muslim rosary, of course; I’m not criticizing our competitors across thestreet.“ Mahmoud reached into his pocket, got out one, started fingering it. .Ifit helps to turn your hat around during a poker93 game-then it helps. It isirrelevant that the hat has no magic powers and cannot grok.“Jubal looked at the Islamic device for meditation26 and ventured a question hehad hesitated to put before. .Then I take it you are still one of the Faithful? Ihad thought perhaps that you had joined Mike’s church all the way.“Mahmoud put away the beads94. .I have done both.“.Huh? Stinky, they’re incompatible95. Or else I don’t grok either one.“Mahmoud shook his head. .Only on the surface. You could say, I suppose,that Maryam took my religion and I took hers; we consolidated96. But, Jubal mybeloved brother, I am still God’s slave, submissive to His will . . . andnevertheless can say: .Thou art God, I am God, all that groks is God.’ TheProphet never asserted that he was the last of all prophets nor did he claimto have said all there was to say-only fanatics97 after his lifetime insisted onthose two very misleading fallacies. Submission98 to God’s will is not tobecome a blind robot, incapable99 of free decision and thus of sin-and theKoran does not say that. Submission can include -and does include-utterresponsibility for the fashion in which I, and each of us, shape the universe. Itis ours to turn into a heavenly garden or to rend51 and destroy.“ He smiled.
.’With God all things are possible,’ if I may borrow for a moment-except onething . . . the one Impossible. God cannot escape Himself, He cannotabdicate His own total responsibility-He forever must remain submissive toHis own will. Islam remains100-He cannot pass the buck57. It is His-mine . . . yoursMike’s.“Jubal heaved a sigh. .Stinky, theology always gives me the pip. Where’sBecky? Can’t she knock off this dictionary work and say hello to an oldfriend? I’ve seen her only once in the last twenty-odd years; that’s too long.“.You’ll see her. But she can’t stop now, she’s dictating27. Let me explain thetechnique, so that you won’t insist. Up to now, I’ve been spending part ofeach day in rapport with Mike-just a few moments although it feels like aneight-hour day. Then I would immediately dictate all that he had poured intome onto tape. From those tapes several other people, trained in Martianphonetics but not necessarily advanced students, would make long-handphonetic transcriptions. Then Maryam would type them out, using a specialtyper-and this master copy Mike or I-Mike by choice, but his time is chokedwouldcorrect by hand.
.But our schedule has been disturbed now, and Mike groks that he is going tosend Maryam and me away to some Shangri-la to finish the job- or, morecorrectly, he has grokked that we will grok such a necessity. So Mike isgetting months and years of tape completed in order that I can take it awayand unhurriedly break it into a phonetic45 script that humans can learn to read.
Besides that, we have stacks of tapes of Mike’s lectures-in Martian-that needto be transcribed101 into print when the dictionary is finished . . . lectures that weunderstood at the time with his help but later will need to be printed, with thedictionary.
.Now I am forced to assume that Maryam and I will be leaving quite soon,because, busy as Mike is with a hundred other things, he’s changed themethod. There are eight bedrooms here equipped with tape recorders. Thoseof us who can do it best-Patty, Jill, myself; Maryam, your friend Allie, someothers-take turns in those rooms. Mike puts us into a short trance, pourslanguage-definitions, idioms, concepts-into us for a few moments that feellike hours . . . then we dictate at once just what he has poured into us,exactly, while it’s still fresh. But it can’t be just anybody, even of theInnermost Temple. It requires a sharp accent and the ability to join the trancerapport and then spill out the results. Sam, for example, has everything butthe clear accent-he manages, God knows how, to speak Martian with aBronx accent. Can’t use him, it would cause endless errata in the dictionary.
