Free Revolt in 2100 by Robert A. Heinlein

straight to Captain van Eyck. He told me to lie doggo in the lodge room and then planned your rescue."
    I wanted to ask how that had been pulled off but my mind jumped to a more important subject. "Zeb, where is Judith? Can't you find her and bring her to see me? My nurse just smiles and tells me to rest."
    He looked surprised. "Didn't they tell you?"
    "Tell me what? No, I haven't seen anybody but the nurse and the doctor and they treat me like an idiot. Don't keep me in suspense, Zeb. Did anything go wrong? She's all right- isn't she? "
    "Oh, sure! But she's in Mexico by now-we got a report by sensitive circuit two days ago."
    In my physical weakness I almost wept. "Gone! Why, what a dirty, scabby trick! Why couldn't they have waited until I was well enough to tell her good-by?"
    Zeb said quickly, "Hey, look, stupid-no, forget that 'stupid'; you aren't. Look, old man, your calendar is mixed up. She was on her way before you were rescued, before we were even sure you could be rescued. You don't think the brethren could bring her back just to let you two bill and coo, do you?"
    I thought about it and calmed down. It made sense, even though I was bitterly disappointed. He changed the subject. "How do you feel?"
    "Oh, pretty good."
    "They tell me you get that cast off your leg tomorrow."
    "So? They haven't told me." I twisted, trying to get comfortable. "I'm almost more anxious to get shut of this corset, but the doc says I'll have to wear it for several weeks yet."
    "How about your hand? Can you bend your fingers?"
    I tried it. "Fairly well. I may have to write left-handed for a while."
    "All in all, it looks like you're too mean to die, old son. By the way, if it's any consolation to you, the laddy boy who worked on Judith got slightly dead in the raid in which you were rescued."
    "He was? Well, I'm sorry. I had planned to save him for myself."
    "No doubt, but you would have had to take your place in line, if he had lived. Lots of people wanted him. Me, for example."
    "But I had thought of something special for him-I was going to make him bite his nails."
    "Bite his nails?" Zeb looked puzzled.
    "Until he reached his elbows. Follow me?"
    "Oh." Zeb grinned sourly. "Not nearly imaginative enough, boy. But he's dead, we can't touch him."
    "He's infernally lucky. Zeb, why didn't you arrange to get him yourself? Or did you, and things were just too hurried to let you do a proper job?"
    "Me? Why, I wasn't on the rescue raid. I haven't been back in the Palace at all."
    "Huh?"
    "You didn't think I was still on duty, did you?"
    "I haven't had time to think about it."
    "Well, naturally I couldn't go back after I ducked out to avoid arrest; I was through. No, my fine fellow, you and I are both deserters from the United States Army-with every cop and every postmaster in the country anxious to earn a deserter's reward by turning us in."
    I whistled softly and let the implications of his remark sink in.

6
    I had joined the Cabal on impulse. Certainly, under the stress of falling in love with Judith and in the excitement of the events that had come rushing over me as a result of meeting her, I had no time for calm consideration. I had not broken with the Church as a result of philosophical decision.
    Of course I had known logically that to join the Cabal was to break with all my past ties, but it had not yet hit me emotionally. What was it going to be like never again to wear the uniform of an officer and a gentleman? I had been proud to walk down the street, to enter a public place, aware that all eyes were on me.
    I put it out of my mind. The share was in the furrow, my hand was on the plow; there could be no turning back. I was in this until we won or until we were burned for treason.
    I found Zeb looking at me quizzically. "Cold feet, Johnnie?"
    "No. But I'm still getting adjusted. Things have moved fast."
    "I know. Well, we can forget about retired pay, and our class numbers at the Point no longer matter." He took off his Academy ring,