«Mmm… I grok you speak rightly.»
«All right. I think you are especially glum today because Mike has been arrested again. But that's happened many — »
«“Arrested”? I hadn't heard about this!» He added. «Damn it, girl — »
«Jubal, Jubal! Ben hasn't called; that's all we need to know. You know how many times Mike has been arrested — in the army, as a carnie, other places--half a dozen times as a preacher. He never hurts anybody; he lets them do it. They can never convict him and he gets out as soon as he wishes.»
«What is it this time?»
«Oh, the usual nonsense — public lewdness, statutory rape, conspiracy to defraud, keeping a disorderly house, contributing to the delinquency of minors, conspiracy to evade truancy laws — »
«Huh?»
«Their license to operate a parochial school was canceled; the kids didn't go back to public school. No matter, Jubal — none of it matters. The one thing they are technically guilty of can't be proved. Jubal, if you had seen the Nest you would know that even the F.D.S. couldn't sneak a spy-eye into it. So relax. After a lot of publicity, charges will be dropped — and crowds will be bigger than ever.»
«Hmm! Anne, does Mike rig these persecutions himself?»
She looked startled. «Why, I never considered the possibility, Jubal. Mike can't lie, you know.»
«Does it involve lying? Suppose he planted true rumors? But ones that can't be proved in court?»
«Do you think Michael would do that?»
«I don't know. I do know that the slickest way to lie is to tell the right amount of truth — then shut up. It wouldn't be the first time that persecution has been courted for its headline value. All right, I'll forget it unless it turns out he can't handle it. Are you still “Front”?»
«If you can refrain from chucking Abby under the chin and saying cootchy-coo and similar uncommercial noises, I'll fetch her. Otherwise I had better tell Dorcas to get up.»
«Bring in Abby. I'm going to make an honest effort to make commercial noises — a brand-new plot, known as boy-meets-girl.»
«Say, that's a good one, Boss! I wonder why nobody thought of it before? Half a sec — » She hurried out.
Jubal did restrain himself — less than one minute of uncommercial activity, just enough to invoke Abigail's heavenly smile, then Anne settled back and let the infant nurse. «Title:» he began. «“Girls Are Like Boys, Only More So.” Begin. Henry M. Haversham Fourth had been carefully reared. He believed that there were only two kinds of girls: those in his presence and those who were not. He vastly preferred the latter sort, especially when they stayed that way. Paragraph. He had not been introduced to the young lady who fell into his lap, and he did not consider a common disaster as equivalent to a formal intro — ' What the hell do you want?»
«Boss — » said Larry.
«Get out, close the door, and — »
«Boss!Mike's church has burned down!»
They made a disorderly rout for Larry's room, Jubal a half length behind Larry at the turn, Anne with eleven pounds up closing rapidly. Dorcas trailed through being late out the gate; the racket wakened her.
« — midnight last night. You are viewing what was the main entrance of the cult's temple, as it appeared immediately after the explosion. This is your Neighborly Newsman for New World Networks with your midmorning roundup. Stay switched to this pitch for dirt that's alert. And now a moment for your sponsor — » The scene shimmered out and medclose shot of a lovely housewife replaced, with dolly-in.
«Damn! Larry, unplug that contraption and wheel it into the study. Anne — no, Dorcas. Phone Ben.»
Anne protested, «You know the Temple never had a telephone. How can she?»
«Then have somebody chase over and — no, the Temple wouldn't have anybody — uh, call the police chief there. No, the district attorney. The last you heard Mike was in jail?»
«That's right.»
«I hope he still is — and the others, too.»
«So do I. Dorcas, take Abby. I'll do it.»
As they returned to the study the phone was signalling, demanding hush & scramble. Jubal cursed and set the combo, intending to blast whoever it was off the frequency.
It was Ben Caxton. «Hi, Jubal.»
«Ben! What the hell is the situation?»
«I see you've had the news. That's why I called. Everything is under control.»
«What about the fire? Anybody hurt?»
«No damage. Mike says to tell you — »
«No damage? I just saw a shot of it; it looked like a total — »
«Oh, that — » Ben shrugged. «Jubal, please listen. I've got other calls to make. You aren't the only person who needs reassurance. But Mike said to call you first.»
«Uh… very well, sir.»
«Nobody hurt, nobody even scorched. Oh, a couple of million in property damage. The place was choked with experiences ; Mike planned to abandon it soon. Yes, it was fireproof — but anything will burn with enough gasoline and dynamite.»
«Incendiary job, huh?»
«Please Jubal. They had arrested eight of us — all they could catch of the Ninth Circle, John Doe warrants, mostly. Mike had us bailed out in a couple of hours, except himself. He's in the hoosegow — »
«I'll be right there!»
«Take it easy. Mike says for you to come if you want to, but there is no need for it. I agree. The fire was set last night while the Temple was empty, everything canceled because of the arrests — empty, that is, except for the Nest. All of us in town, except Mike, were in the Innermost Temple, holding a Sharing-Water in his honor, when the explosion and fire were set off. So we adjourned to an emergency Nest.»
«From the looks of it, you were lucky to get out.»
«We were cut off, Jubal. We're all dead — »
«What?»
«We're all listed as dead or missing. You see, nobody left the building after that holocaust started … by any known exit.»
«Uh… a “priest's hole”?»
«Jubal, Mike has methods for such things — and I'm not going to discuss them over the phone.»
«You said he was in jail?»
«So I did. He still is.»
«But — »
«That's enough. If you come, don't go to the Temple. It's kaput. I'm not going to tell you where we are … and I'm not calling from there. If you come — and I see no point in it; there's nothing you can do — just come as you ordinarily would — we'll find you.»
«But — »
«That's all. Good-by. Anne, Dorcas, Larry — and you, too, Jubal, and the baby. Share water. Thou art God.» The screen went blank.
Jubal swore. «I knew it! That's what comes of mucking around with religion. Dorcas, get me a taxi. Anne — no, finish feeding your child. Larry, pack me a bag. Anne, I'll want most of the iron money and Larry can go tomorrow and replenish the supply.»
«Boss,» protested-Larry, «we're all going.»
«Certainly we are,» Anne agreed crisply.
«Pipe down, Anne. Close your mouth, Dorcas. This is not a time when women have the vote. That city is the firing line and anything can happen. Larry, you stay here and protect two women and a baby. Forget about going to the bank; you won't need cash because none of you is to stir off the place until I'm back. Somebody is playing rough and there is enough hook-up between this house and that church that they might play rough here, too. Larry, flood lights all night, heat up the fence, don't hesitate to shoot. And don't be slow about getting everybody into the vault if necessary — put Abby's crib there at once. Now get with it — I've got to change clothes.»
Thirty minutes later Jubal was alone in his suite. Larry called up, «Boss! Taxi landing.»
«Be right down,» he called back, then turned to look at the Fallen Caryatid. His eyes were filled with tears. He said softly, «You tried, didn't you, youngster? But that stone was always too heavy… too heavy for anyone.»
Gently he touched a hand of the crumpled figure, turned and left.