And that is what Allie is doing now-dictating. She’s still in the semi-tranceneeded for total recall and, if you interrupt her, she’ll lose what she still hasn’trecorded.“.I grok,“ Jubal agreed, .although the picture of Becky Vesey as a Martianadept shakes me a little. Still, she was once one of the best mentalists inshow business; she could give a cold readilig that would scare any mark rightout of his shoes-a~ loosen his pocketb00~ Say, Stinky, if you are going to besent away for peace and quiet while you unwind all this data, why don’t youand Maryam come home? Plenty of room for a study & bedroom suite8 in thenew wing.“.Perbaps we shall. Waiting still is.“.Sweetheart,“ Miriam said earnestlY, .that’s a solutiOn I would just plain loveif Mike pushes us out of the Nest.“.If we grok to leave the Nest, you mean.“.Same thing . . . you grok.“.You speak rightly, my dear. But when do we eat around here? I feel a mostunMartian urgency inside. The service was better in the Nest.“.You can’t expect Patty to work on your dratted old dictionary, see to it thateveryone who arrives is comfortable, run errands for Mike, and still have foodon the table the instant you get hungry, my love. Jubal, Stinky will neverachieve priesthood~he’s a slave to his stomach.“.Well, so am I.“.And you girls might give Patty a hand,“ her husband added.
.That sounds like a crude hint. You know we do, dear, all she will let us—andTony will hardly allow anyone in his kitchen . . . even this kitchen.“ She stoodup. .Come on, Jubal, and let’s see what’s cooking. Tony will be very flatteredif you visit his kitchen.“Jubal went with her, was a bit bemused to see telekinesis used in preparingfood, met Tony, who scowled102 until he saw who was with her, then wasbeamingly proud to show off his workshop, accompanied by a spate103 ofinvective in mixed English and Italian at the scoundrels who had destroyed.his“ kitchen in the Nest. In the meantime a spoon, unassisted, continued tokeel a big pot of spaghetti sauce.
Shortly thereafter Jubal declined to be jockeyed into a seat at the head of along table, grabbed one elsewhere. Patty sat at one end; the head chairremained vacant . . . except for an eerie104 feeling which Jubal suppressed thatthe Man from Mars was sitting there and that everyone present but himselfcould see him_whith was true only in some cases.
Across the table from him was Dr. Nelson.
Jubal discovered that he would have been surprised only if Dr. Nelson hadnot been present. He nodded and said, .Hi, Sven.“.Hi, Doc. Share water.“.Never thirst. What are you around here? Staff physician?“ Nelson shook hisbead. .Medical student.“.So. Learn anything?“.I’ve learned that medicine isn’t necessary.“.If youda ast me, I coulda told yah. Seen Van?“.He ought to be in sometime late tonight or early tomorrow. His shipgrounded today.“.Does he always come here?“ inquired Jubal.
.Call him an extension student. He can’t spend much time here.“.Well, it will be good to see him. I haven’t laid eyes on him for a year and half,about.“ Jubal picked up a conversation with the man on his right while Nelsontalked with Dorcas on his right. Jubal noticed the same tingling106 expectancy atthe table which he had felt before, but reinforced. Yet there was still nothinghe could put his finger on_lust a quiet family dinner in relaxed intimacY.
Once, a glass of water was passed all around the table, but, if there wasritual of words with it, they were spoken too low to carry. When it reachedJubal’s placer he took a sip16 and passed it along to the girl on his left-roundeyedand too awed107 to make chit-chat with him-and himself said in a lowvoice, .I offer you water.“She managed to answer, .I thank you for water, Fa- Jubal.“ That was almostthe only word be got out of her. When the glass completed the cjtcUit,reaching the vacant chair at the head of the table, there was perhaps a halfinch of water in it. It raised itself, poured, and the water disappeared, then thetumbler placed itself on the cloth. Jubal decided, correctly, that he had takenpart in a group Sharing Water of the Innermost Temple . . . and probably inhis honour-although it certainly was not even slightly like the Bacchallalhanrevels he had thought accompamed such formal welcome of a brother. Wasit because they were in strange surroundings? Or had he read into unexplicitreports what his own id wanted to find in those reports?
