Free The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein Page A

off. Where is he?”
    “A
public phone in a taproom called The Iceman’s Wife underneath
the—”
    “I
know. Mike, when you switch me in, can you stay in circuit? Want you to
monitor.”
    “It
shall be done.”
    “Can
you tell if anyone is in earshot? Hear breathing?”
    “I
infer from the anechoic quality of his voice that he is speaking under a hush
hood. But I infer also that, in a taproom, others would be present. Do you wish
to hear, Man?”
    “Uh,
do that. Switch me in. And if he raises hood, tell me. You’re a smart
cobber, Mike.”
    “Thank
you, Man.” Mike cut me in; I found that Mum was talking: “—ly
I’ll tell him, Professor. I’m so sorry that Manuel is not home.
There is no number you can gave me? He is anxious to return your call; he made
quite a point that I was to be sure to get a number from you.”
    “I’m
terribly sorry, dear lady, but I’m leaving at once. But, let me see, it
is now eight-fifteen; I’ll try to call back just at nine, if I
may.”
    “Certainly,
Professor.” Mum’s voice had a coo in it that she reserves for males
not her husbands of whom she approves—sometimes for us. A moment later
Mike said, “Now!” and I spoke up:
    “Hi,
Prof! Hear you’ve been looking for me. This is Mannie.”
    I
heard a gasp. “I would have sworn I switched this phone off. Why, I have
switched it off; it must be broken. Manuel—so good to hear your voice,
dear boy. Did you just get home?”
    “I’m
not home.”
    “But—but
you must be. I haven’t—”
    “No
time for that, Prof. Can anyone overhear you?”
    “I
don’t think so. I’m using a hush booth.”
    “Wish
I could see. Prof, what’s my birthday?”
    He
hesitated. Then he said, “I see. I think I see. July fourteenth.”
    “I’m
convinced. Okay, let’s talk.”
    “You’re
really not calling from your home, Manuel? Where are you?”
    “Let
that pass a moment. You asked my wife about a girl. No names needed. Why do you
want to find her, Prof?”
    “I
want to warn her. She must not try to go back to her home city. She would be
arrested.”
    “Why
do you think so?”
    “Dear
boy! Everyone at that meeting is in grave danger. Yourself, too. I was so
happy—even though confused—to hear you say that you are not at
home. You should not go home at present. If you have some safe place to stay,
it would be well to take a vacation. You are aware—you must be even
though you left hastily—that there was violence last night.”
    I
was aware! Killing Warden’s bodyguards must be against Authority
Regulations—at least if I were Warden, I’d take a dim view.
“Thanks, Prof; I’ll be careful. And if I see this girl, I’ll
tell her.”
    “You
don’t know where to find her? You were seen to leave with her and I had
so hoped that you would know.”
    “Prof,
why this interest? Last night you didn’t seem to be on her side.”
    “No,
no, Manuel! She is my comrade. I don’t say ‘
tovarishch
’
for I mean it not just as politeness but in the older sense. Binding. She is my
comrade. We differ only in tactics. Not in objectives, not in loyalties.”
    “I
see. Well, consider message delivered. She’ll get it.”
    “Oh,
wonderful! I ask no questions … but I do hope, oh so very strongly, that
you can find a way for her to be safe, really safe, until this blows over.”
    I
thought that over. “Wait a moment, Prof. Don’t switch off.”
As I answered phone, Wyoh had headed for bath, probably to avoid listening; she
was that sort.
    Tapped
on door. “Wyoh?”
    “Out
in a second.”
    “Need
advice.”
    She
opened door. “Yes, Mannie?”
    “How
does Professor de la Paz rate in your organization? Is he trusted? Do you trust
him?”
    She
looked thoughtful. “Everyone at the meeting was supposed to be vouched
for. But I don’t know him.”
    “Mmm.
You have feeling about him?”
    “I
liked him, even though he argued against me. Do you know anything about
him?”
    “Oh,
yes, known him twenty years. I trust him.