Robert Heinlein - The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

LaJoie looked thoughtfully pleased. "Yes, I see the economic necessity. It's simply new to me. Tell me, uh, Mannie--and I'm called 'Stu'--was I really in danger of 'breathing vacuum'?"

"Should have charged you more."

"Please?"

"You aren't convinced. But charged kids all they could scrape up and fined them too, to make them think. Couldn't charge you more than them. Should have, you think it was all a joke."

"Believe me, sir, I do not think it was a joke. I just have trouble grasping that your local laws permit a man to be put to death... so casually... and for so trivial an offense."

I sighed. Where do you start explaining when a man's words show there isn't anything he understands about subject, instead is loaded with preconceptions that don't fit facts and doesn't even know he has?

"Stu," I said, "let's take that piece at a time. Are no 'local laws' so you couldn't be 'put to death' under them. Your offense was not 'trivial,' I simply made allowance for ignorance. And wasn't done casually, or boys would have dragged you to nearest lock to zero pressure, shoved you in, and cycled. Instead were most formal--good boys!--and paid own cash to give you a trial. And didn't grumble when verdict wasn't even close to what they asked. Now, anything still not clear?"

He grinned and turned out to have dimples like Prof; found myself liking him still more. "All of it, I'm afraid. I seem to have wandered into Looking Glass Land."

Expected that; having been Earthaide I know how their minds work, some. An earthworm expects to find a law, a printed law, for every circumstance. Even have laws for private matters such as contracts. Really, if a man's word isn't any good, who would contract with him? Doesn't he have reputation?

"We don't have laws," I said. "Never been allowed to. Have customs, but aren't written and aren't enforced--or could say they are self-enforcing because are simply way things have to be, conditions being what they are. Could say our customs are natural laws because are way people have to behave to stay alive. When you made a pass at Tish you were violating a natural law... and almost caused you to breathe vacuum."

He blinked thoughtfully. "Would you explain the natural law I violated? I had better understand it... or best I return to my ship and stay inboard until lift. To stay alive."

"Certainly. Is so simple that, once you understand, you'll never be in danger from it again. Here we are, two million males, less than one million females. A physical fact, basic as rock or vacuum. Then add idea of tanstaafl. When thing is scarce, price goes up. Women are scarce; aren't enough to go around--that makes them most valuable thing in Luna, more precious than ice or air, as men without women don't care whether they stay alive or not. Except a Cyborg, if you regard him as a man, which I don't."

I went on: "So what happens?--and mind you, things were even worse when this custom, or natural law, first showed itself back in twentieth century. Ratio was ten-to-one or worse then. One thing is what always happens in prisons: men turn to other men. That helps not much; problem still is because most men want women and won't settle for substitute while chance of getting true gelt.

"They get so anxious they will kill for it... and from stories old-timers tell was killing enough to chill your teeth in those days. But after a while those still alive find way to get along, things shake down. As automatic as gravitation. Those who adjust to facts stay alive; those who don't are dead and no problem.

"What that means, here and now, is that women are scarce and call tune... and you are surrounded by two million men who see to it you dance to that tune. You have no choice, she has all choice. She can hit you so hard it draws blood; you dasn't lay a finger on her. Look, you put an arm around Tish, maybe tried to kiss. Suppose instead she had gone to hotel room with you; what would happen?"

"Heavens! I suppose they would have torn me to pieces."

"They would have done nothing. Shrugged and pretended not to see. Because choice is hers. Not yours. Not theirs. Exclusively hers. Oh, be risky to ask her to go to hotel; she might take offense and that would give boys license to rough you up. But--well, take this Tish. A silly little tart. If you had flashed as much money as I saw in your pouch, she might have taken into head that a bundle with tourist was just what she needed and suggested it herself. In which case would have been utterly safe."

Lajoie shivered. "At her age? It scares me to think of it. She's below the age of consent. Statutory rape."

"Oh, bloody! No such thing. Women her age are married or ought to be. Stu, is no rape in Luna. None. Men won't permit. If rape had been involved, they wouldn't have bothered to find a judge and all men in earshot would have scrambled to help. But chance that a girl that big is virgin is negligible. When they're little, their mothers watch over them, with help from everybody in city; children are safe here. But when they reach husband-high, is no holding them and mothers quit trying. If they choose to run corndors and have fun, can't stop 'em; once a girl is nubile, she's her own boss. You married?"

"No." He added with a smile; "Not at present."

"Suppose you were and wife told you she was marrying again. What would you do?"

"Odd that you should pick that, something like it did happen. I saw my attorney and made sure she got no alimony."

"'Alimony' isn't a word here; I learned it Earthside. Here you might--or a Loonie husband might--say, 'I think we'll need a bigger place, dear.' Or might simply congratulate her and his new co-husband. Or if it made him so unhappy he couldn't stand it, might opt out and pack clothes. But whatever, would not make slightest fuss. If he did, opinion would be unanimous against him. His friends, men and women alike, would snub him. Poor sod would probably move to Novylen, change name and hope to live it down.

"All our customs work that way. If you're out in field and a cobber needs air, you lend him a bottle and don't ask cash. But when you're both back in pressure again, if he won't pay up, nobody would criticize if you eliminated him without a judge. But he would pay; air is almost as sacred as women. If you take a new chum in a poker game, you give him air money. Not eating money; can work or starve. If you eliminate a man other than self-defense, you pay his debts and support his kids, or people won't speak to you, buy from you, sell to you."

"Mannie, you're telling me that I can murder a man here and settle the matter merely with money?"

"Oh, not at all! But eliminating isn't against some law; are no laws--except Warden's regulations--and Warden doesn't care what one Loonie does to another. But we figure this way: If a man is killed, either he had it coming and everybody knows it--usual case--or his friends will take care of it by eliminating man who did it. Either way, no problem. Nor many eliminations. Even set duels aren't common."

"'His friends will take care of it.' Mannie, suppose those young people had gone ahead? I have no friends here."

"Was reason I agreed to judge. While I doubt if those kids could have egged each other into it, didn't want to take chance. Eliminating a tourist could give our city a bad name."

"Does it happen often?"

"Can't recall has ever happened. Of course may have been made to look like accident. A new chum is accident-prone; Luna is that sort of place. They say if a new chum lives a year, he'll live forever. But nobody sells him insurance first year." Glanced at time. "Stu, have you had dinner?"

"No, and I was about to suggest that you come to my hotel. The cooking is good. Auberge Orleans."

I repressed shudder--ate there once. "Instead, would you come home with me and meet my family? We have soup or something about this hour."