Or had they simply toned it down to an ascetic108 formality out of deference109 tohis age and opinions?
The last seemed the most likely theory-and he found that it vexed110 him. Ofcourse, he told himself, he was glad to be spared the need to refuse aninvitation that he certainly did not want-and would not have relished111 at anyage, his tastes being what they were.
But just the same, damn it-.Don’t anybody mention ice skating becauseGrandmaw is too old and frail112 for ice skating and it wouldn’t be polite. Hulda,you suggest that we play checkers and we’ll all chime in-Grandmaw likescheckers. And we’ll go ice skating some other time. Okay, kids?“Jubal resented the respectful consideratiOn, if that was what it was- he wouldalmost have preferred to have gone ice skating anyhow, even at the cost of abroken hip105.
But he decided to forget the matter, put it entirely113 out of mind, which he didwith the help of the man on his right, who was as talkative as the girl on hisleft was not. His name, Jubal learned, was Sam, and presently he learnedthat Sam was a man of broad and deep scholarship, a trait Jubal valued inanyone when it was not mere42 parrot learning-and he grokked that in Sam itwas not.
.This setback114 is only apparent,“ Sam assured him. .The egg was ready tohatch and now we’ll spread out. Of course we’ve had trouble; we’ll go onhaving trouble-because no society, no matter how liberal its law may appearto be, will allow its basic concepts to be challenged with impunity115. Which isexactly what we are doing. We are challenging everything from the sanctity ofproperty to the sanctity of marriage.“.Do you know?“Sam shook his head. .Not interested. But Saul over there-that other bigHebe; he’s my cousin-gives it grokking, along with Allie. Michael has them bevery cautious about it, no big killings116, and they use a dozen-odd dummyaccounts-but the fact remains that any of the disciplined can make anyamount of money at anything-real estate, stocks, horse races, gambling63, youname it-when competing with the half awake. No, I don’t think that moneyand property will disappear-Michael says that both concepts are useful-but Ido say that they’re going to be turned upside down and inside out to the pointwhere people will have to learn new rules (and that means learn the hardway, just as we have) or be hopelessly outclassed. What happens to LunarEnterprises when the common carrier between here and Luna City isteleportation?“.Should I buy? Or sell?“.Ask Saul. He might use the present corporation, or he might bankrupt it. Or itmight be left untouched for a century or two. But besides bankers andbrokers, consider any other occupation. How can a school teacher teach achild who knows more than she does and won’t hold still for mistakenteaching? What becomes of physicians and dentists when people are trulyhealthy? What happens to the cloak & suit industry and to the I.L.G.W.U.
when clothing isn’t really needed at all and women aren’t so endlesslyinterested in dressing117 up (they’ll never lose interest entirely)- and nobodygives a damn if he’s caught with his arse bare? What shape does .the FarmProblem’ take when weeds can be told not to grow and crops can beharvested without benefit of International Harvester or John Deere? Justname it; it changes beyond recognition when the discipline is applied118. Takejust one change that will shake both the sanctity of marriage-in its presentform-and the sanctity of property. Jubal, do you have any idea how much isspent each year in this country on Malthusian drugs and devices?“.I have a fairly exact idea, Sam. Almost a billion dollars on oralcontraceptives alone this last fiscal119 year . . . more than half of which was forpatent nostrums120 about as useful as corn starch121.“.Oh, yes, you’re a medical man.“.Only in passing. A pack rat mind.“.Either way. What happens to that big industry-and to the shrill122 threats ofmoralists—when a female can conceive only when she elects to as an act ofvolition, when also she is immune to disease, cares only for the approval ofher own sort . . . and has her orientation123 so changed that she desiresintercourse with a whole-heartedness that Cleopatra never dreamed of-butany male who tried to rape12 her would die so quickly, if she so grokked, thathe wouldn’t know what hit him? When women are free of guilt124 and fear-butinvulnerable other than by decision of self? Hell, the pharmaceutical125 industrywill be just a passing casualty-what other industries, laws, institutions,attitudes, prejudices, and nonsense must give way?“.I don’t grok its fullness,“ admitted Jubal. .It concerns a subject that has beenof little direct interest to me in quite a while.“.One institution won’t be damaged by it. Marriage.“.So?“.Very much so. Instead it will be purged126, strengthened, and made endurable.
