Robert Heinlein - The Cat Who Walked Through Walls

"Then why do I remember it?" "Do you?"

"Why-" "You remember finding jettisoned field rations under the body. And how good you felt!"

"Uncle, this is crazy."

"That's world-changing. For a time, you have a memory. Then a faded memory of a memory. Then nothing. It never happened, Dickie. You went through one hell of an ordeal and lost a leg. But you did not eat your commanding officer."

Uncle went on, "Jubal, what do we have left that's important? Dickie, you can't expect to have all your questions answered; no man can expect that. Mmm, oh, yes, those diseases- You had two of them; the rest was hype. You were cured in about three days; then they kept you in a controlled-memory field and put a new leg on you... and did something else. Haven't you felt better lately? Brisk? More energetic?"

"Well... yes. But it dates from the day I married Hazel, not from Boondock."

"Both, probably. During the month they had you available Dr. Ishtar gave you a booster. I learned that they shifted you from the rejuvenation clinic to the hospital just the day before they let you wake up. Oh, they really swindled you, boy; they gave you a new leg and made you thirty years younger. I think you ought to sue them."

"Oh, knock it off. How about that heat bomb? More hype?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Not decided, just the time tick spiked. The thing is-"

Harshaw intervened. "Richard, we think now that we may be able to finish Task Adam Selene before a heat bomb would be necessary. There are some plans. So the heat bombing right now is in the status of Schrodinger's Cat. The outcome depends on Task Adam Selene. And vice versa. We'll see."

"These plans- You're assuming that I'll come around."

"No. We're assuming that you won't."

"Humm... If you are assuming that I won't, why are you two bothering to tell me all this?"

Uncle said in a tired voice, "Dickie boy, thousands and thousands of man-hours have gone into satisfying your childish demand to have the veil lifted from the unknown. You think we are simply going to burn the results? Sit back down and pay attention. Mmm, stay out of Luna City and Golden Rule after June of 2188; there are warrants out for you for eight murders."

"Eight! Who?"

"Mmm, Tolliver, Enrico Schultz, Johnson, Oswald Progant, Rasmussen-"

"Rasmussen!"

"Do you know him?"

"I wore his fez for ten minutes; I never laid eyes on him."

"Let's not waste time on these murder charges. All they mean is that someone is out to get you, both in L-City and in Golden Rule. With three timejumping groups after you, that's not surprising. You want them cleared up; they can be cleared up later. If needed. If you don't just go to Tertius and forget it. Oh, yes-those code groups. Not a message, just a prop to get you to open that door. But you didn't let yourself be killed quietly the way you were supposed to. Dickie, you're a troublemaker."

"Gosh, I'm sorry."

"Any more questions?"

"Go take your nap."

"Not yet. Jubal. Now?"

"Certainly." Dr. Harshaw got up and left.

"Dickie."

"Yes, Uncle."

"She loves you, boy; she really does. God knows why. But mat does not mean that she will tell you the truth or always act in your interest. Be warned."

"Uncle Jock, it never does any good to warn a man about his wife. Would you accept any advice from me about Cissy?"

"Of course not. But I'm older than you are and much more experienced."

"Answer me." "Let's change the subject instead. You don't like Lazarus Long."

I grinned at him. "Uncle, the only thing that persuades me that he might be as old as he is reputed to be is that it would take more than one ordinary lifetime to grow as cantankerous and generally difficult as he is. He rubs me the wrong way every time. And the bastard makes it worse by putting me under obligations to him. This foot- From a clone of his- did you know that? And that dustup you heard about this morning. Lazarus shot that bloke what's-his-name who tried to kill me. But Captain Sterling and Commander Smith did, too, and probably quicker. Or maybe not. Either way I had to thank all three of them. Damn it, I'd like to save his life just once to balance the books. The bastard."

"No way to talk, Dickie. Abby would have trounced you."

"So she would have. I take it back." "Besides- Your own parents never were married."

"So I've often been told. Colorfully."

"I mean it literally. Your mother was my favorite sister. Much younger than I. Pretty child. I taught her to walk. Played with her when she was growing up, spoiled her every way I could. So, naturally, when she was in what used to be called 'trouble' she came to her big brother. And to your Aunt Abby. Dickie, it was not that your father wasn't around; it was that your grandfather disliked him, disliked him as intensely as- well, as you dislike Lazarus Long.

"I don't mean Mr. Ames. You got his name but he met and married Wendy after you were bom. And we took you and raised you. Your mother was going to come for you, after a year-she said Ames deserved that much-but she didn't live that long. So Abby was your mother in every way but biology."

"Uncle, Aunt Abby was the best mother a boy could want. Look, those peach switchings were good for me. I know it."

"I'm pleased to hear you say so. Dickie, I love all your aunts ... but there will never be another Abby. Hazel reminds me of her. Dickie, have you made up your mind?"

"Uncle, I'll fight it all the way. How can I okay letting my bride risk a caper that she stands only a fifty-fifty chance of coming out of alive? Especially when nobody has even tried to show me why my ways aren't better?"

"Just asking. The mathematicians are testing another team- since you're unwilling. We'll see. Your father was stubborn and your grandfather was stubborn; it's no surprise that you are stubborn. Your grandfather-my father-said flatly that he would rather have a bastard in the family than Lazarus Long. So he had one. You. And Lazarus went away and never knew about you.

"Not surprising that you and your father don't get along;

you're too much alike. And now he's going to take your place, on the team for Task Adam Selene."

"Our revels now are ended."

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616

Dying isn't difficult. Even a baby kitten can do it. I'm sitting with my back to the wall in the old computer room of the Warden's Complex in Luna. Pixel is cradled in my left arm. Hazel is on the floor, by us. I'm not sure Pixel is dead. He may be asleep. But I am not going to disturb him to find out; he's a badly hurt baby at best.

I know Hazel is still alive because I'm watching her respiration. But she is not in good shape. I do wish they would hurry.

I can't do much for either of them because I don't have anything to work with and I can't move much. I'm shy one leg and I don't have a prosthetic. Yes, that same right leg- Lazarus's leg-burned off just about at the transplant line. Guess I shouldn't gripe-being a bum job it's cauterized, not much blood. Hasn't really begun to hurt much yet, either. Not that white pain like a blow torch. That comes later.

I wonder if Lazarus knows he's my father? Did Uncle ever tell him?

Hey, this makes Maureen, that wonderful, beautiful creature, my grandmother!

And- Maybe I had better back up.

I'm a bit light-headed.

I'm not even sure this is being recorded. I'm carrying a battle recorder but it's a tiny Tertius type I'm not familiar with. Either it was on and I turned it off or it was off and I turned it on. I'm not sure Pixel is dead. Did I already say that? Maybe I had better back up.

It was a good team, the best, with enough fire power that I felt that our chances were good. Hazel was in command, of course-

Major Sadie Lipschitz, strike team leader