I got fidgety. Prof read Keats. Grain barges continued to arrive at Bombay.

In a way was not sorry about latter. When we flew from Bombay to Agra we got up before dawn and were taken out to field as city was waking. Every Loonie has his hole, whether luxury of a long-established home like Davis Tunnels or rock still raw from drill; cubic is no problem and can't be for centuries.

Bombay was bee-swarms of people. Are over million (was told) who have no home but some piece of pavement. A family might claim right (and hand down by will, generation after generation) to sleep on a piece two meters long and one wide at a described location in front of a shop. Entire family sleeps on that space, meaning mother, father, kids, maybe a grandmother. Would not have believed if had not seen. At dawn in Bombay roadways, side pavements, even bridges are covered with tight carpet of human bodies. What do they do? Where do they work? How do they eat? (Did not look as if they did. Could count ribs.)

If I hadn't believed simple arithmetic that you can't ship stuff downhill forever without shipping replacement back, would have tossed in cards. But... tanstanfl. "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," in Bombay or in Luna.

At last we were given appointment with an "Investigating Committee." Not what Prof had asked for. He had requested public hearing before Senate, complete with video cameras. Only camera at this session was its "in-camera" nature; was closed. Not too closed, I had little recorder. But no video. And took Prof two minutes to discover that committee was actually vips of Lunar Authority or their tame dogs.

Nevertheless was chance to talk and Prof treated them as if they had power to recognize Luna's independence and willingness to do so. While they treated us as a cross between naughty children and criminals up for sentencing.

Prof was allowed to make opening statement. With decorations trimmed away was assertion that Luna was de-facto a sovereign state, with an unopposed government in being, a civil condition of peace and order, a provisional president and cabinet carrying on necessary functions but anxious to return to private life as soon as Congress completed writing a constitution--and that we were here to ask that these facts be recognized de-jure and that Luna be allowed to take her rightful place in councils of mankind as a member of Federated Nations.

What Prof told them bore a speaking acquaintance with truth and they were not where they could spot discrepancies. Our "provisional president" was a computer, and "cabinet" was Wyoh, Finn, Comrade Clayton, and Terence Sheehan, editor of Pravda, plus Wolfgang Korsakov, board chairman of LuNoHoCo and a director of Bank of Hong Kong in Luna. But Wyoh was only person now in Luna who knew that "Adam Selene" was false face for a computer. She had been terribly nervous at being left to hold fort alone.

As it was, Adam's "oddity" in never being seen save over video was always an embarrassment. We had done our best to turn it into a "security necessity" by opening offices for him in cubic of Authority's Luna City office and then exploding a small bomb. After this "assassination attempt" comrades who had been most fretful about Adam's failure to stir around became loudest in demands that Adam must not take any chances--this being helped by editorials.

But I wondered while Prof was talking what these pompous chooms would think if they knew that our "president" was a collection of hardware owned by Authority?

But they just sat staring with chill disapproval, unmoved by Prof's rhetoric--probably best performance of his life considering he delivered it flat on back, speaking into a microphone without notes, and hardly able to see his audience.

Then they started in on us. Gentleman member from Argentina--never given their names; we weren't socially acceptable--this Argentino objected to phrase "former Warden" in Prof's speech; that designation had been obsolete half a century; he insisted that it be struck out and proper title inserted: "Protector of the Lunar Colonies by Appointment of the Lunar Authority." Any other wording offended dignity of Lunar Authority.

Prof asked to comment; "Honorable Chairman" permitted it. Prof said mildly that he accepted change since Authority was free to designate its servants in any fashion it pleased and was no intention to offend dignity of any agency of Federated Nations... but in view of functions of this office--former functions of this former office--citizens of Luna Free State would probably go on thinking of it by traditional name.

That made about six of them try to talk at once. Somebody objected to use of word "Luna" and still more to "Luna Free State"--it was "the Moon," Earth's Moon, a satellite of Earth and property of Federated Nations, just as Antarctica was--and these proceedings were a farce.

Was inclined to agree with last point. Chairman asked gentleman member from North America to please be in order and to address his remarks through Chair. Did Chair understand from witness's last remark that this alleged de-facto regime intended to interfere with consignee system?

Prof fielded that and tossed it back. "Honorable Chairman, I myself was a consignee, now Luna is my beloved home. My colleague, the Honorable the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Colonel O'Kelly Davis"--myself!--"is Luna born, and proud of his descent from four transported grandparents. Luna has grown strong on your outcasts. Give us your poor, your wretched; we welcome them. Luna has room for them, nearly forty million square kilometers, an area greater than all Africa--and almost totally empty. More than that, since by our method of living we occupy not 'area' but 'cubic' the mind cannot imagine the day when Luna would refuse another shipioad of weary homeless."

Chairman said, "The witness is admonished to refrain from making speeches. The Chair takes it that your oratory means that the group you represent agrees to accept prisoners as before."

"No, sir."

"What? Explain yourself."

"Once an immigrant sets foot on Luna today he is a free man, no matter what his previous condition, free to go where he listeth."

"So? Then what's to keep a consignee from walking across the field, climbing into another ship, and returning here? I admit that I am puzzled at your apparent willingness to accept them... but we do not want them. It is our humane way of getting rid of incorrigibles who would otherwise have to be executed."

(Could have told him several things that would stop what he pictured; he had obviously never been to Luna. As for "incorrigibles," if really are, Luna eliminates such faster than Terra ever did. Back when I was very young, they sent us a gangster lord, from Los Angeles I believe; he arrived with squad of stooges, his bodyguards, and was cockily ready to take over Luna, as was rumored to have taken over a prison somewhere Earthside.

(None lasted two weeks. Gangster boss didn't make it to barracks; hadn't listened when told how to wear a p-suit.)

"There is nothing to keep him from going home so far as we are concerned, sir," Prof answered, "although your police here on Terra might cause him to think. But I've never heard of a consignee arriving with funds enough to buy a ticket home. Is this truly an issue? The ships are yours; Luna has no ships--and let me add that we are sorry that the ship scheduled for Luna this month was canceled. I am not complaining that it forced on my colleague and myself--Prof stopped to smile--a most informal method of travel. I simply hope that this does not represent policy. Luna has no quarrel with you; your ships are welcome, your trade is welcome, we are at peace and wish to stay so. Please note that all scheduled grain shipments have come through on time."

(Prof did always have gift for changing subject.)

They fiddled with minor matters then. Nosy from North America wanted to know what had really happened to "the Ward--" He stopped himself. "The Protector. Senator Hobart" Prof answered that he had suffered a stroke (a "coup" is a "stroke") and was no longer able to carry out his duties--but was in good health otherwise and receiving constant medical care. Prof added thoughtfully that he suspected that the old gentleman had been failing for some time, in view of his indiscretions this past year... especially his many invasions of rights of free citizens, including ones who were not and never had been consignees.