Endurable? Ecstatic! See that wench down there with the long black hair?“.Yes. I was delighting in its beauty earlier.“.She knows it’s beautiful and it’s grown a foot and a half longer since wejoined the church. That’s my wife. Not much over a year ago we livedtogether about like bad-tempered127 dogs. She was jealous . . . and I wasinattentive. Bored. Hell, we were both bored and only our kids kept ustogether-that and her possessiveness; I knew she would never let me gowithout a fight and a scandal . . . and I didn’t have any stomach for trying toput together a new marriage at my age, anyhow. So I got a little on the side,when I could get away with it-a college professor has many temptations, fewsafe opportunities-and Ruth was quietly bitter. Or sometimes not so quiet.
And then we joined up.“ Sam grinned happily. .And I fell in love with my ownwife. Number-one gal50 friend~“Sam’s words had been very quiet, an intimate conversation walled by noiseof eating and cheerful company. His wife was far down the table. She lookedup and said clearly, .That’s an exaggeration, Jubal. I think I’m about numbersix.“Her husband called out, .Stay out of my mind, beautiful!-we’re talking mentalk. Give Larry your undivided attention.“ He picked up a hard roll, threw it ather.
She stopped it in mid-trajectory, threw it back at him while continuing to talk;Sam caught it and buttered it. .I’m giving Larry all the attention he wants . . .
until later, maybe. Jubal, that brute128 didn’t let me finish. Number-six place iswonderful! Because my name wasn’t even on the list till we joined the church.
I hadn’t rated as high as six with Sam in the past twenty years.“ She did thenturn her attention back to Larry.
.The real point,“ Sam said quietly, .is that we two are now partners, muchmore than we ever were even at the best period in our outside marriage-andwe got that way through the training, culminating in sharing and growingcloser with others who had the same training. We all wind up in twosomepartnerships inside the larger group-usually, but not necessarily, with our ownspouses-of-record. Sometimes not . . . and if not, the readjustment takesplace with no heartache and a warmer, closer, better relationship betweenthe soidisant .divorced’ couple than ever, both in bed and out. No loss and allgain. Shucks, this pairing as partners needn’t even be between man andwoman. Dawn and Jill for example- they work together like an acrobaticteam.“.Hmm ... I suppose,“ Jubal said thoughtfully, .that I had thought of those twoas being Mike’s wives.“.No more so than they are to any of us. Or than Mike is to all the rest. Mike istoo busy, has been, I should say, until the Temple burned-to do more thanmake sure that he shared himself all the way around.“ Sam added, .Ifanybody is Mike’s wife, it’s Patty, although she keeps so busy herself that therelation is more spiritual than physical. Actually, you could say that both Mikeand Patty are short-changed when it comes to mauling the mattress129.“Patty was not quite as far away as Ruth, but far enough. She looked up andsaid, .Sam dear, I don’t feel short-changed.“.Huh?“ Sam then announced, loudly and bitterly, .The only thing wrong withthis church is that a man has absolutely no privacy!“This brought a barrage130 of food in his direction, all from distaff members. Hehandled it all and tossed it back without lifting a hand . . . until the complexityof it apparently got to be too much and a plateful of spaghetti caught him fullin the face-thrown, Jubal noticed, by Dorcas.
