JOB - a Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein

Author:Robert A. Heinlein [Heinlein, Robert A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub

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During the thirty-five miles or so on into Flagstaff Steve asked questions of us about the worlds we had seen but made no comments. He talked just enough to keep us talking. He was especially interested in my descriptions of airships, jet planes, and aeroplanos, but anything technical fascinated him. Television he found much harder to believe than flying machines — well, so did I. But Margrethe assured him that she had seen television herself, and Margrethe is hard to disbelieve. Me, I might be mistaken for a con man. But not Margrethe. Her voice and manner carry conviction.

In Flagstaff, just short of Route 66, Steve pulled over to the side and stopped, left his engine running. "All out," he said, "if you insist on heading east. If you want to go north, you're welcome.

I said, "We've got to get to Kansas, Steve."

"Yes, I know. While you can get there either way, Sixty-Six is your best bet ... though why anyone should want to go to Kansas beats me. It's that intersection ahead, there. Keep right and keep going; you can't miss it. Watch out for the Santa Fe tracks. Where you planning to sleep tonight?"

"I don't have any plans. We'll walk until we get another ride. If we don't get an all-night ride and we get too sleepy, we can sleep by the side of the road — it's warm."

"Alec, you listen to your Uncle Dudley. You're not going to sleep on the desert tonight. It's warm now; it'll be freezing cold by morning. Maybe you haven't noticed but we've been climbing all the way from Phoenix. And if the Gila monsters don't get you, the sand fleas will. You've got to rent a cabin."

"Steve, I can't rent a cabin."

"The Lord will provide. You believe that, don't you?"

"Yes," I answered stiffly, "I believe that." (But He also helps those who help themselves.)

"So let the Lord provide. Maggie, about this end-of-the world business, do you agree with Alec?"

"I certainly don't disagree!"

"Mmm. Alec, I'm going to give it a lot of thought ... starting tonight, by reading a Gideon Bible. This time I don't want to miss the parade. You go on down Sixty-Six, look for a place saying 'cabins'. Not 'motel' not 'roadside inn', not a word about Simmons mattresses or private baths — just 'cabins'. If they ask more than two dollars, walk away. Keep dickering and you might get it for one."

I wasn't listening very hard as I was growing quite angry. Dicker with what? He knew that I was utterly without funds — didn't he believe me?

"So I'll say good-bye," Steve went on. "Alec, can you get that door? I don't want to get out."

"I can get it." I opened it, stepped down, then remembered my manners. "Steve, I want to thank you for everything. Dinner, and beer, and a long ride. May the Lord watch over you and keep you."

"Thank you and don't mention it. Here." He reached into a pocket, pulled out a card. "That's my business card.

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