Robert Heinlein - Beyond This Horizon

"I don't know. You might spend it on me."

"That's pretty silly. You're bloated with credit now."

"Well, that brings me around to another subject. When we're married you can really put your mind on helping me spend it."

"Are you on that subject again?"

"Why not? Times have changed. There is no obstacle anymore. I've come around to Mordan's way of thinking."

"So Mordan told me."

"He did? Egg's Name-everything goes on behind my back! Never mind. When do we stat the contract?"

"What makes you think we are going to?"

"Huh? Wait a minute-I thought that all that stood between us was a difference of opinion about children?"

"You thought too much. What I said was that I would never marry a man who didn't want children."

"But I understood you to say-" He got up and moved nervously around the room. "Say, Phil-don't you like me?"

"You're nice enough-in your own horrid way."

"Then what's the trouble?"

She did not answer.

Presently he said, "I don't know whether it makes any difference since you feel that way about it, but I love you-you know that, don't you?"

"Come here." He came near to where she was sitting. She took him by the ears and pulled his head down.

"Filthy, you big dope-you should have said that ten minutes ago." She kissed him.

Sometime later she said dreamily, "Filthy-"

"Yes, darling?"

"After we have Theobald we'll have a little girl and then another little boy, and then maybe another little girl."

"Urn-"

She sat up. "What's the matter? Aren't you pleased at the prospect?" She looked at him closely.

"Sure, sure."

"Then why are you looking so glum?"

"I was thinking about Cliff. The poor lunk.

"Hasn't he found any trace of her yet?"

"Nary a trace."

"Oh, dear!" She put her arms around him and held him.

No sign of her in the Giant Forest, though he had cut the air back to the place. No woman had registered there with the given name of Marion. No one could he find who could identify her by his description. No ship had checked in there registered to such a person. Nor did the owners of the ships that had been there know such a person-several of them knew Marions, but not the Marion-although three of them had responded to the description closely enough to send him charging across country, with wildly beating heart, on errands which cruelly disappointed him.

There remained Johnson-Smith Estaire, at whose town house he had first seen her. He had consulted her at once, after his initial failure to find Marion still at the Park. No, she didn't recall such a person. "After all, my dear Master Monroe-Alpha, the place was simply mobbed."

Did she keep a guest list? Yes, of course; what land of a hostess did he think she was? Could he see it? She sent for her social secretary.

There was no Marion on the list.

He went back again. Could she have been mistaken? No, there was no mistake. But people sometimes brought others along to such a party as that-had he thought of that? In that case she would have no record of it. Did she recall any such? No, she couldn't-it was too much to ask. Would it be too much to ask to copy the guest list? Not at all-anything to oblige.

But first he must listen to her. "It's becoming simply impossible to get servants at any reasonable wage." Couldn't he do something about it. "Dear Master Monroe-Alpha." In what way? He was the man who handled the dividend, wasn't he? That was the trouble-with the dividend so high they simply would not enter service unless you simply bribed them, my dear.

He tried to explain to her that he had no control over the dividend, that he was simply the mathematical go-between for the facts of economics and the Board of Policy. He could see that she did not believe him.

He decided not to tell her, since he wanted a favor from her, that he himself would not choose to work as a personal servant for another unless driven to it by hunger. He tried to suggest that she make use of the excellent automaton furniture manufactured by her husband, supplemented by the help of the service companies. But she would have none of it. "So common, my dear. I tell you nothing replaces a well-trained servant. I should think people of that class would take pride in such a profession. I'm sure I would if I were called to such a station in life."

Impatiently, but with aching care, he plodded through the list. Some of the addresses were outside the Capital, some as far away as South America-Johnson-Smith Estaire was a fashionable hostess. Those he could not question himself, not fast enough to satisfy the lump of misery inside him. He must needs hire agents to track them down. He did so; it took all the credit he had-personal service comes high!-he borrowed against his salary to make up the deficit. Two of the guests had died in the meantime. He set more agents to work, investigating tactfully their backgrounds and acquaintances, trying, trying to locate a woman named Marion. He dare not even leave these two deceased to the last, for fear the trail might grow cold.

The others, those living in the Capital, he investigated himself. No, we took no one with us to that party-certainly no one named Marion. Estaire's party?-let me see, she gives so many. Oh, that one-no, I'm sorry. Now let me think-do you mean Selby Marion? No, Selby Marion is a little tiny woman with bright red hair. Sorry, my dear fellow-care for a drink. No? What's the hurry?

Yes, surely. My cousin, Faircoat Marion. There's a stereo of her over there, on the organ. Not the one you're looking for? Well, signal me and tell me how you made out. Always glad to do a favor for a friend of Estaire's. Fine woman, Estaire-always lots of fun at her place.

We did take someone to that party-who was it, dear? Oh, yes, Reynolds Hans. He had some strange girl with him. No, I can't remember her name-do you, dear?-Me, I just call them all Lollipops, if they're under thirty. But here's Reynolds' address; you might ask him.

Master Reynolds did not consider it an intrusion, no. Yes, he recalled the occasion-jolly brawl. Yes, he had escorted his cousin from Sanfrisco. Why, yes, her name was Marion -Hartnett Marion. How had he known her name?

Say, that's interesting-done something like that himself once. Thought he'd lost track of the girl, only she turned up the following week at another party. Married, though, and in love with her husband-fortunately.

No, he didn't mean that Marion was married, but this other girl-kid named Francine. Did he have a picture of his cousin? Well, now, let me see, he didn't think so. Wait now, he might have a flat pic, taken when they were kids, in a scrapbook somewhere. Where would that be? He was going to clean out this flat some day and throw away a lot of this junk-never could find anything when he wanted it. Here it is-that's Marion, in the "front row, second from the left. Was that the girl?

It was she! It was she!

How fast can a skyracer be pushed? How many corners can a man cut without being patrolled? Go ... go ... go!

He paused for a moment and tried to still his racing heart, before signalling at the door. The scanner investigated him and the door dilated.

He found her alone. He stopped when he saw her, unable to move, unable to speak, face white.

"Come in," she said.

"You ... you'll receive me?"

"Of course. I've been waiting."

He searched her eyes. They were warm and tender still, albeit troubled. "I don't understand. I tried to burn you."

"You didn't mean to. You didn't want to."

"I- But ... Oh, Marion, Marion!" He stumbled forward toward her, and half fell. His head was in her lap. He shook with the racking sobs of one who has not learned how to cry.

She patted his shoulder. "My dear. My dear."

He looked up at last and found that her face was wet, even though he had heard no sound of tears. "I love you," he said. He said it tragically, as if it were an irreparable harm.