For a moment Sam looked like a particularly ghastly crash victim. Thensuddenly his face was clean and even the sauce that had spattered onJubal’s shirt was gone. .Don’t give her any more, Tony. She wasted it; let hergo hungry.“.Plenty more in the kitchen,“ Tony answered. .Sam, you look good inspaghetti. Pretty good sauce, huh?“ Dorcas’s plate sailed out to the kitchen,returned, loaded. Jubal decided that Dorcas had not been concealing131 talentsfrom him-the plate was much more heavily filled than she would have chosenherself; he knew her appetite.
.Very good sauce,“ agreed Sam. .I salvaged132 some that hit me in the mouth.
What is it? Or shouldn’t I ask?“.Chopped policeman,“ Tony answered.
Nobody laughed. For a queasy133 instant Jubal wondered if the joke was a joke.
Then he recalled that these his water brothers smiled a lot but rarelylaughed-and besides, policeman should be good healthy food. But the saucecouldn’t be .long pig“ in any case, or it would taste like pork. This sauce hada distinct beef flavor to it.
He changed the subject. .The thing I like best about this religion-.
.Is it a religion?“ Sam inquired.
.Well, church. Call it a church. You did.“.It is a church,“ agreed Sam. .It fills every function of a church, and its quasitheologydoes, I admit, match up fairly well with some real religions. Faiths. Ijumped in because I used to be a stalwart atheist134-and now I’m a high priestand I don’t know what I aim“.I understood you to say you were Jewish.“.I am. From a long line of rabbis. So I wound up atheist. Now look at me. Butmy cousin Saul and my wife Ruth are both Jews in the religious sense-andtalk to Saul; you’ll find it’s no handicap to this discipline. A help, probably . . .
as Ruth, once she broke past the first barrier, progressed faster than I did;she was a priestess quite a while before I became a priest. But she’s thespiritual sort; she thinks with her gonads. Me, I have to do it the hard way,between my ears.“.The discipline,“ repeated Jubal. .That’s what I like best about it. The faith Iwas reared in didn’t require anybody to know anything. Just confess yoursins and be saved, and there you were, safe in the arms of Jesus. A mancould be too stupid to hit the floor with his hat . . . and yet he could beconclusively presumed to be one of God’s elect, guaranteed au eternity135 ofbliss, because he had been .converted.’ He might or might not become aBible student; even that wasn’t necessary . . . and he certainly didn’t have toknow, or even try to know, anything else. This church doesn’t accept.conversion’ as I grok it-.
.You grok correctly.“.A person must start with a willingness to learn and follow it with some long,hard study. I grok that is salutary, in itself.“.More than salutary,“ agreed Sam. .Indispensable. The concepts ~ can’t bethought about without the language, and the discipline that results in thishorn-of-plenty of benefits-from how to live without fighting to how to pleaseyour wife-all derive136 from the conceptual logic . . . understanding who you are,why you’re here, how you tick-and behaving accordingly. Happiness is amatter of functioning the way a human being is organized to function . . . butthe words in English are a mere tautology137, empty. In Martian they are acomplete set of working instructions. Did I mention that I had a cancer when Icame here?“.Eh? No, you didn’t.“.Didn’t know it myself. Michael grokked it, sent me out for the usual X raysand so forth37 so that I would be sure. Then we got to work on it together.
.Faith’ healing. A miracle. The clinic called it .spontaneous remission’ which Igrok means .I got well.’“Jubal nodded. .Professional double-talk. Some cancers go away, we don’tknow why.“.I know why this one went away. By then I was beginning to control my ownbody. With Mike’s help I repaired the damage. Now I can do it without hishelp. Want to feel a heart stop beating?“.Thanks, I have observed it in Mike, many times. My esteemed138 colleague,Croaker Nelson, would not be sitting across from us if what you are talkingabout was .faith healing.’ It’s voluntary control of the body. I grok.“.Sorry. We all know that you do. We know.“.Mmm ... I dislike to call Mike a liar139 because he isn’t. But the lad happens tobe prejudiced in my case.“Sam shook his head. .I’ve been talking with you all through dinner. I wantedto check it myself, despite what Mike said. You grok. I’m wondering what newthings you cotild disclose to us if you troubled to learn the language?“.Nothing. I’m an old man with little to contribute to anything.“.I insist on reserving my opinion. All the rest of the First Called have had totackle the language to make any real progress. Even the three you’ve keptwith you have had some powerful coaching, being kept in trance during mostof the short days and the few occasions we’ve had them with us. All but you .
