The Past Through Tomorrow - Complete Future History (Anthology) (1967) by Robert A. Heinlein

Author:Robert A. Heinlein [Heinlein, Robert A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Golden Age of Science Fiction, Masters of Science Fiction, Robert A. Heinlein, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Masters, World as Myth, Future History, Dr. Hugo Pinero, Technology, Life Span, Academy of Science, Larry Gaines, Shorty Van Kleeck, Douglas-Martin Sunpower Screens, Rolling Roads, "Shorty" Van Kleeck, Transport Cadets, Diego-Reno Roadtown, The Functionalist Revolution, Functionalism, Unicycles, Urban Sprawl, Nuclear Reactor, Dr. Lentz, Alfred Korzybski, Calculus of Statement, Nuclear Fuel, Moon, Moon Landing (1978), George Strong, Pioneer (spaceship), Leslie LeCroix, Nuclear Rocket Fuel, Moka-Coka, United Nations, Peterson Field (Space Port), Pikes Peak (Catapult Launcher) (space port), Destination Moon (movie), Luna City, D.D. Harriman (Delos D. Harriman), Space Station, Spaceships, Rocket Ships, Catapult Launcher, Gloria McNye (Brooks), Brooks McNye, Tiny Larsen, Supra-New York, Space Terminal, Trans-Lunar Transit, Olga Pierce, Jake Pemberton, Commerce Commission, Flying Dutchman, Philip Nolan, Skysprite, Firefly, Moonbat, Gremlin, Captain Kelly, Psychiatrist, Schacht Junior, Judge Schacht, Weinstein, Butler Missouri, Spaceways, Spaceways Provisioning Company, Artemis Mines, Luna City Recreations, Captain McIntyre, Charlie, Colonel Towers, John Ezra Dahlquist (Johnny), Johnny, Coup d'état, Lieutenant John Ezra Dahlquist, Space Patrol, Nuclear Weapons, Lunar Base, Plutonium, Radiation, Tradition of the Patrol, Mr. Knowles, Richardson Observatory (Moon base), Big Eye, Journalists' Guild, Jack Arnold, Luna City Chamber of Commerce, Konski, Vacuum, Rutherford, Mr. Latham, Harriman Trust, Richard Logan, Moonbat Patrol, Scouting, Mr. Perrin, Mrs. Logan, Lunologists, Dick Logan, Baby Darling, Dr. Evans, Earth, Josephine MacRae, Allan MacRae, Groundhogs, Gravity, Grace Cormet, General Services, Uber Rich, Interplanetary Confernece, Jay Clare, Francis Saunders, The Weeping Buddha, Pierre Beaumont, Chief of Protocol, Jovians, Martians, Titans, Venus, Dr. Krathwohl, Dr. O’Neil., Carson, Flower of Forgetfulness, Gravity Shield, O’Neil Effect, Planetary Government, British Museum, Tycho Base, Betsy Barnes, Blind Betsy, Elizabeth Barnes, Meridian Space Station, Spacemen, Great New York, Mr. Saunders, William Saunders, Mars, Valkyrie (spaceship), Cats, William Cole, Mars Terminal, Deimos, Harriman Medal, Rhysling "Blind singer of the spaceways", Orphans in the Sky, Farmer in the Sky, Time Enough for Love, Logic of Empire, Stranger in a Strange Land, Slavery, Rhira, Society, Humphrey Wingate, Sam Houston Jones, Satchel Hartley, Evening Star (spaceship), Patron van Huysen, Adonis (Settlement On Venus), Hyacinthus Veneris Johnsoni, Venus Swamproot, Hazel, Annek van Huysen, starship, Holly Jones, Jeff Hardesty, Gripsholm (spaceship), Miss Brentwood, The Bats' Cave, Daily Lunatic, Susie Greenberg, Titanalloy, Ariel Brentwood, Fliers, Zebadiah Jones, John Lyle, Sister Maggie, Christianity, Theocracy, Nehemiah Scudder (The First Prophet), New Jerusalem, The Cabal, Revolution, Sister Judith, Secret Agent, Sister Magdalene, General Huxley, Covenant, The Covenant, David MacKinnon, Coventry, Outlaws, Lefty, Blackie, Anarchy, New America, Free State, The Angels, Prophet Incarnate, If This Goes On — (Short Story), The Barrier, Fader Magee, Mother Johnston, Persephone, C. K. Ogden, Captain Randall (Fader Magee), Pinky, Cosmic Construction Corps, Asteroid Belt, Astrogation, Space Marines, Space Navy, Asteroid HS-5388, Captain Doyle, McCoy, Justin Foote, Ira Howard, Mary Sperling, Lazarus Long (Woodrow Wilson Smith) (Woodie), Andrew Jackson "Slipstick" Libby (later Elizabeth A. J. Libby Long), Masquerade, Administrator Slayton Ford, New Frontiers (Starship), Inertialess Drive, Little People, Group Mind, FTL, Faster-than-Light Drive, Time Dilation, Eleanor Johnson, Nancy Weatheral, Jockaira, Cold-sleep, Dr. Gordon Hardy, Carrel-Lindbergh-O’Shaug Techniques, Janice Schmidt, Captain Rufus “Ruthless” King, Kreel Sarloo, Zaccur Barstow, Oliver Johnson, Ralph Schultz, Lorentz-FitzGerald Contraction, Hubert Johnson, Miles Rodney, Federation Council, Joe-Jim Gregory, Hugh Hoyland, Proxima Centauri, Generation Ship Vanguard (spaceship), Bobo, Alan Mahoney, Phineas Narby, Bill Ertz, Pulp Fiction, Bill Smith (Lazarus Long), Buddy Boy (Lazarus Long), Captain Aaron Sheffield (Lazarus Long), Chairman of the Howard Foundation (Lazarus Long), Dr. Lafayette 'Lafe' Hubert (Lazarus Long), Ernest Gibbons (Lazarus Long), Happy Daze (Lazarus Long), His Serenity Seraphim the Younger Supreme High Priest of the One God in All His Aspects and Arbiter Below and Above (Lazarus Long), Joseph Aaron Long (Lazarus Long), Mr. Justice Lenox (Lazarus Long), Proscribed Prisoner No. 83M2742 (Lazarus Long), Senior (Lazarus Long), Ted Smith (Lazarus Long), Theodore "Ted" Bronson (Coprporal) (Lazarus Long), Uncle Gibbie (Lazarus Long), Kansas City, Generation Ship (spaceship), Pitcairn Island (planet), Diaspora, Howard Families, Howard Foundation, Retro Hugo Award (Best Novella), Retro Hugo Award (Best Novelette), Lincoln Press
Publisher: Lincoln Press (editor)
Published: 1967-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

