Robert Heinlein - The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

"Not yet, Man. Which church is it? I may have some circuit."

"Pillar of Fire Repentance Tabernacle--"

"No reference."

"Slow to my speed, pal. Meets in West-Three Community Hall. That's south of Station on Ring about number--."

"I have it. There's a pickup inside for channels and a phone in the corridor outside; I'll keep an ear on both."

"I don't expect trouble, Mike."

"It's what Professor said to do. He is reporting now. Do you wish to speak to him?"

"No time. 'Bye!"

That set pattern: Always keep touch with Mike, let him know where you are, where you plan to be; Mike would listen if he had nerve ends there. Discovery I made that morning, that Mike could listen at dead phone, suggested it--discovery bothered me; don't believe in magic. But on thinking I realized a phone could be switched on by central switching system without human intervention--if switching system had volition. Mike had bolshoyeh volition.

How Mike knew a phone was outside that hall is hard to say, since "space" could not mean to him what means to us. But he carried in storage a "map"--structured relations--of Luna City's engineering, and could almost always fit what we said to what he knew as "Luna City"; hardly ever got lost.

So from day cabal started we kept touch with Mike and each other through his widespread nervous system. Won't mention again unless necessary.

Mum and Greg and Wyoh were waiting at outer door, Mum chomping but smiling. I saw she had lent Wyoh a stole; Mum was as easy about skin as any Loonie, nothing newchummish--but church was another matter.

We made it, although Greg went straight to platform and we to seats. I settled in warm, mindless state, going through motions. But Wyoh did really listen to Greg's sermon and either knew our hymn book or was accomplished sight reader.

When we got home, young ones were in bed and most adults; Hans and Sidris were up and Sidris served cocoasoy and cookies, then all turned in. Mum assigned Wyoh a room in tunnel most of our kids lived in, one which had had two smaller boys last time I noticed. Did not ask how she had reshuffled, was clear she was giving my guest best we had, or would have put Wyoh with one of older girls.

I slept with Mum that night, partly because our senior wife is good for nerves--and nerve-racking things had happened--and partly so she would know I was not sneaking to Wyoh's room after things were quiet. My workshop, where I slept when slept alone; was just one bend from Wyoh's door. Mum was telling me, plain as print: "Go ahead, dear. Don't tell me if you wish to be mean about it. Sneak behind my back."

Which neither of us admitted. We visited as we got ready for bed, chatted after light out, then I turned over.

Instead of saying goodnight Mum said, "Manuel? Why does your sweet little guest make herself up as an Afro? I would think that her natural coloration would be more becoming. Not that she isn't perfectly charming the way she chooses to be."

So rolled over and faced her, and explained--sounded thin, so filled in. And found self telling all--except one point: Mike. I included Mike--but not as computer--instead as a man Mum was not likely to meet, for security reasons.

But telling Mum--taking her into my subcell, should say, to become leader of own cell in turn--taking Mum into conspiracy was not case of husband who can't keep from blurting everything to his wife. At most was hasty--but was best time if she was to be told.

Mum was smart. Also able executive; running big family without baring teeth requires that. Was respected among farm families and throughout Luna City; she had been up longer than 90 percent. She could help.

And would be indispensable inside family. Without her help Wyoh and I would find it sticky to use phone together (hard to explain), keep kids from noticing (impossible!)--but with Mum's help would be no problems inside household.

She listened, sighed, said, "It sounds dangerous, dear."

"Is," I said. "Look, Mimi, if you don't want to tackle, say so then forget what I've told."

"Manuel! Don't even say that. You are my husband, dear; I took you for better, for worse... and your wish is my command."

(My word, what a lie! But Mimi believed it.)

"I would not let you go into danger alone," she went on, "and besides--"

"What, Mimi?"

"I think every Loonie dreams of the day when we will be free. All but some poor spineless rats. I've never talked about it; there seemed to be no point and it's necessary to look up, not down, lift one's burden and go ahead. But I thank dear Bog that I have been permitted to live to see the time come, if indeed it has. Explain more about it. I am to find three others, is it? Three who can be trusted."

"Don't hurry. Move slowly. Be sure."

"Sidris can be trusted. She holds her tongue, that one."

"Don't think you should pick from family. Need to spread out. Don't rush."

"I shan't. We'll talk before I do anything. And Manuel, if you want my opinion--" She stopped.

"Always want your opinion, Mimi."

"Don't mention this to Grandpaw. He's forgetful these days and sometimes talkative. Now sleep, dear, and don't dream."

Followed a long time during which would have been possible to forget anything as unlikely as revolution had not details taken so much time. Our first purpose was not to be noticed. Long distance purpose was to make things as much worse as possible.

Yes, worse. Never was a time, even at last, when all Loonies wanted to throw off Authority, wanted it bad enough to revolt. All Loonies despised Warden and cheated Authority. Didn't mean they were ready to fight and die. If you had mentioned "patriotism" to a Loonie, he would have stared--or thought you were talking about his homeland. Were transported Frenchmen whose hearts belonged to "La Belle Patrie," ex-Germans loyal to Vaterland, Russkis who still loved Holy Mother Russia. But Luna? Luna was "The Rock," place of exile, not thing to love.

We were as non-political a people as history ever produced. I know, I was as numb to politics as any until circumstances pitched me into it. Wyoming was in it because she hated Authority for a personal reason, Prof because he despised all authority in a detached intellectual fashion, Mike because he was a bored and lonely machine and was for him "only game in town." You could not have accused us of patriotism. I came closest because I was third generation with total lack of affection for any place on Terra, had been there, disliked it and despised earthworms. Made me more "patriotic" than most!

Average Loonie was interested in beer, betting, women, and work, in that order. "Women" might be second place but first was unlikely, much as women were cherished. Loonies had learned there never were enough women to go around. Slow learners died, as even most possessive male can't stay alert every minute. As Prof says, a society adapts to fact, or doesn't survive. Loonies adapted to harsh facts--or failed and died. But "patriotism" was not necessary to survival.

Like old Chinee saying that "Fish aren't aware of water," I was not aware of any of this until I first went to Terra and even then did not realize what a blank spot was in Loonies under storage location marked "patriotism" until I took part in effort to stir them up. Wyoh and her comrades had tried to push "patriotism" button and got nowhere--years of work, a few thousand members, less than 1 percent and of that microscopic number almost 10 percent had been paid spies of boss fink!

Prof set us straight: Easier to get people to hate than to get them to love.

Luckily, Security Chief Alvarez gave us a hand. Those nine dead finks were replaced with ninety, for Authority was goaded into something it did reluctantly, namely spend money on us, and one folly led to another.