. . and you don’t really need it. Unless you want to wipe spaghetti from yourface without a towel, which I grok you aren’t interested in anyhow.“.Only to observe it.“Most of the others had left the table, leaving quietly and without formalitywhen they wished. Ruth came over and stood by them. .Are you two going tosit here all night? Or shall we move you out with the dishes?“.I’m henpecked. Come on, Jubal.“ Sam stopped to kiss his wife.
They stopped only momentarily in the room with the stereo tank. .Anythingnew?“ asked Sam.
.The county attorney,“ someone said, .has been orating in an attempt toprove that all of today’s disasters are our doing . . . without admitting that hedoesn’t have the slightest notion how any of it was done.“.Poor fellow. He’s bitten a wooden leg and his teeth hurt.“ They went onthrough and found a quieter living room; Sam said, .I had been saying thatthese troubles can be expected-and they will get much worse before we canexpect to control enough public opinion to be tolerated. But Mike is in nohurry. So we close down the Church of All Worlds-it is closed down. So wemove and open the Congregation of the One Faith-and we get kicked outagain. Then we reopen elsewhere as the Temple of the Great Pyramid-thatone will bring flocking the foolish fat and fatuous140 females, and some of themwill end up neither fat nor foolish-and when we have the Medical Associationand the local bar and the newspapers and the boss politicos snapping at ourheels there-why, we open the Brotherhood141 of Baptism somewhere else. Eachone means solid progress, a hard core of disciplined who can’t be hurt-Mikestarted here hardly over a year ago, uncertain himself, and with only the helpof three untrained priestesses-bycourtesy. Now we’ve got a solid Nest . . .
plus a lot of fairly advanced pilgrims we can get in touch with later and letrejoin us. And someday, someday, we’ll be too strong to persecute142.“.Well,“ agreed Jubal, .it could work. Jesus made quite a splash with onlytwelve disciples143. In due course.“Sam grinned happily. .A Jew boy. Thanks for mentioning Him. He’s theoutstanding success story of my tribe-and we all know it, even though manyof us don’t talk about Him. But He was a Jew boy that made good and I’mproud of Him, being a Jew boy myself. Please to note that Jesus didn’t try toget it all done by next Wednesday. He was patient. He set up a oundorganization and let it grow. Mike is patient, too. Patience is so much part ofthe discipline that it isn’t even patience; it’s automatic. No sweat. Never anysweat.“.A sound attitude at any time.“.Not an attitude. The functioning of the discipline. Jubal? I grok you are tired.
Would you wish to become untired? Or would you rather go to bed? If youdon’t, our brothers will keep you up all night, talking. Most of us don’t sleepmuch, you know.“Jubal yawned. .I think I’ll choose a long, hot soak and about eight hours ofsleep. I’ll visit with our brothers tomorrow ... and other days.“.And many other days,“ agreed Sam.
Jubal found his own room, was immediately joined by Patty, who againinsisted on drawing his tub, then turned back his bed, neatly144, withouttouching it, placed his setup for drinks (fresh ice cubes) by his bed, and fixedone and placed it on the shelf of the tub. Jubal did not try to hurry her out;she had arrived displaying all her pictures. He knew enough about thesyndrome which can lead to full tattooing145 to be quite sure that if he did notnow remark on them and ask to be allowed to examine them, she would bevery hurt even though she might conceal it.