4

WE RELIEVED the watch at midnight. As soon as the watch section had marched away from our post I told Zeb what Grace had passed on to me at chow and asked him if he had the rest of my instructions. He had not. I wanted to talk but he cut me short; he seemed even more edgy than I was. So I walked my post and tried to look alert. We were posted that night at the north end of the west rampart; our tour covered one of the Palace entrances. About an hour had passed when I heard a hiss from the dark doorway. I approached cautiously and made out a female form. She was too short to be Magdalene and I never knew who she was, for she shoved a piece of paper in my hand and faded back into the dark corridor.

I rejoined Zeb. “What shall I do? Read it with my flash? That seems risky.”

“Open it up.”

I did and found that it was covered with fine script that glowed in the darkness. I could read it but it was too dim to be picked up by any electronic eye. I read it:

At the middle of the watch exactly on the bell you will enter the Palace by the door where you received this. Forty paces inside, take the stair on your left; climb two flights. Proceed north fifty paces. The lighted doorway on your right leads to the Virgins’ quarters; there will be a guard at this door. He will not resist you but you must use a paralysis bomb on him to give him an alibi. The cell you seek is at the far end of the central east & west corridor of the quarters. There will be a light over the door and a Virgin on guard. She is not one of us. You must disable her completely but you are forbidden to injure or kill her. Use the adhesive tape as gag and blindfold and tie her up with her clothes. Take her keys, enter the cell, and remove Sister Judith. She will probably be unconscious. Bring her to your post and hand her over to the warden of your watch.

You must make all haste from the time you paralyze the guard, as an eye may see you when you pass the lighted doorway and the alarm may sound at once.

Do not swallow this note; the ink is poisonous. Drop it in the incinerator chute at the head of the stairs.

Go with God.

Zeb read it over my shoulder. “All you need,” he said grimly, “is the ability to pass miracles at will. Scared?”

“Yes.”

“Want me to go along?”

“No. I guess we had better carry out the orders as given.”

“Yes, we had—if I know the Lodge Master. Besides, it just might happen that I might need to kill somebody rather suddenly while you are gone. I’ll be covering your rear.”

“I suppose so.”

“Now let’s shut up and bone military.” We went back to walking our post.

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