"Free hospitals--aren't any in Luna. Medical insurance--we have that but apparently not what you mean by it. If a person wants insurance, he goes to a bookie and works b-Out a bet. You can hedge anything, for a price. I don't hedge my health, I'm healthy. Or was till I came here. We have a public library, one Carnegie Foundation started with a few book films. It gets along by charging fees. Public roads. I suppose that would be our tubes. But they are no more free than air is free. Sorry, you have free air here, don't you? I mean our tubes were built by companies who put up money and are downright nasty about expecting it back and then some. Public schools. There are schools in all warrens and I never heard of them turning away pupils, so I guess they are 'public.' But they pay well, too, because anyone in Luna who knows something useful and is willing to teach it charges all the traffic will bear."

I went on: "Let's see what else--- Social security. I'm not sure what that is but whatever it is, we don't have it. Pensions. You can buy a pension. Most people don't; most families are large and old people, say a hundred and up, either fiddle along at something they like, or sit and watch video. Or sleep. They sleep a lot, after say a hundred and twenty."

"Sir, excuse me. Do people really live as long on the Moon as they say?"

I looked surprised but wasn't; this was a "simulated question" for which an answer had been taped. "Nobody knows how long a person will live in Luna; we haven't been there long enough. Our oldest citizens were born Earthside, it's no test. So far, no one born in Luna died of old age, but that's still no test; they haven't had time to grow old yet, less than a century. But-- Well, take me, madam; how old would you say I am? I'm authentic Loonie, third generation."

"Uh, truthfully, Colonel Davis, I was surprised at your youthfulness--for this mission, I mean. You appear to be about twenty-two. Are you older? Not much, I fancy."

"Madam, I regret that your local gravitation makes it impossible for me to bow. Thank you. I've been married longer than that."

"What? Oh, you're jesting!"

"Madam, I would never venture to guess a lady's age but, if you will emigrate to Luna, you will keep your present youthful loveliness much longer and add at least twenty years to your life." I looked at list. "I'll lump the rest of this together by saying we don't have any of it in Luna, so I can't see any reason to pay taxes for it. On that other point, sir, surely you know that the initial cost of the colonies has long since been repaid several times over through grain shipments alone? We are being bled white of our most essential resources...and not even being paid an open-market price. That's why the Lunar Authority is being stubborn; they intend to go on bleeding us. The idea that Luna has been an expense to Terra and the investment must be recovered is a lie invented by the Authority to excuse their treating us as slaves. The truth is that Luna has not cost Terra one dime this century--and the original investment has long since been paid back."

He tried to rally. "Oh, surely you're not claiming that the Lunar colonies have paid all the billions of dollars it took to develop space flight?"

"I could present a good case. However there is no excuse to charge that against us. You have space flight, you people of Terra. We do not. Luna has not one ship. So why should we pay for what we never received? It's like the rest of this list. We don't get it, why should we pay for it?"

Had been stalling, waiting for a claim that Prof had told me I was sure to hear... and got it at last.

"Just a moment, please!" came a confident voice. "You ignored the two most important items on that list. Police protection and armed forces. You boasted that you were willing to pay for what you get... so how about paying almost a century of back taxes for those two? It should be quite a bill, quite a bill!" He smiled smugly.

Wanted to thank him!--thought Prof was going to chide me for failing to yank it out. People looked at each other and nodded, pleased I had been scored on. Did best to look innocent. "Please? Don't understand. Luna has neither police nor armed forces."

"You know what I mean. You enjoy the protection of the Peace Forces of the Federated Nations. And you do have police. Paid for by the Lunar Authority! I know, to my certain knowledge, that two phalanges were sent to the Moon less than a year ago to serve as policemen."

"Oh." I sighed. "Can you tell me how F.N. peace forces protect Luna? I did not know that any of your nations wanted to attack us. We are far away and have nothing anyone envies. Or did you mean we should pay them to leave us alone? If so, there is an old saying that once you pay Danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane. Sir, we will fight F.N. armed forces if we must... we shall never pay them.

"Now about those so-called 'policemen.' They were not sent to protect us. Our Declaration of Independence told the true story about those hoodlums--did your newspapers print it?" (Some had, some hadn't--depended on country.) "They went mad and started raping and murdering! And now they are dead! So don't send us any more troops!"

Was suddenly "tired" and had to leave. Really was tired; not much of an actor and making that talk-talk come out way Prof thought it should was strain.

18

Was not told till later that I had received an assist in that interview; lead about "police" and "armed forces" had been fed by a stooge; Stu LaJoie took no chances. But by time I knew, I had had experience in handling interviews; we had them endlessly.

Despite being tired was not through that night. In addition to press some Agra diplomatic corps had risked showing up-- few and none officially, even from Chad. But we were curiosities and they wanted to look at us.

Only one was important, a Chinee. Was startled to see him; he was Chinee member of committee. I met him, simply as "Dr. Chan" and we pretended to be meeting first time.

He was that Dr. Chan who was then Senator from Great China and also Great China's long-time number-one boy in Lunar Authority--and, much later, Vice-Chairman and Premier, shortly before his assassin.

After getting out point I was supposed to make, with bonus through others that could have waited, I guided chair to bedroom and was at once summoned to Prof's. "Manuel, I'm sure you noticed our distinguished visitor from the Middle Kingdom."

"Old Chinee from committee?"

"Try to curb the Loonie talk, son. Please don't use it at all here, even with me. Yes. He wants to know what we meant by 'tenfold or a hundredfold.' So tell him."

"Straight? Or swindle?"

"The straight. This man is no fool. Can you handle the technical details?"

"Done my homework. Unless he's expert in ballistics."

"He's not. But don't pretend to know anything you don't know. And don't assume that he's friendly. But he could be enormously helpful if he concludes that our interests and his coincide. But don't try to persuade him. He's in my study. Good luck. And remember--speak standard English."

Dr. Chan stood up as I came in; I apologized for not standing. He said that he understood difficulties that a gentleman from Luna labored under here and for me not to exert myself--shook hands with himself and sat down.

I'll skip some formalities. Did we or did we not have some specific solution when we claimed there was a cheap way to ship massive tonnage to Luna?

Told him was a method, expensive in investment but cheap in running expenses. "It's the one we use on Luna, sir. A catapult, an escape-speed induction catapult."

His expression changed not at all. "Colonel, are you aware that such has been proposed many times and always rejected for what seemed good reasons? Something to do with air pressure."