Nor did he display or feel any of the fret that Ben had felt on
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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3
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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5
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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6
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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7
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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8
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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9
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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10
bleakly
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| 无望地，阴郁地，苍凉地 | |
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11
unstable
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| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
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12
rape
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| n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸 | |
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13
excrement
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| n.排泄物，粪便 | |
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14
hack
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| n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳 | |
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15
conversationally
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| adv.会话地 | |
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16
sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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17
sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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19
tattoos
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| n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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20
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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21
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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22
arraigned
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| v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责 | |
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23
technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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24
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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25
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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26
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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27
dictating
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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28
hibernating
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| （某些动物）冬眠，蛰伏( hibernate的现在分词 ) | |
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29
protocol
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| n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节 | |
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30
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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31
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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32
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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33
tattooed
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| v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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34
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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35
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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36
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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37
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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38
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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39
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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40
bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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41
chidingly
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| Chidingly | |
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42
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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43
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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44
skeptic
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| n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者 | |
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45
phonetic
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| adj.语言的，语言上的，表示语音的 | |
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46
dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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47
fiat
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| n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布 | |
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48
doughty
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| adj.勇猛的，坚强的 | |
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49
payroll
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| n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额 | |
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50
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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51
rend
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| vt.把…撕开，割裂；把…揪下来，强行夺取 | |
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52
clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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53
rapport
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| n.和睦，意见一致 | |
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54
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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55
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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56
bucking
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| v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的现在分词 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃 | |
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57
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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58
regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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59
naive
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| adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的 | |
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60
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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61
savvy
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| v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的 | |
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62
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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63
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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64
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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65
bloc
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| n.集团；联盟 | |
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66
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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67
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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68
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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69
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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70
morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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71
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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72
abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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73
irrelevancy
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| n.不恰当，离题，不相干的事物 | |
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74
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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75
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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76
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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77
disabused
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| v.去除…的错误想法( disabuse的过去式和过去分词 )；使醒悟 | |
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78
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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79
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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80
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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81
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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82
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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83
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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84
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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85
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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86
lollipop
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| n.棒棒糖 | |
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87
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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88
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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89
metaphorically
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| adv. 用比喻地 | |
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90
sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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91
mileage
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| n.里程，英里数；好处，利润 | |
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92
scoff
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| n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽 | |
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93
poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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94
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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95
incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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96
consolidated
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| a.联合的 | |
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97
fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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98
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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99
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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100
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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101
transcribed
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| （用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的过去式和过去分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音） | |
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102
scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103
spate
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| n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵 | |
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104
eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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105
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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106
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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107
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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108
ascetic
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| adj.禁欲的；严肃的 | |
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109
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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110
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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111
relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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112
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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113
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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114
setback
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| n.退步，挫折，挫败 | |
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115
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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116
killings
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| 谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发 | |
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117
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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118
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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119
fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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120
nostrums
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| n.骗人的疗法，有专利权的药品( nostrum的名词复数 )；妙策 | |
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121
starch
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| n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆 | |
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122
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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123
orientation
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| n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍 | |
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124
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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125
pharmaceutical
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| adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的 | |
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126
purged
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| 清除（政敌等）( purge的过去式和过去分词 )； 涤除（罪恶等）； 净化（心灵、风气等）； 消除（错事等）的不良影响 | |
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127
bad-tempered
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| adj.脾气坏的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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129
mattress
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| n.床垫，床褥 | |
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130
barrage
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| n.火力网，弹幕 | |
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131
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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132
salvaged
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| （从火灾、海难等中）抢救（某物）( salvage的过去式和过去分词 )； 回收利用（某物） | |
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133
queasy
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| adj.易呕的 | |
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134
atheist
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| n.无神论者 | |
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135
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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136
derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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tautology
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| n.无谓的重复；恒真命题 | |
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138
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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139
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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140
fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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141
brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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142
persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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143
disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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tattooing
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| n.刺字，文身v.刺青，文身( tattoo的现在分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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